Yelp's specialty is doing crowd-sourced reviews about businesses, in this case restaurants. So their list of Top 100 Florida restaurants isn't made by food critics, it's made by regular people. In fact, their methodology for this list is " a list of the best places to eat in Florida for 2022, according to Yelp. We identified businesses in the restaurants category, then ranked those spots using a number of factors, including the total volume and ratings of reviews between January 1, 2017, and April 13, 2022. When available, all businesses on this list have a passing health score as of April 20, 2022." So it's an 'over time' kind of rating, so if your favorite place isn't on the list it could be that it's just too new.
Florida is mostly surrounded by water, so seafood quickly comes to mind, but the diversity of restaurants in this state is incredible. I would not have guessed that the go-to spot for a Cuban sandwich in Florida is not in Miami. According to Yelp reviews, the best Cuban sandwich in the state is located in a strip mall in Naples next to a vacuum repair shop. Or that you can get what has been described as "perfect avocado toast" at a little place next to the Lowe's on 6 Mile Cypress in Fort Myers. You don't have to travel far to find great food you just have to know where to look. And since so many people took the time to do the research for us, it's our job to enjoy. So here's the Southwest Florida restaurant's that made "Yelp’s Top 100 Florida Restaurants in 2022":
97. Tortellino Bistrot, Sarasota
"All the pasta is handmade and all his cheese fillings are also handmade. Leo, the owner and chef, is from Bologna and is a fantastic chef." - Sam H
84. La Dolce Vita, Sarasota
"Most amazing Italian dinner we had in Florida! Tina and her staff were amazing and attentive. The food was fresh and homemade from the start! " - Shannon K
66. Tikka Indian Cuisine, Venice
"The chicken tandoori was fantastic- incredibly tender and wonderful! Highly recommended." - Doug W.
59. Petar’s Restaurant, Bonita Springs
"My husband had told them it was my birthday so they presented me with flowers and had strewn the tablecloth with birthday confetti. But the best part of the evening was the food itself. " - Roger G.
41. Château 13 Restaurant & Wine Bar, West Bradenton
"I would highly recommend this to anyone that enjoys a refined French bistro." - Joshua B.
40. Que-Rico Colombian Flavors, North Port
"I had the Super Arepa with Streak and my husband had the Bandeja Paisa both were delicious." - Susan A.
32. Organically Twisted, Naples
"Our taste buds were blown away. Both the artichoke burger and the mung bean taco salad were absolutely fantastic." - Sandra S.
23. Cafe Flore, Fort Myers
"Beignets are an excellent choice." - John M.
22. Antoine’s Restaurant, Sarasota
"Expensive and worth it. As good a meal as you will find anywhere including NY, LA, Chicago or Miami. Excellent." - Elliot D.
5. Rumba Cuban Cafe, Naples
“The single best Cuban sandwich you will ever have" - John D.
