I recently had the pleasure of celebrating my birthday at Tradewinds. We made a reservation for 6 and were seated the moment we arrived. Our waitress Fiona was the best! So friendly and knowledgeable of the options. We all made our selections and waited patiently for the food to arrive. Drinks were filled frequently and salads came right out. As for entrees I had the best Chicken Marsala I've ever had. My friend had Chicken Alfredo and she loved it. Every person at our table loved their food. Fiona didn't let us down either. She was engaging and fun during our the entire dinner. If excellent food and wonderful service is what you are looking for? Don't waste any time. Make your reservation for a wonderful dinner tonight! read more

OMG. This place is awesome. Last year we had a group of 10 and we were celebrating a birthday. Everyone enjoyed their meals and the even let us bring our own birthday cake in which the staff sliced and served to us after we sang happy birthday. This year there was just a party of 6 of us so it was easier to give a food review. Everyone had wonderful meals that consisted of Linguine & Mussels, Tom's Pasta, Linguine $ Shrimp, and three of the bacon wrapped tenderloins with squash risotto which was a special for the night. A cannoli was ordered to go. Everyone reported that their meals were delicious. The three of us who had the tenderloin special were amazed and we agreed that it was just as good as what you get at a Ruth Chris Steakhouse but half the price. The steaks were topped with a screwer of 3 perfectly prepared steak and topped with an onion bourbon sauce. The squash risotto was perfectly prepared also. The cannoli was delicious, not too sweet. Our waiter was awesome and I wished we had gotten his name. He packed up all our leftovers and was knowledgeable about questions we had on the menu. He has great customer service skills. We look forward to visiting this restaurant again. They don't open until 5 pm Tuesday-Saturday. We visit the area 4-5 months a year so are limited to our visits. Wish they were open for lunches. read more

TradeWinds Italian Restaurant - Bacon wrapped tenderloin on squash risotto topped with shrimp and onion bacon bourbon sauce-special for the evening. - Italian Near Me - Niceville, Florida

Have been here numerous times. Sometimes it's hit or miss. This time it was a hit. They have removed a few tables which is good. It was always cramped & noisy. Both in my party had the bacon wrapped filet over risotto with poblamo peppers, it was good but needed a bit more time cooking. It was more ricey if that makes sense. The steak was cooked perfectly & delicious. It came with 3 shrimp with a sauce over top which was tasty, a little sweet for my taste but good. Service was very good & they have a nice wine list also. Pricing was affordable. Overall good dinner. Will go back again. The parking is a bit weird now, don't go in front entrance or you have to back out onto hwy. The new building next door has that pass thru blocked, go to next block & park out back. read more

TradeWinds Italian Restaurant - Bacon wrapped filet with 3 shrimp over risotto - Italian Near Me - Niceville, Florida

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At last, I've been coming to the Crestview and Niceville area for last 3 years and can now finally say I've found a restaurant where I look forward to having another dinner out. The food was awesome - our entrees of the Mediterraneo (seafood), fettuccine Alfredo (with Grilled chicken), lasagna (two meats) were all top notch plus we shared some delightful bread & tiramisu (also very good). Wait staff was also on top of things - Christian (sp?) took great care of us. We made reservations for 6pm on a Tuesday and were glad we did. Only a couple tables were available throughout our dinner (on an off season Tuesday). Thank you! read more

Family operation with authentic Italian food. It's very busy and kind of crowded, but for good reason. The ambiance was dated but interesting and clean. Parking was the only negative but go early and make reservations. read more

Always amazing food and service! My favorite restaurant in the Niceville, Ft. Walton, Destin circle. 5

An absolute GEM of an Italian restaurant - the best for miles around! As they say - never judge a book by its cover and never ever do that in the case of TradeWinds! The parking lot and exterior facade of the building could mislead you - it ain't fancy - but once you get inside.....amazing. It is small-ish with not too many tables, so it's quaint and cozy. Their Italian food is amazing. Based on a trusted recommendation from my friend (who introduced me to this place!) I had the Grouper My Way - served over angel hair pasta. OMG, am I in heaven or what?!?!? It was sooooo good. And the bread?? I think it must come directly from Italy, LOL! Excellent. Had a lovely glass of Chardonnay to go with, and this experience made my week! I was there visiting a friend and had heard about TradeWinds for some time - was so happy to finally experience it! Our server Christian was wonderful. The service and the food is exemplary. You must try it out!! Be sure to make reservations in advance. read more

My first visit but definitely not my last! Bread was great, salad was great, and too many interesting entrees to choose from. Even the olive oil was great! And service was impeccable. When I'm back in the area, I'm eating here. read more

One of the worst we've ever had Place was extremely too cold too dark and the food was bland. I would not recommend going to this place.

