The best Fort Myers restaurants: JLB ranks the area's top 25 places to eat
The 25 best restaurants in Fort Myers, the places locals love to eat, from our well-educated (and fed) pseudonymous food critic Jean Le Boeuf.
I eat like it's my job. Because it is.
It's a cushy gig, I know, and I'm fortunate enough to have lucked into it. I go to restaurants, eat their food, soak in their ambiance and report back on it to you, the reader.
I work for you.
I don't accept free meals. I don't play favorites. I don't even use my real name.
MORE: Who is Jean Le Boeuf?
ARCHIVES: Unmasking JLB; 35 years of food and reviews
My only goal is honesty; to convey my experiences as they happened — the good, bad and wacky alike — so you have a trusted reference point when deciding where to spend your hard-earned dollars.
I've lived in Southwest Florida for more than 30 years. I love this area (and all of its quirks), and I know its restaurants well.
As we move into the thick of season (good lord the traffic), I present to you my picks for the 25 best restaurants in Fort Myers. By that I mean Fort Myers and south Fort Myers. Fort Myers Beach, I covered you last week. Cape Coral, you're coming up.
These aren't necessarily the mom-and-pop hidden gem spots. These are the restaurants that nail it all around, that make great food and serve it with grace in a charming atmosphere.
You'll see I've ranked the top 10, with the remaining 15 in no particular order at the bottom. Unlike the algorithms behind Yelp and TripAdvisor, I bring decades of dining experience to the table, and no one can pay to get on my lists.
I do them for you.
Bon appetit.
10. Wisteria Tea Room
This pastel cottage sits on the outskirts of downtown, on a quiet side street that now bustles with ladies-who-lunch come the noon hour. It's easy to overlook it as a cute and kitschy spot for baby showers. But that would mean overlooking a lot. Wisteria is home to the area's flakiest scones, served with house-made Devonshire cream. It crafts fat sandwiches on house-baked breads, and scratch makes excellent soups and thick quiches served with salads and house-made dressings. Its extensive tea selection (hot or iced) is the best for miles. And no detail (from the wee silver spoons in the Devonshire cream to the dainty porcelain tea cups) is ever overlooked.
2512 Second St., Fort Myers; 689-4436; wisteriatearoom.com
ARCHIVES: Wisteria Tea Room celebrates five years
9. Osteria Celli
Marco Coricelli is a treasure. The classically trained chef left his native Milan to help open the original Il Cielo on Sanibel in 2012. In late 2014 he left Sanibel for the mainland and a little place all his own. Osteria Celli is that place, a place where the pastas are scratch-made, the sauces slow-simmered, the lamb chops seared just so. Chef Marco makes a stunningly velvety chicken-liver pate. His roasted octopus is buttery perfection. He's the real deal, and, luckily, he's all ours.
15880 Summerlin Road, south Fort Myers; 267-1310; osteriacelli.com
FULL REVIEW: Osteria Celli makes a strong case for itself
8. Artisan Eatery
Open since early December, this is by far the youngest restaurant on this list. But it's also one of the most brilliant. Artisan Eatery calls itself "fast-fine" dining, meaning you order at the counter, take a number, grab a craft beer from the cooler, then wait for your food to be delivered. That "fast-fine" food is the vision of chef-owner Tim Yoa, a classically trained, former resort chef who now focuses his energy on perfect burgers, serious Benedicts and Cuban sandwiches made with sous-vide pork. Yoa's creations are delicious and 100 percent scratch-made, from the flaky croissants stuffed with chocolate, to the hand-cut fries, to dinner specials that may include seared diver scallops over Parmesan polenta. That all of this is served quickly and with charm only affirms Artisan's brilliance.
8951 Daniels Parkway, south Fort Myers; 887-4844; artisaneatery.com
FULL REVIEW: Artisan Eatery is giddily delicious
7. Roadhouse Cafe
There's a time and place for exotic international flavors, and there's a time and place for Roadhouse. The magic of this restaurant (and world-class jazz bar, by the way) isn't in some kooky fusion of worldly cuisines. It's in its complete mastery of classic steaks and supremely fresh seafood. Pair that with white-tablecloth service and music from jazz legends, and you have an unbeatable good time.
