#17 of 95 30A Restaurants

Caliza Restaurant

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Caliza Restaurant - Contemporary Cuisine Served Al Fresco
Local Expert's Rating:
4.5 / 5
The Bottom Line:

Caliza Restaurant serves contemporary American cuisine al fresco alongside a beautiful pool. Come for a creative and delicious meal in the open-air setting, and get a glass of wine to complement your dish. This is one place where you’ll want to linger long after the last bite is finished.

- The FloridaPanhandle.com Local Expert Team

Caliza Restaurant serves contemporary American cruising in an al-fresco setting alongside a pool. The restaurant’s foods and drinks are excellent, and the open-air setting makes for an absolutely memorable meal.

The menu at Caliza Restaurant features freshly made and creative items, many of which have locally and regionally sourced ingredients. Start off with a Butternut Squash Soup or Yellowfin Tuna Tartare, before removing onto a main course of Seared Florida Shrimp or George’s Banks Scallops. There are non-seafood entrees too if you prefer something like the Kurobuta Pork Chop or Braised Short Rib.

Whatever you get is bound to be delicious, but make sure your leave at least some room for dessert. The Key Lime Pie is a Florida classic, but you might want to opt for the house special Banana Bread Pudding or Buttermilk Cheese Cake. Both are much richer than your standard bread pudding or cheesecake.

For beverages, there is an extensive list of adult options (as well as the standard non-alcoholic choices). The wine list alone is impressive and spans two pages, but the beer and cocktail sections themselves aren’t to be overlooked. Although not as extensive, they feature a carefully selected range of refreshing choices.

All of this is served in a classy open-air setting where you can truly escape the local surroundings. The kitchen looks directly out to a beautiful pool, and tables spread out from either side of the cooking area. Walls, umbrellas, beach chairs, and palm trees surround the area, effectively blocking out passing cars, pedestrians, and any other visual distractions. 

Prices at Caliza Restaurant are reasonable considering the quality of the food and the setting that you’re in. Expect to pay $32 to $38 for an entree, and $10 for that dessert. Wines vary from affordable to exclusives for affluent diners.

For a nice meal with a special someone, there’s no finer setting than Caliza Restaurant’s poolside dining. Bring your date here, and you’ll have no distractions to detract from the experience of eating with each other. Of course, groups are welcome at the open-air establishment as well.

A few of our favorite menu items at Caliza Restaurant include:

George’s Banks Scallops 
A Carolina Gold rice perloo, San Marzano tomatoes, sofrito and fennel compliment the perfectly prepared scallops for a delectable dish. Tender, juice, and flavorful, there likely won’t be a bit left on your plate at the end of the meal.

Braised Short Rib
If seafood isn’t your thing, the braised short rib comes au jus for added flavor. A Red Bliss potato mash, heirloom carrots, and mushrooms are the perfect pairing for the tender red meat.

Buttermilk Cheese Cake
The slight tartness of buttermilk offsets the sweetness of graham crackers and cheesecake to create a one-of-a-kind take on the classic. Fresh berries come on top and only add to the dessert’s goodness.

10 Year Tawny Port
The entire wine list is worth your perusal, but the 10 Year Tawny Port needs a special shout-out. A strong dessert wine, this will stand up to the dense sweetness of that Buttermilk Cheese Cake or any of the other desserts you might choose.

Porch Sipper
Peach-tea-infused bourbon, freshly squeezed lemonade and mint make for a refreshing adult beverage no matter where you are. The Porch Sipper somehow tastes especially good when enjoyed alongside a pool in an alfresco setting, though.

Insider Tip:
-This is truly a one-of-a-kind establishment along 30A, and reservations can book out for a couple of weeks. Call before your vacation if you want to reserve a table for a specific night. Otherwise, you can usually get a table if you’re willing to wait for it.
-This restaurant is open only to vacation rental guests of Alys Beach and Alys Beach homeowners.
-While the pool deck is open from 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM, lunch is only served from 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM