One thing I’ve learned as Gulfshore Life’s new food and wine editor: Dining out here transcends mere sustenance—it’s a ritual, a hobby and an adventure. I arrived last summer from North Carolina, armed with a Grand Diplôme from Le Cordon Bleu-Miami, tenure on James Beard Foundation Awards’ restaurant and chef subcommittee, 17 years of food writing bylines, and experience working practically every restaurant role, from dishwasher to line cook to manager.
With fresh eyes, I dove in fork-first, visiting more than 50 restaurants over three months. My quest took me beyond the buzzed-about newcomers to enduring institutions (like Harold’s and Sails) and under-the-radar gems, serving everything from West Indian rotis to Mexican street tacos. I sought to understand our restaurant landscape not just through the latest stars but through the full spectrum—old and new, white tablecloth and off-the-beaten-path—to give you a true measure of excellence. After months of eating, sipping and savoring with abandon, I confidently present you with a shortlist of the eight new restaurants you’ll want to visit time and time again.
Nat Nat, Naples
Calling Nat Nat a wine bar feels almost reductive—though with its impressive list of more than 300 natural wine labels, the jewel-box space certainly qualifies for the moniker. In 2023, chef Ming Yee shuttered his health-centric Cafe Nutrients and teamed up with natural wine zealot Peter Rizzo to transform the restaurant into a 30-seat gathering space that combines a bar, bottle shop, restaurant and pop-up coffee bar with effortless fluidity.
Nat Nat channels the spirit of Parisian neo-bistros—intimate eateries celebrated for their super-edited menus and constant, seasonally driven reinvention. The philosophy is rare among Naples restaurants but exemplified at Nat Nat. Ming’s culinary depth yields thoughtful small plates—like smashed Japanese-style pickled cucumbers, local catch crudo sourced from Naples’ Dilly’s Fish Co. and The Fisherman’s Daughter’s smoked mullet spread—served in a laid-back atmosphere with lo-fi beats humming in the background. Peter uncorks bottles with equal deftness, selecting the perfect skin-contact wine or hard-to-find varietals, like a sparkling red lambrusco from northern Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region that pairs perfectly with the dinner menu’s charcuterie board loaded with shards of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and ribbons of prosciutto.
Photography by Anna Nguyen
nat nat wine bar selection
At neo-bistro and wine bar Nat Nat, natural wine zealot Peter Rizzo curates a list of 300 low-intervention labels.
Sofra, Naples
Visting Sofra at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, feels like stepping into a courtyard in Istanbul. The open-air restaurant overlooks the pool and nods to traditional riads with arched passageways, mosaic tilework, and tables laid with patterned tagines and Turkish coffee pots.
Under the direction of chef Ertugrul Filiz (formerly of the Michelin-starred Kitchen Restaurant in Turkey), the restaurant interprets Ottoman and Levantine traditions through a lens of seasonal, plant-powered ingredients. A whipped cloud of hummus, impossibly smooth and crowned with crispy chickpeas, frizzled onions and smoked paprika oil, is an ethereal starter with puffy, freshly baked rounds of Turkish pide bread. The vegetable tagine showcases the bold, aromatic flavors of lemony sumac and deeply spicy ras el hanout; and blistering hot lamb kofta bursts with rich juices, balanced by the zing of yogurt and freshly chopped herbs. Such dishes illustrate the complexity of the region’s cuisine—a rich tapestry of traditions and flavors honed over generations as multicultural empires have waxed and waned.
Photography by Anna Nguyen
Photography by Anna Nguyen
Photography by Anna Nguyen
Photography by Anna Nguyen
Tong Yin, Naples
At Tong Yin in the Naples Design District, co-owner June Disponga and chef Somi Vasitorn focus on the flavors of their native Thailand, with Laotian and Vietnamese influences. While their first Naples restaurant, Ichi Togarashi, celebrates Asian multiculturalism, Tong Yin is laser-focused on the traditional techniques and dishes Somi learned from her grandmother. Standouts include the ever-popular pad Thai, reimagined with a spicy, bone-in beef rib, alongside lesser-known traditional dishes, like miang kham—meaning ‘one bite wrap.’ The Southeast Asian street snack features wild pepper leaves folded around roasted coconut, shrimp, lime and ginger, finished with sugarcane syrup and a whisper of fish sauce. The menu’s signature kai jiew and spicy moo krapow pairs a Thai-style omelet with fiery stir-fried pork, capturing the vibrant energy of Thailand’s street food culture.
