Diners' Choice: Good for special occasions restaurants in Northwest Florida

OpenTable

Updated December 05, 2024

Looking for the best special occasion restaurants in Northwest Florida? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Cuvee 30A

4.8

4.8 (1565)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Rosemary Beach

About the restaurant

As seen on Emeril's Florida, Cuvee 30A brings FRLA Restaurateur of the Year and celebrity Chef Tim Creehan’s stunning cuisine to South Walton’s gorgeous 30Avenue. Savor Tim's award-winning signature dishes while enjoying handcrafted cocktails and martinis at the “Best of the Emerald Coast” voted Happy Hour nightly, and a spectacular Wine List bestowed with the 30A area's sole Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence.

*For early access to events or holiday reservations before they are publicly available, subscribe to our free E-newsletter, or text TIMCREEHAN to 844-731-3174.

*Dress code is resort casual; no ballcaps, cutoffs, tanks, athletic wear.
*We do not offer a child menu. High chairs/booster seats are not provided. If special seating is required, please bring your own device.
*Menu and Wine List items and prices are subject to change without notice based on market availability.
*For large parties or events, consider using our event form at Cuvee30A.com/Events.

Top review

Johnny

Dined 4 days ago

Very nice experience. Will definitely be going back.

Pazzo Italiano Destin

4.8

4.8 (2007)

$30 and under

Italian

Destin

About the restaurant

Two friends, two devoted family men, two restaurant lovers and now businessmen, that have been serving and delighting others for over 20+ years. We are excited to share with you our passion, our heart’s work: Pazzo Italiano.

Our menu has been carefully pieced together to bring you a combination of your favorite Italian staples, some more sophisticated flavors with a touch of fun and some new crazy combinations. We look forward to sharing our passion for taste and our love for service with you…

Top review

CHRISTINE

Dined 4 days ago

Puzzle Italiano in Destin has become our go to place for special occasions or just a nice night out on the town. The staff is always professional and friendly and the food is terrific.

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The White Marlin and Oysterette

4.8

4.8 (389)

$31 to $50

Seafood

Port St. Joe

About the restaurant

We are accepting reservations to make your experience the most pleasurable. The White Marlin is a magnificent beach front steak and seafood restaurant that boasts a selection of seafood with a longstanding commitment to offering top quality ingredients from local fisheries up and down the coast of Florida. Freshness is our only priority working directly with fishermen and farmers, to bring you the most amazing fresh catches and beef there is to offer. With an ethos of spotlighting ingredients first, The White Marlins menu features simple preparations executed to perfection to allow quality to take center stage. We have two dining options for our guests experience between the more casual and lively Oyster Bar and patio to the traditional Main Dining Room. The Main Dining Room possesses classic and sophisticated warmth, is adorned with sharp accents throughout the room and plush seating lends the ideal setting for celebratory dinners or just a simple night on the town.

Top review

RandyVIP

Dined 7 days ago

Refined decor, beautiful view, excellent crab cake, scallops, and filet! Good wine list. Server was awesome.

Ambrosia 30A

4.8

4.8 (175)

$31 to $50

Seafood

Rosemary Beach

About the restaurant

Conveniently located near 30A, Ambrosia is your destination for the freshest seafood, the best cut of steaks, and unmatched hospitality.

Combining the freshest Gulf seafood and the best cuts of Midwest beef, our kitchen focuses on perfecting traditional dishes and crafting chef-inspired features. Beyond the kitchen, every moment of your time at Ambrosia will be handled with the utmost care and professionalism as each member of the staff is eager to create the perfect dining experience for you and your guests.

Our coastal and warm dining room with comfortable and elegant booths is the perfect place for a special event or a relaxed date night. The warm and inviting bar, designed to match the feel of big city bars, will be your new late-night spot or the picture-perfect location for your girls or guys night out.

Top review

Jamie

Dined 5 days ago

Wonderful as always! ❤️ Excellent service and food was divine!

Ruth's Chris Steak House - Destin

4.7

4.7 (1726)

$50 and over

Steakhouse

Destin

About the restaurant

Ruth's Chris Steak House specializes in serving USDA Prime steaks, each seared to perfection, finished with butter and freshly chopped parsley, and served sizzling on a 500-degree plate. We invite you to join us in Destin, FL!

