Pensacola, Florida, has a vibrant downtown scene with so many dreamy restaurants to choose from! Let’s be honest: Pensacola’s beautiful gulf beaches can bring on a ravenous hunger, and there are an abnormal amount of restaurants to choose from for a town so small.
Luckily, I’ve eaten enough to make it easy for you-
Here are the top 7 restaurants in downtown Pensacola, Florida:
Restaurant Iron
Price Point: $$$
Tagged as one of the “Most Romantic Restaurants in America” by OpenTable, the Restaurant Iron is dressed and priced for date night.
Busy and trendy, with gourmet Southern food and craft cocktails, the Iron is spacious, with clean decor and high ceilings. The plates here are artisanal and well worth a photo (also delicious.)
What to Order: Start with the Gnocchi Escargot- you will dream of it for the rest of your life. For dessert, hit that Nutella Pie and wash down it with a Smoky Old Fashioned.
Ruby Slipper Cafe
Price Point: $$
Ruby Slipper Cafe is one of my #1 favorite places to eat in Pensacola and New Orleans, where the restaurant originates.
Expect authentic and creative creole brunch food like Gulf Shrimp Omelettes, Bananas Foster Pain Perdu, and seasonally themed beignets.
What to Order: Coffee lovers must get the Creamy Vanilla Iced Coffee, which includes a whipped vanilla topping made in-house! The Creamy Vanilla was my favorite coffee drink in all of Pensacola. Food-wise, literally, anything on the menu is a win, although the Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes stood out. For cocktails, the Peach Bellini or Ruby Mimosa are solid.
Tip: If you REALLY love coffee, consider the coffee tasting tour.
Fin & Fork
Price Point: $$
Fin & Fork is a casual-chic seafood restaurant with freshly caught gulf seafood, premium steaks, deserts, and outdoor seating. The atmosphere here is family-friendly, and prices range from mid-range to higher-end.
Tip: Saturdays and Sundays at F & F feature the Bloody Mary Bar, Bottomless Bubbles, and a Three-Course Brunch Menu.
What to Order: First off, it’s easy to fill up on Hush Puppies, so jot that down. The best seafood dishes at Fin & Fork include Blackened Mahi Mahi, Gumbo, Lobster Bisque, and Smoked Tuna Dip.
Global Grill
Price Point: $$$
One of the finest restaurants in downtown Pensacola, Global Grill is an upscale tapas restaurant where you can sample popular food from around the world.
The space itself is classy, filled with local art and intimate tables.
What to Order: Creamy NOLA BBQ Shrimp, the Lamb Lollipops (chops), and the Heirloom Peach Salad are all amazing. Global Grill has an extensive wine list and craft cheese boards to go with them. Also-everyone loves sharing the Scallop Dip.
Jaco’s Bayfront Bar & Grille
Price Point: $$
Jaco’s Bayfront Bar & Grille is a casual joint on the Palafox Pier Marina with spectacular views of the bay.
Best known for its very southern dessert, Fried Oreos, and gulf-caught seafood, this is one of the seafood restaurants that define downtown Pensacola.
The restaurant has happy hour-priced wine to compliment golden hour, AKA’ sunset specials.’ These specials make the entire thing feel like an event (as every sunset should be).
What to Order: Another thing I love is that Jaco’s Menu is super convenient, with photos of each plate. Try the Crab Cakes, Salmon Burger, Mahi Mahi, Blackened Fish Tacos, or Lettuce Wraps.
The Fish House
Price Point: $$
One of downtown Pensacola’s oldest restaurants, established in 1998, The Fish House has built a reputation for fresh seafood cuisine with a friendly dockside atmosphere overlooking the bay.
The Fish House’s menu consists of rotating seafood dishes, house-smoked steaks, sushi, and its signature Grits á Ya Ya. At night, sit outside if you can—the string lights reflecting off the ocean are beautiful and romantic.
What to Order: Try the Sunday Brunch if you’re in town on the weekend. The Crab Claws are served in a flavorful, bisque-like sauce, the Gumbo is highly rated, the Jack Daniels Chicken Salad is fire, and the Beignets are some of the best outside New Orleans.
Cool Fact: In 2007, the Travel Channel aired an episode of “Bizarre Foods” that featured The Fish House.
Five Sisters Blues Cafe
Price Point: $$
Five Sisters Blues Cafe is Southern Food at its most authentic and delicious fried self. Born on what was once the site of Gussie’s Record Shop and WBOP Radio Station, the restaurant celebrates its rich blue history with décor and artifacts from Gussie’s Record Shop.
What to Order: Five Sisters is the perfect place to celebrate Southern Soul Food: Fried Green Tomatoes, Meatloaf, Collard Greens, Cheese Grits, and, for dessert, the Cinnamon and Sugar Yams.
Cool Fact: This area has welcomed musicians Louis Armstrong, Aretha Franklin, Ike and Tina Turner, Ray Charles, Fats Domino, Count Bassie, Otis Redding, Don Shirley, and other genre-defining artists.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pensacola has many food options for its size and relatively remote location from the rest of the US, but I wouldn’t call it a foodie town. That doesn’t mean you’ll be disappointed, however.
With tons of locally caught seafood, coastal Southern dishes like gumbo, crawfish etouffee, and a craft coffee tasting tour, there is plenty for the foodie to do in Pensacola.
More than other parts of Florida, Pensacola is very much a classic Southern city. That means grits, fried chicken, oysters, gulf shrimp, Cajun spiced dishes, and po’boy sandwiches. Pensacola food is a combo of Southern comfort and Cajun seafood.
Tip: Peg Leg Pete’s on the Beach is a prime spot for oysters at sunset.
Pensacola is a historic seaside town with some of the best restaurants on the water.
These are my top 3 choices:
– Jaco’s Bayfront Bar & Grille is sunset central, located on the waters of the Palafox Pier Marina.
– The Fish House is one of downtown Pensacola’s oldest restaurants, and it’s built a reputation for having some of the freshest seafood in the city. Overlooking Pensacola Bay, the outdoor seating is right on the water, with nightly live music and cozy lighting.
– The Oar House is a food joint with major tiki vibes and views of Bahia Mar Marina from nearly every table.
The best seafood restaurants in downtown Pensacola, those with the freshest fish on the menu and the best reputations, are The Fish House and the Oar House.
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