The food is delicious though the portions could honestly be larger. That's a compliment to them though because they are THAT good you want more! The Service is terrific and friendly. The ambiance is cozy and nice. read more

So we've been back here about 5 times in the last three months. We just CANNOT get enough! Always great service and the food is always so delicious! We recommend making a reservation!! read more

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Excellent - We are weekly patrons Meals are impeccable and so is the service What a GEM in Niceville, Florida read more

The food is always amazing. We love making this jewel our go to on special occasions. A chef's kiss to a fabulous dinner date. read more

TradeWinds Italian Restaurant - The always delish Puttanesca - Italian Near Me - Niceville, Florida

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The special of the day was amazing and everyone else in the group all said their was excellent too! The fresh bread and dipping oil was a great start to the great meal...nice warm bread with a nice garlic bomb of oil...yum! read more

I wanted to try a local spot while in town. They have plenty of chain restaurants that you can have at any time. I checked the reviews, and reservations were recommended, so I gave them a call to check if they had seating available. The gentleman on the phone was so nice and made a reservation for me and told me to stop by. We were greeted at the door and a table was ready for us. Our waitress, Wendy, came over for our drink order and let us know she had fresh bread coming for us. BTW, while walking up to the restaurant, you could smell the garlic in the air. The bread arrives, and we give it a try. It was delicious, and even my mom liked it. She ate three pieces! She is not a bread person. We tried the crab cake appetizer. My mom, who said she was not hungry, proceeded to eat the entire crab cake. It was filled with crab meat, and the filling was not overpowering. I asked Wendy for her recommendation between the pizza and the calzone. She said she would have the pizza for the first time. I opted for the CAPRICCIOSA pizza that has almost everything. The crust is super thin, which I like because I am more into toppings. I could see them cook my pizza from where I was sitting, and it came to the table as soon as it left the oven. Needless to say, of course, I almost burned myself trying to get it in my mouth. I couldn't help it. The pizza smelled so good, and I was excited. It was worth the temporary numbness. The crust was light, and the toppings were flavorful. I was halfway in before I remembered to take a picture. I am glad I had a chance to stop by here. From a look at the other tables, the past portion sizes were quite large, and everyone seemed to enjoy their food. read more

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Always great to enjoy an excellent Italian meal - instead of going for my normal fare - I tried a Calzone, something I haven't had since serving in USAF in San Vito, IT. It was a meal for two or three and I loaded it with Yummie ingredients - It was tasty and took 2/3 home with me. Our server Melody is a true professional server and loves her peeps! Great to get a reservation at the bar to see how George and team create their signature dishes. If you haven't been - make a reservation. The decor makes you feel like a family restaurant. read more

I had heard so much about this place and how good the food was so needless to say I was a little disappointed when it didn't meet my expectations. I thought I would try the raviolis. They sounded delicious but when the dish arrived, it was covered in sauce and smothered and mozzarella on top. I thought the ravioli should've been the star of the dish and they hit it. It was just too much such a shame because the ravioli themselves were very good but they got lost in the sauce and the massive amounts of mozzarella melted on top . The staff was extremely pleasant and I would have found the prices reasonable had the food been better.... read more

Seriously the best Italian food I've had. Neat atmosphere and great service. I got the shrimp Alfredo and it comes with bread and side salad. Super amazing. read more

TradeWinds Italian Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Niceville, Florida

