Where to Eat in Florianópolis

In this post, we’re sharing our tips on where to eat in Florianópolis — and it’s worth starting with the fact that Florianópolis’s food scene carries a strong Portuguese influence, dating back to Azorean colonization that began in 1746. Santa Catarina Island was an important stop for sailors, so fish and seafood dominate the local menus.

There’s also Indigenous influence, especially in the seasonings and use of local flours.

Keep an eye out for regional specialties on the menu — things like berbigão (cockle) pastéis, oysters served raw, scallops, anchova (winter and spring), corvina (year-round), moquecas (made with dendê palm oil and coconut milk, similar to Bahia’s version), sausages from Blumenau, and craft beers from the Itajaí Valley.

Artesano Pizza Bar

• À la carte restaurant
• Pizzeria with vegan options
• Located in Barra da Lagoa

Artesano Pizza Bar is a beautiful, cozy, romantic spot. Great pizza, and a solid recommendation overall.

Location: Servidão das Palmeiras Nativas, 123 — Lagoa da Conceição.

Sorveteria Armação

An ice cream and coffee shop right on Praia da Armação, across from the church, selling popsicles — though we weren’t big fans, it felt a lot like a Tablito (a common Brazilian popsicle brand).

Location: Avenida Antônio Borges dos Santos, 791, sala 2 — Pântano do Sul.

Bar do Arantes — a Florianópolis food tip

• À la carte restaurant
• Brazilian and seafood bar
• Pricey, averaging R$130 per person
• Pleasant atmosphere, with fun notes covering the ceiling

We arrived at Bar do Arantes hungry and ordered a dish for two: Espada (swordfish) with shrimp sauce, served with rice, pirão (cassava porridge), salad, and fries — though the fries were greasy and not very tasty. Overall, the atmosphere was better than the food.

Location: Rua Abelardo Otacílio Gomes, 254 — Pântano do Sul.

Titia Avó Maria Coxinha

• À la carte restaurant
• Brazilian and South American food
• Located in the Santo Antônio de Lisboa neighborhood

We wouldn’t recommend Titia Avó Maria Coxinha — the coxinha (a fried chicken croquette) was not good, with a hard shell when fried and undercooked when baked, and it also took a long time to come out.

Location: Rua Professor Alcídes Goularte, 19 — Santo Antônio de Lisboa.

Colher de Pau — a Florianópolis food tip

• À la carte restaurant
• Brazilian food and seafood
• Located inside the Mercado Municipal

The food and service were wonderful — we ordered a breaded steak that came with rice, black beans, salad, and fries. Genuinely fantastic, and a great option in the city center.

We also had dessert — a Dutch chocolate ice cream from the YPY brand, absolutely delicious, with a chocolate shell just as good as the ice cream inside.

Location: Rua Jerônimo Coelho, 60 — Box 06, Mercado Público, Centro.

Quiosque Chopp Brahma

• À la carte restaurant
• Brazilian food and seafood
• Located inside the Mercado Municipal

We had lunch again at the recently renovated Mercadão, since it was a Sunday and not much else was open in the city.

This time we ordered a delicious shrimp dish called “Chiclete de Camarão” (“shrimp chewing gum”) — shrimp with heavy cream and mozzarella, which stretches like gum when you pull it apart.

Sides: rice, beans or pirão, gratin or fried potatoes, salad, and vegetables.

Location: Rua Jerônimo Coelho, 60, Box 36 — Mercado Público, Centro.

Rancho Açoriano

• À la carte restaurant
• Specializes in seafood

Rancho Açoriano has an extensive seafood menu, and it’s worth noting they also offer vegan and vegetarian options, so there’s something for everyone in a genuinely pleasant setting.

Both the mains and desserts were beautifully presented and delicious. For our main, we ordered grilled fish with shrimp, and for dessert, a chocolate mousse with red berries — both were fantastic.

Location: Rua Desembargador Pedro Silva, 3240 — Coqueiros.

Las Leñas Parrilla Uruguaia

Las Leñas is a beautiful spot for anyone who loves grilled meat — and it’s not just the meat that’s delicious, the sides are great too.

Specializing in Uruguayan-style cuts, served à la carte, this was a genuinely great dining experience.

We ordered the grilled entrecôte with fried polenta, which was wonderfully crispy, and a Petit Gâteau for dessert — it needed a touch more time in the oven to get that melted chocolate center, but it was still good.

Location: Rodovia José Carlos Daux, km 5, 4850 — Saco Grande.

Enjoyed this post? Read more about what to do in the city in What to Do in Florianópolis.

And if you liked this, check out more food tips in where to eat in Pipa and where to eat in Olinda.