15660 San Carlos Blvd., south Fort Myers; 415-4375; roadhousecafefl.com
6. Cibo
On a Tuesday in August or a Saturday night in March, Cibo will be busy. Its tables will be packed with regulars who ask their servers about their grandchildren and their recent trip to Montauk (and vice versa). Its plates will be home to house-made ravioli and choice cuts of meat seared till juicy and tender. Its glasses will be filled with bracing martinis and wines from a thoughtfully curated list. Chef Sean Deckter will be in the kitchen (as he always has been) and owner Craig Komatz will be milling about ensuring things flow smoothly. No matter the day, that's just how things will be at the almost 15-year-old Cibo. And diners will continue to eat it up.
12901 Mcgregor Blvd., south Fort Myers; 454-3700; cibofortmyers.com
MORE: With new chef, Cibo still wows after almost 15 years
5. The Veranda
One of the oldest restaurants on this list, the 40-year-old Veranda needn't worry about a mid-life crisis. This charmingly Southern downtown classic knows what it is and what it does best. It's the rare place that can dress its servers in bow ties and cummerbunds and pull it off. It's a place where the salads are still made table-side, and where al-fresco diners get a gorgeous and private courtyard lined with gurgling ponds. It's grit cakes, and escargot in puff pastry, and massive Chateaubriands. It's all this, served in an old-Florida estate in the heart of downtown.
2122 Second St., Fort Myers; 332-2065; verandarestaurant.com
ALSO: Keeping with tradition at The Veranda
4. La Trattoria Cafe Napoli
Known to locals simply as Gloria's, this is the little restaurant that did. La Trattoria started as a hole-in-the-wall, a nook for tapas and Mediterranean-inspired fare crafted with a touch of chef-owner Gloria Jordan's Latin flair. Born in Cuba and trained in restaurants from Spain to Italy to Switzerland, Chef Gloria is a dynamo. From her fresh pastas to her paella to her authentic and original tapas (you're going to need at least two orders of the stuffed plums, trust me), she's a force for all things deliciously good.
12377 S. Cleveland Ave., south Fort Myers; 931-0050; latrattoriacafenapoli.com
MORE: Where the Chefs Eat - Gloria Jordan
3. Blanc
The higher on the list we go, the smaller the restaurants get, and Blanc is just a sliver of a place. It's a stunning sliver, though, bedecked in clean whites that give it a cloudy, dreamy feel. A wall of live plants helps ground things, as do the servers who have an almost psychic way of knowing when you're done with a plate or in need of more wine. Those plates may include Chef Jean Claude Roge's skewered prawns seared on the robata grill, or sous-vide pork belly slicked in a five-spice glaze. Like the space itself, Blanc's plates are small, which encourages sharing and multiple courses. All these small things add up to a wonderfully leisurely night, dreamy from start to finish.
13451 McGregor Blvd., south Fort Myers; 887-3139; blancentertainment.com
FULL REVIEW: The perfect, magical Blanc
2. Harold's
It’s rare to see a chef having fun. So when Harold Balink comes bounding out of his small kitchen in shorts and clogs with a smile spreading contagiously across his face, you wonder if he’s lost it. He bear hugs a diner a few tables over, then plops down in a nearby chair to welcome another group to this party. He laughs and refills wine glasses. He slaps shoulders then returns to work. Welcome to Harold’s. This cozy, chef-run restaurant opened in October 2015. It's become a bastion for honest farm-to-table cuisine made by the deft hands of this culinary master. Harold's menu is ever-changing and ever-delicious. It's rare to see a chef having fun, it's even rarer to see an entire restaurant smiling right along with him.
15250 S. Tamiami Trail, south Fort Myers; 849-0622; haroldscuisine.com
FULL REVIEW: For chef, Harold's is home
1. Azure
My favorite Fort Myers restaurant comes from my favorite Fort Myers chef. Chef Joe Pittman could cook anywhere, but he serves his Southern-inspired takes on classic French dishes right here at Azure, another cranny of a place (this one formerly a Quizno’s (of course)). Owners Lee Riley and Eddy Garces welcome you to this polished little space as if it was their own home. They greet you by name (well, reservation name) and escort you to your table, presenting that bottle of wine you asked about when securing said reservation. Pittman’s food soon follows, be it his stunning risotto with veal jus and Parmiggiano, or a butter-knife-tender filet mignon served with such restraint (perfect beef, perfect vegetables, a perfect green-peppercorn demi-glace) you could weep. Each dish I’ve had here has been somehow better than the last, which keeps me coming back, to see just how great this place can become.
