The Absolute Best Restaurant in Delray Beach

You walk into Delray Beach hungry and somehow leave with a philosophical opinion on burrata. That’s the power of this town’s dining room, where a Victorian dollhouse with a glitter accident sits comfortably next to a Venezuelan patio glowing with string lights and late-night arepas.

I ate my way from a smoked Old Fashioned at Le Colonial to a skirt steak at Ethereal that made me want to apologize to every other steak I’ve ever met. The range is absurd, and that’s the point.

So here’s the list, go get messy.

Ethereal Restaurant & Bar

Highlights
Impeccable staff and service
Gorgeous whimsical dining room
Skirt steak with chimichurri
Peach burrata and desserts
Drinks taste as good

I walked into Ethereal expecting a standard night out and instead found a dining room that looks like a Victorian dollhouse had a glitter accident. The staff glided over before I could even ask for water, which was both impressive and slightly alarming. My skirt steak arrived with chimichurri that made me want to apologize to every other steak I've eaten. The peach burrata was a strange pairing on paper, but it worked like a magic trick. Drinks tasted just as good as they looked, which is rare. I sat there trying to find a flaw. I couldn't. That's the problem.

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Novecento

Highlights
Historic house, expansive patio
Garlic shrimp oil worth savoring
Branzino with lemon-caper sauce
Dulce de leche crepes decadent
Easy parking, less commotion

Novecento sits in an old house with a patio so wide you could host a small parade on it. I ordered the garlic shrimp and the oil alone was worth the trip. I may have sopped it up with bread like a starving artist. The branzino came with a lemon-caper sauce that cut through everything nicely. Then the dulce de leche crepes arrived and I forgot my own name for a minute. Parking was easy, which is basically a miracle in this town. Less commotion than the usual Delray circus. I appreciated that.

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Lulu's Café & Cocktails

Highlights
White girl heaven confirmed
Food beats the atmosphere
Salad side was a miss
Coffee earns high marks
Breakfast croissant sandwich wins

Lulu's is white girl heaven, and I say that with the authority of someone who has seen a lot of avocado toast. The food actually outperforms the pretty atmosphere, which is rare since most places like this coast on vibes. My breakfast croissant sandwich was a buttery, eggy masterpiece. The coffee scored high marks, strong enough to wake a sleeping manatee. But the side salad was a letdown, like it came from a gas station. Still, I'd go back for the sandwich alone. Just skip the greens and grab a cookie instead. Simple math.

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Double Knot | Delray Beach

Highlights
Sushi rivals Delray's best
Happy hour menu shines
Unique condiments steal show
Bar service worth seeking
Open night won us over

Double Knot surprised me in the best way. The sushi rivals the big names in Delray, and honestly might beat a few of them. We hit happy hour and the menu was a series of small victories. The condiments were the real scene stealers, weird little sauces that made me want to dip everything in sight. The bar staff knew their stuff and poured with confidence. The open night atmosphere won us over, no pretension, just good fish and good drinks. I left thinking I'd been sleeping on this place. Consider me awake.

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THRōW Social Delray Beach

Highlights
Live music and DJ sets
Interactive darts boards
Chic inside, patio party
Friendly staff, instant greet
Great for groups or dates

THRōW Social is what happens when someone decides darts should be an extreme sport. The interactive boards are addicting, and I lost three games because I was too busy watching the DJ. The place is chic inside, but the patio is where the party actually lives. Staff greeted us instantly, which is more than I can say for half the places I visited. It's great for groups or dates, depending on how competitive your date is. Mine was not happy about losing. I'd still recommend it. Just bring your A-game and maybe a helmet.

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Le Colonial Delray Beach

Highlights
Lush, luxurious night-out atmosphere
Smoked Old Fashioned, crafted drinks
Pork ribs and sesame beef ravioli
Consistent, chic French-Vietnamese dining
Great staff, light brûlée finish

Le Colonial is the kind of place you go to when you want to feel like you're in a movie about people who have their lives together. The atmosphere is lush and luxurious, all dark wood and soft lighting. My smoked Old Fashioned arrived with actual smoke, which felt like a magic show. The pork ribs were tender enough to fall apart with a stern look. The sesame beef ravioli were a weird, wonderful mashup. The staff kept everything consistent and smooth. The crème brûlée was light and perfect. I left feeling fancy and slightly disappointed to go home to my couch.

