A Local’s Guide to the Best Dunedin Restaurants
Dunedin restaurants rank as some of the best in the Tampa Bay area. Dunedin has seen a spike in its popularity recently and consistently ranks on Top Ten or Best of lists from major news outlets around the country. The Tampa suburb’s small town vibe and eclectic restaurants make it an excellent choice for a savory weekend meal.
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For visitors with an accommodation in Dunedin, breakfast and brunch restaurants offer delicious, filling, or healthy options. The same is true for anyone taking a day trip to enjoy any of the many things to do in Dunedin – stay in town to enjoy the best restaurants in Dunedin, Florida.
Best Award-Winning Dunedin Restaurants
When I first wrote this article in 2018, the award-winning list felt like a little hop across town. Littered with the most well-known restaurants which had the most longevity, we were proud to say we had the likes of Eddie’s Bar & Grill, Casa Tina’s, and Dunedin Brewery.
Fast forward to 2024. Dunedin FL restaurants are among the most popular in the Tampa Bay area and win or are finalists in the two big Best of contests in the area – Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay and Tampa Bay Times’ Best of the Best. These two lists are released in August and September, and the following are Dunedin’s winners and finalists in 2023.
- 7venth Sun Brewing: Finalist – Best Brewery, Pinellas (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay)
- Bauser’s: Winner – Best Dive Bar (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay); Finalist – Best Dog-Friendly Bar (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay); Finalist – Best Dive Bar (2023 TBT’s Best of the Best)
- Benedict’s Restaurant: Finalist – Best Eggs Benedict (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay)
- Blur Nightclub: Finalist – Best LGBTQ Bar (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay)
- Caledonia Brewing: Finalist (David C. Dally) – Best Brewer (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay)
- Caracara: Finalist – Best Dunedin Restaurant (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay)
- Casa Tina: Winner – Best Mexican Restaurant (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay); Winner – Best Margarita Bar (2023 TBT’s Best of the Best); Finalist – Best Guacamole (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay); Finalist – Best Margarita (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay);
- Clearsky Draught Haus: Finalist – Best Bloody Mary Bar (2023 TBT’s Best of the Best)
- Cotherman Distilling Co: Finalist – Best Locally Made Liquor (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay); Finalist – Best Distillery (2023 TBT’s Best of the Best)
- Cricketers British Pub & Restaurant: Winner – Best Fish & Chips (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay); Finalist – Best British Pub (2023 TBT’s Best of the Best)
- Dunedin Brewer’s Crawl: Winner – Best Bar Crawl (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay)
- Dunedin Brewery Spring Beer Jam: Finalist – Best Craft Beer Event (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay)
- Eddie’s Bar & Grill: Finalist – Best Sports Bar (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay)
- Escape Root Juicery: Finalist – Best Juice (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay)
- Flanagan’s Irish Pub: Winner – Best Irish Pub (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay); Finalist – Best Neighborhood Bar (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay); Finalist – Best Irish Bar (2023 TBT’s Best of the Best)
- Happy’s Bayou Bites: Finalist – Best Devil Crab (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay)
- Lucky Lobster Co.: Finalist – Best Lobster Roll (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay)
- Madison Avenue Pizza: Winner – Best Pizza (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay)
- Original Pinehurst Pub: Winner – Best Dive Bar (2023 TBT’s Best of the Best); Finalist – Best Wings (2023 TBT’s Best of the Best)
- Pisces Sushi: Winner – Finalist (Dylon Luce) – Best Server (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay); Finalist – Best Sushi (2023 TBT’s Best of the Best)
- Reboot Arcade & Bar: Finalist – Best Game/Arcade Bar (2023 TBT’s Best of the Best)
- Sonder Social Club: Winner – Best Cocktail (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay)
- Strachan’s Ice Cream and Desserts: Winner – Best Ice Cream/Gelato/Frozen Yogurt (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay)
- The Black Pearl: Winner – Best Dunedin Restaurant (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay); Finalist – Best French Restaurant (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay); Best Michelin Contender Looking East Across the Bay (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay); Finalist – Best Splurge Restaurant (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay)
- The Dunedin Smokehouse: Finalist – Best Hot Sauce (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay); Finalist – Best Mac ‘n’ Cheese (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay); Finalist – Best Ribs (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay)
- The Fenway: Finalist – Best Hotel Bar (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay)
- The Honu Restaurant and Tiki Bar: Finalist – Best Happy Hour (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay)
- The Living Room on Main: Winner – Best Brunch for Boozin’ (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay); Finalist – Best Dunedin Restaurant (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay)
- The Restorative: Best Michelin Contender Looking East Across the Bay (2023 CL’s Best of the Bay)
Best Dunedin Restaurants
Dunedin has approximately 90 restaurants spanning all food genres and price ranges. Fast food joints to fine dining establishments find a home in Dunedin. Breakfast, dinner, and even late night eats – all are represented in Dunedin’s 10.4 square miles.