15301 McGregor Blvd., south Fort Myers; 288-4296; azurefortmyers.com
FULL REVIEW: New owners make 4-star Azure even better
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The best of the rest
Bistro 41: My experiences at this long-excellent restaurant have been limited since new chef Allen Fisher joined the team, but man have they been delicious. I look forward to everything else Chef Fisher has in store; bistro41.com
Bruno's of Brooklyn: Narrow and boxy, Bruno's has an authentically NYC appeal. The thick veal chops, plump meatballs and fresh-made cannoli don't hurt, either; brunosofbrooklyn.com
Caffe Toscano: Owned by a former Italian-foods importer, this little gem serves only the best ingredients with the homey charm of a Tuscan famiglia; caffetoscanofl.com
Capone's Coal Fired Pizza: A sister restaurant to Ford's Garage and several other downtown concepts, Capone's is the only one that truly nails it for me. From the house-made pastas to the perfect pizzas flash cooked in the 800-degree ovens, it's good all-around; caponescoalfiredpizza.com
Colleoni's Eatery & Bakery: Two sisters from Rome have turned a former lunch joint into a haven for all things Italian. From the house-made pastries to the fresh salads and pastas, it's impossible to go wrong here; colleonis.com
Crave: Chef-owner Sean Gavin is obsessed with fresh. He and his crew make everything at Crave by hand, from the house-cured and smoked bacon (OMG that bacon), to the house-roasted deli meats and from-scratch breads and sauces. His obsession is our gain; cravemenu.com
El Gaucho Inca: This Argentinean-Peruvian restaurant has always been a stunner. But in recent years it's evolved into something beyond, something more than bracing ceviches and perfectly grilled meats, though those remain excellent still; elgauchoinca.com
Fancy's Southern Cafe: Three words: Chicken and waffles, with scratch-made butterscotch syrup. OK, that's eight words, but at this deliciously charming modern-Southern gem, those eight words are the best place to start; fancyssoutherncafe.com
Farmers Market Restaurant: The oldest restaurant in Lee County, Farmers Market isn't just good. It's the homey, hearty, soul-filling kind of good that's kept people coming back for 66 years; farmersmarketrestaurant.com
MORE: Food, family and 65 years of Farmers Market
Kenwood Lane Grill: Hidden away behind the yawn-worthy Olive Garden, this chef-run restaurant crafts unique takes on classic dishes, making it well worth finding; kenwoodlanegrille.com
McGregor Cafe: This longtime McGregor Boulevard favorite has gotten better with time. It recently brought in a new chef from New Orleans, and it recently blew me way (his ricotta gnudi are an absolute must). I've only been once since the new chef took the helm, but I look forward to going much, much more; mcgregorcafe.com
Poppy's Pizza & Bistro: Now home to the former chef from the beloved Yabo, Poppy's makes more than just great, Brooklyn-style pizzas. It makes fluffy gnocchi and scallops seared till buttery and sweet. You can have your pie and eat your gnocchi, too; bestpizzainfortmyers.com
Silk Road: An excellent and stunning Uzbek restaurant in a Winn-Dixie strip plaza? That's Silk Road. It's exotic and homey and all-around delightful. But don't take my word for it. Just go. Call 689-4845 for more.
Society: What the restaurant has lacked in food consistency, it's made up for in style points. Society is gorgeous; the kind of place to see and be seen (a rarity in these parts). The food is coming along, the cocktails are excellent, and the people-watching is second to none; societyfortmyers.com
Trattoria Mia: Created by two Italian-Venezuelan sisters with a passion for scratch-cooking, this little place has legions of loyal fans. And after one bite of arancini or carbonara or carpaccio, you'll become one, too; trattoriamia.com
AND A BONUS 26th — Sasse's: This place should probably be in the top 10, it's just been a little too long since I've been. That said, I've never heard anyone breathe a bad word about this out-of-the-way gem. Not since chef-owner Josef Zimmermann took it over in 2012. He's a master, unwilling to compromise in any way. He continues a tradition of excellence at this restaurant, one that's sure to keep it going with or without little ol' me; sassesrestaurant.com
Jean Le Boeuf is the pseudonym used by a local food lover who dines at restaurants anonymously and without warning, with meals paid for by The News-Press. Follow the critic at facebook.com/jeanleboeufswfl or @JeanLeBoeuf on Twitter and Instagram.