Food: 4 stars Service: 5 stars Ambiance: 5 stars Pending review but enjoy the photos In the meantime. Highly recommend read more

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We usually try to get to the veranda once a year for a special occasion as it is a special place. Recent reviews had me wondering if it was still so special and we were not disappointed. We had requested the patio garden seating and we received a call several hours prior to our reservation saying there was rain in the forecast and if we wanted to cancel that would be fine or they would hold a table for us inside. I thought that gesture showed good management and care for their customers. As it turned out we drove through pouring rain until we were about a mile from the veranda and then it just became cloudy and we were able to enjoy our dinner in the patio garden completely to ourselves. We opted for the valet parking which is always a nice touch and we're greeted by the tuxedo clad maître D and we were shown to our table in the lovely garden. Courtney was our delightful server and even though she was relatively new (7 months)to the veranda she was well-versed with the cocktails, specials of the evening and had answers to all of our questions. Bottom line is all of our food was excellent and as the pictures hopefully present, presentation was lovely. Based on our recent visit I would have to say that the veranda continues to be an excellent choice for those who are looking for an upscale dining experience in a lovely classic setting, be it indoors or in their lovely patio garden. read more

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What a stunning patio! My parents picked this restaurant for celebrating my brother's birthday during our trip, and it was a great choice. AMBIANCE The patio setting is idyllic: a small pond with koi fish, a little water feature, and incredible tropical plants surrounding you. The patio isn't crammed with tables so it feels like a very intimate and peaceful experience! The inside is darling too: they have a bar area with rich dark wood, a piano bar with live music, and old Fort Myers photos adorning the walls. Very country club vibes! The first room has the most character, but they have a ton more space and seating throughout the building - plus what I think is a large group or catering space upstairs. Even the bathrooms have old classic charm! FOOD The food was great! Expect steep prices but some great meat and fish offerings. I love that they offer bread and salad to start - a classic experience. Their bread and cornbread with the hot pepper jam were so good! Loved their pepperoncini creamy salad dressing too - so unique. My mom and I split the special (halibut) and the Cod, and I was surprised by the plate sizing disparity. One was huge and the other was tiny. My dad got the lamb chops and they were cooked to perfection. My brother got their special seafood linguine and loved it - it was huge! SERVICE The service was the only element that was a bit lacking during our dining experience. It felt like our server was pushing certain things - he made a comment twice about one of the fish dishes not being his favorite, and it felt like he was disappointed (?) when we picked certain menu items. A bit too much opinion in service for me. I was pretty surprised they didn't do anything for my brother's birthday, too. At this level of a restaurant, I'd expect event just a small scoop of ice cream with a candle, or a piece of chocolate to recognize it. We noted this in our reservation and mentioned it a few times during our meal. read more

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We had an awesome experience! We definitely had the best spot in the place, outside right next to the koi pond surrounded by some amazing foliage. The restaurant looks like you're walking into an old house and the inside is decked out in old photos, dark wood and soft low light whereas the patio is surrounded by big plants making it feel quaint and private and the sound of running water nearby. The food is great and has a little bit of everything from fresh fish to lamb and steak. The servers are kind and professional for a fine dining experience like this. read more

The Veranda - Escargot - Southern Near Me - Fort Myers, Florida

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Dined with friends the other evening celebrating a birthday at the Veranda. It was my first time patronizing the Veranda and I was immediately impressed upon entering the establishment due to the elegance and classy appearance of the restaurant. We were greeted by a waiter dressed in tuxedo to match the elegance of the Veranda. The restaurant is a lovely home converted into a spacious restaurant with a lovely garden style patio for outside dining, weather permitting. The Service was very professional and our waiter, Ramsey , looked the part. Dinner included a salad with a dressing of your choice. Bread and butter were also served. My guests enjoyed their meal which included mashed potatoes, vegetables and their main dish. I must be picky because I did not enjoy my steak. It was not flavorful and needed salt. Condiments were not present on the table however. So, I ate it anyway, just like mama taught me. Eat what's on your plate and be thankful to God that you have food to eat said my mama's voice , still ringing in my ears after all these years. Oh , mama Valet parking is available. There is also a public parking garage nearby. All in all , we all enjoyed a pleasant evening at the Veranda. I'll be back. Next time I'll order the Shrimp Scampi. What could go wrong ?! read more

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We sat at the bar. The service was terrible. Not that it was busy but the bartender just did not have any time for us. We ordered appetizers. Two scallops for $21. 4 grilled portobello mushroom parts for $11.95. These could not have been more than the size of a half dollar. We will not be back. read more

