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 10/25 or Best of lists from major news outlets. The Tampa suburb’s small town vibe and eclectic restaurants make it an excellent choice for a savory weekend meal. 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.

Dunedin is a unique town that combines waterfront living with bedroom communities, retirement neighborhoods with young families. Residents include lifelong citizens and recent transplants, water lovers, and golf aficionados. With easy access to Tampa combined with a laid back feel of a small town, Dunedin is considered a desirable place to visit and live.

We moved here in 2009 from Miami by way of a nine-year stint in Ocala. Dunedin immediately felt like home. Over those years, we’ve celebrated various achievements at the local restaurants; become friends with the waitstaff, owners, managers, and chefs; and watched some places shutter closed while others thrived and grew. These Dunedin restaurants are the best this sweet little town offers.

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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 the likes of Eddie’s, Casa Tina, and Dunedin Brewery. In 2020, 35 different Dunedin restaurants and bars won 57 awards in the two big local “Best of” contests.

7venth Sun Brewing – Winner Best Brewery (Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay 2020)
Bauser’s – Best Dive Bar- Gold (Tampa Bay Times’ Best of the Best 2020)
Blur Nightclub – Runner-Up Best LGBT Bar (Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay 2020)
Bon Appetit – Best Waterfront Restaurant- Gold (Tampa Bay Times’ Best of the Best 2020)
Caracara – Winner Best Chef (Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay 2020)
Casa Tina – Winner Best Mexican Restaurant, Winner Best Tacos, 2nd Place Best Margarita, 2nd Place Best Guacamole, 2nd Place Best Dunedin Restaurant (Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay 2020); Best Mexican Restaurant- Silver (Tampa Bay Times’ Best of the Best 2020)
Clear Sky Draught Haus – Winner Best Breakfast (Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay 2020); Best Happy Hour Bar- Silver (Tampa Bay Times’ Best of the Best 2020)
Cotherman Distillery – Best Distillery- Gold (Tampa Bay Times’ Best of the Best 2020); 2nd Place Best Distillery (Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay 2020)
Cricketers – Best British Pub- Gold (Tampa Bay Times’ Best of the Best 2020)
Dunedin Brewery – Winner Best Hot Sauce (Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay 2020)
Escape Root Juicery – Runner Up Best Acai Bowl (Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay 2020)
Flanagan’s Irish Pub – 2nd Place Best Fish & Chips (Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay 2020); Best Irish Bar-Silver (Tampa Bay Times’ Best of the Best 2020)
Good Vibes Juice Company – 2nd Place Best Cold-Pressed Juice (Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay 2020)
Harley’s Popcorn – Runner Up Best Gourmet Popcorn (Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay 2020)
HOB – Best Brewery/Brewpub- Bronze (Tampa Bay Times’ Best of the Best 2020)
Hog Island Fish Camp – Best Grouper Sandwich- Silver (Tampa Bay Times’ Best of the Best 2020)
Hopscotch Cafe – Best Sandwich/Sub Shop- Silver (Tampa Bay Times’ Best of the Best 2020)
Madison Avenue Pizza – Winner Best Pizza (Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay 2020)
Nature’s Food Patch – Winner Best Health Food Market, Winner Best Salad Bar, 2nd Place Best Smoothies, 2nd Place Best Soup, Runner Up Best Key Lime Pie (Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay 2020); Best Buffet- Bronze (Tampa Bay Times’ Best of the Best 2020)
Ohana Cafe – Best Vegetarian/Vegan Restaurant- Gold (Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay 2020)
Olde Bay Cafe – Winner Best Lobster Roll (Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay 2020)
Original Pinehurst Pub – Best Dive Bar- Bronze (Tampa Bay Times’ Best of the Best 2020)
Our Place Dunedin – Best Breakfast- Bronze (Tampa Bay Times’ Best of the Best 2020)
Phoedin – Best Asian Restaurant- Silver (Tampa Bay Times’ Best of the Best 2020); 2nd Place Best Banh Mi (Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay 2020)
Pisces Sushi – Winner Best Sushi Restaurant (Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay 2020); Best Sushi Restaurant- Silver (Tampa Bay Times’ Best of the Best 2020)
Ramen & Waffles Food Truck – Runner Up Best Ramen, Runner Up Best Food Truck/Vendor (Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay 2020)
Reboot Arcade & Bar – Best Game/Arcade Bar- Gold (Tampa Bay Times’ Best of the Best 2020)
Sea Sea Riders – Best Seafood Restaurant- Bronze (Tampa Bay Times’ Best of the Best 2020)
Sonder Social Club – Best Braless Cochinita, Best Restaurant Design Revelation, Winner Best Cocktails (Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay 2020); Best Cocktail Bar- Gold (Tampa Bay Times’ Best of the Best 2020)
Stirling Wine – Best Live Music Bar- Silver (Tampa Bay Times’ Best of the Best 2020)
The Black Pearl – Winner Best Dunedin Restaurant (Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay 2020)
The Dunedin Smokehouse – Winner Best Ribs, 2nd Place Best Barbecue Restaurant (Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay 2020)
The Living Room – Runner Up Best Brunch for Boozing, Runner Up Best Dunedin Restaurant (Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay 2020)
The Restorative – Best Pandemic Metamorphosis (Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay 2020); Best Fine Dining- Bronze (Tampa Bay Times’ Best of the Best 2020)
The Scone Age Bakery – Best Bakery-Bronze (Tampa Bay Times’ Best of the Best 2020)

