In her January 2026 roundup for Miami New Times, food editor Nicole Lopez-Alvar spotlights the most exciting new restaurants opening in Fort Lauderdale, capturing the city’s rapidly evolving dining scene. From chef-driven concepts to stylish neighborhood standouts, the list highlights where locals and visitors should be eating right now as Fort Lauderdale continues to establish itself as a South Florida culinary destination.
A standout new restaurant in Fort Lauderdale
Among the featured openings is The Florida Room, a highly anticipated concept from Top Chef alumni Janine Booth and Jeff McInnis. Located at The Fort entertainment complex, the restaurant delivers Southern-coastal comfort food with refined flair, serving dishes like wood-plank salmon, wagyu short-rib meatloaf, and caviar-topped tater tots in a bright, relaxed setting overlooking pickleball courts. As highlighted in Miami New Times, The Florida Room exemplifies the bold, welcoming style defining Fort Lauderdale’s newest wave of restaurants in 2026.
Read all about it here at the Miami New Times.
