7 top romantic restaurants in Polk. Is your favorite on the list?
Discover the best local spots for an intimate date night or Valentine’s Day dinner in Polk County, Florida.
Not a single Central Florida restaurant has earned a spot on 2026 USA TODAY Restaurants of the Year list. We have to believe that’s an unfortunate oversight.
The closest to Polk County is a Bradenton restaurant, Tide Tables, a waterfront seafood restaurant located in the historic commercial fishing village of Cortez that borders north Sarasota Bay and the Intracoastal Waterway.
There’s plenty of Polk restaurants that are deserving of a nod and larger recognition, consistently delivering good food, fun and unique atmospheres and top-notch customers service. The locals know where they are, as they regularly draw a crowd and become among the most recommended for celebrations and special anniversaries.
Presented in alphabetical order, here are five dining establishments The Ledger wishes had made the USA TODAY Restaurants of the Year list:
Arabellas Ristorante
346 W. Central Ave., Winter Haven; 863-293-1797;arabellas.us
Arabellas Ristorante on Winter Haven’s Central Avenue has been a go-to for classic Italian fare for years, a place recommended to celebrate anniversaries, birthdays and special occasions for good reason. The fine-dining restaurant offers a taste of Old World Italy with candlelight dining at white linen tables, often while a pianist plays live music.
While the restaurant changed ownership in 2019, it remains known for authentic Italian cuisine and curated five-course meals. Its menu is extensive, featuring a namesake dish Vitello Arabellas, a veal scallopini served with shrimp and scallops sauteed in a white wine saffron cream sauce ($44.50) or the Chateaubriand for two, a 20-once Angus beef tenderloin served in a mushroom brandy cream sauce ($109).If you want to experience a taste of Arabellas, their lunch menu offers tastes of many of their dishes at lower price points ranging from $13.50 for a plate of penne primavera featuring fresh spring vegetables to $22.50 for Vitello alla parmigianna, or baked breaded veal scallopini.
Bay Street Bistro
211 E. Bay St., Lakeland; 863-683-4229; www.baystreetbistro.net
For years, locals have considered Bay Street Bistro a fine-dining establishment in Downtown Lakeland. Just off the beaten path, the restaurant has had a reputation for serving upscale cuisine in a cozy, relaxed atmosphere for over 15 years. Its high-end dining combined with small, intimate atmosphere make it worthy of a dining reservation.
The bistro’s standard dinner menu wins over visitors with appetizers including the baked brie served with a locally sourced fresh fruit compote and fresh baguettes ($18) to its tender escargot in lemon, garlic and white wine butter sauce ($18). Recent diners have recommended the Beef Wellington, tender prime filet mignon in dijon, mushroom duxelles and prosciutto wrapped in a puff pastry served with a red wine reduction ($80) or the herb crusted rack of lamb rib chops served with a tomato and dijon mustard sauce ($80). Many diners find that one of its slices of cakes is big enough for two to share.
Lucille’s American Cafe
205 3rd St SW, Winter Haven; 863-875-5005; lucillescafe.com
This restaurant serves up classic American fare with a dose of family-friend nostalgia in the heart of Downtown Winter Haven. It serves up cozy, comfort foods better than your grandmother, in a setting that gives a nod to the area’s history while still managing to feel modern. No surprise, it’s become a go-to for everyone from families with young kids to snowbirds.
To start, the old-fashioned onion rings are served fresh and crispy ($12.29) or relax over a cup of classic chicken noodle soup ($4.59). The lunch and dinner menus are both extensive, featuring salads, a variety of steak cuts, house specialties and handheld sandwiches and burgers. The restaurant’s affordable prices earn high marks from diners with most entrees costing $13.29 to $31.59, the most expensive being a center cut filet mignon dish ($37.99).
Nineteen61
There’s no denying that Nineteen61 has become a fine-dining hotspot in downtown Lakeland, where Chef Marcos Fernandez blends together multicultural flavors. Add in a swanky, unique sense of style and high attention to detail in personalized touches, and the restaurant keeps its diners coming back.
For appetizers, the Peruvian ceviche has never disappointed as a combination of corvina, leche de tigre, lime juice, cilantro, cancha corn, choclo corn and sweet potato; served with plantain chips, it offers a fresh start on a hot summer day ($18). There’s also the 1961 salad, a namesake featuring an artisan lettuce blend, aged Manchego, baby Swiss, manzanilla olives, tossed in a signature house dressing ($8-15). Its seafood paella has remained a staple on its dinner menu with the short grain rice, a rich, saffron seafood broth with bay scallops, shrimp, middleneckclams and Nigerian saltwater prawns ($52).
Scarpa’s
1833 E. Edgewood Dr., Lakeland; 863-937-8940;scarpasitalian.com
This Italian restaurant has been serving up some of Lakeland’s finest Italian for over 12 years. It’s been recommended again and again, as the calm, peaceful atmosphere and on-point service offer a fine dining experience.
There’s a variety of seafood, chicken, veal and pasta entrees to choose from classic staples such as the chicken Francese, tender chicken served in a lemon butter sauce served with polenta ($27.75), to a grouper Toscana featuring Gulf grouper, heirloom tomatoes, spinach, in a white wine, garlic and cream sauce (Market price.) Make sure to ask about their calamari, an appetizer not currently appearing on the restaurant’s online menu: a special calamari that’s cut into sticks, breaded and fried so it’s crispy on the outside and tender inside — no chewy rings to be found here.
Think there’s a restaurant we missed? Know of an upcoming foodie hotspot? Email swalsh@theledger.com.
Dining and Cooking