Vero Beach’s South Beach stretches from the bottom of the 17th Street Bridge south down State Road A1A on the barrier island.
South Beach is renowned for its various private communities with coastal names, such as Castaway Cove, Pelican Lane, The Moorings and Smugglers Cove. It is best known for its public beach access, South Beach Park, which offers picnic tables, restrooms and lifeguards, along with its diversified selection of eateries.
Here are the restaurants that make up Vero Beach’s South Beach dining landscape between the 17th Street Bridge and Seagull Drive.
Chez Frenchie’s Steaks and Seafood
Chef Jean “Frenchie” was born in Paris and lived in the South of France for more than 25 years, where he learned how to cook French cuisine. He has been a chef and restaurant operator for over 35 years in Florida and ran Di Mare for about 12 years with his wife, Edyta, before rebranding to Chez Frenchie’s. The fine dining restaurant offers a variety of prime meats from Creekstone Farm in Kansas and local seafood, all prepared as one would find in the French Riviera. Menu items include pate de foie gras, veal au citron, chicken Francaise, shrimp scampi and lobster ravioli.
Creperie at Maison Martinique
Located inside the Maison Martinique Restaurant, tables at the Creperie are topped with white tablecloths, subdued lighting and fresh flowers.
Nestled in a tropical oasis of plants at The Caribbean Court Boutique Resort are The Restaurants at Maison Martinique: Creperie, Havana Nights Piano Bar and Maison Martinique. Chef Daniel Wise and general manager Colleen Carr took over ownership of the restaurants in 2021. The creperie offers sweet and savory crepes along with a full breakfast menu and lunch items, including the garlic rustic shrimp, prime rib sandwich and toasted chicken sandwich. Guests can dine indoors or outside on a patio overlooking the pool. It serves Lavazza Italian coffee and Natalie’s juices and has a full bar featuring seasonal cocktail specials.
Havana Nights Piano Bar
The Havana Nights Piano Bar is above Maison Martinique at The Caribbean Court Boutique Resort. The building is covered in a lush jungle of tropical plants and features a colorful mosaic-tiled staircase that leads to the cozy piano bar. It offers live music nightly, a tapas and dinner menu, and a beer, wine and a craft cocktails menu.
Johnny D’s Market & Bistro
The Italian eatery on State Road A1A features a gourmet market on one side and an inviting bistro on the other. The prix fixe menu offers items such as butternut squash ravioli, penne bolognese and Johnny D’s lasagna. Dinner menu items include calamari Vesuvio, veal piccata, chicken Parmigiana, penne bolognese, and eggplant rollatini. It is owned by two children of Joseph (“Peppy”) Amelio.
Maison Martinique
The upscale French Mediterranean restaurant is located at The Caribbean Court Boutique Resort. The restaurant’s exterior is covered in tropical plants, creating a serene Caribbean atmosphere. It serves breakfast, lunch, happy hour and dinner, and it features three casually elegant dining rooms and an outdoor poolside patio. Menu items include the Mediterranean gazpacho, crispy pork belly, seared scallop St. Jaques, seasonal pesto orecchiette and house-spiced Duroc bone-in pork chop. It also has a full bar, an extensive wine list and seasonal cocktails.
South Beach Pizzeria
Lilijana Rudaj, an Albanian who lived in Italy for six years, bought and took over the iconic pizzeria across the street from South Beach Park in 2009. Rudaj worked as a chef in Venice at Pizzeria Marlin Ristorante, where she made the pastas and other menu items. Her son, Justin Stolaj, opened South Beach Pizzeria II in downtown Vero Beach in 2024. Popular menu items of the South Beach location include meatballs, calzones, meat lasagna and tomato and basil pizza. It offers tables inside and large outdoor picnic tables.
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Trattoria Dario
The authentic Italian restaurant was opened in 2013 by Dario and Diana Bordolio. The upscale restaurant features an authentic Italian experience with a trattoria-like atmosphere, meaning open, inviting, casual and family friendly. Dario spent his childhood in Lago Di Como, a region in Northern Italy. After leaving home, he lived and worked in Switzerland, England and Miami before calling Vero Beach home. The restaurant sources ingredients from local vendors, has an extensive wine list and offers indoor and outdoor seating. Menu items include beef carpaccio, polenta and salsiccia, homemade gnocchi, pappardelle bolognese, salmon crudo, branzino pistacchio and chicken or veal served picatta style.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Vero Beach South Beach has Italian, French, Mediterranean restaurants