There are many fun things to do in Pensacola, including beaches and some of the most fabulous restaurants along the Gulf Coast. Whether you’re are in the mood for handmade sushi and sashimi, artisan cheeses and fine wines, and creative cocktails and tapas while watching the sun sink below the horizon, the buzzing Floridian city has something for every occasion.
Bonelli's Cafe Italia
Situated on North 9th Avenue, Bonelli's Cafe Italia is a family-owned and operated restaurant that offers Italian-American cuisine in a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The restaurant features a cozy dining room with comfortable décor and bottle-filled wine racks and serves a menu with traditional Italian delights such as platters of antipasti and small plates, fresh salads and soups, house-made pasta dishes and creamy sauces, and meat, chicken and fresh seafood plates. The cuisine is accompanied by easy-drinking wines from Italy and around the world, craft and draft beers, top-shelf spirits, and classic cocktails.
1217 N 9th Ave, Pensacola, FL 32501, Phone: 850-466-3002
Fish House & Atlas
Just steps away from historic Seville Square, The Fish House & Atlas is an award-winning seafood-centric restaurant set on the harbor with spectacular views of Pensacola Bay and Seville Harbor. The harborside go-to specializes in fresh seafood, catch-of-the-day fish, shellfish, and handmade sushi and sashimi, created with sustainably caught ingredients and served with an array of casual wines and creative cocktails. Along with fresh, daily seafood selections, the inventive menu also features house-smoked steaks and the world-famous Grits á Ya Ya of smoked Gouda cheese grits with sauteed Gulf shrimp and applewood-smoked bacon. The bustling bar hosts live music.
600 S Barracks St, Pensacola, FL 32502, Phone: 850-470-0003
George Bistro and Bar
George Bistro and Bar is a chic, contemporary eatery that focuses on simple, fresh cuisine for brunch, lunch, and dinner. The charming bistro brings the sun-kissed tastes and flavors of Italy to the heart of Pensacola with delicious charcuterie and cheese boards with freshly baked bread, olives, dips, and grilled artichokes, along with entrées of roasted chicken, shrimp and grits, grilled salmon, steak frites, and lobster rolls. Exuding a classic Southern charm, the eatery has a modern dining room with warm wooden accents, comfortable tables and large windows that flood the space with natural light, and a full-service bar offers a variety of libations from casual wines to craft beers and perfectly prepared espresso.
6205 N 9th Ave, Pensacola, FL 32504, Phone: 850-912-4655
Global Grill
Global Grill is an upscale tapas bar and restaurant that serves unique culinary creations infused with Mediterranean, European, Asian and American flavors. Located in downtown Pensacola, the charming bistro is owned by Executive Chef Frank and his wife, Jane and specializes in serving Spanish-style tapas and hearty entrées using the freshest local seasonal seafood. Boasting a contemporary dining room with art-adorned walls, the restaurant serves a tapas selection of mixed imported olives, tuna cubes skewered in a sesame vinaigrette, chicken wings, and Brussels sprouts. Entrées include potato crusted Gulf fish and roasted duck breast, and desserts like the Spanish chocolate cake with homemade basil ice cream are a must.
27 Palafox Pl, Pensacola, FL 32501, Phone: 850-469-9966
If you like soul food, you have to visit Five Sisters Blues Cafe in Pensacola.
Ichiban
Ichiban Pensacola is a beautifully decorated restaurant on the North Davis Highway that serves refined Japanese cuisine and fresh handmade sushi in modest quarters with traditional tatami seating. Open for lunch and dinner, every day of the week, the restaurant offers comfortable table seating, intimate booth seating, and a sleek sushi bar where expert chefs create culinary creations with the freshest local seafood and fish. The a la carte menu features dishes of smoked salmon sashimi salad, soft shell crab salad, cucumber salad, seaweed salad, and Ichiban crab soup, and sushi options include sashimi, nigiri, and tempura. Bento boxes are packed with chicken tempura and beef steak, and casual wines and craft beers are available to enjoy with the food.
5555 N Davis Hwy, Pensacola, FL 32503, Phone: 850-494-2227
Restaurant IRON
Restaurant IRON is a vibrant, stylish locale that serves Southern contemporary cuisine and creative cocktails in a sleek and sophisticated environment. Helmed by Executive Chef, Alex McPhail, the restaurant focuses on using locally sourced and regional produce to create reinvented gourmet takes on Southern cuisine and regional specialties like Truffle Scented C.A.B. Ribeye Tartare, Hudson Valley Foie Deviled Eggs, Elysian Fields Lamb Breast Roulade, Air Cured White Pekin Duck Breast & Foie, and Le Quebecois Veal Three Ways. Expert mixologists showcase their craft with a variety of inventive cocktails, and the bar serves an array of casual wines and craft beers by the bottle.
22 N Palafox St, Pensacola, FL 32502, Phone: 850-476-7776
Jackson's Steakhouse
Jackson's Steakhouse is an iconic steakhouse that dates back to 1860 that serves thick house-butchered cuts of USDA choice steaks and fine wines in a refined, elegant setting. The long-standing steakhouse boasts traditional steakhouse décor with dark wood and leather accents, elegantly dressed tables and soft lighting and serves a menu of prime cuts of USDA choice steaks, free-range chicken and pork, fresh seafood and a range of vegetarian options. The full-service bar has an extensive menu of fine wines from around the world, which can be enjoyed by the glass or bottle, craft beers on tap or by the bottle, and handcrafted cocktails.
