Upscale Pensacola: Six fine dining restaurants that lets patrons enjoy finer things in life
Pensacola has a plethora of casual restaurants worth checking out, but sometimes it's good to enjoy the finer things in life.
While there certainly aren't any places that require patrons wear a suit and ball gown, there are a handful of upscale dining establishments that raise the bar.
Below are six Pensacola restaurants that are worth the price of admission.
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Alice’s
1504 W. Intendencia St.
Alice’s is an elegant, upscale dining experience that was born from Alice Guy who managed Joe Patti’s from 1992 to 2002. During her tenure at Joe Patti’s, she introduced a gourmet deli, sushi deli and wine shop.
In 2020, Alice’s won the News Journal’s Best New Restaurant award in its Best of the Bay contest that let locals vote on their favorite businesses.
Alice’s offers comfort food in a more upscale environment, though you don’t need to get dressed up to enjoy it.
On the menu: Chilean sea bass, swordfish panzanella, New Orleans BBQ shrimp, veal oscar and more.
Jackson’s Steakhouse
400 S. Palafox St.
Jackson’s Steakhouse might be one of Pensacola’s oldest fine-dining establishments. Founded in 1998, the restaurant sits on the ground floor of the revitalized 1860s-era building where H. Pfeiffer & Company Mercantile operated. Jackson’s was born after a group of entrepreneurs wanted to renovate the building and open a restaurant to commemorate the 1821 event where Gen. Andrew Jackson accepted the transfer of Florida from Spain to the United States, and where the American flag was raised in Pensacola for the first time.
The meat used by Jackson’s is grain-fed beef raised in the Midwest. The cut and seafood are all hand-picked and boasts flavors of wet-aged beef.
On the menu: Gulf Coast lionfish, hickory wood-fired petite filet with fried green tomatoes and lump blue crab, tournedos Americana and more.
Restaurant Iron
22 N. Palafox St.
Restaurant Iron is a stylish and upscale restaurant that focuses on bringing fresh, local and regional specialties with ingredients from all over the world. Much of the food has a Southern flare with a contemporary twist, like the truffle parmesan crusted salmon.
IRON originally opened in the summer of 2012 at Marcus Pointe Golf Club. It only served lunch at the time but expanded to dinner once word got out. The restaurant made its move to its current location in 2014 and has received critical acclaim since its establishment.
On the menu: Iron Lyonnaise, Nola BBQ shrimp and grits, Joyce Farms marinated chicken breast.
Global Grill
27 Palafox Place
Global Grill is Pensacola’s only tapas-based, upscale restaurant. Tapas are small plates of food meant to be shared among friends and family. In other countries of the world, it’s pretty popular to go “tapa-hopping,” where you go out with friends and hop around restaurants ordering only tapas. Global recreates that experience, but without the hopping.
On the menu: lamb lollipops, pork tenderloin medallions, lobster cheesecake, butcher’s block and more.
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The District
123 E. Government St.
The District is Seville Quarter’s high-end steakhouse that specializes in dry-aged beef. The District’s aging process includes evaporating the moisture from the muscle to create a greater concentration of beef flavor and letting the beef’s enzymes break down connective tissue so the meat is more tender.
The restaurant occupies a two-story building that was originally built by John Bosnaham, a physician who owned several other pieces of property in Pensacola, in 1888. The building has changed hands many times since then, but The District maintains its historic, old-world setting with some modern and upscale furnishings throughout the building.
On the menu: Hand-cut and dry-aged steaks, steakburgers, dry-aged pork chops, parmesan crusted sea scallops and more.
Angelena’s Ristorante Italiano
101 E. Intendencia St.
Angelena’s Ristorante Italiano is one of Pensacola’s newer restaurants but comes with a lot of pedigree. Located in the middle of downtown Pensacola and owned and operated by celebrity chef and Food Network personality chef James Briscione, Angelena’s offers Pensacola a unique dining experience.
The menu is full of classic Italian cuisine with Southern touches sprinkled throughout. There are plenty of seafood options caught fresh out of the Gulf of Mexico, and a wood-fired oven that provides a key ingredient to everything from pizzas to meatballs and desserts.
On the menu: Doppio ravioli, rigatoni and meatballs alla vodka, ravioli alla sorrentina, 11 signature pizzas and more.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Fine dining in Pensacola: Where to enjoy upscale dining