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

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 Dunedin. 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 charcuterie plates, salads, and sandwiches. Stop in for a refreshing lunch then pop next door to 7venth Sun Brewery for a pint.

Sabor a Cuba

This tiny place might be best known for its Cuban cigars, but it’s Cuban sandwiches are equally good. With only outdoor seating, patrons love the Cuban vibe, which isn’t hard for the proprietors as they’re Cuban. Live music graces ears every weekend so stay for a refreshing bottled beer while dancing the night away.

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. Bring friends and share plates such as lump crab nachos, then indulge in any of a number of great entrees.

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

Bonnie’s Breakfast and Lunch

Bonnie’s may be a little off the beaten path – in a tiny strip mall behind a convenience store over on Keene Road – yet it delivers an amazing breakfast that has diners coming back month after month and year after year. The spot is tiny so go early. You won’t be disappointed to roll out of bed early on a weekend though. The service is fabulous and feels like you’re at a friend’s home, and the food is equally amazing.

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.

Ohana Cafe

Known for plant-based options, Ohana Cafe delivers on taste no matter what you choose on the menu. Breakfast options include pancakes, omelettes, and the ever-so-popular Mommy’s Popover Breakfast, perfect for the gluten-free person in the family.

Italian Restaurant in Dunedin

La Trattoria da Gaetano

Tucked away in a strip mall, far from Dunedin’s popular downtown core, La Trattoria embraces everything traditionally Italian. Comments often heard or read about this place include, “It reminds me of Italy,” and “This is how Italian restaurants used to be!” Indeed, there is no menu. Rather, guest choose their cut of meat directly from a meat cart that makes it’s way from table to table. Then guests choose how it’s cooked, with which sauce, and the sides. Dinner takes a couple of hours and should be enjoyed rather than rushed through. La Trattoria, however, is not for people who need a menu, pricing in writing, or have somewhere to go after.

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 outsurvived many other Italian restaurants in Dunedin. 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.

Pizza in Dunedin

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

A young pizza joint, 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.

Julian’s Little Italy

Besides being one of Dunedin’s best Italian restaurants, Julian’s Little Italy ranks as one of the best pizza spots, too. Several specialty recipes are guests’ favorites.

Best Asian Restaurant 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.

Mexican Restaurant 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.

Seafood Restaurant in Dunedin

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.

Pearly’s Beach Eats

Though the original Pearly’s lives out on Clearwater Beach, Dunedin proudly welcomed them to the downtown core a couple of years ago. The 1920 frame building was renovated and now 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

Traditional restaurant right along the water brings guests from the attached hotel and all over the city for it’s sunset views and classic brunch. 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 on the kayaks at the Causeway, it sure is nice to just walk a few step over to a bar and 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

Ohana Cafe

Ohana in Hawaii is more of an idea than a word meaning. Though it “means” family, the word really includes friends, extended family, and others who could be considered “family”. To this end, Ohana Cafe strives to treat all their guests like family and only use the best, organic, antibiotic-free ingredients just as we would for our own families when cooking at home. Hawaiian-inspired dishes are made fresh from scratch and include gluten-free baked goods.

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 Restaurant

The Restorative has been wowing customers and food critics 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.

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