The food scene in this county is fickle, sometimes she loves you, many times she'll disappoint you. That said, in the sea of mediocre joints, I have siphoned out the best of the best, from casual to fine dining.
Driftwood - *Top Pick - I have not had a bad plate here, and it almost surprises me. Boynton is not Delray or West palm, or even Lakeworth. Its a small blip on the map, but damnit we have a handful of great places to eat. The top of that list is, Driftwood. A rustic feel, from the decor to the food, and the flavors are exceptional. Great ingredients and technique happening here, always impressed, highly recommend.
Oceano - *Top pick - Oceano has re-opened in downtown Lake worth to much fanfare, and they’ve managed to ride the wave with consistency; which is the hardest part. They’ve been known for years around here as one of the only restaurants with real trained, experienced, brilliant, michelin level chefs. Innovative and consistently pushing themselves, hence the nightly changing menu that defined them for nearly a decade. Now with larger financial backing and seating thats quadruple what they once had, more mouths to feed means more room for error. They’ve managed it gracefully so far, and are doing a hybrid of constant dishes while also having some rotating regularly. Beyond the food, the new space is gorgeous, light wood tones, lots of natural light, one of the best places you can spend an evening in PBC, hands down.
Sweetwater - Might be the best cocktails in the county. Has the largest whiskey selection in the south east US, and the cocktail program is fantastic. The food is solid too.
Howleys - An old school diner, all the greasy spoon items we’ve all grown up with, but some fun unique twists on the classics. Open late/early morning.
Vincent’s Bistro - We love their 3 cheese sandwich and the Nicoise sandwich. So simple, and so delicious. Always an array of fresh pastries to choose from, an authentic French bakery owned by a lovely French family.
Lilos Streetfood - One of our go to casual spots, the food is always good and service is on point. The elote ribs, inventive tacos, crab rangoon, duck boa buns, the list is endless, theres something for everyone, and the quality is there. This place is a true blessing in what feels like a desert of high quality casual spots to eat.
RH Rooftop - Looking for an elevated Brunch? The lighting alone is enough reason to come. The glass atrium that drapes over this top floor restaurant of Restoration Hardware is a dreamy place to share a bottle of Champagne, truffle grilled cheese, and a smoked Salmon platter. And wandering down the 4 levels strolling through the beatiful designs and textures at RH with a slight buzz is always a nice way to finish and digest.
Imoto (Special mention Buccan) - Japanese done right. Great ingredients, simple but precise preparations, and its always delicious. Can be a little on the pricey side depending how hungry you are, but its also in the top 1 or 2 restaurants in Palm Beach.
Cholo Soy- Fancy Tacos. Every cities gotem’, few do it better than these guys though. High quality proteins combined with creative and delicious toppings. As an LA girl I compare all ‘fancy’ tacos to Guerilla Taco, and these are not too far off. Not cheap, but always good.
Lynoras - Our go to casual Italian spot, locations in downtown West Palm and just south on Dixie Highway in the cutest old gas station renovation you ever did see! We are suckers for the Bolognese, and shrimp scampi - both, so classic and simple, and yet so damn tasty.
Sassafras - Some of the best food in West Palm, this feels like more of a Miami quality restaurant with real thought put into every element of the dish. There are real chefs making damn good food here. Also, Queers unite! This spot is very LGBTQ+ friendly, and we love them for that.
Akira Back - High End Japanese restaurant in Delrays, The Ray hotel. The namesake restaurant of chef Akira back is pricey as you can imagine, but also one of the best fine dining experiences in the area.
Lets briefly address the New York onslaught thats taking place in West Palm and Palm Beach. While I was initially thrilled to see some of these big names from the Northeast in genersl coming here, the potential for a real food scene, I now feel the overwhelming feeling of disgust. Real food scenes are built on the backs of great chefs, not flashy restaraunt groups. Where are all the innovative chefs blazing their own trail in West Palm? (Hint: follow the money). Theres 4 very solid chefs, the rest are copy paste repeat. Whether its Tutto, Sant Ambroeus, Harrys, Milos, Fuku, Maman, Moxies, Del Mar; honestly, theyre all decent, I dont have bad meals at these places BUT as a local and an educated F&B writer, this has got to stop. The food is mid, service mid, it all just feels so done before.
There is no innovation, its simply catering to the New Yorkers and other east coasters that decend upon this area every winter. The city needs to get a handle on this trajectory of development, it's currently out of control and were very close to becoming an overly commercial, souless pile of slop, that only caters to the elites mundane perspective of life where theyd rather eat and exist in the same places as they do in Manhattan, or the Hamptons then to experience something new and distinctly of this place. Can we find a little soul babes? Theres creative genius out there, lets stop lining pockets of the “luxury” restraunt groups and start investing in the artists, the real chefs with vision and work ethic. Where are the New Yorkers at with actual taste? Please invest in some real cooking here, im desperate ♡