I came here for my birthday dinner. This restaurant has been around for 20 years and I'm just now learning about it. Well I've been back for three years but this was WOW. I love Italian. Lived in Italy for two years. I miss the food! You need a reservation and there are two sittings at 5 & 7 pm. We went to the 5 because going to a movie after. Parking in front or around back. You have to enter from the front. They have covered patio seating as well. Tables are spaced out to keep inline with Covid rules. Waitress was outstanding and very helpful. Don't eat all the bread and the dipping oil. I had to stop myself from eating so much. Love the garlic in the olive oil. We had an app of bruschetta and it was delicious. Wine was on point. We all had something different to eat. I truly enjoyed my meal called principessa. I had leftovers for two additional meals. Tiramisu was delicious. I apologize for having eaten half way before taking a picture. If you're in the area and want a very low key Italian meal this is it. read more

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Very nice service and environment. Had a great time and ate great food. Only downside is the size being quite small which is not important unless you have a big group. read more

The service is relaxed yet formal enough for a special dinner. The servers are attentive and friendly. I cannot say enough about the delicious Italian food! My favorites are eggplant parmigiana and the pepperoni pizza but everything is fantastic! read more

Excellent! First time eating here and the service was wonderful and the food was excellent! 4 of us and we all loved what we got. We got the cannoli to go and can't wait to get back to enjoy it! read more

Lovely atmosphere, fair prices. Great service. I'm only giving it a 3 because I ordered a grouper dish and it was not great at all. The fish was hard and rubbery. I had to use a knife to cut it and even then it didn't give much. I didn't say anything to the server because it's not like they could re-cook it. It was also almost time to close and I didn't want to hold anyone up. (Or get my food spit in) But that dish was surprisingly awful. I will go back again and give it another try. So many positive reviews and I feel like it would be worth going back just for the pre-meal bread. My husband had a pizza and didn't have any complaints. read more

Molly our waitress was fabulous. First time there with a group of 10 friends. Food came out quickly, and was deeeelicious! Mussels were the best I've had in Florida. Crab cakes could have been main course. So much crab! read more

TradeWinds Italian Restaurant - Grilled eggplant Parmigiano. - Italian Near Me - Niceville, Florida

Fantastic food. Incredible service. One of the best restaurants in the Panhandle and better than 90% of 30a. Would love to recommend you dine here, but it's hard enough to get a reservation. So, stay away!! read more

Pleasantly not surprised because all the other great reviews stated the same. This place is all about the food, portions. and friendly service. Parking is sort of tight and disorganized, the building is a one story added on to structure that is fine but nothing fancy. The food is simply amazing, we skipped the apps and went straight to the entres, tried a lot of different dishes and all were delicious and large enough to share. Had the Tom's Pasta, Clams and Pasta, Lasagne and others. Table got real quiet as we devoured and enjoyed. Service was perfect, not too much time waiting and food came out quickly. This is a great family friendly restaurant, make reservations because it fills up quickly. Lots of couples on date night and great wine selections. Highly recommend and will repeat whenever in Niceville. read more

Oh, we've been coming to TradeWinds for years and years; special occasions usually. There's something absolutely brilliant about them. Everything's always been wonderfully spectacular, safe to say, even memorable. Super top marks for warmth and hospitality, exceptional food quality and superlative execution. Always. They've always been happy and friendly and warm and welcoming and the food has always been wonderful. One of a few places I know with very enthusiastic and highly talented owner/operators. Foodies making food oh, that's a wonderful thing. Totally in Love with their pizzas but went in for the rarely offered special penne bolognes with brothy black bean chorizo soup. Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant! Sure, if you didn't know, it's not exactly easy to find them and parking's tight (though there's parking out back too ...it just took us a few years to realize that). And, the space is small albeit intimate even if you didn't want it to be. Something spectacular's going on here. There's a reason the parking lots almost always full and my best advice is to make a reservation. read more

TradeWinds Italian Restaurant - Penne Bolognese - Italian Near Me - Niceville, Florida

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Disappointing experience. Jammed into a table with little space, it is not quiet or intimate at all. The restaurant is filled with locals who frown at new comers. The food was mediocre at best. Our waitress couldn't understand us, she was wearing shorts and a t-shirt for what we thought was "fine dining" with two giant thy tattoos for everyone to stare at. We had to scream our order and were made to feel dumb when we had questions about the food options or specials. It was not the experience we expected at all sadly. Won't return. Wouldn't recommend you waste your time. read more

Great service. Excellent food. Really enjoyed our meal. Local place - no silly attempt to be fancy just good food and good people.

