On the West Coast, Florida’s Cape Coral is nestled between Fort Myers and the Gulf of Mexico. It is an outstanding vacation destination that invites visitors to kick back, relax, and enjoy the slower pace of coastal living.
Cape Coral restaurants are abundant, from upscale and fine dining to low-key diners, making this place a premier tourist destination for foodies.
Cape Coral is famous for its homegrown entertainment, fine dining, exciting nightlife, and sunny year-round. The city is a perfect blend of family fun and exciting activities for singles, couples, and families alike as an excellent destination.
Cape Coral restaurants aren’t trying to keep up with the South Beach crowd in Miami or the culinary meccas in New York. In either case, they are focused on making the best dish they can, whether a deep-fried gator or smoked meat.
You won’t find restaurants in Cape Coral trying to wow diners with molecular gastronomy techniques or elaborate desserts. But you will find some fantastic food in a laid-back environment serving good drinks for very reasonable prices.
This simplicity makes Cape Coral restaurants so great to visit compared to other comparable towns across the state.
Below is a list of some terrific restaurants in Cape Coral to try while visiting this trendy vacation spot.
Visiting other destinations in Florida? Check out our other guides:
- 9 Must-Try Marco Island Restaurants
- 13 Fun Things To Do In San Marco Island
- The 9 Best Amelia Island Restaurants & 9 Fun Things To Do In Amelia Island
- 7 Best Kissimmee Restaurants
- 7 Best Celebration FL Restaurants
- 9 Must-Try Madison FL Restaurants
- 9 Fun Things To Do In Vero Beach Florida & 8 Best Vero Beach Restaurants
- 7 Must-Try Clearwater Florida Restaurants
- 6 Must-Try Indian Rocks Beach Restaurants
- 13 Best Disney Springs Restaurants
- 7 Must-Try Universal CityWalk Restaurants
- 20 Best Restaurants In Universal Studios
The 10 Best Cape Coral Restaurants
Lobster Lady
1715 Cape Coral Pkwy W #2&3, Cape Coral // +12394710136
The Lobster Lady is a wonderful seafood restaurant serving fresh lobster, seafood, steaks, sandwiches, and other delicious food in a chic setting.
Every day, fresh seafood is flown in from around the world, including a wide range of rare fish prepared with a French twist.
Every meal I’ve had at the Lobster Lady has been outstanding. Excellent ambiance and service, a large menu, and all the food is fresh and well-prepared.
I recommend trying the delicious bacon-wrapped salmon or the sesame ahi tuna. You won’t regret it.
Ciao Wood Fired Pizza & Trattoria
823 SE 47th Terrace, Cape Coral // +12394710033
Ciao Wood Fired Pizza and Trattoria is one of the most respected and well-known restaurants in Cape Coral, FL, serving an extensive selection of fresh Mediterranean and Northern Italian-inspired dishes.
Ciao specializes in making healthy food choices and healthy ingredients with exceptional flavors. In addition, the restaurant provides a unique oven-fired pizza experience with an incredible method dedicated to superb texture and temperature.
The top-secret recipe for dough, sauce, and toppings utilizes hand-tossed pizzas, raised seven times before baking in a dedicated wood-burning oven.
The restaurant has a contemporary, rustic, and minimalist ambiance counterbalanced by an upbeat and engaging atmosphere. This “feel good” environment is further enhanced by the use of dance music in the background and the pleasant conversations between friends and co-workers.
Its excellent fine wine selection is particularly well-known throughout the area at Ciao Wood Fired Pizza and Trattoria.
Cork Soakers Deck & Wine Bar
837 SE 47th Terrace, Cape Coral // +12395426622
Cork Soakers Deck and Wine Bar may be of interest if you are looking for an alternative dining option in Southwest Florida. The Cape Coral restaurant hosts a competition-sized pool table, tableside guacamole, craft draft beer, live music on Saturday nights, and a wine bar.
A culmination of the warm, casual dining atmosphere and a varied, inventive culinary menu makes Cork Soakers the perfect place to host various events, including business lunches, business dinners, wine tastings, listening parties, company holidays, and private parties.
The menu at Cork Soakers is perhaps unusual for a restaurant of its kind, with items such as the signature Hangover Sandwich and Coconut Shrimp, as well as other more conventional dishes, such as Steak Frites.
Fathoms Restaurant & Bar
5785 Cape Harbour Dr. #106, Cape Coral // +12395420123
Fathoms Restaurant and Bar is more than just a destination for fresh seafood. The views are breathtaking, and although the menu is limited, each item is made with fresh ingredients.
Also, their outdoor seating allows you to enjoy your meal overlooking the Cape Harbour Marina.
With a focus on American cuisine, Fathoms offers a variety of dishes that are sure to please everyone. Items include Sterling Silver New York Strip Steak, Bourbon Street Mac & Cheese, and cedar-plank Atlantic Salmon.
With the location on the water, a wide variety of seafood is not surprising. The menu at Fathoms offers
Known for its consistently high-quality food and charcuterie board, it was not surprising to find out that Fathoms Restaurant and Bar is one of the best restaurants in Cape Coral.
The menu offers fresh local seafood like grouper and snapper, caught right off the beaches of Southwest Florida, as well as other dishes such as filet mignon wrapped in bacon and topped with your choice of lobster or shrimp.
Located on Cape Coral’s waterfront, this restaurant is a great place to relax while enjoying live entertainment.
Fish Tale Grill by Merrick Seafood
1229 SE 47th Terrace B, Cape Coral // +12392573167
While it was originally just an outlet of its Merrick Seafood parent company, Fish Tale Grill has grown into one of Cape Coral’s finest dining spots.