In the following sections, we explore the best restaurants in Dunedin FL as determined by reviews and ratings. Taking ratings from Google, TripAdvisor, and Yelp, we’ve compiled lists of the top 3 in each of several categories. And because of our methodology, the most popular restaurants with the loudest fans might not be on these lists. Rest assured, though, we’ve tried them all and wouldn’t put a Dunedin restaurant on this list that we wouldn’t support ourselves!
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Best Dunedin Restaurants Near Main Street
The Duneatery
Located at the Woodwright Brewery, Coattails is a food truck kitchen that serves up global cuisine in the beer garden. Serving up good old-fashioned pub grub, like chicken sandwiches and fries, Coattails has recently announced that they are handing over the reins to a new chef who will transition Coattails into The Duneatery while keeping the global street eat flair. We can’t wait to check it out!
Carvor’s Fish House
Down the street from Coattails, find Carvor’s Fish House, another recent addition to the downtown Dunedin restaurant scene. Carvor’s is an off-shoot of Jensen Bros Seafood and serves lunch time favorites such as grouper sandwiches, salmon burgers, and grouper finger baskets. One thing’s for sure – you won’t find fresher seafood in downtown Dunedin.
Hopscotch Cafe
If you’re looking for something a bit lighter, check out Hopscotch Cafe. Also only open for lunch and only Thursday through Sunday, this cafe offers some of the best food in town, including charcuterie plates, salads, and sandwiches. Stop in for a refreshing lunch then pop next door to 7venth Sun Brewery for a pint. Follow them on socials for to learn more about special events like Amuse Bouche evenings.
Caracara Asian Tapas & Tacos
Caracara aimed to fuse two unlikely cuisines – Asian and Mexican. And it’s done so masterfully. Caracara won Best Chef in 2020 in Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay so you know the food is going to be outstanding. One of the most popular downtown Dunedin restaurants, bring friends with you to share plates such as lump crab nachos, then indulge in any of a number of great entrees.
The Black Pearl
For years, The Black Pearl has been the fine dining place to go in Dunedin to celebrate special occasions. There are fining dining restaurants near Main Street, but The Black Pearl remains one of the most popular. Calling itself “French and New American Cuisine”, expect an assortment of fresh seafood, well-aged steaks, and delicate pairings. Try the White Truffle Lobster Risotto, Maple Leaf Duckling, or Chilean Sea Bass Lyonnaise.
Best Breakfast in Dunedin
Benedict’s
Benedict’s fame grew on its eggs benedicts, a variety which will delight anyone. The menu simply expands from there, and everything is delicious. Fresh fruit accompanies the dishes, brought to tables by friendly staff all overseen by the owner’s discerning and playful eye. If breakfast is the most important meal in your day, this is the place to start.
Sandpiper
Started as a coffee-slash-gift shop in the heart of downtown Dunedin, the Sandpiper Cafe now offers a full breakfast and lunch menu to accompany your cup of coffee or favorite tea. Guests love sitting under the granddaddy oaks on the outdoor patio, and indoors…well, the inside enchants the knick-knack-lover in all of us.
Best Italian Restaurants in Dunedin
Julian’s Little Italy
One of Dunedin’s best kept secrets, Julian’s is another tempting restaurant located away from the bustle of Dunedin’s downtown core. Julian’s offers traditional Italian-American dishes, such as lasagna and fettucine alfredo, at reasonable prices. They also make some of the best pizza in Dunedin.