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Photography by Anna Nguyen
June Disponga and Somi Vasitorn
June Disponga and Somi Vasitorn, who nabbed a spot on our Best New Restaurants list for Ichi Togarashi in 2023, continue to champion Asian flavors along the Gulf. Their newest Naples restaurant, Tong Yin, honors lesser-known dishes from their native Thailand and neighboring Laos and Vietnam.
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Photography by Anna Nguyen
tong yin tablescape
Le Colonial, Naples
Southeast Asian flavors are also the foundation of Le Colonial, which debuted on Fifth Avenue South in December 2023, fulfilling more than a year of speculation and buzz. The French-Vietnamese restaurant group opened its first location in New York City in the ’90s—followed by outposts in Chicago, Miami and other locales—championing Vietnamese-inspired fine dining that goes beyond bánh mì and pho. Step inside the new Naples location, and you’re enveloped in the retro tropical vibes of 1920s Saigon.
A series of rooms features woven rattan seating, mahogany millwork, lush palm fronds, and murals of vegetation and traditional basket boats all layered with an air of opulence.
Dishes also capture the sense of place with an elevated spin: Wok-seared shaking beef is made with heritage Angus beef and Florida-grown greens, and the whole fried red snapper is artfully plated so it appears frozen mid-swim. Cocktails embody a similar ethos, with Vietnamese coffee martinis and lime leaf gimlets among the drinks exclusively designed by Danilo Dacha Božović, who co-founded the Miami outpost of cultish New York City speakeasy Employees Only.
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Courtesy The Buzz Agency/Eric Laignel
Le Colonial Naples 2024
Acclaimed fine-dining restaurant group Le Colonial debuted a location on Naples’ Fifth Avenue South, with tropical allure, elevated French-Vietnamese cuisine and cocktails curated by the co-founder of cultish Miami speakeasy Employees Only.
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Courtesy The Buzz Agency
Le colonial lobster tail
See the dynamism at Le Colonial, where the French-Vietnamese menu spans far past the usual suspects, with dishes like Maine lobster in coconut broth with garlicky Chinese broccoli and mushrooms.
Old Vines NAPLES at Mercato
That Old Vines serves food until midnight daily (a smaller happy hour menu kicks in at 10 p.m.) could alone be enough to earn it a spot on this list, but the restaurant’s seduction extends much further.
Chef Brooke Kravetz had recently debuted Old Vines Supper Club in East Naples, when the Mercato location was announced, and our team fell hard for the intimate supper club’s ever-evolving wine dinners and tasting menus, centered around playful technique and unexpected ingredient pairings. At her sleek, 190-seat North Naples spot, Brooke brings the same thrill of discovery to an expanded menu.
The delicate folds of lemon ricotta-stuffed pappardelle are complemented by roasted plums, drops of chili oil and the sweet crunch of candied hazelnuts. The buttery foie gras torchon is an old-school classic made new by the bold contrast of a piquant berry gastrique and the satisfying crunch of graham cracker crumbs and housemade toasted brioche.
Wine director Zach Bingham, who oversees the 300-label cellar and wine locker program, also plays wonderfully fast and loose with tradition, offering flights that pair wines based on your mood (are you feeling adventurous or flirty, for example) rather than your palate. The menu also lists thoughtfully chosen wine pairings for each dish, making the meal an effortless, elevated occasion.
Photography by Anna Nguyen
old vines mercato table
Naples scored two great new spots for oenophiles. Old Vines Naples at Mercato takes an unconventional approach to pairing, curating flights based on diners’ moods, rather than their palates.
Wickie’s Lighthouse, Sanibel Island
Wickie’s Lighthouse is a study in resilience and the comforting pleasure of familiarity. The Sanibel restaurant rose from the ashes of two vanished institutions: The Island Cow, which burned down in August 2022, and The Mad Hatter, which was washed away by Hurricane Ian less than two months later. Both owners united to open one of the first new eateries on the island post-Ian, and named the relaxed, nautical-themed space after the ‘wickies,’ who once tended the flame of Sanibel’s historic lighthouse.
Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, Wickie’s leans into the coastal cuisine that’s long been a focus of Sanibel’s restaurant scene, with well-executed, reliable standards like coconut-crusted crab cakes served with mango-rum remoulade and panko-coated scallops with black truffle, creamy coconut risotto and luxurious caramelized shallot beurre blanc. Each feels like a reflection of classic Florida flavors, beckoning locals and visitors to return to the island.
Unidos Restaurant, Naples
Unidos Restaurant and Latin Kitchen (a sister restaurant to Unidad in the Chicagoland area) captures the essence of the diaspora that has shaped so much of South Florida’s cuisine. Service is warm and attentive, a heartfelt demonstration of Latin hospitality that fosters community and the joy of sharing a meal. Managers visit each table con brazos abiertos—with open arms—hugging regulars and ushering in new faces with bright smiles and laughter.
Rather than blending flavors into fusion foods, the cross-cultural menu celebrates each cuisine with distinct dishes that highlight the exchange of ingredients and techniques, honoring their unique identities while reflecting the rich interplay of cultures. Luscious, melted Argentinian grilled provolone cheese and sofrito-studded Cuban ropa vieja are represented alongside citrusy Peruvian ceviches and Mexican-inspired stacked enchiladas with shredded chicken and aged cotija cheese.
Behind the bar, cocktails take a melting pot approach, blending spirits that capture a sense of place, like Peruvian pisco, smoky Mexican mezcal and Las Californias gin (distilled with botanicals that grow along the U.S.-Mexico border), with fruit juices and tropical syrups.
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Photography by Brian Tietz
Unidos Restaurant and Latin Kitchen
Unidos Restaurant and Latin Kitchen celebrates the distinct culinary traditions of the Latin diaspora.
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Photography by Brian Tietz
Unidos Restaurant and Latin Kitchen
The Syren Oyster & Cocktail Bar, Naples
Fronting picturesque Naples Bay, maritime-chic The Syren Oyster & Cocktail Bar was four years in the making—and well worth the wait. Arriving by public water taxi is an apt start to the experience. As the boat docks, ambient light shimmers across the water, and nearby, open-air tables are filled with diners who want to see and be seen while savoring East and West Coast oysters.
Restaurateur Peter Tierney, whose name you recognize from The Turtle Club, The Claw Bar and The London Club, knows how to cultivate an atmospheric dining experience. Peter champions sustainable, locally sourced fish at all of his restaurants, but at The Syren, he delves deeper into underappreciated Gulf species, like triggerfish, mullet and sheepshead.
The perfect meal begins with the exceptional bread service, accompanied by mustard-whipped and horseradish-scented butters. Add made-to-order pimento cheese (a nod to Peter’s Palmetto State roots), perfectly paired with crackers and pickled crudités, then get the crispy triggerfish schnitzel with silky lemon-caper butter sauce—the best dish I had during my Gulf culinary crash course. The golden coating gives way to a thin filet of supremely fresh, flaky white fish, each bite enlivened with a hit of citrus. Every detail of the dish—like the entire menu at The Syren—captures a thoughtful connection to the water, creating a dining experience as refreshing as the Gulf breeze itself.
Photography by Nathan Lopez
The Syren Oyster & Cocktail Bar dish
Downtown Naples bustled with new openings last year. Our top picks include The Syren Oyster & Cocktail Bar, the latest opening from The Turtle Club restaurateur Peter Tierney, and Unidos Restaurant and Latin Kitchen.
As I feasted my way through the Paradise Coast, I started shaping this year’s illustrious Best New Restaurants not just as a collection of openings but as a reflection of the region’s vibrant character and culinary ambition. As menus break with convention and double down on regional authenticity, new chef-driven kitchens are bringing vision, expertise and broader offerings to the table. Some newcomers conjure the charm of mainstays, while others push the boundaries of imagination. All tell a story of passion, creativity and flavor. Grab your fork and an appetite for discovery—Southwest Florida’s dining scene continues to surprise, delight and keep you coming back for more.