According to our last officially unofficial count, more than 50 restaurants, bars, coffee shops and bakeries have opened throughout Lee County since January.
Acqua Bistecca, Chuck Lager Legendary Kitchen, Chocolattes (downtown), Big Nick’s Barbecue (Cape Coral), Mangia Bene Big Slice, Trattoria Alvito, Craft Spirits Social (technically on Dec. 31) and Bimini Basin Seafood got things rolling with openings, grand openings and ribbon cuttings in the first two months of 2026.
Independent Pub, Resurgence Brewing, Anarchy Aleworks, Ibis Grill, Scooters Pizza, and Point Ybel (downtown), Seed & Bean (Cape Coral) and many others soon followed.
And the bustling food scene isn’t showing any signs of slowing down.
Fort Myers Brunch, Sweet Tomatoes, a second Morning Bloom, Oak & Vine, South Cypress Brewing at Backyard Social, The Book Café, El Jardin, Tacos & Tequila Cantina, Buddha-Bachi Express, Break The Fast and Island Panda all had openings or grand openings in June.
While we can’t get to them all, we’ve been to quite a few.
And six months into 2026, here are five new restaurants we loved at first bite …
Vybe
We intended to drop in, grab a drink and a quick bite and head along on our merry way.
Three plates, a couple of cocktails and nearly three hours later, we were still there.
That’s how much we enjoyed chef extraordinaire Harold Balink’s refined whiskey and wine bar and restaurant at Bell Tower Shops in Fort Myers.
Not only does it have the same vibe as Harold’s (his highly acclaimed eponymous south Fort Myers restaurant), but there are also sophisticated spirits, chef-driven small plates and shareables (all works of art), and exemplary service that Balink curates.
We’re gladly ordering the brioche dumpling with wild mushrooms, beet & orange salad, and Old Fashion with Bulleit 95 rye and demerara every time we go.
And we’ll enjoy it all at the lovely indoor bar with melt-right-into leather chairs. After all, we’ll want to be comfortable if we’re going to be vibing for hours.
Cheers to Harold and Vybe.
Vybe, 13499 S. Cleveland Ave., Suite 245, at Bell Tower Shops in south Fort Myers; (239) 524-8923; vybefortmyers.com or on Facebook.
Wichcraft
We knew this gourmet sandwich shop in Bonita Springs was going to be good.
After all, it’s owned by Brandon Schewe and Caitlin Emery.
They’re the powerhouse duo behind The Bohemian and Canary Club, which are both named in the 2026 MICHELIN Guide Florida.
But what we didn’t know is how scary good their new venture in Entrada along Old 41 actually is. Everything here is dreamy, especially the sandwiches.
They’re carefully crafted layer by layer, texture by texture, flavor by flavor, ingredient by ingredient. Most all of it, except for imported meats on the Italian, is brined, smoked, and roasted in-house.
Signature sandos include a SWFL cheesesteak, Grindr (with turkey pepperoni, salami), the Gobbler (Thanksgiving on a challah hoagie) and the Medianoche (midnight sweet bread filled with sliced ham, roasted pork). The Imperial Banh Mi was one of the best ones we ever had. We’re still spellbound by it all. You’ll be too.
Wichcraft Handcrafted Gourmet Sandwiches, 27975 Old 41 Road, Suite 105, Bonita Springs; (239) 450-3011; wichcraftbonita.com or on Instagram and Facebook
Fort Myers Brunch
When The News-Press’ office was in downtown Fort Myers, The Oasis Restaurant was on our weekly lunch rotation. But it had been a while since we last went and before we knew it, the owners had retired and moved to Myrtle Beach.
We didn’t know what to expect when we returned to this renamed restaurant with its revamped menu.
For old times’ sake, we ordered the gloriously good Oasis pancakes (massively flattened wonders with crunchy, crispy edges and a fluffy, steamy middle).
But then we tried new owner Mark Vushaj’s fruit crepes, filled with Nutella and the freshest of fresh fruit his dad, Joe, had just picked up from Immokalee.
And we also sampled his California salad (also full of Joe-delivered fresh produce), a hefty chicken avocado wrap and a Bonita burger with fried egg, avocado, bacon, lettuce and tomato.
And we loved it all.
Change can be hard. But Fort Myers Brunch is oh, so good.
Fort Myers Brunch, 2260 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., downtown Fort Myers; (239) 344-1566; follow on Instagram
Bimini Basin Seafood
We’re huge fans of waterfront dining and of Grant Phelan and his Phelan Family Brands restaurants.
So when Phelan took the most popular dishes from four of his restaurants and put them on the menu at his new waterfront wonder in Cape Coral, we were instantly hooked.
Pretty much every seat in this easy-breezy, open-air restaurant has a view of Bimini Basin.
Polished and casual, tropical and fun, it’s the perfect setting for a seafood-focused menu that includes miso-glazed Chilean sea bass from Keewaydin’s, hogfish Bimini style from Hogfish Harry’s, Deep Lagoon’s popular chili rub tripletail and Pinchers’ hot crab & cheese dip.
Other standouts include the crab cakes (served with a glorious Key lime mustard), crispy fried hogfish handheld, sea bass, black grouper Oscar and the delightfully shareable carrot cake slice.
Other than sunset, our favorite time to visit is during daily happy hour (Bimini Bites from 2-5 p.m. and Bimini Sips from 2-6:30 p.m.) for crab cake sliders ($9) and a craft cocktail ($9). And did we mention it comes with a waterfront view?
Bimini Basin Seafood & Cocktails, 458 Tudor Drive, Cape Coral; (239) 347-7033; biminibasinrestaurant.com or on Facebook
Aqua
There’s so much to love about this fine dining seafood and steak restaurant just off Cape Coral Parkway at The Cove at 47th in South Cape.
First of all, it’s absolutely gorgeous — from the luxurious downstairs bar and dreamy glass chandeliers to the intimate private wine room and one-of-a-kind third-floor rooftop bar.
Then there’s the Mediterranean-style cuisine, focusing on fresh seafood, high-quality steaks, pasta & risottos, and raw bar.
But what we love most, perhaps, is the daily happy hour from 3-6 p.m. In addition to the beer, wine and martinis, it’s loaded with small plates (from a $9 coconut shrimp to $15 filet mignon tenderloin skewer), salads, entrees (like $21 pappardelle bolognese, $26 cavatelli with scallops and $32 pork ossobuco) and raw bar.
Our personal favorites include the $14 Caesar salad (with anchovies!), $26 Fra diavolo mussels over linguini and $9 aqua Aquatini (blueberry vodka, blue curacao, pineapple). We can’t wait to go back.
Aqua Seafood & Steaks, 4720 SE 9th Place, Suite 100, Cape Coral; (239) 257-1297; aquafifth.com
Robyn George is a food and dining reporter for The News-Press. Connect at rhgeorge@fortmyer.gannett.com
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This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Five of our favorite new SW Florida restaurants so far in 2026
Reporting by Robyn George, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
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By Robyn George, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News | USA TODAY Network
