When choosing a Florida getaway, I think beach first, hotel second and activities third. Food is not a determining factor since experience has taught me to set a pretty low bar. If you expect an uninspired catch of the day, fries and a cold beer, you’re rarely disappointed.
Imagine my delight when I discovered New Smyrna Beach, a coastal town with enough interesting dining to support a month-long restaurant promotion, both a riverfront and Atlantic Ocean seashore and a vibrant arts community.
Highlights:
- Dual Downtowns: Go artsy in the Canal Street Historic District along the Indian River, then head to Flagler Avenue, an iconic Atlantic Ocean surf and sun hub.
- Foodie Alert: October is Coastal Catch Restaurant Month in New Smyrna Beach, with 10 restaurants offering two multi-course prix fixe menus.
- Beach and Beyond: Between meals, spend your days in and on the water, throwing pottery or getting up close and personal with oysters.
Editor’s note: The writer was hosted.
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A Food-Focused Florida Getaway in New Smyrna Beach
I visit Florida at least twice a year. My go-to spots are in and around Tampa, Orlando, Miami and the Florida Keys. My trips are beach-centric. Put me in a no-frills hotel, steps from the sand and I’m a happy wanna be mermaid.
Outside of my normal rotation, I’m on the hunt for new shore spots that have an Old Florida vibe and something that sets them apart from their neighbors. Last year, I went to Sanibel Island for the first time and was tickled to discover the beach was literally covered in the prettiest seashells after every tide.
This year, New Smyrna Beach (NSB) won me over by delivering everything I expect in a classic Florida beach town with something extra.
The sparkle in NSB includes two downtowns:
- Flagler Avenue on the oceanfront peninsula has a ’50s surf town feel with beach bars, taffy stores and kitschy shops.
- Across the causeway, along the Indian River is the artsy Canal Street Historic District with classic restored buildings and a higher-end vibe.
To use a shoe analogy: Flagler Avenue is flip-flop; Canal Street is espadrille.
Add in a compelling food scene that’s celebrated with a month-long restaurant promotion.
October in New Smyrna Beach is Restaurant Month
Coastal Catch is the annual New Smyrna Beach restaurant promotion that runs from October 1st through the 31st. Participating restaurants offer two multi-course prix-fixe menus, priced in 2026, at $39 and $59 (exclusive of taxes and gratuities). Each restaurant designs its own menus for the highly anticipated event that attracts shoulder season traffic to town.
SheBuysTravel Tip: At each restaurant, the two menus might feature different appetizers, entrees or desserts. Or, at SoNapa for example, the higher-priced menu includes small pour wine pairings.
Not only is the food a notch above regular beach town fare, but the restaurants are unique. Norwood’s, for example, has a treehouse bar. Chases on the Beach can’t get closer to the sand and sunsets. And outdoor tables at Third Wave Cafe are tucked in a secret garden, steps from busy Flagler Avenue.
SheBuysTravel Tip: One of our favorite things to do when taking a beach vacation is to hire a photographer for family photos. This is a special gift and souvenir that we cherish. We use Flytographer to book a local photographer located in the area that we’re traveling to. Use this link and you will get $25 off your photo session.
I sampled several of the ten participating 2026 Coastal Catch restaurants during my September visit. The chefs were still prepping their promotional menus. Here are my personal best bites that may or may not be included, but are definitely worth trying.
New Smyrna Beach Best Bites:
- SoNapa Grille: This multi-location concept brings the flavors from California’s Sonoma and Napa wine regions to northeastern Florida. Let your knowledgeable server assist with pairing. A Chalk Hill Chardonnay was the perfect complement to a rich crab and corn chowder.
- Ciao Bella: As an Italian-American from New York, I’m a little fussy when it comes to pasta. This gem delivers the best meatballs I’ve tasted outside my mother’s kitchen. There’s a gentle kick in the Gorgonzola cream sauce that you must sop up with the house-baked crostini.
- Flagler Tavern: Come as you are to this multi-story institution with large interior bar spaces and wide, breeze-filled porches. You can’t go wrong with the pub food. I paired a Bavarian pretzel and queso dip with the daily special salad – a red, white and blue caprese that added blueberries to the farm-fresh tomatoes and burrata.
