Local Attractions

Recreation

Shopping and Restaurants

Supermarkets

  • Publix Supermarket is our first choice of supermarket and there are very many branches in Cape Coral – biggest and best and convenient for 320 Bayshore Drive is at the Mid Point shopping centre at the junction of Santa Barbara Blvd and Veterans Memorial Parkway.
  • Farmer Joe’s opened January 2022 and is located on 1401 SW Pine Island Rd, Cape Coral, FL 33991 but is worth the journey. It is a one off and around 50,000 sq ft; food only so do not expect household goods or cleaning materials. Vegetables are nearly all local so fresh and a fabulous range. Our first port of call for all food including bread and meat.

Shopping Malls

Specialist Food shops worth the journey

  • Paesano’s Italian Deli, 862 Lafette St, Cape Coral 33904 – steaks & meat (nicer than most supermarkets but not, we think, as good as Farmer Joe’s), deli, Italian specialities, very drinkable reasonably priced wine but Costco remains the favourite for reasonably priced if you pick carefully.
  • Merricks Seafood – every kind of fish and shellfish and a huge counter of ready to cook fish dishes; and do not forget their restaurant!
  • Oltimes German Bakery & Deli, 1507 SE 47th Street, Cape Coral.
  • The Fresh Market 13499 S Cleveland Avenue Fort Myers, FL 33907 – bit like a miniature version of  Harrods’ food hall; the place to buy/grind coffee beans.

Restaurants

Cape Coral

  • Jungle Bird Tiki, 1520 Lafayette Street, Cape Coral, Fl. Tel: 239 471 4111 (previously Redfish Point Garden Bar & Grill). We visited this several times during the first 6 months of 2022. The ambiance and atmosphere is much the same as before so a good place to go. The food is excellent but the wine list is extremely limited and run by the two guys in the bar who, when we were there, were off-hand bordering on rude. Do not order wines by the glass because there is no guarantee that what you get is what you ask for! Buy by the bottle. We still go because the food is good and generally the service is pleasant. We do not have wine unless we all agree to drink the same thing.
  • Bonefish, 900 SW Pine Island Road, Cape Coral Average restaurant, good fresh fish, nice cocktails, can book but they do not seem to take much notice! Can be very busy.
  • Duffys 627 Cape Coral Parkway West, Cape Coral, Fl 33914 Tel: 239 205 6771 Sports bar with 100 TV screens (fortunately, no sound!) very popular with local residents. Reasonably priced with special offers some days. Food pretty average; soggy French fries when last there.
  • Fish Tale Grill by Merrick Sea Food 1229 SE 47th Terrace, Cape Coral Food good but air con occasionally makes it a bit chilly inside! Not a lot of atmosphere and, given that it is owned by the best fish shop for miles around, what ends up on your plate is a little disappointing. The wine list is limited and expensive. They have tables outside. Merrick’s fish shop is next door and a visit is a must.
  • Five Guys 2612 Santa Barbara Blvd, Cape Coral Fl. Tel: 239 242 6620 (Best for Burgers & Fries – eat in or take out. The food is better at the outlet at 12460 S Cleveland Ave, Ft Myers.)
  • Ford Garage 1719 Cape Coral Parkway East, Cape Coral (Themed large burger restaurant with numerous beers; lots of fun but noisy; average food. The huge choice of beers is the hint; their cocktails are lousy and overpriced!)
  • Pinchers Crab Shack, Tarpon Point, Cape Coral Fl (Cannot book, in season turn up and hope for a table. Rest of the year you will just walk straight in. Fun place, friendly staff and excellent food at a very reasonable price. They have other places; we have also been to the one at Gulf Coast Town Centre which was just as good. The Cape Coral one is next to Westin Hotel and overlooks the Marina.)
  • Rum Runners, Cape Harbour, Cape Coral. Sadly the current building owners decided not to renew the lease to Todd Johnson, the original Chef / Owner, and instead are running the place as a restaurant themselves. As before, great view but nothing else we have heard has been complimentary; they have even let the dock to other people so if you come by boat it is extremely difficult to park. We have not visited Rum Runners since the present regime took over the restaurant.
  • Fathoms: Cape Harbour: (Nice to sit outside and look at the boats. Good food and Cape Harbour is fun to wander round in the evening. Often there is live music in the central square which is actually round!) Service can be a bit hit and miss. Wine list poor and expensive. 
  • South Cape Diner 1215 Cape Coral Parkway, Cape Coral, Fl 33904  Tel: 239 257 2183  (We have been here 3 times. The first time was great but sadly the last two visits were not good: the coffee was horrible and the serving staff overstretched. We will not return.)
  • The Boat House Tiki Bar & Grill 5819 Driftwood Parkway Cape Coral, FL 33904  Tel: 239-945-2628  (Very popular open air place overlooking the river at the Yacht Club – nice atmosphere, the food is much improved, good live music; really it is all about the view and the buzz. The beer is not cheap!)
  • The Twisted Lobster 1341 Del Prado Blvd, Cape Coral Fl 33990 Tel: 239 800 2879  (Opened in April 2015. Plain and simple décor but clean and tidy. Good for kids. When we were there the food was very good and service brilliant but we went only a week after it opened!)
  • Kumo 2517 Santa Barbara Blvd, Cape Coral Fl 33914 TEL: 239 573 9866  (Fun place that the kids will like. Sit round a U shaped table with hot plate in centre and watch chef juggle his cooking tools and catch eggs in his hat. Food is not bad either! Reasonably priced.)
  • Ginger Bistro 2366 Surfside Boulevard, Cape Coral Fl 33991 Tel: 239 558 8865 Only opened in the fall of 2018 – they have another place in Ft Myers. We have been several times and if you like Chinese food this really is the place to go. Much used by the local Chinese residents which has to be a recommendation. They have a Dim Sum menu which is offered 11:30 to 3:00 pm. Absolutely marvellous – take time out for lunch and skip supper! We will be going again!
  • Monkey Bar & Grill – Visited for first time in May 2022. Looks like a a fairly rough outside bar with music and small dance area. Big mistake! The restaurant at the back is quiet enough to talk in and the service is great. The food is the best we have had anywhere and reasonably priced. There were 4 of us and we all had different fish dishes.  Beautifully cooked and succulent. Not the overcooked dry fish served up in so many other places. Wine by the glass was what it said on the wine list! We will definitely be returning.