Great service! The food was average nothing special at all. Even the steak was bland . It's pricy but average food. The drinks were well made ! Old school restaurant cute vibe read more

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Food service atmosphere good. Went with parents who had been emailed gift card from my sister in AZ, restaurant refused to honor it. Absolute nonsense. Mike was waiter who was fantastic until he shrugged his shoulders in a IDGAF gesture No, effort to resolve, or anything. Our family will be fine even after getting cheated out of 150 dollars. I asked wife who was doing our check to get it back out of the tip, maybe then Mike would GAF, but she is too nice. read more

We visited Veranda tonight. We go every few years. We love the ambience, Old Florida. Waiter was pleasant and attentive. We each had a drink, good but pricey. The lobster bisque and crab cakes were excellent. My wife had the salmon dinner, very tasty. I had the special coffee ground rubbed ribeye. The coating had a pleasant taste, however, the ribeye steak was disappointing. I found it had lots of muscle and a little grizzle. Disappointing for a steak that price. First time I've had disappointing meal so we will be back again, but felt I needed to express disappointment in their steak selection. read more

"Resting on your laurels." Whatever The Veranda was, or was to be, is no more. Its reputation brought me for one time only, and forever I will never return. Dissatisfied and disappointed is an understatement. If this is was benchmark for fine dining, I hope other restaurants don't follow. SERVICE: Failed to bring wine list, constant persistent what do you want for dinner (we just sat down and need to review the appetizer), dirty bread plates remained on table for 30 minutes, jam for bread (never provided a spoon so dripping onto the table (never cleaned), busboy constantly trying to remove food not done with yet, and they no busing for long times. FOOD; Appetizer (escargot) provided no serving spoons for table - asked 3x for it - took 10 minutes to get. FOOD: $65 NY Strip, tasted like a $5 chuck steak, absolutely horrible. One of the worst I ever had. WAITER: (Mike) Completely unacceptable and with everlasting chip on his shoulder. Do yourself a favor head to Capitol Grill instead. Will never be back, will never recommend. read more

Food service and ambience are all first class! You won't have to look at some customer wearing a baseball cap here! read more

The veranda is honestly one of the gems of Lee County, Florida. It is definitely a restaurant that you go for special occasions. The service and atmosphere is absolutely divine. Highly recommend ! read more

The Veranda - Escargot & 1924 bourbon aged Cabernet - Southern Near Me - Fort Myers, Florida

The waitress was cold and acted aggravated because we had to change our selection. The size of the sea bass was not sufficient. I don't think it was over 4 oz. The ribeyes were fork tender and good. Ambiance was great but over all I want to fill welcomed at where I eat and feel like our waiter is also enjoying serving me. Would not go back, too many other fine restaurants in town. read more

One of the best meals I've ever had. Our server, Winston, was wonderful, helpful, and comical. The building is unassuming from the outside but a true fine dining experience on the inside. Here is what we ordered: Myself: Blue crab cakes appetizer- AMAZING Coffee crusted filet entree- best steak I've ever had Peanut butter fudge pie dessert- delicious but incredibly rich Husband: Lobster bisque appetizer- delicious and creamy Rack of lamb- another hit, cooked to perfection Baileys Irish cream cheesecake- unique and tasty, not too sweet and better balanced than my dessert This will absolutely be a go to dining experience for us! read more

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We had six people in our party. All of whom understood that there was a fixed menu. We arrived at the restaurant. We're allowed to have a drink at the bar waiting for our party to be completed. Upon being seated, our waiter was Pete. Well, that's when the disaster began. He was the most miserable uncommunicative and rude server. I have ever experienced in a restaurant before after I was served my meal, which was cold. He took it back through additional sauce on it, and the meat was still cold. When I went to the manager of the restaurant I told him what had happened. His attitude was not any better than Pete's. If you decide you're going to visit this restaurant, I would suggest that you ask for anybody other than Pete and be aware of the manager with the attitude. We were very disappointed. The food was not that good so my rating would be a two star. read more

We are new to Fort Myers so we are trying all the suggestions that our friends are giving us. First about Veranda, very classic. Great service, good cocktails. Well made. We decided to have the Caesar Salad made table side (very old school, we know) but we wanted to try the dressing ... Good, we like more anchovies on our dressing. Main courses were good, didn't take long to come and the steak was at the right temperature. Dessert ok. Music it was a piano jazz going on, very relaxing. It was a great suggestion. Not totally impressed but not disappointed read more

