The New Smyrna Beach area has a variety of local restaurants to choose from if you’re looking for a great place to eat with great food.
I’m sharing more about the best restaurants in New Smyrna Beach, Florida.
New Smyrna Beach is located 15 miles south of Daytona Beach.
Tourists are drawn to New Symrna Beach for the laid-back vibe, quieter nightlife, and smaller population, in contrast with Daytona Beach.
The Garlic
556 E 3rd Ave, New Smyrna Beach, FL
(Open daily at 4 PM, 364 days a year, closed on Christmas)
This Italian restaurant is a favorite spot loved by locals and tourists alike.
The Garlic & Blu Bar doesn’t take reservations and all seating is on a first come first serve basis regardless of party size.
There’s an outdoor seating area for guests waiting for their names to be called.
It was love at first sight as we approached the restaurant entrance from the crowded parking lot.
I love restaurants that immediately create a unique beautiful setting and vibe.
This popular restaurant has a menu inspired by tastes from the Tuscan countryside and many dishes are prepared in the 800°f wood-fired brick oven.
I knew it would be a memorable dining experience from the moment we saw the twinkling lights, interesting decor, and cozy, rustic indoor and outdoor dining spaces that piqued our curiosity.
The daily specials were presented on an uncooked noodle, breaking the norm.
Bread is provided for the table alongside roasted garlic with oils that you spread on top of each piece of bread like butter.
Their Chicken Parmigiano was made with hand-breaded chicken topped with house-made marinara and mozzarella cheese served on a bed of linguini.
I tried the Seafood Cannelloni, made with housemade cannelloni prepared with fresh seafood including scallops, shrimp, crab meat, and mahi mahi blended with four cheeses then wrapped in fresh pasta baked with a Newburg sauce.
It’s a heavier dish but it’s worth every calorie.
The music playing during our meal was unconventional from traditional Italian restaurants in the best kind of way, adding once again to the unexpected atmosphere.
My husband opted for the Pasta Puttanesca, made with their house specialty sauce, served over linguini with meatballs.
Chicken Alfredo is one of my son’s favorite dishes and The Garlic didn’t disappoint. He deemed it one of his all-time favorites.
A relative who’s vacationed annually in New Smyrna Beach for over 14 years told me that The Garlic was their absolute favorite restaurant, hands down and now we know why.
JB’s Fish Camp
859 Pompano Ave, New Smyrna Beach, FL
JB’s Fish Camp has a laid-back atmosphere and a great location along Mosquito Lagoon.
I recommend timing your visit during golden hour to watch the sunset while you dine or wait for a table.
Be on the lookout for wildlife in the area, including birds, dolphins and manatees. Kayak and paddleboard rentals are available onsite too.
There is live music every weekend and seating options both indoors and outdoors.
If you get there early take advantage of Happy Hour every Monday- Friday from 4PM – 6PM.
Inside the restaurant, you’ll find an assortment of quirky signs and random decor adding to the relaxed atmosphere.
I mixed things up and ordered a Rock Cake, made with rock shrimp, drizzled with “boom boom” sauce, on a bun with lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, and a pickle on the side.
It was also refreshing to be served waffle fries to change things up instead of regular ones as the side.
My husband ordered the Captain’s Platter made with fried fish, oyster, clam, shrimp, scallops, a mini crabcake, and a hushpuppy.
Coleslaw for me is all or nothing. It’s either great or just ok. I’m happy to report that JB’s Fish Camp has great coleslaw.
If someone in your party doesn’t like seafood there are still plenty of other options on the menu including hamburgers, “Beyond Burgers,” hot dogs, salads, and more.
My son enjoyed the blackened chicken breast sandwich as an alternative to seafood.
Norwood’s Restaurant & Treehouse Bar
400 2nd Ave E, New Smyrna Beach, FL
(Reservations are highly recommended)
Norwood’s Eatery and Treehouse Bar creates intrigue, from the moment you drive past it.
The restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor dining options intermingled with the trees.
The “Friends Hut,” located in the Treehouse Bar is an open space that can be rented out for 2-12 guests with a full menu or limited menu options.
The Special Event Fee provides the space for up to 4 hours, dedicated staff, tablecloth, and decor options. (*Food and drink not included in the fee)
The Tree House Bar is only for ages 21+ and has live music on select nights throughout the week.
We started with Fried pickles as an appetizer. The deep-fried pickle spears were served with Tiger sauce and ranch.
