THE BEST OF FORT LAUDERDALE
Fort Lauderdale is a popular destination for snowbirds, spring breakers, and families on vacation. It’s warmer than most places in the USA during the winter months making it the ideal place to defrost from the cold.
How To Get TO FORT LAUDERDALE
It’s about a 20 – 30 minute drive from downtown Fort Lauderdale to the airport. During winter months, traffic can get pretty heavy, so it will most likely take a little longer to get there.
Personally, I like having a car so I can visit nearby areas like Miami, Hollywood, and the Everglades, but you could easily get by using a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft.
The Brightline is a train that stops at a couple popular cities in Florida. Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami are some of the best known stops. The trains are clean and punctual. Prices vary depending on the time of day and popularity of time that you are traveling. As a general idea, round trip tickets can range from $24 – $49 for economy tickets. The ride from Fort Lauderdale to Miami is a little under 40 minutes.
Best Time to Visit
Fort Lauderdale is great to visit at any time of the year. Southern Florida is one of the warmest places in the US during the winter months. Being in close proximity to many beaches makes it an ideal snowbird, winter break, and summer vacation destination.
How Much Time Do You Need IN FORT LAUDERDALE
A weekend is perfect, but you can easily spend more time here if you’re looking to soak up the sun and enjoy the beach.
BEST EATS IN FORT LAUDERDALE
Takato
Takato is my favorite restaurant in Fort Lauderdale and in my top ten favorite restaurants of all time. Every dish here is better than the last. The restaurant is across from the water so if you sit outside you can enjoy a nice ocean breeze as you dine. Honestly, each and every dish is amazing, but the standouts for me are: short rib kimchi taco, duck bao buns, crispy tuna, rainbow ceviche, and spicy hotate maki. It’s great to go with a group so you can try more of the menu. It is on the more expensive side, but 100% worth it. Last time we went for a birthday dinner and they comped us their signature dessert sushi which was vanilla ice cream wrapped in rice krispies served with a warmed chocolate dipping sauce and fresh fruit. It was the perfect sweet to end the night.
Il Paesano
Southern Florida is not lacking for Italian food. Our two favorites are Il Paesano and Di Valle’s Cucina. Il Paesano has a homey vibe and comforting Italian food to match. It’s an Italian Supermarket, wine cellar and restaurant all in one. The Pear appetizer with cheese sauce, nuts, and prosciutto is immaculate. The Osso Bucco and Lobster Ravioli are phenomenal. If there’s a special, chances are it will be truly special.
Di Valle’s Cucina Italiana
Di Valle’s is a family-owned Italian restaurant with dishes that will make your mouth water. Here, you can get all of your favorite Italian classics that will make you feel like you’re at your Nonna’s house – think chicken parm, fried calamari, chicken piccata, linguini with clams. The restaurant can be a little tricky to find. It’s in a quiet strip mall and you’ll actually pass the restaurant to get into the parking lot.
Blue Moon Fish Co
Imagine sitting on a dock, overlooking the water and enjoying some of your favorite seafood. That’s what you’ll get at Blue Moon Fish Co. Despite the white tablecloths, the restaurant is unpretentious and serves fresh and delightful fish dishes. If you can, go for lunch. The menu is slightly different from the dinner menu, but at a better (lower) price point. The Atlantic Salmon, the Blackened Mahi Mahi, and the Pasta with Clams are three of my favorites. All of the appetizers are also killer.
El Camino
Every time we visit our family debates which is better – the brisket quesadilla or the chicken quesadilla. The answer is still inconclusive. Personally, I think the brisket is the best. Order a flavored margarita – my go to is the watermelon jalapeno, but every one is amazing. The 50/50 also hits the spot – it’s a combination of tequila and mezcal adding in the perfect mix of smokiness. This restaurant gets LOUD! And the wait gets long for dinner. If you can, try and go for lunch, or before 6 pm for dinner. They don’t take reservations, so if you go on the later side, put your name on the waitlist then walk around Las Olas until they’re ready to seat your party.
Rhythm and Vine
I love this bar, but maybe that’s because I visited from the northeast in January and I was excited to enjoy a drink outside. Sip on cocktails or affordable (for southern Florida) beers or hard seltzers while relaxing on an outdoor couch and enjoying the music. They also have oversized games, like Connect Four.
Kaizen Sushi Bar & Grill
Quality sushi at a reasonable price point. If you’re looking for sushi and don’t want to dish out a ton of money, try Kaizen. If you want to dine in, make a reservation ahead of time. It can get pretty busy.
The Katherine
Dune
Great waterfront lunch spot. We tried the poke bowl, the burger, and the blackened fish sandwich and all were excellent. It’s one of those places where the food is marked up because of the amazing location, but we thought it was worth the splurge.
Larb Thai-Isan
This is the best place to get Thai food in southern Florida. Whether you like curries, pad thai, or meat skewers, this is your place. Sometimes the sticky rice and mango sells out early, so you may want to ask your server if they have it when you place your food order.
Breakfast and coffee shops
Spud’s
Spud’s has solid breakfast dishes at reasonable prices. Eggs Benedict is the best dish here in my opinion.
