West Palm Beach — Where to Eat.

Dinner here splits the way the whole trip does — the island's refined occasion tables on one side of the water, the mainland's livelier, better-value rooms on the other. Here's the one pick for each kind of night, and which side it's on. The bridge is minutes, so basing on the mainland never rules out an island dinner.

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On the island — the occasion tables

🍸 The buzzy small-plates table → Buccan. Chef Clay Conley's progressive-American small-plates flagship (350 S County Rd) — the island's most-in-demand shareable dinner since 2011, a buzzy room built for grazing a changing menu. Book about a month ahead on OpenTable; the book opens roughly 30 days out and goes fast. Can't land it? Its little sister Imoto next door takes walk-ins for sushi and Asian small plates. $$$

🥂 The French occasion → Café Boulud. Daniel Boulud's modern-French room inside The Brazilian Court — refined, recently refreshed, one of Palm Beach's most coveted tables. Reserve days to weeks ahead in high season; take the renovated terrace or the elegant main room, with the lobby bar for a drink first. $$$–$$$$

🦪 The serious seafood dinner → PB Catch. The island's upscale seafood-and-raw-bar room — oysters, a "Seacuterie" board, fresh fish, and a real wine list. Book ahead in season; it's a sit-down seafood occasion, not a quick bite. $$$–$$$$

🏛️ The Worth Avenue revival → Ta-boó. The eight-decade Worth Avenue icon (221 Worth Ave), reborn under Thomas Keller as a classic continental room — New York strip, Avocado Louie, lobster thermidor. First, confirm it's actually open: the revival is approved and announced, but its reopening isn't yet confirmed, so check it's serving before you build a night around it. Not open yet? Café Boulud is the island's sure thing for a marquee dinner. $$$–$$$$

On the mainland — livelier, better value

🎭 The dinner-and-a-show → The Regional Kitchen & Public House. Chef Lindsay Autry's Southern-inflected American in Rosemary Square — scratch cooking, a signature tomato pie, and a walk to the Kravis Center for a show. Book ahead in season, especially around performance nights. $$–$$$

🍕 The value Italian → Grato. Clay Conley's casually-elegant Italian on South Dixie — Buccan's louder, better-value sibling: house-made pastas, wood-fired pizzas, small plates to share. More walk-in-forgiving than the island, but it still fills; reserve on OpenTable in season. $$–$$$

🌃 The lively night out → Elisabetta's. The buzzing Clematis Street Italian near the waterfront — pizzas, pastas, and cicchetti in a see-and-be-seen indoor/outdoor room, with an Aperitivo happy hour as the easy walk-in window. Book ahead for a prime weekend table. $$–$$$

☀️ The dependable brunch → Table 26. The warm, grown-up, globally-inspired-American local favorite — a strong weekend brunch and a comfortable dinner, more room than scene. Reserve ahead for weekend brunch. $$–$$$

How to think about island vs mainland: the island rooms (Café Boulud, PB Catch, Buccan) are the occasion tables — refined, coveted, priced to match. The mainland rooms (The Regional, Grato, Elisabetta's, Table 26) are livelier and better value, walkable to Clematis Street and Rosemary Square. There's even a same-chef version of the choice: Clay Conley's island Buccan (splurge, book a month out) versus his mainland Grato (louder, cheaper, more forgiving) — two moods, pick by the side you're on. And if you're based on the mainland, cross the bridge for one island dinner; it's minutes away.

Research-informed dining picks — we haven't eaten at every table; each upgrades to firsthand the day we do. Two live items to check first: Ta-boó's Thomas Keller reopening isn't yet confirmed (verify it's open before planning around it), and Buccan's book opens about a month out. Prices are bands. Last verified 2026-08-19. We never rank by commission.