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The Best Seafood Restaurants in Fort Lauderdale for Dinner
Fort Lauderdale's best seafood dinners fall into three groups: the upscale rooms on Las Olas Boulevard, the waterfront decks on the Intracoastal, and the long-running local fish houses near the marinas. Guests at Jonathan's House are a short drive from all three.
Fort Lauderdale is a working boating town with an ocean on one side and the Intracoastal running through the middle of it, and the food reflects that. You can eat stone crab at a white-tablecloth room on Las Olas, or grilled oysters at a dock where the fish are still being unloaded, and both are a fair picture of the city.
This guide groups the city's best-reviewed seafood restaurants by the kind of evening you want. Every rating and review count below comes from the restaurant's Google listing, and every entry links straight to its Google reviews so you can read them yourself before you book.
Jonathan's House sits in a quiet residential pocket of Fort Lauderdale, a short drive from the beach and from Las Olas, which puts most of this list within easy reach for dinner.
Las Olas Boulevard: upscale seafood and steak
Las Olas is the city's dress-up strip — a walkable run of restaurants, galleries and bars between downtown and the beach. These are the rooms to book when the dinner is the event.
Lobster Bar Sea Grille — 4.7 stars, 3,116 reviews
Reviewers consistently single out the raw bar and the shellfish towers, and the dining room gets described as polished without being stiff. Service draws steady praise, particularly the pacing across a long dinner. Doors open for dinner at 5:30 PM and weekend tables go early, so reserve ahead.
Eddie V's Prime Seafood — 4.6 stars, 1,846 reviews
A polished room that splits the difference between a steakhouse and a seafood restaurant, with live music most nights that reviewers mention as a highlight. The prime cuts and the fish both get strong marks. A fair number of reviewers note it is an expensive night out, so go in expecting a special-occasion bill.
Catch & Cut — 4.6 stars, 765 reviews
A smaller Las Olas room with a sushi bar alongside the main kitchen, which makes it an easy pick for a group that cannot agree. Reviewers repeatedly call out the snow crab escargot as the dish to order, and the whole branzino comes up almost as often. The lower review count reflects a newer, smaller restaurant rather than a quieter one.
Waterfront views: dinner on the Intracoastal
These are the rooms where the view is half the reason to go. Expect boats going past the deck and a louder, livelier evening.
Shooters Waterfront — 4.5 stars, 15,798 reviews
The busiest restaurant on this list by a wide margin, and the one most people picture when they think of waterfront dining here. Reviewers praise the deck, the boat traffic and the live music, and the consensus is that the view is worth the crowd. Weekends get genuinely packed, so book or come early.
Coconuts — 4.5 stars, 10,255 reviews
A long-running favourite on Seabreeze Boulevard, right on the water. The coconut shrimp is the dish reviewers name most, with the mahi tacos and the oysters close behind. It reads as more relaxed than the Las Olas rooms without giving up the view.
Ocean Prime Fort Lauderdale — 4.5 stars, 883 reviews
Set by the Las Olas marina, this is a steakhouse that takes its seafood seriously, with bay views from the dining room. Reviewers describe it as a reliable choice for a business dinner or an anniversary — the kind of place where the room and the service carry as much weight as the menu.
Close to Jonathan's House: local favourites
These are the ones to try when you want the Fort Lauderdale that locals actually eat in, rather than the postcard version.
Boatyard — 4.4 stars, 7,782 reviews
On SE 17th Street, with a menu built around whole fish and raw preparations. The sea bass, the snapper and the ceviche are the dishes reviewers return to. It has the most mixed feedback of anything on this list — a meaningful minority report that flavours can be uneven from visit to visit — so it is worth reading recent reviews before you commit.
Southport Raw Bar & Restaurant — 4.5 stars, 5,946 reviews
An unpretentious Cordova Road institution that serves from breakfast straight through dinner. Reviewers point to the grilled oysters, the blackened mahi and the clam chowder, and the general tone is that it has stayed the same in the best way. A good option when you want a proper seafood dinner without making an evening of it.
15th Street Fisheries — 4.5 stars, 6,820 reviews
A marina restaurant on SE 15th Street with a dock where you can feed the fish before you sit down, which makes it a genuinely good choice with children. The grilled swordfish, the grilled octopus and the Bahamian conch chowder are the standouts in reviews. Ask for a table on the water side.
Worth the drive
Two places slightly outside the usual dinner radius that reviewers rate highly enough to justify the trip.
H2ocean Seafood Market & Restaurant — 4.9 stars, 478 reviews
The highest-rated restaurant on this list, and a market as well as a kitchen. It is family-run, and reviewers mention that directly and often. The lobster roll and the blackened grouper are the two dishes that come up again and again. Small room, short menu, very little to criticise in the feedback.
Blue Moon Fish Co. — 4.6 stars, 3,453 reviews
North in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, on the Intracoastal. Reviewers highlight the grilled oysters, the stuffed lobster tail and the Frutti di Mare, and the waterfront setting gets as much praise as the kitchen. A good choice for a slower, longer dinner.
Planning your seafood dinner
- Stone crab season runs October 15 to May 15. Outside those dates, any stone crab on a menu is frozen from the previous season. If claws are the reason you are going, check the season before you book.
- Book ahead for weekends. The Las Olas rooms and the waterfront decks both fill on Friday and Saturday, and the busiest ones take reservations well in advance.
- Expect valet on Las Olas. Street parking on the boulevard is limited and most of the upscale rooms offer valet. Budget a few minutes for it either side of dinner.
- Come back to the pool. The heated saltwater pool at Jonathan's House is open and warm year-round, which makes it a good way to end a long dinner out.
Planning the rest of the trip? See our guides to where to eat near Fort Lauderdale Beach, things to do on the water and what is on while you are here.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best seafood restaurant in Fort Lauderdale?
By Google rating, H2ocean Seafood Market & Restaurant leads this list at 4.9 stars, though with a smaller number of reviews. Among the larger, better-known rooms, Lobster Bar Sea Grille rates highest at 4.7 stars across more than 3,000 reviews.
When is stone crab season in Florida?
Stone crab season runs from October 15 to May 15. Claws served outside those dates are frozen from the previous season.
Do I need a reservation for dinner in Fort Lauderdale?
For the Las Olas restaurants and the waterfront decks, yes, particularly on Friday and Saturday. The smaller local fish houses are easier to walk into, but a reservation is still the safer plan in high season.
Where can I eat seafood on the water in Fort Lauderdale?
Shooters Waterfront and Coconuts are both directly on the Intracoastal, 15th Street Fisheries sits on a working marina, and Blue Moon Fish Co. is on the water in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea.
Is Fort Lauderdale good for seafood with children?
15th Street Fisheries is the easiest choice with children — there is a dock where you can feed the fish before dinner. Southport Raw Bar is also relaxed and serves all day.
Sources
- Google Maps listings and reviews — all ratings and review counts above
- Recommended, We Asked Fort Lauderdale Locals Where They Actually Eat
- Miami New Times, 13 Best Seafood Restaurants in Fort Lauderdale
Ratings and review counts were accurate as of October 28, 2026 and change over time — the review links above always show the current figures.
Planning a Fort Lauderdale trip? Check dates and book direct at Jonathan's House.
More before you book: how booking direct works · the house, room by room · all guides