A popular 30A French restaurant has its sights set on Pensacola and is set to open a new restaurant this summer.
While the restaurant is keeping details under wraps for now, its owners have created a social media page for the concept, calling it Renaissance Restaurant Pensacola and advertising French small plates, wine and liqueurs for their second location.
“We are thrilled to announce that Renaissance is coming to Pensacola,” Renaissance shared in its first Instagram post. “Our second location will bring the same passion for France, flavor and authenticity to the heart of the FL panhandle.”
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Here’s what we know so far about Renaissance Pensacola
The French-inspired restaurant, owned by Natasha and Martin Arnt, with Martin Arnt listed as the lead chef and sommelier, was established in 2024. The current restaurant is open at 118 Spires Lane in Santa Rosa Beach. Its website refers to the restaurant’s atmosphere as “Florida’s Emerald Coast ‘Bistro Chic.”
The menu exudes elegance, with Pinot Noir-braised beef bourguignon, duck foie gras with fig jam and sturgeon caviar featured in its entrees.
Some of the house favorite dishes include the following:
Les Saint-Jacques: Diver scallops over sweet pea risotto with fig glaze and gremolata. ($24)
Le Saumon Renaissance: Atlantic salmon with signature lobster-Champagne sauce, asparagus and rice. ($37)
Steak Frites: Reserve 14-ounce Angus rib-eye served with hand-cut herb fries ($62)
The wine list is also specifically curated, and the Santa Rosa Beach restaurant is known for hosting wine tastings where guests sample six exquisite French wines.
The restaurant has received a slew of awards since opening, including OpenTable’s Diners’ Choice award for 2025 and 2024, as well as Emerald Coast Magazine’s Best of the Emerald Coast awards for Best New Restaurant of 2025 and best French Restaurant of 2025.
The restaurant’s interior aesthetic matches the Parisian feel of the menu, with marble bistro tables, herringbone floors, and green velvet booths.
“A Champagne bottle suddenly pops. You hear that very typical sound of 1,500 years of French history in a bottle. You have landed in Paris. But are there palm trees in Paris?” Renaissance’s website says. “Why do you see a white sandy beach on the horizon? Are we in Paris? Or are we in ‘Floride’? Come and see for yourself. You are eating at Renaissance tonight!”
For real-time updates and information, follow Renaissance Pensacola on social media and on renaissancefrench.com/Pensacola.
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This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Renaissance French restaurant to open second location in Pensacola
Dining and Cooking