10 restaurants to try right now in West Palm Beach

Around since 1986, La Sirena is the grand dame of West Palm dining, but don't expect staid and old fashioned. A renovation in 2018 gave the always-buzzing place the charm of an Old World restaurant. The menu matches the charming aesthetic, full of Mediterranean dishes like oven-roasted peppers with anchovies, crepe-like cannelloni stuffed with veal and a Florentine porterhouse for two that’s flavored with all it needs: sea salt, olive oil and rosemary.

Founded in 1933 in Miami and transplanted six decades later to West Palm, Havana immediately became a local classic. It’s an all-walks-of-life crowd of people who meet for business lunches and go to celebrate birthdays over homey ropa vieja and bistec de pollo. Open all day every day, it also has a second life late. A crowd gathers at the cafecito window after the bars close for pressed Cubans and steak sandwiches. Then it all begins again with guava pastries and cortaditos the next morning.

Chef Clay Carnes had an impressive fine-dining CV when in 2016 he turned to Latin street food and opened Cholo Soy, which immediately became a local favorite. The size of a walk-in closet, there's often a line onto the sidewalk, and likely you'll be ending up on the big communal tables in the back courtyard. When the food arrives you'll see why people wait in line: llapingachos stuffed with charred corn salad, yuca fries you’ll dip in passionfruit mayo, whatever’s-good-at-the-market ceviche and char-grilled fish tacos.

Locals will tell you Tulipan is the finest Cuban bakery north of Havana (hear that, Miami?), and it’s hard to argue with the cheese pastries, croquetas, medianoches and cafe con leche. Daily lunch specials are what grandma would’ve made if she came from Florida’s island neighbor -- think roast pork with stewed yuca and sweet plantains. A glass counter holds what looks like an endless selection of baked goods that pair well with a cafe con leche. The north location has a few tables, while the one on Belvedere has only the counter, but you can always join the regulars eating straight from the styrofoam in the parking lot.

When it opened in 2017, this was just Restoration Hardware's third café concept in North America, and it's now headed to big cities everywhere. The café sits atop an 80,000-square-foot architectural jewel smack in the center of Okeechobee Boulevard, affording views of the city and the water beyond. It'd be smart to order the burger or lobster roll, but it would be hard to find fault with anything here, from charcuterie plates to a just-perfect roasted half chicken.

Once the chef at Café Boulud, Rick Mace created an ode to smoked meats with this spot on Antiques Row. There's a distinct Florida slant to the upscale barbecue, including gator sausage and recipes Mace says were influenced by the state's indiginous populations, who used palm fronds to help smoke meats.

Father and son team Fred and Igor Niznik created an ode to a German beer hall in this spot north of downtown, serving up pretzels, sausage platters, pierogies and big beer steins. There is, of course, a butcher counter, so on your way out grab a couple Kobe beef burgers or house-made sausages for the grill later.

Eclectic Southeast Asian street food in a setting that feels straight from the East Village is the concept behind Kapow! Noodle Bar (we’re not yelling at you—there really is an exclamation point in the name). It’s got an always-a-party vibe, especially during the popular weekday happy hour and a brunch with eggs and bacon in bao buns. And if you can’t find a cocktail you’ll like on this menu, it may be time to sober up. 

Located in West Palm's growing arts district, Fern Street is a wine bar with a farm-to-table menu from executive chef Chris Healey. He's got wild boar and bison short ribs down deep in the large plates, but vegetarians will appreciate his attention to the king trumpet mushroom and tempura broccolini. Check the Facebook page for a lineup of live music, and frugal drinkers should arrive Wednesdays for half-off bottles.

West Palm’s first food hall is a chill community gathering spot that plays hosts to everything from live music to yoga to brunch with bingo. Food vendors include barbecue, sushi, empanadas, tacos and Neapolitan-style pizza. Most likely you’ll be sitting outdoors under the shady patio where a fine breeze generally passes by the big communal tables and lounge areas.