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Segreto Italia Delray

Highlights
Eggplant dish steals the show
Service exceeds South Florida standards
Lasagna and ragú are standouts
Fresh bread and desserts shine
Small, polished spot worth reserving

Segreto Italia is a small, polished spot that makes you feel like you found a secret that's not very secret. The eggplant dish stole the show from the moment it landed. I don't know what they did to it, but I wanted to propose. The lasagna and ragú are standouts, rich and deep without being heavy. Service exceeded what I usually expect in South Florida, which is a low bar but they cleared it by a mile. Fresh bread and desserts sealed the deal. Just make a reservation because everyone else figured it out too. Worth the elbow bumping.

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Tramonti Ristorante Delray Beach, FL

Highlights
Best meatball appetizer ever
Impeccable service from Roberto
Delicious red sauces, especially Diavlo
Great drinks, highly recommended
Authentic Italian food done right

Tramonti serves the best meatball appetizer I've ever had, and I say that as someone who has eaten a lot of meatballs. Roberto, our server, was so attentive I started to wonder if he had a twin hiding nearby. The red sauces are delicious, especially the Diavlo, which has a nice kick without setting your mouth on fire. Drinks were strong and well-made. The whole experience felt authentically Italian, like someone's nonna was back in the kitchen yelling at the pasta. I left full, happy, and deeply suspicious of any other meatball I meet in the future. Highly recommended.

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Amar Mediterranean Kitchen & Bar

Highlights
Large groups served well
Prix fixe menu delicious
Great happy hour deals
Fresh, quality appetizers
Vegan musaka standout

Amar handled our giant group like we were VIPs, which is no small feat when you're dealing with eight hungry people who can't decide on anything. The prix fixe menu was a delicious deal, and the happy hour specials made me want to stay forever. The appetizers came out fresh and full of flavor, but the vegan musaka was the surprise winner. I'm not even vegan and I would order it again. The staff kept drinks flowing and never looked annoyed, even when we got loud. This place is perfect for when you can't get everyone to agree on where to eat. Just point them here.

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The Grove

Highlights
Bread and pastas are fantastic
Warm cookies hit the spot
Small, intimate dining room
Chef’s creativity shines through
Attentive bar and staff

The Grove is small enough that you feel like you're eating in someone's living room, if that someone was an amazing chef. The bread and pastas are fantastic, handcrafted in a way that makes you appreciate carbs again. The warm cookies at the end hit the spot like a hug from a stranger. The dining room is intimate, and the chef's creativity shows in every dish, but it never feels pretentious. The staff at the bar were attentive without hovering. I left feeling like I'd been taken care of in a very specific way. It's the kind of place you want to keep a secret, but I can't. Sorry, Grove.

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Selini Delray

Highlights
Crudo and beet salad shine
Cozy, spotless, professional service
Espresso martini perfectly mixed
Baklava and coffee satisfy
Branzino cooked flawlessly

Selini is the kind of place where you feel guilty for showing up in a wrinkled shirt. The room is spotless, cozy, and the service is so professional you'd think they trained at a spy agency. The crudo was bright and fresh, and the beet salad actually made me like beets, which I didn't think was legal. My espresso martini was mixed with the precision of a bomb defusal. The branzino came out flawlessly cooked, flaky and clean. Baklava and coffee ended the night on a sweet note. I left feeling like I'd been to a very polite, very delicious therapy session.

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Ukelele | Venezuelan Food & Cultural Outdoor Dining in Delray Beach

Highlights
Fresh arepas, generous portions
Warm string-light evening vibe
Sweet family-run service
Late-night freshly made meals
Great drinks with dinner

Ukulele is a weird name for a Venezuelan spot, but I stopped questioning it once the arepas hit the table. They were fresh, warm, and stuffed like someone's abuela was watching. The portions are generous enough to make you unbutton your pants. The string lights outside gave the whole patio a summer camp glow, but with better drinks. The family running it treated me like I'd just moved into the neighborhood. I went late, and they still made everything fresh. That's dedication. I sat there listening to the night sounds and thought, this is the good stuff.

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