Croissan’time
Croissan’time is a French bakery with . . . you guessed it, really tasty croissants and croissant sandwiches. They also have delicious pastries, cakes, and breads. There’s usually a line, but it moves super fast. Don’t let the line deter you.
Cyth + Co Coffee Shop
Cyth and Co is just cool. I like their slightly alternative drinks, like the Pistachio Matcha and the Butterfly Latte – which kind of tasted like marshmallows to me? It’s a great place to go when you want a cute drink and a little snack.
Cafe Bastille
This cute little cafe has locations in both Fort Lauderdale and Miami. They have all of your breakfast favorites like almond croissants and omelettes and shakshuka, but I’m burying the lead, because you really need to try their crazy pancake flavors – cinnamon roll, red velvet, or elevated blueberry with citrus mascarpone and pistachios.
Do
Kayak at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park
Rent a kayak or a paddleboard and set out exploring Hugh Taylor Birch State Park by sea! Parking is $6 per car.
Take a Walk
Fern Forest Cypress Creek Boardwalk
Milage: 0.8 miles
Elevation Gain: Minimal
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 20 minutes
This is a nice, shaded boardwalk trail that loops around a fern forest. There are some educational signs along the way to help explain what you’re looking at. If you want to extend the trail, you can add on the Prairie Overlook to Wetlands trail. It’ll add on a mile and take about 30 more minutes.
Take a Boat Out
There’s no better way to enjoy southern Florida than a day on the water. Rent a boat or choose a tour and relax at sea. . . or pick a drinking tour if you’re in more of a party mood.
Shop and Eat at Las Olas
Walk down Las Olas Boulevard, the most popular street in Fort Lauderdale. Pop into the art galleries, boutiques, and restaurants, or just walk along the Riverwalk and enjoy the breeze. You can also take a FREE water trolley along the river.
Best Beaches
One of the main reasons people visit Fort Lauderdale is to go to the beach. Here are some of our favorite beaches
North Beach for live music
Lauderdale-by-the-Sea for a quiet, relaxing vibe with clean, sandy beaches
Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Farmers Market
Take a quick drive to Lauderdale-by-the-Sea and browse the Sunday morning Farmers Market. JW Pastry has THE BEST croissants. They also have a standalone shop in Davie if you can’t make it to the market. You can find the market at 4500 El Mar Drive in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea.
Take a Pottery Class
I’ve always wanted to try Raku – a really cool Japanese style of firing pottery. When we saw a class at Mingo Makes It, we immediately signed up and it was one of the highlights of our trip. If you have a piece of pottery that is ready to glaze and fire, you can bring your own. If you don’t, you can pay an upcharge and pick from one of their beautiful pre-made pottery pieces. The whole process took about 2 hours and we left with stunning and unique pottery pieces. They also offer different types of classes – pottery wheel and hand-building workshops – both one day options and 4-week long sessions. Can’t recommend this place enough!
Take a day trip to hollywood
At roughly 20-30 minutes from Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood is the perfect place to spend your day.
Walk the Ocean-Front Boardwalk
This 2.5 mile walking path is lined with restaurants and shops on one side and the beach on the other. You’ll see people biking, walking, skateboarding, and rollerblading. It’s a great place to be outside, enjoy the sunshine, and people watch. It’s also very safe, so you can walk here during the day, or at night when temperatures cool off a bit.
Visit the Yellow Green Market
The Yellow Green Market is a HUGE open air market with tons of food and drink stalls, clothing shops, and fresh fruits and veggies. Parking is $10 for 3 hours. It’s open Saturday and Sunday from 10 am – 6:30 pm. Our favorite stalls are:
Juice World (#069) get the mango juice or the strawberry lemon juice – it’s more tart, and not as sweet as a typical lemonade
Llanera Meat (#504) get the Cachapas – a sweet corn arepas loaded with meat and cheese. If you don’t want meat, you can get an arepas overloaded with melted cheese and it’s also delicious.
El Rey Del Tamal (#577) get the birria tacos . . . and maybe a horchata too. This stall is a little bit tucked away, but it’s worth searching it out. It’s in the far left back corner.
Gamble at the Hard Rock Hotel
One of the first things you’ll notice when you’re in the area is the guitar-shaped building taking up a large part of the skyline – that’s the Hard Rock Hotel. Gambling at their casino and dining at one of their on-property restaurants make it the perfect place for a date night or a night out with friends. Check out their Event Calendar to see if they have any upcoming performances that interest you – they regularly host famous comedians, popular musicians, and other performers.
Kayak from Oleta River State Park to Raccoon Island
Rent a kayak at Oleta River State Park and paddle out to Sandspur Island aka Raccoon Island, a small 15-acre island filled with roughly 175 raccoons. This is a popular spot to visit and the raccoons are used to people, but take normal precautions, as with any animal encounter.
Oaxaka
Mexican-Asian fusion spot that has quesadillas and tacos stuffed with tons of meat.
Don Rodone Ceviche & More
Solid Peruvian spot with all your favorites – like really good ceviche and lomo saltado.
NOT DONE TRAVELING?
Check out our guides of nearby areas:
Miami
Nature Near Savannah
Savannah