#52 of 95 30A Restaurants

The Bay

See all photos (22 Photos)
The Bay — Your New Favorite Spot for Bayside Dining at Its Finest
Local Expert's Rating:
4.5 / 5
The Bottom Line:

If you want to gaze upon the beauty of Choctawhatchee Bay while dining on the finest seafood around, look toward The Bay Restaurant in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. Their many incredible offerings will wow you from first bite all the way through the end of dessert. You’ll leave equally impressed by their friendly service and truly relaxing ambiance, ready to return sometime soon.

- The FloridaPanhandle.com Local Expert Team

When you want to dine in style along the shores of the Choctawhatchee Bay, The Bay Restaurant is the place to go in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. At this restaurant, you can grab dinner at your leisure or just come by for cocktails when you need a break from it all. You can also swing by for brunch on Sundays for all your favorite breakfast items, like Crab Cake Benedict, plus mimosas, bloody Marys, and more.

Their indoor dining room was built to impress with its many cozy tables and ample seating at the bar. Although you can catch a view of the bay from the dining room, treat yourself to the best view of the waterside by grabbing a seat on the deck. From there, you can see miles of water and even catch glimpses of the local wildlife in their native habitat. You can even get a closer look by taking a stroll along the dock while waiting for your food to arrive at the table.

All throughout your meal, you’ll get doted on by the attentive servers. They will check in regularly to top off your drinks and make sure your meal lives up to all your expectations. Although you’ll see them often, they always seem to know when to drop by without interrupting your great times.

You’ll absolutely love to try their:

Point Washington Rolls
You really haven’t had spring rolls until you’ve tried the Point Washington Rolls. They start with a thin rice wrapper that’s filled with chopped poblano peppers and alligator tasso. Then, before rolling it all up, they drizzle on the hog island sauce to create the perfect mix of flavors.

Faux Ya Ya
The Faux Ya Ya is shrimp and grits reimagined, giving you a whole new way to appreciate this dish. It begins with fried fontina polenta cakes set upon a generous portion of peppery arugula. Over that, they pile on the sautéed prosciutto, pancetta and cremini mushrooms in a cream sauce. Herb-sautéed shrimp are placed on top to finish it all off right.

Grouper Ravioli
When you want something entirely different, put the Grouper Ravioli on your radar. You’ll love how the blackened grouper filet pairs with the rich goat cheese ravioli. The pesto cream sauce, arugula, and tomato bring everything together, while the sweet potato hay is the icing on the cake.

Their drink menu is just as impressive as all their appetizers, entrees, and desserts. They have a long list of spirits available, in which they happily transform into cocktails at your whim. You can also take advantage of their 12-draft beer system that keeps all your favorites on tap at regular intervals. If wine is more your thing, they have that, too. In fact, they have a full two-page menu dedicated to all the reds, whites, and dessert wines you could ever want.

Insider Tips:
– If you want to order off their brunch menu, you’ll have to come by on Sunday from 11 am to 2 pm.
– When dining with a big group, keep in mind that they will only split the check between three different parties.
– They host happy hour every day from 4 pm to 6 pm, so come by then if you want great deals. Only certain drinks qualify for the discount, but you can order anything your heart desires.
– On Saturday and Sunday, they bring in live music acts to entertain their patrons. You can check their Facebook page to see who’s playing and when.