Really lovely - r new fav place in Ft.Myers!! We have struggled to find good food along w/ambiance in Ft. Myers despite trying many recommended upscale places. The Veranda (at least the bar portion) is the perfect fit, which is odd b/c I really don't care for older Victorian type homes so expected it was going to b a 1 and done experience. Nope! The service from most of the staff was excellent (r waitress at the bar was a bit slow at refreshing drinks, etc but we weren't in a rush), they were dressed up, personable, lighting and decor created a mood that made us feel like we were somewhere special and parking was easy on the street or with their valet. It felt welcoming and cozy but in an upscale way. Most people were sitting on the pretty patio, but we opted to sit at the piano. The bar isn't too big - they have L shaped seating as well as high top seating at the end of a piano. We specifically went on a night when they had piano music and r so glad we did b/c it elevated the experience. The pianist was quite good - loud enough to create a good vibe without being too much, sort of classic songs. Could have done without his singing, but it was soft singing so whatever. They have some nice wines by the glass at what I thought were appropriate prices. The caesar salad was very generous, fresh and tasty. Thank u for the light dressing!!! So often Caesar salads r dripping in thick dressing or have wilting lettuce and this one was refreshing and perfect. The sausage with grit cake was nice to try. The sausage was very flavorful and enjoyable. The grit cake - meh, but what do u expect from grits. Perhaps creamier grits would taste better, but then it wouldn't hold it's shape for the presentation. I'd been told that the Veranda is a lot of old people and stuffy. We r in Ft. Myers during snowbird season so of course there r many older folks, but it was a fabulous experience. If u haven't tried Veranda yet, give it a shot. We will definitely return to the bar for more drinks, apps and music. read more

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From the moment you step inside, you're transported back in time. There is piano music playing and very well dressed servers. Their service is 20/10. Super attentive, personable and professional. Had the table side Caesar salad for two, 100% must try. It is so good, probably top 3 best Caesar's I've ever had. Also had the lobster bisque for starter and the Filet Mignon for entree. All the food was decadent. Although very pricey, it was worth every penny. Highly suggest making reservations. read more

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To say the least this restaurant was disappointing. I was expecting more than fountain minute maid lemonade for a restaurant of this caliber. The waiter didn't tell us that the starter salads would be 12.95 each. My wife's scallops tasted like ammonia. The quality of my ribeye was poor. All a good steak needs is the right amount of salt and pepper, my steak tasted like it had neither (just straight iron). read more

Service food and ambiance was fantastic. Old school charm with a stunning patio. Would definitely recommend

We arrived at The Veranda and were automatically in love with the setting, from the Old Florida feel to the pianist, we knew from that moment that it was the perfect place to celebrate our anniversary dinner. Here's the run down: The bread is a tad sweet but it's delicious The corn bread is possibly one of the best I have ever tried. My husband agrees. I had the house salad that comes with tomatoes, leafy greens, hearts of palm and a choice of dressing. I chose the blue cheese dressing that was delicious and did not overpower the salad. We ordered the ribeye which was the special of the day that came with mashed potatoes and broccolini and the salmon that comes with rice and asparagus. I absolutely loved the ribeye but my husband thought the salmon was a bit too sweet but still super tasty. For desert we shared the peanut butter fudge pie and seriously, that was to die for. You cannot go wrong with that! Rob, our server, was beyond fantastic. He was pleasant , attentive and had a great sense of humor. Overall, it was a fantastic anniversary dinner and I would go back any day. read more

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Food service ambience all terrible. We will not return or recommend. We were celebrating our anniversary and it was a terrible experience. Didn't wish us a happy anniversary. Service was not good, waited for a long time for Mike to finally approach our table. Mike was rude. Had to ask for wine list. Food was underwhelming. read more

Very good meal in such a historic location. Started with a round of good cocktails at bar with attentive bartenders. Had a really good meal with a chicken and shrimp dish and a coffee rubbed ribeye special. The meals include a nice house salad and a bread dish including sweet corn bread rolls that may be the best thing there. Service was really good, the ambiance is nice, the food was solid. read more