- Riverpark Terrace: I sipped a Cool as a Cucumber ginger beer-based mocktail while waiting for my, cooked from scratch red curry and mango chutney. The wait was worth it.
- Third Wave Cafe: Say hello to Bean, the resident rooster, then settle in for a wonderful meal in the garden. The grilled grouper sandwich was outstanding and the roasted potatoes were worth the carbs. This place is super popular; make a reservation.
What to Do in New Smyrna Beach Between Meals
The September ocean water was oh so warm but strong winds and rip currents kept me out of the surf. Luckily there are plenty of activities in New Smyrna Beach to fill your days.
SheBuysTravel Tip: If you can’t get in the ocean during your stay, book a treatment at The Spa at Riverview. You can splash about in the outdoor heated pool for as long as you like. They even serve lunch poolside.
Tour the HUB Arts Collective
The HUB Arts Collective | 132 Canal St, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168 | (386) 957-3924
“Clay is the greatest addiction,” notes retired pediatrician Regina Gargus. She’d never touched clay before she began taking classes at the HUB three years ago. “It’s a wonderful community with the most amazing teachers,” says Gargus, who spends multiple days each week creating sculptural and utilitarian pieces that are fired in the on-site kilns.
The HUB Arts Collective anchors the historic and lively Canal Street district in New Smyrna Beach. One building houses artists’ workshops, an open event space and classrooms. Another, Jane’s Art Center, has a shop and large gallery for rotating exhibits. Two additional buildings will join the collective complex in 2027.
In addition to an abundant class and workshop schedule, the HUB supports ongoing community projects. Local students participate in the Razzle Dazzle Fashion Club, a multi-year clothing design and construction program that culminates in an annual runway show. A guitar instruction program is offered to military veterans. And the Arts in Healing program complements therapy offerings at Halifax Health.
SheBuysTravel Tip: Traveling with crafty friends? The HUB calendar has dozens of classes and workshops throughout the year including mosaics, decoupage and wheel-throwing.
What Your Oysters Would Like You to Know
Indian River Oyster Company | New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168 | (386) 212-0058
Before you slurp your next oyster, consider its long, strange journey from its watery home to your plate. I was totally ignorant until touring one of the lagoon farms owned by Indian River Oyster Company (IROC) with owner Ryan Norris.
Oyster seeds (sometimes referred to as sprats) must have oyster shells to develop. These tiny, 1 mm organisms start their lifecycle in handmade baskets on the IROC lagoon farm. Looking at the farm from above, you can see the different “plots.” Ryan likens them to schools, noting the oysters move through nursery, elementary, middle and high schools before graduating to your plate when they’ve reached market size. Depending on conditions, it takes about a year.
There’s only one way to determine if an oyster’s ready to be served at a Michelin-star restaurant like Orlando’s Knife and Spoon. Ryan waded through the farm, checking baskets until he found ones ready to be slurped. Trust me. A naked, fresh from the water oyster is like nothing you’ve tasted before.
SheBuysTravel Tip: Oysters are incredible water filters, essential to preserving the health of the Indian River. The Marine Discovery Center coordinates the Shuck & Share program. Restaurant oyster shells are gathered weekly, quarantined for six months then returned to the lagoon to stabilize shorelines.
Happy Hour at Sugar Works Distillery
Sugar Works Distillery | 214 N Riverside Dr, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168 | (386) 402-7408
Don’t be defined by traditional happy hour. Late afternoon works for a craft cocktail at Sugar Works Distillery. But so does after-dinner when you might catch live music or a rousing round of jukebox trivia. Spirits created at this small-batch distillery, including Fins Sugar Cane vodka and Turnbull Bay rum, are free of dyes and artificial sweeteners. The focus is on production quality, not quantity.
That quality commitment extends to the supplemental ingredients created in-house for seasonal cocktails. Explaining their importance, General Manager Tyler Hollingsworth explains, “Salt and pepper are to a dish what bitters are to a cocktail.” The refrigerator behind the bar resembles an alchemist’s lab, filled with homemade juice mixers and shrubs, a sweetly tart drinking vinegar.
Traveling with a group? Book a cocktail-making class to learn how to recreate the magic at home.
