When people hear Italian food, the first thing that comes to most minds is pizza or pasta. But what makes these dishes notable are the ingredients and cooking techniques used, making them healthy.
Try it for yourselves by dining from these 9 Best Italian Restaurants in Destin, FL.
Mimmo’s Ristorante Italiano
$$$ | (850) 460-7353 | WEBSITE
Mimmo’s is one of the must-try Italian restaurants in Destin, Florida. They are called the “hottest Italian restaurant” in the city. They offer pizzas, filling pasta, mouthwatering desserts, and other incredible Italian dishes.
Furthermore, they use their surroundings to serve the freshest food possible, especially seafood.
What’s unique about the place itself is that there are three distinct dining areas that the customers may choose from depending on their preferred ambiance.
There are settings great for family gatherings, a fine dining table for more intimacy, and a banquet to hold different events and accommodate 130 people.
However, there is a fourth spot that even Mimmo itself adores, the outdoors. It is perfect for nice weather, and the customers will have a view of their grand waterfall.
Most of the tourists in Florida choose Mimmo’s as their go-to restaurant. Every person has their preference dish, especially their main courses and desserts.
It shows how the great variety of the menu is still consistent with the quality they produce.
The place highly suggests starting with an appetizer paired with their signature cocktails or draft beer. And for desserts, their homemade cannolis are a must-try.
2. Pazzo Italiano Ristorante & Bar
$$ | | WEBSITE
Price: $$
Address: 34904 Emerald Coast Parkway Suite 114, Destin, FL
Phone: 850-974-5484
Pazzo has been serving for more than 20 years but still has the heart and soul of an Italian restaurant.
In 2019, they were nominated for both “Best Italian Restaurant in Destin” and “Best Pizza in Destin.” It also captured the heart of the Destin locals as they also call it the best Italian they ever had.
The founders carefully chose the recipes of sophisticated Italian cuisines with a bit of twist for their customers to enjoy for an affordable price.
The restaurant owners Alfonso Di Bonito and Levente Tischler aim to represent their people and passion through the art of making food.
The chefs have nightly specials for regular customers who want to try different dishes. Every dish on the menu is rich in flavor and spices.
They also take pride in their pizza, as they only cook it on wood fires to achieve the rich taste of an artisanal pizza every time. Pazzo Italiano also has catering services and makes cakes.
3. Capriccio Cafe
$$ | | WEBSITE
Price: $
Address: 826 Hwy 98 E, Destin, FL
Phone: 850-460-7050
When we hear Italian food, we think of pizza or pasta most of the time. However, there is an Italian Cafe named Capriccio Cafe in Destin, Florida, which is one of a kind as they serve Italian coffee that people cannot find around the area.
Not only do they sell coffee, but also different pastries, crepes, sandwiches, and salads.
The main ingredients for their menu, such as coffee, meats, and cheeses, are imported from Italy. Their authentic Italian coffee makes excellent espresso, and their cold coffee is divine as it is cold-brewed and created by professional baristas.
It has a friendly, fun, and relaxed atmosphere, which is an Italian way of the cafe.
People love the cafe for its luscious and huge yet inexpensive breakfast and lunch, especially its sweet and savory crepes.
The owner, Macro Sironi, welcomes their costumer like they are visiting his home, thus the generosity and warm welcome. He is very hands-on with the customers and remembers their regular.
4. Olive Garden Italian Restaurant
$$ | | WEBSITE
Price: $$
Address: 34970 Emerald Coast Pkwy, Destin, FL
Phone: 850-650-230
Olive Garden is an Italian-American casual dining restaurant chain that has gained a reputation worldwide. They are known for their unlimited salads, breadsticks, and soups.
They used the slogan “Good Time, Great Salad, Olive Garden” to advertise the unlimited salad, and now “We’re all family here” to promote the soup and breadsticks.
They believe that being with the family makes life better, especially lunch or dinner. They value the family’s time, so they want to serve their best.
They are generous with their servings for good sharing; the customers can even ask for extra sauces and dressing without charge.
Their salads are nicely chilled. But the star of this Italian restaurant is the cheese ravioli and a classic lasagna, as per the majority’s suggestion. You may also change the stuffing in the ravioli as per request, and they will often make it for you.
Their breadsticks are also phenomenal, which is why when the Olive Garden announced the breadstick sandwiched, everyone wanted to try it.
However, the most awaited by their valued customers wait is their yearly eight months of unlimited pasta for $100, which becomes sold out in just a second.
5. Landshark’s Pizza Company
$$ | | WEBSITE
Price: $$
Address: 300 Harbor Blvd A-B, Destin, FL
Phone: 850-424-6743
The Local Brews & Tasty Chews had recognized the Landshark’s Pizza Company as the Destin’s Favorite Sports Pub.