Okay we have returned to celebrate for an early 1 year anniversary!! Another great dining experience... we had a few cocktails to start at the bar. Then ordered a bottle of red wine for dinner. To start we had the incredible escargot... well worth it with the sauce and the pastry and not to fight with the shells is a plus! And very meaty For the entrée, I went with the delicious scallops and the waiter suggested the risotto instead of the orzo; great choice! My boyfriend ordered the ribeye with veggies and potatoes. For a man that doesn't like veggies he ate them but not the zucchini... The waiter talked us into the homemade special baileys and cheesecake... so so good. We should have taken it home. It was just too much! Great service and staff! Can't wait to return. Again would recommend for a special date night. read more

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We enjoyed our time at the Veranda. It was classy but comfortable. The service was excellent. The food was fresh and prepared nicely but 3 out of 4 of us thought it needed more flavor. read more

I wanted to love this place so much but unfortunately I didn't. I didn't love really anything until the end. What's not to love when you think about a lovely dinner in a charming historic home, as I saw in the photos for The Veranda? When you walk in the first thing you notice is the damp, musty smell of the building. Once we were seated we quickly realized we were seated right on top of another table who even commented and had their server pick their table up in the middle of dinner and move it away from our table. We were so overwhelmed by how hot and stuffy it was that we asked to be seated outside, the hostess promptly set a table up outside and we were very grateful for that. The ambiance outside was delightful with a cute pond and a Christmas tree for the holiday season; it was much better than what we saw inside. I ordered the lobster bisque, the honey glazed salmon, and the crème brûlée. The lobster bisque was flavorless with no noticeable pieces of lobster in it at all. The only thing you tasted was cream without an ounce of seasoning; was an unbelievable let down. With your meals you'll receive a bread basket with cornbread, what looked like pumpernickel, butter, and a pepper jam. The cornbread was fantastic but the bread was dense and under baked; more air was needed and a longer rise. Moving onto our mains, and the salmon filet. As you can see from the photos the first thing we noticed was the butter pouring off of the fish and again a complete lack of seasoning with the rice being the only thing well seasoned I ate during my entire meal. My green beans were "selectively" trimmed which made zero sense and the carrot was clearly cooked for the same amount of time as the green beans so it was very undercooked; almost raw. They say to save the best for last and that's exactly what happened with dessert. We had the crème brûlée and it was like eating from a completely different restaurant. Our server said that the gentleman who makes the desserts only makes the desserts and has been for 20 years. If only he made dinner too. The brûlée was silky and not overcooked with fresh fruit, fresh cream, and a tangy raspberry puree which was a delightful relief from the sweetness. It. Was. Delicious. I landed on a 3-star review solely because of the service our server Ramsay gave us and the dessert, in reality this is a 2-star experience for me. If you are going to have a $200 bill for two people I expect more than good plate composition, I need amazing flavors too. I would completely avoid eating dinner here, go have a nice dinner somewhere else but swing by after for a cocktail and an amazing dessert; you will leave a lot more satisfied than I did. read more

The Veranda - Southern Near Me - Fort Myers, Florida

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A hidden gem in Fort Myers. Took Mrs. O for dinner. Valet parking helps as it rained when we were leaving. My steaks great--done to order Pittsburgh style, medium rare. Service attentive and punctual. Ambience perfect for this special meals. read more

Our children had given us a gift certificate to Veranda for our birthdays. So when Dave's son came to visit last week, we decided to go. It is a beautiful Victorian house that is tucked away among the big buildings, downtown Ft. Myers. It was a Thursday night and we had 6:45 reservations. The place was super busy, but we were seated inside promptly. I wished we would of sat in the gardens. It was very noisy inside. Matthew said the first room reminded him of somewhere Ernest Hemingway would have lived in. We were seated in the second room. There was a fireplace and lots of wall paper and the room was packed. All the servers were dressed in tuxedos. The menu seemed pretty expensive for people like us, who like a good meal. This was a special occasion and we enjoyed the service and the ambience. Most entrees were between $39.00 and $59.00. Each came with a nice house salad. I had the veal piccata with mashed potatoes, green beans and carrots. Dave had the crab cakes and Matthew had the southern sampler. Seafood and steak and pasta. The food was very good. Because Dave had been ill for his birthday, Mike brought him a beautiful birthday dessert. Chocolate cake, ice cream, chocolate syrup and whipped and there was enough for me to have a taste. It was a special and beautiful evening. We will return when my daughter visits from Colorado! The Veranda is a lovely and memorable restaurant to dine in. read more

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No changing tables in the bathrooms. Please be more accommodating to families with small children so we don't have to change our daughter on the bathroom floor. read more

Timeless. Classic ambiance. Professional waitstaff, great food. Perfect for a romantic evening or special occasion.