We dined in the covered outdoor patio area that had a great ambiance.
If you plan on dining outside I’d recommend applying bug spray ahead of time because the mosquitos were pretty fierce during our visit.
The Pimento Mac & Cheese was made with blackened chicken and broccoli tossed in a pimento cheese sauce with penne pasta.
The Shrimp & Local Rice was made with shrimp and andouille sausage tossed in etouffee sauce, served with cheddar cheese grits, cornmeal fried pickled okra, and bacon rind.
The Shrimp and Scallop Alfredo was made with seared scallops and shrimp served with roasted tomatoes and fresh basil, tossed in Alfredo sauce.
The Tuna Stack was an impulsive decision recommended by our server. Each flavorful bite was perfection, topped with crunch.
The Tuna Stack was made with blackened tuna, served over a Yukon gold potato cake and miso lime glazed edamame, and topped with yuzu kosho aioli, and fried rice noodles.
I was also told that Norwood’s has amazing French onion soup. I was super curious about it but it’s a soup you need to be in the mood for so I’ll have to check it out next visit.
Avanu on Flagler
392 Flagler Ave, New Smyrna Beach, FL
Avanu on Flagler is a three-story restaurant with an incredible location with a delicious Polynesian-inspired menu.
Each floor of the space is beautifully styled with both form and function.
We visited Avanu for brunch on a Saturday and joined other patrons enjoying the nice weather and beautiful view from the rooftop bar/ dining area.
The Brunch menu is available at Avanu on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 AM – 2PM.
The Coconut Chicken and biscuit with hot honey was so good, served with seasoned potatoes.
The Seafood Benedict was made with shrimp and scallops, mixed with ginger, kimchi, and scallions topped with a roasted red pepper hollandaise
If you’re in the mood for more typical lunch foods the Kobe Smash Burger with bacon is a great option.
Avanu has great cocktails to choose from. I ordered the “Coastal Coconut” made with RumHaven Coconut Rum, cream of coconut, blue Curacao, muddled lime, mint, and soda water.
The food during our visit was excellent and I’m convinced you can’t go wrong with anything on their menu.
The Breakers Ocean Front Restaurant & Bar
518 Flagler Avenue, New Smyrna Beach, FL
The Breakers is an iconic restaurant on Flagler Avenue that dates back to the 1900s.
The panoramic ocean views from inside the restaurant are a big draw.
There is table seating near the windows or bar-type seating directly in front of the windows.
The restaurant has complimentary parking for patrons but the spaces are close together. Thankfully their employees were there to help guide us out of our parking spot so we didn’t accidentally back into any other vehicles.
There is additional street parking nearby and a lot across the street from the restaurant too.
There were no-frills in the presentation with pre-packaged plastic silverware but our food and the service at The Breaker was really good.
I enjoyed the blackened Skewered shrimp with the Breakers Key Lime seasoning with coleslaw and fries.
My husband tried the blackened Mahi Mahi served with fries, coleslaw, and a side salad.
Their Classic Reuben sandwich is served on rye bread and has corned beef topped with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and 1000 Island dressing.
Prima
112 Sams Ave, New Smyrna Beach, FL
Prima is the place to go if you’re planning an upcoming pizza night for a night out or a night in.
The menu has small plates, salads, sandwiches, and specialty pizza.
We opted to order our pizzas to go for a relaxing evening. One was a traditional pepperoni pizza and the other a specialized pizza.
Our favorite of the two was the “Bee Line” pizza. The speciality pizza is made with red sauce, buffalo mozzarella, hot soppressata, Calabrian chiles, hot honey, and fresh basil.
Twistee Treat New Smyrna
769 E 3rd Ave, New Smyrna Beach, FL
If you’re craving ice cream, Twistee Treat New Smyrna has something for everyone. Their menu has milkshakes, malts, sundaes, soft serve, slushies and freezes, glacier and floats, twirls (similar to a Blizzard), and more!
Your biggest challenge is narrowing all of the great options to choose from.
The popular menu items are the Waffle Taco, Hot Fudge Brownie Boat, Cookiewich, and the Twistee Banana Split.
We ordered peanut butter milkshakes and the Reese’s Waffle Taco because it was a little more unique. It was delicious and we see why it’s one of the popular items.
What Restaurants in New Smyrna Beach Should We Try Next?
Let us know if there is a local restaurant in New Smyrna Beach that you love.