Ft Myers

  • Azure 15301 McGregor Blvd Suite #1 Fort Myers Florida 33908 Tel: 239-288-4296 (Mediocre food, expensive wine list. Used to be wonderful but with the change of ownership is now a disappointment.)
  • Cristoffs on McGregor, 10231 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers (Nice restaurant with quite good atmosphere – outside is where to be especially on the veranda. Food is good, service depends on the server! Front of house man was a bit off last time we were there. In our view it is worth the drive. Pricing is reasonable. Certainly, overall, it is better than most and a regular for us.)
  • Liberty, 12995 Cleveland Avenue, Ft Myers, FL. Tel: 239-689-5528 (previously Mad Fresh Bistro). New ownership which specialises in small plates which are very tasty but unless you want to go home hungry it makes the meal expensive. The original owner, Eric, had a super wine list. The current owner sadly did not continue that tradition and the wines now are pretty ordinary. The truffle fries which were fabulous have sadly disappeared as an option!
  • The Roadhouse Café 15660 San Carlos Boulavard, Ft Myers 33908 Tel: 239 415 4375 (NOT a roadhouse or a café! At the end of a shopping strip mall and from the outside looks terrible. Inside it is a cross between a speakeasy and an old French nightclub. The last 3 occasions we went they managed to totally screw up our booking, both in terms of time and where we requested to be seated, so although it is still a super place be very careful that you get the booking details precise. The band is made up of retired musicians including the singer; they are brilliant if you like the 50’s. The service is good as is the food and the wine list reasonably priced and something for everyone. This place is WORTH THE JOURNEY. Make certain you book and ask for a table in the section near the band.
  • The Twisted Vine Bistro 2214 Bay St, Fort Myers, FL 33901 Tel: 239 226 1687 (Good décor and atmosphere. In historic part of Ft Myers. Food good but the wine is outrageously priced – $40 for a very average wine. Service was OK when were there; bit over the top. We will go back.
  • The Verandah, 2122 Second Street (on Broadway), Ft Myers, Fl 33901 Tel: 239 332 2065 (Formal restaurant and piano bar with southern style atmosphere. Award winning and definitely one of the best and classier restaurants in town. Sounds stuffy but actually quite good fun but prices dictate a special occasion.)
  • Bruno’s of Brooklyn Italian Eatery 2112 Second Street, Ft Myers, Fl 33901 (Casual atmosphere and good service with sky high wine prices and some of the worst food we have ever had; the last time we went as a party of 4 and 3 of us thought their meal was disgusting. How can you completely ruin a Dover sole?! No return visit is planned!)

