5 best brunches in Florida, according to OpenTable
While we adore the Sunshine State’s best beach bars and favorite waterfront restaurants, Floridians often seek out a place that serves fantastic brunch — especially in anticipation of Mother’s Day, which falls on May 12 this year.
OpenTable, the popular online restaurant reservation and review service, noted that “data revealed nearly half (43%) of all Mother’s Day dining happened during brunch hours (11 a.m.–2:59 p.m.), making it the most popular meal for the holiday.” To help, OpenTable has shared its annual list of Top 100 Brunch Restaurants in America for 2024.
This year, the list includes restaurants from 29 states and Washington D.C., with California having the largest share of restaurants at 13, for the fourth year in a row. Florida is represented by five restaurants.
Five Florida restaurants make Top 100 Brunch Restaurants in America 2024 list by OpenTable
“People are increasingly choosing to celebrate the mothers and special women in their lives with a meal out, bypassing breakfast in bed — and they’re going all out, too,” said Steve Sintra, SVP, Americas Restaurant Sales & Services, in a press release issued by OpenTable. “Mother’s Day festivities now include dining out multiple times all weekend long, and diners are planning to spend more than last year, with Gen Z more likely to splurge than any generation.”
OpenTable noted that its list of Top 100 Brunch Restaurants was compiled by analyzing more than 14 million diner reviews and metrics, including diner ratings and the percentage of restaurant reviews diners tagged as “brunch.” The five Florida restaurants that made the list are found in cities throughout the Sunshine State. Here they are, presented in alphabetical order:
● Columbia Restaurant — Tampa
● Latitudes — Key West
● Raglan Road Irish Pub — Orlando
● Sails Restaurant — Naples
● Wine Bar George — Orlando
Brunch destination Columbia Restaurant is Florida’s oldest restaurant, with locations now throughout the state
Columbia Restaurant, which began serving its famous Spanish-Cuban cuisine in Tampa’s Ybor City neighborhood in 1905, is renowned as Florida’s oldest restaurant. Columbia’s second oldest location is on St. Armands Circle. Opened in 1959, it’s the oldest full-service restaurant in Sarasota. In addition to three Tampa locations and the one in Sarasota, Columbia has restaurants in St. Augustine, Sand Key on Clearwater Beach, and Celebration near Orlando.
Each Columbia location will be serving Mother’s Day dinner specials all weekend, from Friday, May 10 to Sunday, May 12. On Sunday, the regular dinner menu will be served all day. For more information, visit columbiarestaurant.com.
Earlier this year, readers of Southern Living magazine voted Columbia Florida’s Best Cuban Sandwich.
Seven Florida dining spots make OpenTable’s Top 100 Romantic Restaurants in America 2024 list
Just before Valentine’s Day, OpenTable unveiled its annual roster of the Top 100 Romantic Restaurants in America for 2024. The list spanned 34 states and Washington D.C. Once again, California claimed the top spot with 12 restaurants, followed by Florida with seven.
Wade Tatangelo is Ticket Editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and Florida Regional Dining and Entertainment Editor for the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. He can be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com.