I have been here several time. But never at night time. Today we celebrate friends' wedding anniversary. It is good place for this occasion. Many people fully dress for the occasion. We started with house complimentary jam, muffins and bread. We also got some portobello mushroom bruschetta. It was delicious. The entree comes with house salad and I got two types of sauce. My entree is roasted bake rack of lamb. It come with eight bones. The lamb was will roast with pink medium meat. Seasoning on the lamb is perfect. For dessert we have creme brûlée which is not too sweet for closing the night. Perfect for tasting. Service is great. We were treat nicely. read more

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Amazing experience , was very magical and the service really good , everyone was great , and very clean with a nice piano jazz music in the background read more

Hard to believe you pay $210.00 for 2 peoples dinner and the food was dry as a bone and unflavorful. I ordered a drink and it came back with sewer fly in it. Very disappointed to say the least. I have eaten there 4 or 5 times over the 55 years I have lived in Fort Myers, and every time I go, I say I will never go back..That was the absolute last time!! Did I mention it was my wife and mine 54th wedding anniversary?? Lot better places to eat in the Fort for less money!! Thank me later! read more

First impression when you walk in it's old and has a musky smell. Once you get past that the service and food was good. They had live piano music. We started with the crab cake it had good flavor and sauce. We were going to order the Caesar salad. The issue was the entree came with a salad and couldn't be substituted. So we missed out on the table side Caesar. I had the seafood sampler it had fish,scallops, and shrimp over a bed of pasta. It was good and had excellent flavors. My wife had the sea bass over risotto. It was also excellent l. We enjoyed it and would go back. One thing we weren't offered bottled water and the water wasn't filtered it had the Florida water smell which isn't something I will drink. I think if your going to serve tap water at least filter it. read more

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We were VERY disappointed with the Valentine Dinner last night. Ordered the Escargot...horrible!!! We've had escargot in France, NYC, Portland and cruise ships...NEVER Ever at this poor quality that was served last night!!! Our entree's were served lukewarm warm...great taste just cold asparagus and potatoes!! We actually just took our desserts home...we just wanted the dinner over!!! VERY DISAPPOINTED in the lack of QUALITY!!!! SAD!!! read more

The Veranda was our date night while in Fort Myers to celebrate our Anniversary which we have been too busy with work and kids to celebrate. It was everything we had hoped for and more! The Food, Service, and Ambiance were romantic, outstanding and so exceptional - I have to give a huge thank you to our server Vanessa. We love food and dining but of all the meals we have had this was the BEST. We started with the Escargot, then I had the Scallops and my husband had the Chilean Sea Bass it was outstanding!! If this was my last meal I'd die happy. The restaurant surprised us with the most delicious Key Lime pie for our dessert. Thank you Veranda Chef's, Staff, and Vanessa! We will be back next year to celebrate our Anniversary. read more

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Would like to go there on special occasions, and eat outside on the veranda. But it's a good place to take people that are visiting also. The food is excellent and so are the drinks. read more

As for the gulf platter the shrimp was fair, the scallops tasted like iodine. They ruined the whole meal. I couldn't eat it. The pasta was good. The veal piccata was over cooked and crusted. It should have had a creamier zestier lemon sauce. They didn't use white wine. Basically the dishes I had were sub par. The place has a very musty almost mildew smell when you walk in. I do not recon this restaurant as a top shelf restaurant to go to in Ft Myers. Don't believe the hype. The waitress and bus boy were extremely nice.!! read more

Chose the Veranda for our anniversary dinner because I always considered it the best in the area. My wife and I decided on the ribeye steak on the strong recommendation of the waiter who said he had sampled it earlier. The presentation was nice but both steaks were so tough with connective tissue that it was even difficult to cut with the steak knifes. After only a few bites we both quit eating. I complained to the waiter who acknowledged that the meat was tough, then quickly left. There are too many good restaurants around Ft. Myers to have to accept what I am sure was known by management as an unsatisfactory meal. Les Lincke read more

Food was decent but nothing memorable. Wine menu is an absolute joke, with the vintage menu listing bottles that retail for $20 at well over $125+. Selections in wine were piss poor. All of the staff wore goofy ill-fitting tuxedos that looked absurd. The inside was so dated and in desperate need of an update. Servers backhanding people, wine service all improper. Loud servers working guerdons right where we were dining. Carpet was dingy and gross in the dining room. No enforcement of dress code. Music was all over the place. It's like a child's idea of fine dining. Soup was served cold. Food was okay but not spectacular. read more