Where to Stay: Black Dolphin Inn
Black Dolphin Inn | 916 S Riverside Dr, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168 | (386) 410-4800
With nurturing body and soul on the brain, I chose an historic inn for my stay. The Black Dolphin Inn is located on Riverside Avenue, the east-facing boulevard that runs parallel to the Indian River. The residential neighborhood is a 15-minute walk to the shops and restaurants in the Canal Street Historic District and a 9-minute car ride to Flagler Avenue’s ocean beach access.
My room was huge. It’s a double king, a configuration I’ve rarely seen and one perfect for friends traveling together. You don’t even have to ask for extra robes – there were four in the closet when I arrived! The furnishings are a complementary mix of modern glam and mid-century modern antiques. Most small inns feel like Granny’s attic; the Black Dolphin is more like Don Draper’s Mad Men bachelor pad. I loved it.
The bathroom featured a tub/shower combo and Beekman 1802 toiletries. A wet bar adjacent to the bathroom is a nice addition providing plenty of room for the Keurig, an ice bucket, mini fridge and glassware. There’s a generously sized glass pitcher you can fill with filtered water from the lobby.
Shared Spaces at the Black Dolphin Inn
Multiple gathering spots on property provide opportunities for chatting with other guests if you choose. I enjoyed a convo over breakfast with a couple visiting from Staunton, Virginia, one morning. But I also appreciated the solitude of watching the sun rise over the river from the front porch with a cup of fresh-brewed coffee the next day.
The lobby is another welcoming gathering spot with couches, a dining table and the open kitchen where the included hot breakfast is prepped each morning. And my 1st-floor room, one of several that are pet-friendly, opens onto a grass courtyard with plenty of seating and twinkle lights.
Unexpected Treat: A Made-to-Order Breakfast
The nightly room rates include a hot breakfast prepared in the open lobby kitchen. When you check in, you choose one of three options. My bacon and cheese omelet was served with a mini muffin, croissant, roasted potatoes and choice of juice. It’s prepped fresh and served at the lobby bar, dining table or in your room, depending on your preference.
The 14-room boutique inn, a Select Registry and AAA Four Diamond property, was a single-family home built in 1947 that’s been reimagined in Spanish Mediterranean style. As expected in a historic renovation, I had to hunt for outlets, the shower water pressure was on the low side and voices carry from room to room. Small trade-offs for a relaxing stay in an elegant yet comfortable riverfront property.
The mid-week rate for the Courtyard View room during my September 2026 stay was $189 per night, which includes the chef-prepped breakfast and free parking in designated street spots. The inn has beach chairs, umbrellas and towels available for guest use.
Getting Here
New Smyrna Beach is located on the northeast Florida coast, between Daytona and Cape Canaveral. Three airports are nearby:
- Daytona International Airport (DAB): expect a 1/2 hour drive
- Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB): expect a 45-minute drive
- Orlando International Airport (MCO): expect a one-hour, 20-minute drive
Because of its proximity to Orlando, New Smyrna Beach is considered one of the best beach towns near Disney World.
If you’re driving, consider bringing or renting a 4×4. You can drive on sections of the beach with a paid permit. It’s an iconic Florida experience.
SheBuysTravel Tip: Sunrises and sunsets are epic in New Smyrna Beach. So are the NASA rocket launches!
FAQs
While the October prix-fixe deals are a fantastic bonus, these kitchens operate at a high level year-round. Places like Third Wave, Riverpark Terrace and Ciao Bella are local fixtures that deliver the same creative, high-quality menus no matter when you visit.
You can easily go car-free within each of the two downtown hubs—Flagler Avenue and the Canal Street Historic District—since both are very pedestrian-friendly. However, because they sit about two miles apart on opposite sides of the river, you’ll want a vehicle, a bike, or a quick rideshare to hop back and forth between them.
Leave the formal wear at home. New Smyrna Beach nails the upscale-casual “Old Florida” vibe. Smart casual (think a breezy sundress, tailored shorts or a neat linen button-down) will fit right in everywhere, from garden courtyards to rooftop treehouse bars.
Read More:
- Best Things to Do in (and Near) Port Canaveral
- Best Places to Stay in Daytona Florida for a Beach Getaway
- Where to Find the Best Beaches Near Tampa Florida
- Solo Road Trip Miami to Tampa
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