The two main drags for eating and drinking in Fort Lauderdale are Las Olas and Sunrise boulevards. There are also some fun bars near the ocean, as well as a burgeoning restaurant district on West Broward Boulevard in the Old Town.
The Floridian 1410 E Las Olas Blvd, downtown tel 954/463-4041. Old Fort Lauderdale at its finest: formica furniture, peeling autographed pictures lining the walls and outstanding diner food at rock-bottom prices.
La Cantina 2870 E Sunrise Blvd tel 954/565-3839. The giant margaritas are $9, and enormous, cheap portions of authentic Mexican food make this a good stop on the beach.
Mark's Las Olas 1032 E Las Olas Blvd, downtown tel 954/463-1000. A top-notch dinner-only downtown restaurant, it serves contemporary south Floridian food lots of sesame-crusted and pan-seared fish at premium prices.
Nick's 3496 N Ocean Blvd, at the beach tel 954/563-6441. This low-key Italian restaurant serves fresh, hefty portions of pasta. Open until 4am, it's a scene by 1am when waiters from nearby restaurants descend for their own dinner.
Southport Raw Bar 1536 Cordova Rd tel 954/525-2526. South of downtown near Port Everglades, this boisterous local bar specializes in succulent crustaceans and well-prepared fish dishes.
Tom Jenkins' Bar-B-Q 1236 S Federal Highway (US-1), downtown tel 954/522-5046. Check out the outstanding barbecue and side dishes at inexpensive prices.