Top review

TimothyVIP

Dined 1 day ago

Jerad greeted us with a friendly engaging attitude that was welcoming and inviting. Shane our server and Joe our server assistant were both stellar in service and reading the table. The food was all perfectly prepared. The wine service was excellent. We can't wait to come back

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Pazzo Italiano Santa Rosa Beach

4.7

4.7 (954)

$30 and under

Italian

Santa Rosa Beach

About the restaurant

Pazzo Italiano SRB is the 2nd location of the highly rated and locals favorite Destin location, featuring award winning Italian dishes and wood fired Neapolitan pizza, full bar and two private rooms in a cosmopolitan Family friendly and relaxed atmosphere.

Top review

Marian

Dined on Dec 25, 2024

My family and I have been coming to Pazzo Italiano on Christmas Eve for dinner for the last 8 years. We’ve gone to your location in Destin and since you’ve opened in Santa Rosa Beach, we’ve been coming to this location. It is our family tradition to come here and it will continue to be. (We eat here many other times during the year too). Your entire staff are wonderful and the quality of food and how it’s prepared is delicious!! We always have a wonderful dining experience!! Thanks again for a wonderful evening! Merry Christmas to the entire Pazzo Italiano family.

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4.7

4.7 (638)

$31 to $50

European

Miramar Beach

About the restaurant

"Commelfo" or "Comme il Faut" is coming from French and it means "Done proper way".

Commelfo – Modern Restaurant in our area that brought Destin and Miramar beach to life.We would like to offer our friends to taste a 24 K Gold!Gold at Commelfo is everywhere… start from design – continue with 24K Golden Cheesecake, New Zealand Rack of Lamb, Ribeye Steak and Fillet Mignon. Everyone feels like a welcome guest and friend. Starting with authentic ingredients and traditional techniques, Commelfo talented chefs create original and unexpected dishes that bring these regional cuisines to a level never before experienced.

Welcome to Commelfo – Welcome to our Family!

Top review

Jenna

Dined 4 days ago

Great service and experience. Food was delicious! Even played our wedding song when they brought out anniversary dessert!

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Prosciutto Wrapped Stuffed Chicken

Little Paris

4.6

4.6 (349)

$30 and under

French

Tallahassee

About the restaurant

Little Paris is just what the name suggests, it's a little piece of Paris right here in our lovely hometown, Tallahassee! The owner and chef are from the north of France and stay true to their roots with their French cuisine they have been perfecting for over 20 years and over 40 years of experience between the two brothers. You will be greeted with an amuse-bouche and then proceed to choose from our fine selection of French wines or tell us your favorite cocktail. All of our waitresses are experienced bartenders as well as some of the best waitstaff Tallahassee has to offer. Dining at Little Paris with dishes such as Foie Gras, Escargot, and Beef Burgundy accompanied by fresh French baguettes, we take you to that little town in France that you visited years back that you can't wait to see again! We welcome you to our little family here at Little Paris, see you soon!

Top review

Kimberly

Dined 5 days ago

It was great and we really enjoyed the atmosphere. The food was good, the service was good and the drinks were perfect.

O'Brien's Bistro

4.5

4.5 (457)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Pensacola

About the restaurant

Voted -Best Locally Owned & Best Casual Dining Restaurant in Pensacola by VIP Pensacola Magazine readers poll.

A small locally owned restaurant where great food is paired with great wine.
O’Brien's Bistro is one of the few restaurants in Pensacola truly owned and operated by the chef!

Our menu items are just some of the flavor combinations we have created. Our kitchen staff will try to accommodate menu changes or requests you may have. Our goal is if the ingredients are on the pages of our menu, we can cook it your way, well, of course, within reason!

Top review

william

Dined on Dec 25, 2024

Fast service. Perfect timing between drinks, soup/salad and the main meal. Outstanding wait staff.

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Popular dish

Filet Mignon

Food Glorious Food

4.4

4.4 (503)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Tallahassee

About the restaurant

For over 30 years, friends and families have enjoyed a unique combination of friendly service, eclectic ambiance and award-winning cuisine at Food Glorious Food. Our shaded outdoor patio, upper and lower indoor dining, and private events room provide the perfect setting for a special dining experience.

Top review

JoanVIP

Dined on Dec 22, 2024

Everything was wonderful. The service and the food excellent.

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