The menu at the restaurant features lobster spring rolls and shrimp-stuffed hogfish as well as house-cured gravlax and icy oysters.
Fish Tale Grill by Merrick Seafood also offers two types of chowder and a few non-seafood items. There is also homemade sangria sold at the bar, and classic Bloody Marys are available on Sundays for brunch.
You can eat at Fish Tale Grill for lunch or dinner seven days a week.
Rumrunners
5848 Cape Harbour Dr., Cape Coral // +12395420200
With over fifteen years of culinary experience, Todd Johnson’s training is as eclectic as his food. He earned his diploma from the Chicago Culinary Arts Center and completed a degree in German Literature with a minor in Music from Indiana University.
Chef Johnson enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America in New York and apprenticed with master chefs in France and Italy – including famed chef Jean-Louis Palladin – before returning to America to open Rumrunners.
Aside from a wide selection of proven classics and chef dinners, Rumrunners’ menu focuses heavily on the fresh seafood of the Gulf of Mexico. They serve some of the area’s best steaks, and the freshest seafood Baja Fish Tacos and calamari were two of my favorite menu items here.
Slate’s
4820 Candia St., Cape Coral // +12395406800
If you’re craving Cajun food, then you should take a trip down to Slate’s. Slate’s has a mixture of New Orleans and Cajun cuisine that will make anyone want to keep going back! Also, because their food is so fresh and delicious, you will be able to tell them apart from other restaurants.
The staff treats every one of their customers as a family member, and you can’t find a better meal anywhere else.
Several delicate culinary dishes are served with a Cajun twist, such as oysters, bananas-fermenter French toast, and so on, which provide an authentic New Orleans dining experience.
Also, during the experience, jazz music is often played in the background, especially during brunch on Sundays.
Ginger Bistro Cape Coral
2366 Surfside Blvd unit C-101, Cape Coral // +12395588865
A must-visit location for travelers interested in Asian cuisine is Ginger Bistro, situated near the shopping center in Cape Coral. The menu is suitable for every budget.
Dim sum, roasted duck and sweet & sour chicken are some of the dishes that make this bistro successful. If you enjoy beer, they have a wide variety of Chinese imports. They also have excellent tea.
You can also order dishes as a takeout. The attentive staff is responsible for the high ratings of this restaurant.
They have really good portions and a great ambiance. Calm, mellow. I liked their decor and the way the inside was designed. It was a pleasant experience!
The New England Moorings
1326 SE 16th P.l, Cape Coral // +12398519141
Since the mid-1980s, Cape Coral has been home to the New England Moorings, a dining establishment that has been family-owned and operated. This restaurant in Cape Coral specializes in seafood and steak, so there’s something for everyone on any given night.
Whether you’re in the mood for something classic like chicken wings or something more interesting like Italian fettuccine, this New England-style restaurant is sure to please even picky eaters with its extensive menu and welcoming customer service.
The bubblegum-pink dining spot features a spacious outdoor patio for outdoor dining, where customers can enjoy options like New England clam chowder, seafood omelets, and crab cakes, among many others.
Gusto Cucina Italiana
229 Del Prado Blvd. N #15, Cape Coral // +12394585900
Gusto Cucina Italiana is a charming restaurant located in Southwest Cape Coral, Florida. Guests are welcomed by soothing music and a simple yet tasteful ambiance. The staff is very accommodating and hospitable to their guests. If you’re looking for authentic Italian food among Cape Coral restaurants, this is the one! They also offer traditional drinks and a rich wine list, including great Italian proseccos.
In addition to seafood appetizers, the menu includes eggplant parmesan and salmon gusto, which are served with sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, toasted bread crumbs, and a lemon butter sauce.
At Gusto Cucina Italiana, the service provided is always top-notch. This starts with the greeters, who are also there to assist with choosing a table once you have entered the establishment. Sommeliers are also available to recommend just the perfect bottle for your food choice.
The menu can help with this, but it is nice to have an expert on hand who can assist with choosing a grape that will pair perfectly with everything you have ordered for your meal.
Once the meal comes, they check on you so they can ensure that you have everything you need and that everything is still fresh and hot when served to you, and I love this type of care!
Summary Of The 10 Must-Try Cape Coral Restaurants
In a short time, the food scene in Cape Coral has transformed from a small affair to a bonafide culinary mecca. Outsiders have heard of a place called “Cape Coral,” and they want to know if it’s true that Asiatown has captured some magic and is now serving fusion dishes of the most creative kind.
You can literally feel how this town has changed for those of you who know of Cape Coral’s history. And, oh man, am I happy to see it happen!
In the last decade, Cape Coral has been experiencing a culinary boom. More and more award-winning restaurants have opened in the area over the last few years, raising the bar on what diners can expect for their lunch and dinner time outings.
Not only are Cape Coral’s restaurants improving the dining scene, but they are also creating a lot of buzz about the food culture of Southwest Florida. So make sure you carry this list with you when exploring Cape Coral’s restaurants. Your taste buds will thank you!
Which of these restaurants in Cape Coral do you most want to try? Let us know in the comments section below!
Igor Jovanovski is an aspiring digital nomad, travel blogger and graphic designer who really loves food. He also has a creative side, and he works as a freelance graphic designer in his spare time. He has traveled across Europe quite a few times since he was young and recently started his mission to visit every country in the world! Igor’s favorite thing about traveling is the way he gets to know new people, food, places and cultures.
This exciting experience helps him create his own stories and make memories that will last forever