Umberto’s of Long Island
Established in the 1970s, Umberto’s has outlived many other Italian restaurants in Dunedin Florida. The Dunedin restaurant was founded by an Umberto brother who relocated to this area and brought the family business with him. The original Umberto’s opened in the 1960s on Long Island. Friends from New York tell me this place is 100% authentic New York Italian. Like the other best Italian restaurants in Dunedin, Umberto’s is located off the downtown core.
Best Pizza Joints in Dunedin, FL
Pi Pizza Bar
When other places were closing during the pandemic, Pi Pizza Bar opened and has thrived. Part bar and part restaurant, this place offers up the best pizza in Dunedin, in our opinion (and we’ve tried them all!) The crust is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside with a great flavor. Loaded up with a tasty sauce and delicious toppings. Check out this spot for the pizza, stay to play a game of pool, darts, or trivia.
Madison Avenue Pizza
Madison Avenue brings a fresh taste and quality pizza to Dunedin’s Causeway area. Cheese generously tops the pies and guests who eat in can also enjoy beer or wine. A favorite place to sit is at the bar where you can converse with the staff and watch the pizza makers in the back. New in 2022 is their Pizza Skiff. Yes! You can have your favorite Madison Avenue Pizza delivered to your boat out at one of the islands! How awesome is that?! Follow them on social to find out about their weekly pizza specials, like Italian sub pizza, white buffalo chicken pizza, and shrimp scampi pizza.
Corvo Bianco Pizza
Once a food truck stationed at HoB Brewing, in 2022 Corvo Bianco moved into a brick-an-mortar storefront at the corner of Curlew and Alt-19. It’s known for it’s delicious and unusual pizza combinations, and now also offers an amazing brunch as well as many vegan and gluten-free options.
Best Asian Restaurants in Dunedin
Pisces Sushi and Global Bistro
It’s the place with the big octopus mural! One of the most recognizable locations in downtown Dunedin, Pisces delivers big on taste and quality. If you crave sushi, try this place. And if you crave freshness with unique twists, this is also the place to try.
Tom Yum Thai and Sushi
Tom Yum has been my favorite Thai restaurant in Dunedin since I moved here in 2009. The place is small and quaint with a large sushi bar along one wall. Favorites from the menu include the tempura veggies, pineapple rice, and tuna sashimi.
PhoEdin
Occupying a tiny spot along the Pinellas Trail just south of downtown Dunedin, PhoEdin strives to offer a sampling of dishes influenced from the owners’ heritage, a mixture they call French Indochinese. The menu changes with the seasons, and items are only available for takeout as they do not have a dining room.
Best Mexican Restaurants in Dunedin
Fusion Street Eatery
All of the Mexican places on this list are relatively new. Fusion Street, however, is the only one that’s not strictly Mexican. It’s more of a fusion of latin food with tostones and ropa vieja occupying space on the menu alongside flautas and quesadillas. It’s truly a melding of the best of caribi-latin foods.
Happy Cactus Mexican Cocina
Occupying a small spot in a strip mall, Happy Cactus offers a truly Mexican menu. The food is of the highest quality and flavors explode in your mouth. Try a traditional Mexican beer with your meal or the house specialty margarita.
Crazy Burrito
The Crazy Burrito is perhaps best known for it’s burritos and tacos. Another “hole-in-the-wall” place in a tiny strip center, Crazy Burrito is a local’s favorite for it’s inexpensive yet generous-portioned meals.
Best Seafood Restaurants in Dunedin, FL
Carvor’s Fish House
This casual dining establishment has just recently opened. Part of the adjacent Jensen’s Seafood, Carvor’s brings Dunedin only the freshest seafood. Guests can order for takeout, order for catering, or dine out on the covered patio. Specialties include fish sandwiches and tacos, crab cakes, and shrimp dishes.
Happy’s Bayou Bites
If you ever see a lobster-hat-clad guy riding around Dunedin on a bicycle, that’s Happy’s delivery service. Happy’s calls itself the place where happy friends meet. It’s a rustic cajun-style eatery with only picnic tables under a large oak tree for seating. The food, however, is amazing! Try the Po’ Boys, gumbo, or gator bites. The seafood is guaranteed fresh.