Ft Myers Beach

  • Matanzas on the Bay 416 Crescent St, Ft Myers Beach, Fl 33931 Tel: 239 463 3838 (Come by car or boat – docks available. Easy to dock a boat. Really nice restaurant right on the water. Food is pretty good. Worth the journey.
  • Doc Ford’s 708 Fisherman’s Wharf, Fort Myers Beach, Fl 33931 Tel: 239 765 9660 They do not take reservations. It is not easy to find so make quite certain you either put it in your GPS or take a map. The restaurant is right on the water so a decent view. Make certain you sit outside as inside is very noisy. Food and service is good, and the wine list is reasonable. The Doc Ford’s, Captiva, is just as good in terms of food, service etc. but the atmosphere is not so much fun, and it does not have a water view. Having said that, it is a short walk to the beach and that is a real tip, given that access to beach parking on Sanibel/Captiva is both difficult and expensive. Has become very crowded. We arrived 7.40 on Friday 20 May 2022 when in theory the snowbirds had gone home. The wait time was 45 minutes to an hour. We left. The lady on the outside reception taking table reservations was off hand bordering on rude.
  • Bay Front Bistro 4761 Estero Boulevard, Fort Myers, Fl 33931 Tel: 239 463 3663 The restaurant is at first floor level with a great view over the waterway between Fort Myers Beach and the mainland. The food and service are fine but not outstanding. You’re going for the view and you can reach the restaurant by road or boat.

Pine Island

  • Tarpon Lodge Restaurant 13771 Waterfront Drive, Bokeelia, Pine Island, Fl 33922 Tel: 239 283 3999 (Genuine old Florida; eat on the veranda; make certain you book. Looks over the water straight at the sunset. Nothing else like it in the Cape Coral area; WORTH THE JOURNEY. Pricy but not outrageous; special occasion.)

Sanibel

  • Gramma Dot’s at Sanibel Marina, 634 N. Yachtsman Drive, Sanibel, FL 33957 Tel: 239 472 8138 (Sit outside & look at the boats; great fried oysters and fries. Children love the place. Go by boat or car.)

Bonita Beach

  • Coconut Jacks Waterfront Grill 5370 Bonita Beach Rd., Bonita Beach, Fl 34134 Tel: 239 676 7777 (Make certain you sit outside overlooking water and mangroves; great view. Come by car or boat – docks available. Some come by boat for a take away! Good food and service; some decent wines. Worth the journey.)

Sarasota

  • Duvals 1435 Main St, Sarasota, Fl 34236 Tel: 941 312 4001 (This is excellent food with good service located in the charming central area of Sarasota only a short walk from the Opera House. Sarasota is worth a visit especially if you go to the “Ringling Circus Museum” which is more than can be described in a sentence or two.)
  • The Bijou Café, 1287 First Street, Sarasota, Fl 34236 Tel: 941 366 8111 (OUTSTANDING! Maybe we were lucky but on our only visit in November 2018 we considered this the best restaurant we have found in Florida, so far! Wonderful food and impeccable professional service. Tried a return visit in early December 2018 but were in Sarasota on a Monday when the Bijou is closed. Must book and try for an outside table – there are very few. We will be returning!)

Ice Cream

  • Good Licks Ice Cream has closed and the business incorporated into CW Fudge which is located next to “The Perfect Cup” at 4548 Pine Island Rd. NW, Matlacha, FL 33993. Tel: 239-283-9911. The ice cream is made by the same lady and is just as good!
  • The French Press 5789 Cape Harbour Drive, #101 Cape Coral, FL Tel: 239 542 0212 (Genuinely nice people who run a super coffee shop with also offers Gelato. Good place to go after Fathams if you fancy an ice cream or a different venue for coffee – they are open till 10:00 pm.)

Boaters Paradise

You can quite literally step from Lazy Tree into the Caloosahatchee River; the house has its own dock & boat lift.   It is 5 minutes by car or 10 minutes by boat to the Cape Coral Yacht Club and beach or turn your boat east down the Caloosahatchee river to the Gulf of Mexico and you will be at Sanibel Island in 20 minutes.