Where to Eat and Drink During the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show
Updated: Oct 13
Five days, hundreds of boats and enough multimillion-dollar yachts to make your jaw drop.
The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show is sailing back into town October 28 through November 1, bringing one of the world's largest in-water boat shows to the Yachting Capital of the World. But between admiring superyachts, wandering the docks and mentally furnishing your future floating mansion, you're bound to work up an appetite. Luckily, Fort Lauderdale's waterfront dining scene knows a thing or two about keeping the nautical crowd well-fed.
From convenient Water Taxi stops to oceanfront restaurants worth the drive, South Florida has plenty of places to refuel between yacht sightings. Whether you're in the mood for a pre-show brunch, sunset cocktails or dinner overlooking the water, these four restaurants deserve a spot on your FLIBS itinerary.
Photo Credits: Shooters Waterfront
Skip the traffic and get to FLIBS by boat from Shooters Waterfront, the Water Taxi’s northernmost pickup and drop-off point. Starting at 10 a.m., guests can fuel up before boarding with a dockside espresso bar, grab-and-go pastries and a full-service bar. After the show, the waterfront festivities kick into gear with a Champagne Wall, where guests who show their FLIBS ticket receive a complimentary glass of Gambino (available Thursday through Saturday from 5-10 p.m.). Guests can also grab cocktails in take-home souvenir cups from the dockside satellite bar. Live DJ sets run from 6-10 p.m., with Alexis Rose spinning Thursday and Friday and DJ Joy on Saturday. Set along the Intracoastal, Shooters offers waterfront dining with fresh oysters, sushi, lobster rolls and more, plus weekday happy hour from 4-7 p.m., weekend brunch and live steel pan music. Guests can pre-purchase their Water Taxi tickets via RocketRez.
Photo Credits: Oceans 234
A South Florida oceanfront institution for more than 20 years, Oceans 234 is worth the trip up the coast to Deerfield Beach. The chef-driven menu is overseen by James Beard-recognized Culinary Director Dean Max and led by his longtime protégé, Executive Chef Duvan Marin, with fresh seafood, sushi and raw bar selections, locally caught fish and steaks. Set directly along the sand with sweeping Atlantic views, the oceanfront patio is an ideal stop for lunch, sunset cocktails or dinner by the water.
For a prime waterfront perch during the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, Sweetwaters is a brand-new addition to the New River at the newly reimagined Huizenga Park. From the family-owned group behind Miami’s iconic Rusty Pelican, the indoor-outdoor restaurant features a riverfront patio where diners can settle in over oysters and cocktails as boats pass by. The coastal-inspired menu is especially fitting, with seafood towers, sushi, Whole Crispy Local Snapper and Lobster Spaghetti, plus playful splurges like Nuggets & Caviar.
Photo Credits: Sweetwaters
Casa Sensei brings dinner directly to the canals of Las Olas. Voted “Best Asian Restaurant” by Fort Lauderdale Magazine for more than six years, the restaurant pairs its signature blend of Latin American and Pan-Asian flavors with a waterfront setting. Those who still haven’t had their fill of life on the water can take the evening a step further by reserving a private dinner cruise with Riverfront Gondola Tours, cruising Fort Lauderdale’s canals with eats from Casa Sensei.