Are you a foodie planning your next culinary adventure? If yes, then New Smyrna Beach and Daytona Beach should be your next destinations. Both cities are located along Florida's scenic Atlantic coast and offer more than just sunny beaches and thrilling motorsports. Whichever city you choose to visit, you'll find a wide range of restaurants, cafes, and bars all with menus containing everything you could ever wish for to satisfy your cravings, including fresh seafood and exotic meals.
New Smyrna Beach and Daytona Beach, two prominent cities in Volusia County, are a foodie's dream, and it's all thanks to their flourishing tourism industries. More than 10 million tourists visit Volusia County annually, so it's no small feat keeping up with the increasing demands for mouthwatering meals of different varieties and flavors. More and more restaurants are needed as the tourism industry grows while existing restaurants compete to offer the best dining experiences to guests through various methods, one of which is offering traditional flavors with modern twists.
Now that you can see why these cities are excellent destinations for foodies, here are our favorite spots to visit:
Breakfast & Brunch Spots
What better way to start the day after a good night's sleep than with a proper breakfast? Here are our favorite breakfast and brunch spots to kickstart your day:
New Smyrna Beach:
Wake Up Café: This is the place to visit if you love traditional American foods like waffles and omelets, or Spanish and Argentine meals. You'll find a wide variety of these meals here.
Third Wave Café & Wine Bar: This café is comfortable and has an expansive menu that includes different types of soups/salads, sandwiches, and breakfast specialties like rock shrimp scramble, steak and eggs, and Frittata.
The Baker's Table: The Baker's Table is run by the couple, Jaime and Jeanette Quintana, and it's open for brunch on Fridays through Sundays. You can get meals like conch fritters with black pepper honey, goat cheese tart with truffle honey, smoked salmon latkes with scallion cream cheese, and more from here.
Daytona Beach:
Brunch Daytona: A modern American restaurant serving comfort food, Brunch Daytona offers an all-day breakfast and lunch menu featuring omelets, waffles, pancakes, sandwiches, and desserts.
The Cracked Egg Diner: We love their homemade apple fritters and diverse eggs Benedict selections, The Cracked Egg Diner's breakfast menu also includes omelets, scrambles, pancakes, waffles, and more.
The Red Bud Café: This café offers a range of breakfast and brunch options, including various crepes and other dishes, which is why we love to have breakfast here.
Fresh Seafood & Oceanfront Dining
Restaurants located near the ocean offer a plethora of dining options that highlight the freshest catches from the Atlantic. You also get to enjoy the relaxing atmosphere, scenic views, and other perks of oceanfront dining.
New Smyrna Beach:
Off the Hook Raw Bar and Grill: We like eating here because of their fresh oysters on the half shell and diverse seafood offerings. You can also enjoy dishes like pan-seared sea scallops in a relaxed setting here.
Norwood's Restaurant & Treehouse Bar: Norwood's offers a one of a kind dining experience. I mean, when was the last time you had breakfast in a treehouse? The menu features an array of seafood options and other items like bacon wrapped scallops.
Boston's Fish House: Boston's Fish House brings New England-style seafood to New Smyrna Beach. Here, you can indulge in dishes like fresh grouper sandwiches and fried fish baskets in a casual atmosphere.
Daytona Beach:
Aunt Catfish's On The River: Located in nearby Port Orange, this restaurant offers a Southern-style seafood experience. One of the reasons why we visit this restaurant is their fresh catches and homestyle sides. If you want a taste of traditional Florida seafood prepared by natives, just go here.
Riptides Raw Bar & Grill: Riptides is a firm favorite with tourists thanks to its lively atmosphere and extensive seafood menu. Charbroiled oysters and fresh shrimp are just some of the delicious meals you can enjoy here with the ocean views as an added bonus.
Millie's Restaurant: As one of the top seafood restaurants in America, Millie's Restaurant serves only fresh and locally-sourced food. You're guaranteed the highest quality meals here, whether you're interested in local seafood, sandwiches, steaks, burgers, or vegan/vegetarian foods.
Historic Restaurants
These restaurants offer you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the history of these cities while enjoying the top-notch dishes that have made and kept them popular for decades.
New Smyrna Beach:
Blackbeard's Inn: This restaurant has been in business for over 40 years. They offer the best and freshest seafood, steaks, and prime ribs in a relaxed atmosphere.