Forgot to check in but the food was so fantastic, a review was in order. All meals start with homemade bread served with oil and spices. We added Parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar. Our meals were lasagna- a double size wonderful serving. Crab cakes and pasta salad, blackened salmon with grilled blackened shrimp with creamy pasta. Our meals came with a salad. Don't forget your reservations since people who want to work in Niceville are hard to come by. Every restaurant needs help to be able to take care or the customers. read more

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It's been our favorite restaurant for years.. always consistent and quality authentic Italian food.. best pizzas with thin crust is very good!! You will need reservations as they stay booked!!! read more

We're on vacation and drove 30 min to Tradewinds solely based on the reviews. We weren't sure if we were "mislead" based on the look of the place (but you should never judge a book by its cover, right?) Upon arrival, we were asked if we had a reservation, which we did not. My husband, being a typical husband, didn't fully do his research, to which it's says all over their website that THEY RECOMMEND RESERVATIONS! We explained we were unaware and how we had driven so far to come and weren't from around here. We were fortunate to get a table and thanked the very kind manager, as our only other option would have been ordering to-go and driving 30min back to our condo. The service was very accommodating and the food was exceptional. When we visit Destin again, Tradewinds will make the list of stops and we will certainly be sure to make reservations. read more

My server was very nice and made sure to check on us. I went with a big group and the workers did an incredible job on keeping up with us. The food was absolutely splendid. The pasta was cooked perfectly and the bread was nice and warm. The salad was not my favorite but the rest of my appetizer were amazing. The shrimp and bruschetta was something I would definitely get again. read more

The food was good. The mussels tasted yummy. Our server was really nice and gave us everything we needed.

A friend recommended The Trade Winds In Niceville as a great place to go to before the concert we had tickets for at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center. They should have stopped at it's a "great place for dinner". I haven't had food this good and authentic since I used to hang out on Taylor St in Chicago's Little Italy. Definitely give this place 5 stars and will definitely eat there again! read more

Have not been to TW in awhile, joined friends for an early evening of food and wine and good times. Our server was wonderful, quick to anticipate, to replenish TW's fabulous bread, not intrusive. So why only three stars, my entree was barely adequate. Chicken parmgiana, just a slab of chicken (baked, grilled, not sure) over pasta topped with runny marinara sauce and mozzarella. The dish was floating in the runny sauce. I'm thinking the pasta was not drained enough. Also the chicken parm I have had in the past was lightly breaded, this chicken not so much. It was meh. Everyone else at our table seemed to enjoy their entrees. Our red wine was excellent, of course I forgot to get the name! read more

I have been coming to Tradewinds for 3 years now. It's located in a very unassuming house on the way to VPS airport. You would not know it's a restaurant unless you knew it was there. The food and service is outstanding. The prices are very reasonable and portions are large. The owners, George and Sherri are very nice people that know how to treat their customers. We drive from 30 minutes away almost weekly for the experience to eat there. But you better call ahead and get a reservation at least a week in advance or you won't get in. I can't say enough good about this place, other than you need to experience it for yourself. You won't be sorry! read more

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Tradewinds is a locals favorite and getting reservations is a must. The bread was hearty, delicious with the olive oil mix. My husband said the lasagna was one of the best he's had around and we've pretty much to all of them from Destin to Pensacola. The penne carbonara is my favorite here. Tiramisu was good, nothing spectacular, similar to Olive Gardens. Overall you definitely can't go wrong to get your Italian fix here. read more

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Food is amazing and they give you plenty for leftovers! Highly recommend! Service was incredible- they truly make you feel like a special guest. Building is a little old but they have decorated the inside nicely. read more

Favorite Italian restaurant in Niceville. My go to is the Clam Linguine - YUM! I choose the white wine sauce but it is also delicious in the "orange" sauce (red/white mixed). The spaghetti and meatballs are AMAZE-balls. We prefer take-out so we can enjoy our meals at home but I know the ambiance is very nice! Unfortunately we had one minor server/service incident that has deterred us to dine in but we can't not enjoy their delicious pastas and pizzas. Phone service is always impeccable. Wait time is very manageable and appropriate. read more