Salty Soul Island Kitchen
Formerly Pearly’s Beach Eats, Salty Soul Island Kitchen continues Pearly’s tradition of excellent seafood and island fare. The 1920 frame building in which it’s located shows off that beachy vibe which Dunedin is known for. A relaxed dining experience awaits on the inside. Grab a drink at the bar or grab your food from the walk up order counter. The food is brought to your table when ready. Need a favorite? Try the fish tacos.
Restaurants on the Water in Dunedin
Bon Appetit Restaurant and Bar
One of the best Dunedin restaurants on the water, Bon Appetit features delicious meals, sunset views, and a classic brunch on Sundays. A piano player classes the place up even more and sets the ambiance for romance and a pleasurable meal. Small plates, chef’s recommendations, and daily comfort food specials help make a meal at Bon Appetit extraordinary.
Olde Bay Cafe
Located in Dunedin Marina, Olde Bay Cafe encompasses the lower level of the marina’s office building and overlooks the marina. The rustic fixture features an outdoor patio, seafood staples, and craft beers on tap. Next time you go, try the mushroom brie bisque and the smoked fish dip.
High & Dry Grill
After spending a day at Caladesi Island or Honeymoon Island, stop on the Causeway at High & Dry Grill. The High & Dry Grill offers up outdoor, covered seating with a few food items and several bar items available. It’s become a favorite place to watch the sunset with an appetizer and local beer.
Vegan/Vegetarian/Healthy Choices
Wild Iris
Located in the heart of Dunedin, Wild Iris combines the freshest ingredients with friendly service. Outdoor seating under a canopy of oaks creates a cozy atmosphere. From the owners of other local favorites like Iris’s Family Restaurant (now Home Plate Restaurant) and Peggy O’Neill’s, the menu at Wild Iris includes classic breakfast favorites and healthy lunch options.
The Honu
About half the items on the menu are labeled gluten-free and many items are also vegan or vegetarian. Almost everything can also be made vegan or vegetarian. The Honu is always a good bet for healthy and fresh choices.
Diners in Dunedin
Diners are not too different one from another, are they? Except maybe the quality of the food. While Dunedin has many diners, these are the best of those. When you crave a greasy breakfast or a grilled cheese sandwich, take it in at one of these casual spots.
- Pete’s Diner
- Country Boy Restaurant
- Brenda’s on the Causeway
- Our Place Dunedin
- Home Plate
Bonus: Best Restaurant in Dunedin
The Restorative
The Restorative has been wowing customers and food critics in central Florida since they opened a few years ago. One of Dunedin’s most unique fine dining restaurants, The Restorative pairs a casual atmosphere with an ever-changing menu which is posted to Instagram each week. The men changes depending on what’s available and what’s sold out that week. It’s become our go-to celebration spot. Reserve a table for an intimate meal, or dine at the bar to observe the cooking and plating process.
Find Your Perfect Place to Stay in Dunedin!
- Hotels
- Motels
- B&Bs
- Vacation rentals
Closing: Restaurants in Dunedin
When looking for a great place to eat in the Tampa Bay area, look no further than the best Dunedin restaurants. From award-winning to long-standing, the delicious restaurants in Dunedin Florida satisfy every craving visitors and residents can have.
Heading to nearby Tarpon Springs when you’re visiting the area? Dunedin isn’t the place in the Tampa Bay area with some of the best restaurants in Florida. Whether you visit historic downtown Tarpons Springs or the world-famous Sponge Docks, be sure to try one of the best restaurants in Tarpon Springs.
Did you know restaurants have their own unique history and add so much to the fabric of a place’s identity? Clearwater’s oldest restaurants certainly support this. Learning more about them was a fascinating trip into Clearwater’s recent past.
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Wow! What a collection of restaurants to pick from! How would I ever choose? I’ve been to Miami and had a plethora of food options, I’m not surprised Dunedin has the same. I’d have fun eating my way around!
Yum this all looks so good! I have only been to Miami but definitely want to explore more of Florida. This is such a great list, thanks for sharing
I would never have thought to find so many award winning restaurants in Dunedin. And such great variety in the types on the list. I always wanted to visit Dunedin to see the Blue Jays in camp. But now I know I will stay to eat too! Will be saving this for later.
It looks like Dunedin, Florida is a food mecca. There are so many places to choose from for a meal. It must have been hard to decide where to eat first.