From a lighthouse-view tiki bar to a bayfront brunch in Edgewater, these are the tables on the water worth the drive, listed north to south.
South Florida has hundreds of restaurants on the water. Far fewer get the view, the food, and the feeling right at the same time. We picked twelve that do, from the Jupiter Inlet to Biscayne Bay, and listed them north to south so you can plan around where you are.
Some are dress-up dinners. Others are flip-flop dock bars. All of them are worth the trip.
An open-air tiki bar on the inlet, a short walk from the Jupiter Lighthouse. This is more about the setting than the menu: cold drinks, live music most nights, and boats drifting past the deck.
Get there before sunset if you want a seat facing the water. It fills up fast on weekends.
Jupiter's dress-up waterfront dinner. Prime steaks and seafood with indoor and outdoor seating that looks straight across the water to the lighthouse.
Book the terrace for a birthday or anniversary, and plan on the cocktail list before dinner.
A boater's favorite on the Intracoastal, known for its floating bar and a long seafood menu. The space was recently renovated, but the easygoing, flip-flops-welcome mood stayed.
Weekend afternoons bring a lively crowd. Weeknights are calmer and better for conversation.
A working sportfishing marina where the yachts are part of the view. Expect fresh local fish and a relaxed patio right on the docks.
Thursday evenings it hosts a Sunset Celebration with local artists and live music.
The most polished oceanfront table on this list. Florie's serves refined coastal cooking with the Atlantic just past the terrace.
For something private, ask about dinner in one of the resort's cabanas.
It bills itself as Florida's oldest waterfront restaurant, and it feels like Old Florida in the best way: a big deck, a casual crowd, and seafood without fuss.
Save room for the key lime pie, or order the Wayno sandwich, a house favorite.
A family-run institution near the inlet for about 60 years. The Maryland-style crab cakes are the order, with a frozen drink on the dock.
Watch the fishing boats come in late in the afternoon.
Downtown Delray's spot on the water, steps from Atlantic Avenue. Live music, mahi tacos, and a crowd that runs from families at lunch to friends at happy hour.
Tuesdays are taco night, and the deck gets busy early.
A Fort Lauderdale classic on the docks with a fish-forward menu upstairs and a casual dockside section below.
Kids (and adults) love feeding the giant tarpon that gather by the dock.
Big, buzzy, and right on the Intracoastal, with plenty of boats tying up for lunch. Stone crab claws in season are the move.
It handles large groups and private events well, and even has a menu for dogs.
Chef Michael Schwartz's bayfront restaurant pairs wood-fired Latin American cooking with some of Miami's best water views.
Sunday brunch is the hottest reservation, so book ahead.
A Miami landmark for more than 50 years, on the causeway with the downtown skyline lit up across the bay.
Come for sunset, then stay for seafood as the skyline lights up.