The Garlic: This restaurant has been in existence for over a decade and offers an authentic taste of the Tuscan countryside with incredibly delicious and creative food.
Norwood's Restaurant & Treehouse Bar: I've already mentioned this restaurant as one of our favorite seafood restaurants, but it's also a top historic restaurant that absolutely deserves to be mentioned twice. This restaurant was established in 1946 and is one of the oldest restaurants in New Smyrna Beach.
Daytona Beach:
Chart House: Situated on Marina Point Drive, Chart House offers a fine dining experience with stunning waterfront views. They've got some of the best prime ribs you can buy in Daytona Beach, and their seafood is amazing too.
Aunt Catfish's On The River: Like Norwood's, Aunt Catfish deserves another mention. This restaurant opened for business on Feb 1, 1979, and it's remained one of the best restaurants in the area since then.
Angelo's Pizza House: For hand-tossed pizzas and classic pasta dishes, visit Angelo's Pizza House. They also do deliveries, but we recommend you visit and experience the relaxed ambience of the restaurant.
Off-the-Beaten-Path Restaurants
The best restaurants are usually busy because everyone wants to go there, but there are restaurants that can give you even better experiences than those that are recognized as the go-to restaurants for foodies.
If you want to enjoy authentic meals like a local, serenity with fewer crowds, and hospitality at its finest, try these off-the-beaten-path eateries:
New Smyrna Beach:
Third Wave Café & Wine Bar: When we visited this café, we enjoyed the laid-back beach vibe with an upscale, garden-like setting, and it was by far one of the best dining experiences we've had. They have a variety of dishes including wood-fired pizzas and fresh seafood, all complemented by an extensive wine list. The outdoor patio, adorned with twinkling lights, made our dining experience almost magical.
Café Verde: Tucked away behind Clancy's off Flagler Street, Café Verde has been a go-to spot for a delicious, quick lunch after a day at the beach. The restaurant recently reopened after a significant renovation, and it's now one of the most beautiful dining spots in New Smyrna Beach. I won't try to convince you of its beauty. Just visit it and see for yourself.
Daytona Beach:
The Cellar Restaurant: The Cellar offers an intimate dining experience specializing in authentic Italian cuisine. Housed in the historic former home of President Warren G. Harding and recognized as the best Italian restaurant in Daytona Beach, The Cellar offers an ambience that is both elegant and inviting. Their dinner menu is filled with lots of upscale Italian meals, while their wine menu contains a huge list of sparkling, white, and red wines.
This is an upscale restaurant, so you probably won't be visiting often. But whenever you do, you're sure to get your money's worth.
Chez Paul: Chez Paul is another upscale restaurant that serves both French and Italian meals. They're open Wednesday through Saturday for dinner. For brunch, visit the restaurant on Sunday.
Where to Stay in NSB and Daytona Beach
To make the most of your trip and enjoy your culinary adventure to the maximum, you need to pick the right accommodation. As a foodie, you're probably going to try and visit as many of these restaurants as your budget allows. Staying in a comfortable, conveniently located rental enables you to do this.
Our vacation rental company, Great Ocean Condos & Homes, is the leading vacation rental company in New Smyrna Beach and Daytona Beach. We have more than 270 different properties for you to choose from, including condos, homes, and townhomes. Each property is equipped with top-notch amenities that provide the privacy and comfort of a home, including full kitchens, balconies, and access to pools.
Booking with us is as easy as pie. You just need to visit our vacation rentals page, look for a property you like using our search filters, choose your dates, and book. We offer 24/7 support, so you'll never be left hanging. Also, our professional cleaners maintain a high standard of hygiene, so you'll check into a clean home every single time you rent one of our properties.
Start Your Foodie Adventure Today
You'll find all you need to enjoy and appreciate good food in New Smyrna Beach and Daytona Beach because there are so many places to go to for unique experiences, authentic food, and exotic delicacies.
There are breakfast and brunch spots that offer the perfect start to your day, seafood restaurants for fresh seafood and ocean views, historic restaurants, and hidden gems for authentic experiences that can't be found elsewhere.
All of these combined with our awesome vacation rentals means you have everything to gain and nothing to lose. Start planning your trip today and treat yourself to a foodie tour of New Smyrna Beach and Daytona Beach that you'll be remembering for years to come.
