Sweetwaters Is Opening on the New River — and Fort Lauderdale Has Been Ready for This

Fort Lauderdale has a waterfront problem. Not a shortage of water — the New River runs right through downtown, the Intracoastal is minutes away, and Las Olas has been trying to be a dining destination for years. The problem is that the restaurants haven't always matched the setting. That changes October 12.

Sweetwaters opens at the newly reimagined Huizenga Park — corner of Las Olas Boulevard and Andrews Avenue, right on the river — and it comes with serious credentials. Specialty Restaurants, the family-owned hospitality group that has operated Miami's Rusty Pelican on Key Biscayne for decades, is behind it. This is their first Florida expansion beyond that single address. They didn't rush it.

The space is nearly 10,000 square feet, 292 seats, and designed to feel like it belongs to the river rather than just facing it. JVB Architect handled the bones; ICRAVE — the studio behind some of the most talked-about hospitality interiors in the country — did the interiors. Soaring ceilings, oversized woven pendants, pale woods, veined stone, warm metals, and enough greenery to make you forget you're in a city. A 12-seat bar anchors the dining room. An open kitchen and four-seat raw bar bring the kind of energy that makes a room feel alive. Outside: a 90-seat riverfront patio facing the water, and a 44-seat second terrace overlooking the park. Pick your mood.

Executive Chef Nicco V. Salanitro runs the menu — 13 years in South Florida kitchens, developed alongside Culinary Director Matthieu Godard, who spent nearly three decades in fine dining including eight years working with Daniel Boulud. The food is coastal South Florida by way of people who know what they're doing with it.

The menu is built for the table, not the solo diner. Start with the Yellowfin Tuna Crudo ($18) — sweet mango, tangerine, ponzu, pickled Fresno, scallion — or the Castaway Roll ($19), hand-rolled sushi with shrimp tempura, sashimi trio, avocado, yuzu aioli, and marinated salmon roe. Both are the kind of thing you order again before the first one is gone.

For the table: the Grand Seafood Tower ($98) — East and West Coast oysters, chilled shrimp, mussels, clams, tuna tartare, crab salad, half a Maine lobster. The Chef's Sushi Tower ($125) goes three signature rolls deep, plus spicy tuna crispy rice, nigiri, sashimi, tuna crudo, and marinated salmon roe. The Tableside Caesar ($30, serves three to four) is made at the table — baby romaine, garlic croutons, Parmesan crisps, capers, aged Parmesan. Theater that earns its price.

Entrées: the Whole Crispy Local Snapper ($46) with coconut-cilantro rice and aji verde is the move if you want something that tastes like Florida. The Lobster Spaghetti ($59) — whole Maine lobster, spicy tomato vodka sauce, sugar bomb cherry tomatoes — is the move if you want something that tastes like an occasion. The Pink Brick ($36) is wagyu flat iron with black truffle butter, chimichurri, and roasted garlic, scorched tableside. The Steak Progressive ($130) is the full commitment: New York strip, filet mignon, Black Angus skirt steak, and wagyu flat iron, all at once, with sauces.

And then there are the Nuggets & Caviar ($19). Free-range chicken nuggets, yuzu crème fraîche, Osetra caviar, gold flakes, lime zest. It sounds like a bit. It isn't. Order them.

The cocktail program has the same energy as the kitchen — specific, considered, not trying to be safe. Tiffany ($17): Patrón Silver, Italicus Bergamot Liqueur, citrus, coconut, finished with limoncello sorbet and white pearls. Paid Vacation ($16): Ketel One infused with passion fruit and tarragon, purple basil, Szechuan flower. Cloud Nine ($15): ginger-infused vodka, Joto Yuzu Sake, Kleos Mastiha Liqueur, lemon, orange-ginger tea, lychee caviar, citrus-aloe foam. Zero-proof options, a serious wine list, local craft beers. Happy hour Monday through Friday, 4–6:30 p.m. at the bar — which, given the room, is worth showing up for on its own.

Sweetwaters opens October 12. Mayor Dean Trantalis will be there for a public ribbon-cutting on October 13 — which tells you something about how Fort Lauderdale feels about this one. Dinner runs Sunday through Thursday 4–10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 4–11 p.m. Valet available. Public garage and lot parking nearby. Steps from the Brightline station, which means you can come from Miami, eat well, and not worry about the drive back.

Reservations for October 12 and beyond are open on OpenTable now.

Sweetwaters | 58 E. Las Olas Blvd., Downtown Fort Lauderdale | sweetwatersrestaurant.com