Brian and Sue’s owners had the vision to create a sports pub with great pizza and buffalo wings in Destin. Brian had been traveling from one pizza joint to another to formulate their dough.
Landshark’s also has different regular dine-in specials. They have happy hour Mondays to Fridays from 3 PM to 6 PM.
Tuesdays are margarita and corona beer specials with music bingo, Wednesday is “Wingday” and bourbon club, and Friday is “mini-monster calzone with ricotta and mozzarella” Friday.
This sports pub doesn’t only offer mild or spicy heat for their buffalo wings but 22 different sauces and rubs for customers to enjoy.
They have a membership or Landshark VIP list called “LandShark Tank” That will get you exclusive deals and a free appetizer by just signing up.
6. The Melting Pot
$$ | | WEBSITE
Price: $$
Address: 11394 US Highway 98 W, Destin, FL
Phone: 850-269-2227
The Melting Pot is known for its fondue variations with cheese, chocolate, or even both. Their fondues are not limited to desserts but are also famous for their entries.
Unlike the other restaurants, this Italian chain allows the customers to cook the food for themselves, only serving the needed ingredients.
What’s more lovable about them is their support of the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The institution fights childhood cancer and other deadly illnesses.
Every year from October to December, the restaurant is open for donations from the customers. When they donate $10, they will receive a $20 off Donate & Dine card for every $50 future purchase.
The fondue presentation and the food are incredible, especially the yin and yang design.
For the cheese fondue, the customers can choose from the gluten-free Wisconsin Cheddar, Classic Alpine, and Spinach Artichoke, all served with artisan bread, seasonal fruits, and vegetables.
7. Merlin’s Pizza
$$ | | WEBSITE
Price: $$
Address: 1251 Airport Rd, Destin, FL
Phone: 850-650-3000
The VIP Destin Magazine awarded Merlin’s Pizza as Best in Destin in 2018. They continue to improve their pizza for a low price.
They only use fine ingredients for their pizza, and their dough and sauce have been fresh daily since they opened in March 1999.
According to the restaurant, most pizza joints overload their meats with soy for less cost and use cellulose powder for cheese. However, they beg to differ.
They make sure that all their ingredients are of the finest quality and even pay the extra to avoid giving the customers average food.
They offer cheese bread that they claim is the best one anyone will ever have. It has overloaded cheese, garlic butter, and Italian parmesan seasoning.
Meanwhile, if you cannot choose what you want on their pizza menu, you can build your own with your choice of crust, cheese, meats, sauces, and veggies.
8. Cissy’s Scenic 98 Cafe
$$ | | WEBSITE
Price: $$
Address: 100 Matthew Blvd #1, Destin, FL
Hungry Howie’s Pizza
Phone: 850-424-1688
Cissy’s Scenic 98 Cafe is known for its delectable pastries, especially its donuts, and is proud to serve Amavida coffee.
They have various breakfast menus and pastries and sandwiches and salads for lunch. The cafe also has a build-your-own flatbread, where customers may choose three toppings.
Cissy’s does serve not only coffee and delicious baked goods and bread but also Italian dishes like pizza, lasagna, pasta with meatballs, and ravioli.
These menus are available for take-outs for the customers to enjoy at home. They also have foods made for the day that are not part of the regular menu, worth checking out.
9. Hungry Howie’s Pizza
$$ | | WEBSITE
Price: $
Address: 34904 Emerald Coast Pkwy. #13, Destin, FL
Phone: 850-460-2422
Hungry Howie’s Pizza claims to be the home of the original flavored crust pizza. There are eight mouthwatering flavors to choose from butter, butter cheese, asiago cheese, ranch, onion, cajun, sesame, and garlic herb.
The pizza joint is constantly on the top-ranking pizza franchise and has been operating for 45 years.
All the pizzas use the finest ingredients, 100% mozzarella cheese, and daily fresh doughs. Their flatbreads and calzones use only pizza ingredients for consistent quality but in different mediums.
The Howie bread is loaded with flavors, may it be topped or stuffed, while their breadsticks have zesty pizza dip.
They have many salad choices with fresh romaine lettuce and different premium toppings.
Meanwhile, their Howie wings are flavorful, whether original, sriracha, or barbeque. Lastly, their Howie huge chocolate chip Howie cookie is the way to end their meal.
Summary
Many restaurants serve pizza and pasta, but nothing can beat authentic dishes. These 9 Best Italian Restaurants in Destin, FL, are the most recommended in town.
The restaurants only use premium and fresh ingredients, just like what an authentic Italian dish must possess.
