Eating Around The World in South Florida

Courtesy Imoto

The diversity of the Gold Coast is on tasty display through its dazzling variety of eateries, offering a journey that is at once culinary as well as cultural. Our guide to South Florida’s multicultural restaurant scene transports you around the world, plate by plate.

GERMANY: THE BUTCHER SHOP BEER GARDEN & GRILL IN WEST PALM BEACH

Courtesy of The Butcher Shop

Grab a seat around the barrel tables at The Butcher Shop Beer Garden & Grill, and prepare for a hearty German menu of pretzels, bratwurst, and burgers. Or, select your own take-home cuts from the meat counter at the front: the restaurant presents a unique combination of butcher shop and beer garden, and fresh prime meats—including house-made sausages and pierogis—come standard at both the in-house retail counter and on the dine-in menu. The Butcher Shop cuts its own steaks, grinds its own burgers, and smokes its own meats, creating one of the most approachable yet delectable culinary experiences in the area. Adding to the animated ambiance is live entertainment, a full liquor bar, indoor and outdoor beer garden seating—and, of course, a wide selection of craft, draft and German beers.

JAPAN: IMOTO IN PALM BEACH

Izakaya is Japan’s answer to the gastropub, and Imoto is Palm Beach’s elegant answer to the  concept. Helmed by James Beard Award semi-finalist and esteemed chef Clay Conley, who’s also responsible for local haunts Buccan and Grato, Imoto serves small plates with massive flavor.  Conley offers creative interpretations of fresh sushi and sashimi, dumplings, tempura and  wood-fired dishes, all made with high-quality (and often locally sourced) ingredients.  Chopsticks in hand, transport yourself to Tokyo with plate after plate of mouth-watering okonomiyaki, Wagyu beef, nigiri, and more.

FRANCE: SOURBON IN WEST PALM BEACH

Located on buzzy Clematis Street, Sourbon—its name a play on the famous Parisian Sorbonne—is a  marriage of traditional French cuisine and contemporary American dining. Its elaborate  interiors, crafted to make you feel as though you’re enjoying a meal in an enchanting garden  sanctum, are a major part of the restaurant’s draw, though the menu also celebrates the power of  local botanicals to showcase global destinations. Choose from escargot, steamed mussels, or  steak frites. If you really want to dine like the French, slink up to the sultry speakeasy  located upstairs at the back of the restaurant after your meal. 215 Speakeasy is a hidden gem with  dim lighting and a live DJ on the weekends.

LOUISIANA: VOODOO BAYOU IN PALM BEACH GARDENS

Courtesy Bayou Voodoo

One of the newest restaurants to hit the South Florida culinary scene came by way  of Louisiana’s swamps: Voodoo Bayou serves Southern fare with a Creole kick. For a  tantalizing taste of true Cajun cuisine, select from dishes like gator bites, po’ boys,  gumbo—you can soak up the drippings with a side of their fantastic cornbread— or  crawfish etouffee, fried chicken, shrimp and grits, and jambalaya. Finish it all off  with powdered sugar-laden, freshly fried beignets and, Mardi Gras season or not, you’ll feel as though you just took a trip to New Orleans.

ITALY: LYNORA’S IN JUPITER

Courtesy Lynora’s Jupiter

With locations in Jupiter and West Palm Beach, including a grab-and-go market in true Italian  fashion, family owned and operated Lynora’s makes it easy to get your local fix of la dolce vita  through its menu of mouthwatering antipasti, insalata e zuppe, artisan pizzas, and both house-made  and imported pasta. Feast on Italian classics and modern takes alike, and don’t forget to pair your meal with a fine Italian wine and desserts like tiramisu, zeppole, or cannoli. Your taste of Italy comes courtesy of the Abbenantes, who immigrated to South Florida from the tiny Italian island of Ponza in 1974.