How Florida Ranked in Three Media Giants’ Best-Of Lists, 2022: Are Your Favorites Here?

Last Updated on April 11, 2024 by Marybeth

Call them Listicles if you will, but aren’t we all drawn to Top 20, Top 100, and Best-of lists? Three highly trusted media giants publish their Best-Of lists every year, and as we watch 2022 slip by into our rear view mirrors, we avidly scan their choices of the top recommendations. For you, we’ve rounded up how Florida ranked in the Best-Of lists of Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Southern Living.

Do you scroll and scroll, and often grouse that the list did not contain the very best, in your opinion? I’m noticing these days that I have so many opinions, and it’s getting worse as I become crankier with age. For instance, one list’s Top U.S. Hotels in Florida is chock-full of big name conglomerate corporate-owned hotels. Okay, yes! They are often beautifully luxurious, note-worthy and (perhaps, I mutter) worth a look. And this list is chosen by travelers’ rankings. But here on our site we champion the small businesses in Florida, the independently owned and locally-flavored, and want to mostly only talk about them. Also one list has a Best Beach Town or two where the beach is actually a drive, or long bike ride, away from the town. And sadly, a few of the lauded beach towns hadn’t yet been razed by Hurricane Ian, as of the publication dates. These beach towns will come back – they already are! – and have earned their place on those lists.

But my opinions are uniquely mine, and rather than become one of those fun-ruining relatives at a holiday dinner, let’s take a look at what everyone else decided! All information is taken from each website’s U.S. list; there are also worldwide awards as well.

YELP

Yelp mentions in an article describing their behind-the-scenes for choosing the Top 100 that there are over 30 million small businesses in the US. Yelp’s list is as “quirky, interesting, and unique as the Yelp community itself.” Did you know that Yelp has a Foundation supporting charitable organizations and activities addressing the needs of local communities? We didn’t! Read more on their blog, here.

Yelp has gathered so many Top 25, Top 50, and Top 100 articles (think tacos, dive bars, wineries, wheelchair accessible, most photographed) that we stuck to top restaurants and hotels for our article today.

Yelp’s Top 100 Restaurants for 2022, Florida

#31 The Wine Room Kitchen & Bar, Delray Beach

#46 DADA, Delray Beach

#56 Sassafras, West Palm Beach

#65 Shunk Gulley Oyster Bar, Santa Rosa Beach

#69 Covey Kitchen & Cocktails, Gainesville

Yelp’s Top Hotels for 2022, Florida

#19 Epicurean Hotel Autograph Collection, Tampa

#27 Hotel Indigo, Sarasota

#67 Little Palm Island Resort & Spa, Little Torch Key

#76 Conrad, Fort Lauderdale

#82 Marriott Cypress Harbor Villas, Orlando

#91 Avalon Hotel, St. Petersburg

#97 The Setai, Miami Beach

TRIPADVISOR

TripAdvisor breaks down their lists into categories that spark our interest, in that they highlight not only hotels, but Small Stays, and not only Fine Dining but also Everyday Eats, Quick Bites, and Hidden Gems. Here at Beaches, Bars & Bungalows those last, more approachable categories sing the most brightly, so we’ll include those for you, too. TripAdvisor also has a Best Beaches list; we’ll start with those chosen in Florida.

TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Awards Top 25 Beaches, Florida

#2 Siesta Key Beach

#12 Henderson Beach State Park, Destin

#14 St. Augustine Beach

#18 Fort Lauderdale Beach

#19 Treasure Island Beach

#21 Panama City Beach

TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Awards Top 25 Hotels, Florida

#10 The Standard Spa, Miami

TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Awards Top Small Stays, Florida

#2 Port d’Hiver, Melbourne Beach

#14 Black Dolphin Inn, New Smyrna Beach

#15 The Gardens Hotel, Key West

TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Awards Top Fine Dining Restaurants, Florida

#6 Six Tables, Boca Raton

#9 Collage Restaurant, St. Augustine

#21 The Bazaar by Jose Andres, Miami

TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Awards Top Everyday Eats, Florida

#2 Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille, Fort Myers Beach

#4 Il Pastaiolo, Miami Beach

#8 The Salty Crab Bar & Grill North Beach, Clearwater

TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Awards Top Quick Bites, Florida

#14 Blaze Pizza, Orlando

#19 Pizza Time, St. Augustine

TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Awards Top Hidden Gems, Florida

#3 Seaside Cafe at the Mansion, Key West

#12 Yardie Spice, Homestead

#22 Don Vito’s Italian Restaurant, Daytona Beach

#25 The Breakfast Club Too, Key West

SOUTHERN LIVING

We couldn’t talk about Best Of lists without including the grand dame (they began publishing in 1966, after all!) of Best Of lists, Southern Living, who encourages us to “explore new hidden gems and rediscover old favorites that have proven their resilience during challenging times.” Southern Living also has very diverse and fun categories (College Towns, Family Getaways, Lake Towns, College Towns; read them all here) to keep us entertained, and while we can’t list them all here, we’ve chosen some of our favorites.

Southern Living’s The South’s Best Beach Towns, Florida

#4 Key West

#5 St. Augustine

#6 Panama City Beach

#8 Pensacola Beach

#10 Grayton Beach

#12 Sarasota

#13 Captiva

#15 New Smyrna Beach

#18 Delray Beach

#19 Dunedin

Southern Living’s The South’s Best Small Towns, Florida

#6 Stuart

Southern Living’s Best Up and Coming Cities, Florida

#8 Fort Myers

Southern Living’s The South’s Best Resorts, Florida

#10 The Resort at Longboat Key Club

If Southern Living published a Best Stays for 2022 we couldn’t find it (hello, Southern Living? Should I compile it for you for Florida?) but here is their list for 2021:

Southern Living’s The South’s Best Stays, 2021, Florida

#7 Cabbage Key, Pine Island Sound

#10 The Salty Mermaid, New Smyrna Beach

Southern Living did not have many specific food categories, only Best BBQ, Bakeries, and Breweries, which I guess could be argued that BBQ, baked goods, and beer is all we really need…

Southern Living’s The South’s Best BBQ in Every State, Florida

Jenkins Quality Barbecue, Jacksonville

Southern Living’s The South’s Best Bakeries, Florida

#5 Alessi Bakeries, Tampa

Southern Living’s The South’s Best Breweries, Florida

#13 Civil Society Brewing Company, Jupiter

And now it’s your turn! What are some of your favorites – beaches, towns, places to stay, restaurants, and bars – that would top your Best-Of list for our sunshine state? Let us know your thoughts. The good, the bad, and yes, the cranky!