LEFT: Tucked away in a secluded corner, away from the mainstream, Paradise Bar & Grill is the perfect spot to kick back and relax in one of the lounge chairs and let the beat of island music carry you away. “Where thousands live the way millions wish they could,” is the way former mayor and Pensacola car dealer Vince Whibbs described the area. And it’s true, you don’t find waterfront expanses many places around the globe, so they are definitely a treasure for locals and visitors alike.

Several local eateries take advantage of the views of the Gulf of Mexico, Santa Rosa Sound and Bayou Chico, to name a few, to complement their seafood entrees, steaks, sandwiches, salads and pasta dishes.

Hemingway’s Island Grill Most of these establishments will start you off with a selection from a fully stocked bar. Fruity, summery drinks are in style now as well as martinis, frosty beers and traditional cocktails.

Invite a group of friends or family to enjoy the scenery and live music while your server brings your drinks, appetizers and entrees ... and savor the opportunity to enjoy one of nature’s most beautiful scenes, the waterways in Northwest Florida.

Paradise Bar & Grill
21 Via de Luna, Pensacola Beach
850-916-5087
www.paradisebar-grill.com

Paradise Bar & Grill on Pensacola Beach invites you to “boat it, bike it or walk it” to the hottest spot on the island, where you can enjoy live entertainment every weekend. Paradise Bar & Grill has earned a reputation as a locals’ bar.

The Grand Marlin Tucked away in a secluded corner, away from the mainstream, Paradise Bar & Grill is the perfect spot to kick back and relax in one of the lounge chairs and let the beat of island music carry you away. Go ahead, dip your toes in the water while you enjoy your drink ... Paradise Bar & Grill is mere steps from the waterline.

Paradise Bar & Grill takes call-ahead orders, so as the Gulf of Mexico and the sugar white beaches bring on an appetite, pick up the phone and dial 850- 916-5087 to call in your eat-in or carryout order and if you’re boating, just pull up at the dock! This tropical retreat serves lunch and dinner daily al fresco. Great food and cheap prices has always been the trademark which is why diners from Santa Rosa, Escambia and even Okaloosa county come to dine at this soundside retreat.

Paradise Bar & Grill also offer nightly specials throughout the week, so stop by and see why this hide away remains the best kept secret of the locals on the island.

Lillo’s Tuscan Grille Oar House
1000 S. Pace Blvd., Pensacola
850-432-9620

Located on Bayou Chico, The Oar House offers an ever changing view of boat traffic. Enjoy a cool breeze off the water while you enjoy a tropical refreshment, Key Largo Boiled Shrimp, Bayou Nachos, and the Big Oar Salad topped with your choice of fish, chicken, crawfish, crab cake. shrimp and oysters.

The menu states that The Oar House serves “the best steak in Pensacola,” and for $22.95, it may be the best priced as well.

You can satisfy everyone in your family at the Oar House, with sandwiches, Cajun food, steaks, seafood and more, and enjoy the parade of motorboats, sailboats, yachts and working craft making their way in and out of Pensacola Bay.

Lillo’s Tuscan Grille
5 Via de Luna, Pensacola Beach
850-934-5456
www.lillostuscangrille.com

Hooter’s Restaurant Lillo's Tuscan Grille is located in Soundside Market on Pensacola Beach. This Italian restaurant offers waterfront dining in a casual, yet sophisticated, atmosphere. Outside patio dining, & a take-out window for lunch, homemade pizzas, ice-cream and frozen drinks is also available. Enjoy a savory burger or meatball sandwich or select from a wide array of menu items, including lasagne and other fare.

Lillo’s fully stocked bar offers libations of every description, as well.

The Grand Marlin
400 Pensacola Beach Blvd.
Pensacola Beach
850-677-9153
www.thegrandmarlin.com

One of the newest restaurants in the area is also one of the finest. The Grand Marlin has it all – breathtaking Sound views, a fully stocked bar, live music, group seating, and fantastic sunsets.

H2O Despite all this, the food is still the star of the show, with a large menu that features seafood, steaks, salads, sandwiches and a raw bar serving freshly shucked oysters.

Select from entrees such as Wild American Shrimp and Grits, Mojo Chicken or Caribbean Grilled Lobster tail. The service is second to none and you will be pampered by the excellent staff. After a great experience, you’ll want to don a souvenir T-shirt from the Grand Marlin ship’s store.

Hooter’s
400 Quietwater Beach Rd.
Pensacola Beach
850-934-9464
www.hootersonline.net

What is better than eating at a Hooter’s restaurant? Eating at one with a waterfront view, of course! Hooter’s on Pensacola Beach, known for its view on the inside of the restaurant (and you know that that means) is enhanced by the view of Santa Rosa Sound from the Boardwalk restaurant on Pensacola Beach. Try their famous chicken wings, fried pickles or get a mouth watering burger, chicken strips or cobb salad from their ample menu.

Bimini Beach Bar Of course you can catch your favorite team playing on their many TVs and enjoy a cocktail at the same time.

As restaurants go, this one’s near perfect!

H2O (Inside the Hilton)
12 Via de Luna
850-343-6791
www.eatatH2O.com

Hilton Pensacola Beach Gulf Front meets the expectations of their leisure travelers and vacation guests alike with the convenient and cozy Bonsai Sushi Bar located off H2O in the hotel lobby area.

Sushi, nigiri, salads and soups are all on the menu at Bonsai. And you can take delicious selections from Bonsai Sushi Bar poolside! H2O overlooks a spectacular array of pools and fountains in addition to the emerald waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

The main dining area, H2O offers a blend of Cajun and Asian entrees called C’asian -- a fusion that wakes up the flavor of both disciplines.

The Oar House Stroll on the sugar white sands before or after you dine, or relax inside in their cozy conversation pits close to the fully stocked bar.

The atmosphere at Bonsai Sushi Bar and H2O is casually elegant but the service is first class inside this luxurious hotel that is outfitted with so many amenities.

Hemingway’s Island Grill
400 Quietwater Beach Rd.
Pensacola Beach
850-934-4747
www.hemingwaysislandgrill.com

Live the lifestyle made famous by “Papa” Ernest Hemingway.

Known for going for the gusto in life, Hemingway inspired the tropical island atmosphere and menu at Hemingway’s Island Grill.

Coconut Shrimp, Key West Ribs and Ahi Tuna beckon from the appetizer menu, and they arrive just after your first Margarita or Mojito from the fully stocked bar.

Gaze over the generous deck to the expanse of Santa Rosa Sound and watch motor boats, jet skis and catamarans compete for a spot to drop anchor and listen the the live music wafting off Hemingway’s deck.

Salads include the Havana Gun Club Steak Salad, featuring a tender skirt steak on a bed of mixed greens. Entrees range from steak, shrimp and pork to fish, pasta and sandwiches including, what else, the Cuban, to pay homage to Hemingway’s years in Havana.