#23 of 131 Pensacola Beach Restaurants

DRIFT

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Drift – Offering the Full Dining Experience in Pensacola Beach
Local Expert's Rating:
4.5 / 5
The Bottom Line:

If you are in the mood for a truly innovative culinary experience, nothing but Drift will do. Through their creative menus, they have proudly brought Crudo dishes to Pensacola Beach, providing everyone with an exciting fusion of flavors. With its amazing views and serene atmosphere, their beachfront restaurant provides the perfect setting to enjoy those creations.

- The FloridaPanhandle.com Local Expert Team

At Drift, they make it their mission to provide you with fine dining at its absolutely best. The experience starts upon walking into their luxurious dining room surrounded by picture windows. Everywhere you look, there are gorgeous views of the Emerald Gulf Coast and its stunning waters beyond.

Upon settling in at your table, your server will come by to get your drink orders and provide menus. You have your choice of many classic and specialty drinks, from margaritas to espresso martinis. If you prefer wine, you can order it by the glass or the bottle. They even have Coravin wines that have not been exposed to oxygen to keep every glass fresh and crisp. Non-alcoholic drink options abound as well, including coffee and tea.

Upon looking past the tasty beverages, you will see that the brunch and dinner menus are where it’s at. Their offerings highlight their dedication to serving Crudo dishes made with the chef’s personalized flair. The Crudo way brings together all the flavors of the Mediterranean and elevates them even further. As the bright, interesting flavors comingle, they tantalize your taste buds and keep you intrigued throughout your entire meal.

Fan favorites on their menu include:

King Crab Omelet with Gruyere Cheese
When you hit this venue at brunchtime, order up the King Crab Omelet with Gruyere Cheese for an out of this world flavor experience. They start this dish with three eggs, whipped up and cooked to create the omelet base. Then, they absolutely smother those eggs with lump crab and gruyere mornay sauce by the boatload.

Seafood Tower
For a taste of all the Gulf has to offer, let your server know you want the Seafood Tower stat. This tower features king crab, snow crab claws, lobster, shrimp, scallops, oysters, and mussels galore. They serve it all up with cocktail sauce, dijonnaise, and fresh lemon to elevate the flavors even more.

Seared Wagyu Filet Medallions
Served on its own, unless you elect otherwise, the Seared Wagyu Filet Medallions never fail to delight. They are cooked to perfection every time and treat your taste buds to the best bite after bite. To boost the flavors in your meal, you can add pan-seared foie gras or wild mushrooms for an extra charge. But for a truly delightful dish, elect to make it Oscar, which piles on the asparagus, jumbo lump crabmeat, and bearnaise sauce.

Florida Grouper
If you want an iconic Gulf dish, then go with the Florida Grouper. To make this meal, they take large fish filets, slap on a parmesan crust, and pan sear them to a light golden brown. Then, they serve it up with capers, parsley, and lemon beurre blanc all over the top.

Although the food and atmosphere will undoubtedly delight you, it is the exceptional level of service that elevates the dining experience to great heights. From their first warm welcome, your servers always go out of their way to ensure you feel like the only person in the restaurant. Even when it is busy, they flit through the dining room, keeping drinks full and delivering food piping hot.

Insider Tips:
– If you want to partake in happy hour, you just have to visit from 4 pm to 6 pm and sidle up to the bar rail. They will serve you $5 drinks galore and wine discounted by half. Their Coravin wines are excluded from the discount, however.
– Brunch is only served on Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 2 pm. They open their bar at 4 pm every day of the week, starting the day off with happy hour. Dinner is served at 5 pm until close, 7 days a week.