The most exciting place to eat in the US is somewhere you’d never expect

The Palm Beaches oozes a special style of old world glamour.

With pink oceanfront mansions, cotton-striped pools and elegant, almost theatrical clothing boutiques in storefronts from the Gilded Age, it is every inch the American Dream.

Don’t mistake The Palm Beaches for Palm Beach, though.

Both are in Florida, but the Beaches (plural) is a 47-mile coastal destination made up of 39 distinct communities, from Boca Raton in the south to Jupiter in the north.

The latter is the ultra-elite island town home to glamorous Worth Avenue and many, many billionaires. 

Considered America’s first resort destination, The Palm Beaches gets its name from an 1878 shipwreck that saw 20,000 coconuts rescued and planted, eventually growing into the iconic trees that line the streets.

Even now, The Palm Beaches’ tropical climate is the draw for freezing Northerners, mostly wealthy and from New York, who travel down for ‘the season’ (Christmas until Easter).

They come for the lifestyle: basking in the sun on sandy beaches, getting a round in on the immaculate golf courses or shopping in the numerous boutiques and malls. 

You know the type. People who use summer as a verb.

These travellers are affectionately known as snowbirds, bringing with them a taste for sophisticated dining that feels more Manhattan than Florida.

Their presence has helped to attract a new generation of chefs, restaurateurs and entrepreneurs who are reshaping the culinary identity of The Palm Beaches.

In short, it’s now a bloody great place to eat.

While whizzing down Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach on a golf buggy – it’s known as Florida’s ‘village by the sea’ for a reason – I am told that ‘there are not a lot of rules when it comes to food’ in The Palm Beaches.

Chefs tend to be more creative and experimental because they have the space to be.

In practical terms, that means accessible wagyu menus and Cuban restaurants using ingredients they wouldn’t dare elsewhere for fear of straying from their roots.

Stage Kitchen in Palm Beach Gardens even has a menu featuring Indian, Spanish, Latin American and contemporary US dishes.

It feels less straightforward fusion and more of an exploration of chef Pushkar Marathe’s own experiences of global cooking traditions.

The tandoori churrasco was a standout dish and a particularly delightful departure from tradition. 

Local restaurateurs often own several restaurant concepts to cater to diverse tastes, especially in downtown Delray Beach where the owners of Mexican spot El Camino also run a steakhouse and tavern.

And chefs don’t just regard The Palm Beaches as a seasonal output but a serious dining destination.

While Café Boulud – from renowned French chef Daniel Boulud – has been a Palm Beach staple for over two decades, Akira Back in Delray Beach and Seahawk by David Burke in Palm Beach Gardens are relatively new additions to the area.

So perhaps we’ve found the new culinary holiday port of call for European travellers.

When the snowbirds have returned home after winter, the summer is open for visitors from further afield to feast their way around after a trip to the polo or round of golf. 

Without further ado, here’s where you should eat…

El Camino Mexican Soul Food 

Location: Delray Beach

El Camino Mexican Soul Food is a cult-favourite, high-energy eatery known for bold flavours, an extensive margarita and tequila menu and signature hot sauces. Expect towers of nachos and rich, flavour-packed tacos. A real favourite of the trip.

Favourite Item: Pineapple-Coconut Margarita 

Akira Back

Location: The Ray Hotel, Delray Beach

Akira Back is a stunning dining experience from start to finish. With fresh fish delivered from Japan to plate within 48 hours, this is Japanese dining (with a Korean twist) at its best. We had too many melt in the mouth moments to count.

Favourite Item: AB Tuna Tataki

Café Boulud 

Location: Brazilian Court Hotel, Palm Beach

Just a few minutes from glamorous Worth Avenue, we had lunch in the elegant courtyard of Café Boulud. With a menu packed full of modern French cuisine we spent ages agonising over what to have. Pro tip: don’t skip dessert.

Favourite Item: Café Cobb

The Butcher’s Club

Location: PGA National Resort, Palm Beach Gardens 

The Butcher’s Club is a classic Michelin-recommended modern steakhouse from Top Chef winner Jeremy Ford. It’s old school and atmospheric with food of an incredible quality. My most-used word of the night was ‘wow’. 

Favourite Item: A tie between the Tuna-Coconut Ceviche and the Porter House steak. 

Stage Kitchen

Location: Palm Beach Gardens

This felt like the most global menu of the trip – with US, Latin American and Spanish influences all linking back to chef Pushkar Marathe’s Indian roots. There are some really special dishes at Stage Kitchen.

Favourite Item: Plantain Chaat

Seahawk Prime by David Burke

Location: Lake Park

Overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway, Seahawk features signature Himalayan salt-aged steaks and incredible seafood. We were particularly taken by the hanging bacon that you had to snip with scissors to serve.

Favourite Item: DB’S OG clothesline bacon (and a very, very dirty martini).

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