400 S Palafox St, Pensacola, FL 32502, Phone: 850-469-9898
Jaco's Bayfront Bar & Grille
Overlooking the Palafox Pier Marina at the end of South Palafox Street, Jaco's Bayfront Bar & Grille is a laid-back spot that serves contemporary cuisine for lunch and dinner against a backdrop of spectacular ocean views. The family-friendly restaurant caters for all occasions from laid-back brunches and light lunches to refined romantic dinners, with seasonal menus of fresh, locally sourced seafood and fish, naturally-raised beef and chicken, housemade pasta and from-scratch sauces, and crisp salads. Signature flatbreads and antipasti platters are popular sharing options, and the full-service bar serves a variety of casual wines, craft, and draft beers, top-shelf spirits, and classic cocktails.
997 S Palafox St, Pensacola, FL 32502, Phone: 850-432-5226
Nick's Boathouse
Serenely overlooking the bay from downtown Pensacola, Nick's Boathouse specializes in fresh seafood and catch-of-the-day fish, along with prime steaks and spicy Cajun fare. The restaurant has a light and airy contemporary dining room with modern décor and an outdoor patio for alfresco-style dining in the summer months and a full-service bar serves a variety of casual wines, craft, and draft beers, top-shelf spirits, and classic cocktails. Open for lunch, dinner, and Saturday or Sunday brunch, the restaurant serves a creative menu of farm-to-table fare such as locally sourced seafood and fish, naturally-raised beef and chicken, housemade pasta and from-scratch sauces, and crisp salads.
455 W Main St, Pensacola, FL 32502, Phone: 850-912-8775
O'Brien's Bistro
O'Brien's Bistro is an old-school strip-mall café owned helmed by Chef Brandon Collins that serves classic American fare with a seafood focus for brunch, lunch, and dinner. The warm and welcoming restaurant serves a creative menu of inventive food prepared using locally sourced and regional ingredients, with signature dishes of crab cakes, New Orleans BBQ shrimp, French onion soup, blackened salmon salad, and gnocchi mac & cheese. House specialties include Almond Crusted Mahi Mahi, Cornmeal Crusted Sea Scallops, Grouper Lyonnaise, Mango-Plum Atlantic Salmon, Shrimp & Scallop Risotto, and Shrimp Tuscan. The full-service bar has an extensive menu of fine wines from around the world, which can be enjoyed by the glass or bottle, craft beers on tap or by the bottle, and handcrafted cocktails.
4350 Bayou Blvd, Pensacola, FL 32503, Phone: 850-477-9120
Rodizio Grill - Pensacola
Rodizio Grill is a traditional Brazilian restaurant inspired by the Gauchos that roam the prairies of Brazil. The restaurant specializes in churrascaria which features all-you-can-eat meats which are cut and served tableside along with fresh salads from an extensive salad bar. A two-course dinner featuring unlimited artisan appetizers and salads, followed by a rodizio service of freshly grilled meats carved tableside. Sip on freshly made Caipirinhas or Mojitos while enjoying artisan cheeses, olives, bread to start before tucking into a variety of grilled meats.
605 E Gregory St, Pensacola, FL 32502, Phone: 850-466-2113
The District - Seville Steak and Seafood
The District - Seville Steak and Seafood is an elegant steakhouse in the Downtown Pensacola Historic District that is committed to offering an unrivaled fine-dining experience. Located across the street from the world-famous Rosie O’Grady’s pub, the New American Steakhouse features sophisticated and stylish décor and furnishings in an Old World setting and serves a menu of prime, hand-cut USDA steaks, free-range chicken and pork, ocean-fresh seafood and fish, and a range of vegetarian options. The full-service bar has an extensive menu of fine wines from around the world, which can be enjoyed by the glass or bottle, craft beers on tap or by the bottle, and handcrafted cocktails.
123 E Government St, Pensacola, FL 32502, Phone: 850-332-5224
The Grand Marlin of Pensacola Beach
Overlooking the beautiful Santa Rosa Sound, The Grand Marlin of Pensacola Beach is a fine-dining restaurant with an elegant, clubby ambiance that serves area-sourced seafood dishes and raw bar offerings. Boasting a breathtaking setting on stilts above the water, the restaurant exudes a tranquil, relaxed atmosphere with an intricately designed dining room with a barrel-vault ceiling and comfortable banquettes and a spectacular 1,228.5-pound Atlantic Blue Marlin. Seasonal menus boast an outstanding selection of fresh seafood and fresh oysters from the raw bar accompanied by delectable, daily specials created by award-winning Chef Gregg McCarthy. The full-service bar offers an 80-plus bottle wine list, as well as craft and draft beers, top-shelf spirits and creative cocktails, served against a backdrop of awe-inspiring views of Santa Rosa Sound and Pensacola Bay.
400 Pensacola Beach Blvd, Gulf Breeze, FL 32561, Phone: 850-677-9153
V Paul's Italiano Restaurant
V Paul's Italiano Restaurant is an award-winning bistro that serves traditional Italian fare in a casual, laid-back environment. Perfect for a romantic dinner for two or a special celebration, the elegant restaurant has a stylish dining room with contemporary décor and floor-to-ceiling windows that embrace beautiful views of the bustling Palafox Street. The restaurant serves a menu with traditional Italian delights such as platters of antipasti and small plates, fresh salads and soups, house-made pasta dishes and creamy sauces, and meat, chicken and fresh seafood plates. The cuisine is accompanied by easy-drinking wines from Italy and around the world, craft and draft beers, top-shelf spirits, and classic cocktails.
29 Palafox Pl, Pensacola, FL 32502, Phone: 850-466-5855
