Amelia Island
The name alone summons songs of romance. Amelia, daughter of England’s King George II, gave her name to one of Florida’s least-known hideaways. Barely inside the state, Amelia Island lies just south of the Georgia border northeast of Jacksonville. Rimmed to the east by the Atlantic and to the west by the meandering marshes that turn golden in the morning sun, Amelia Island is better known as the home of a picturesque shrimp fleet, a dozen Victorian inns, and some of the state’s most stellar resorts, including a AAA Four-Diamond Ritz-Carlton.
Your oceanfront room opens to a view of the ocean and daily sunrise spectacles. We have spent countless weekends here and can’t remember a day that didn’t dawn with a streaky pink glow that grew brighter as the sun rose out of the water and sent a silver streak all the way to the beach. Whatever the weather the rest of the day (and we have seen all-day rains), sunrises are guaranteed to renew and heal.
-
Tip: Don’t let the word games fool you. The historic community of Fernandina Beach is the post office, but many tourism providers prefer the sexier Amelia Island address. The zip codes for both are the same.
-
Even if you are not a history buff, don’t miss a chance to learn more about the roistering, romantic past of this little island. Its early French, Spanish, and English claimants fought bloody battles, each winning the right to fly their flags over the island for a time. At other times it was seized by the Patriots of Amelia Island, and even Mexico – eight flags in all, including the Confederate States of America. When a railroad, Florida’s first, was run from here to Cedar Key, Fernandina Beach flourished. Victorian mansions lined avenue after avenue, only to languish in later years when a newer railroad bypassed Amelia Island to rush winter visitors all the way to Miami.
Since the 1960s, the sleeping princess has made a comeback. Victorian palaces were restored, many of them as bed-and-breakfast inns. The old downtown was revitalized with shops and restaurants that tourists love, yet it’s still a working downtown with a stately courthouse and post office, and a railroad depot right out of central casting. It makes the ideal Chamber of Commerce. Stop in for a handful of brochures and maps.
In Old Town, the house overlooking the original Spanish landing in 1788 was chosen to represent Villa Villekulla in the 1988 filming of the movie Pippi Longstocking. Old Town, like the Indian Burial Mound at Walker’s Landing, is off the tourist track, but worth seeking out.
The Palace Saloon, right up front on Centre Street, has been the oldest continuously operating saloon in the state, a gem with a massive mahogany bar and real swinging doors.
Palace Saloon
For all its new sophistication as a tourist mecca, Fernandina Beach has inescapable historic charm The rail line still shuffles past the waterfront, laden with pine logs for the pulp mills. The shrimp fleet still bobs at the docks, bringing in two million pounds of shrimp a year. On side streets near the waterfront, fishermen’s newly mended nets are draped over fences to dry in the sun.
Keep in mind that spring through fall is the high season here. Rates are discounted in winter when South Florida’s rates go into high gear. Steal away for an especially romantic Christmas, Chanukah, or Thanksgiving at a big savings over rates you would pay in most of the rest of the state. At Thanksgiving, the Ritz-Carlton offers horse-drawn sleigh rides on the beach by moonlight.
Sweet Dreams
Addison House
This family-operated inn was built in 1876 during Fernandina’s golden age. Today’s owners have transformed it into a hospitality complex that offers sunny rooms in the house and cottage, clustered around a courtyard that reminds us of old Spain. Each room has a private bath and fireplace, and some rooms have a whirlpool or private porch with a secret garden nearby. Afternoon refreshments are always available.
• 614 Ash Street, Amelia Island 32034, in the Fernandina Beach historic district. 904-277-1604 or 800-943-1604; Web site www.addisonhousebb.com
• Rooms: 4
• Rates: $135-$195, including full breakfast
• Credit cards: MC, V
• Dining: Walk to nearby restaurants.
• Children: Yes; a roll-away bed is $20 additional.
• Pets: No
• Parking: Ample
• In the neighborhood: Walk to historic sightseeing, shopping, dining, antiquing. Drive to golf, boating, beaches, fishing nearby.
Amelia Inn & Beach Club
We have been stealing away to Amelia Island Plantation almost since the founding of this sprawling community. It was one of the first of today’s environmentally-sensitive resorts, built in harmony with the land, dunes, and forests. You’ve probably heard about the golf courses with their spectacular seaside tees. A total of 54 holes were created by Pete Dye, Tom Fazio and Bobby Weed. Players at the tennis club have included Agassi, Graf, Connors, and Navratilova. Accommodations range from hotel rooms at the Inn & Beach Club to entire homes with three or four bedrooms (we prefer the Inn for its hotel luxuries). Rooms view the Atlantic and have a king-size bed or two queens, television, coffee maker, mini-refrigerator, and private balcony or patio. The resort has more than two dozen swimming pools, so you’re never far from one or from the wide, wave-washed beach. The Inn has two heated swimming pools, wide sun decks, a children’s pool and an outdoor spa. Seafood and aged beef are featured at The Dining Room; dine more casually indoors or out at the Beach Club Grill. The Coop has indoor or outdoor seating overlooking a lagoon; the Golf Shop Restaurant serves breakfast and lunch; room service is available from 7am to 10pm; pizza can be ordered until midnight.
Park the car and forget it during your visit. A free transportation system serves the 1,330-acre development. The resort has its own naturalists, who offer nature tours of the lakes, wetlands, golden marshes, oak forests, and seashores. Ask about the Mid-Week Retreat package if you can get away Sunday-Thursday.
• Box 3000, Amelia Island 32035, 40 miles north of Jacksonville. Take I-95 to Exit 99 (State Road 115), which becomes Route 113, then 9A. Take the first exit, Route 105, and follow signs to AmeliaIsland. Then go south on A1A to Amelia Island Plantation. 800-874-6878; Web site www.aipfl.com.
• Rooms: 249 rooms in the Inn and Beach Club; 430 villas with one or two bedrooms.
• Rates: From $200+; recreation rates from $250 per couple for accommodations plus activities such as golf, tennis, use of the fitness center, umbrella and beach chairs, children’s activities, including lunch, nature tours, bicycles, and much more.
• Credit cards: MC, V
• Dining: Several restaurants and bars are on the property.
• Children: The children’s program here is exceptionally good, offering full- and half-day sessions for ages three-19. Teens and tweens have their own activities. Tennis clinics are offered for children as young as age three; golf clinics from age five.
• Pets: No
• Parking: Ample
• In the neighborhood: The resort is self-contained; Fernandina Beach is a short drive away.
Amelia House Bed, Breakfast and Sail
This two-house complex didn’t start out as one of the baronial mansions that Amelia Island is known for, but we loved the old (1865) house, the tranquil grounds with their wisteria and ancient magnolia tree, and the classy Captain’s Quarters. Antique furnishings here date back as far as the 1700s. All rooms have a private bath; those in Captain’s Quarters have whirlpool tubs big enough for two. Relax in front of the fire in the parlor, have afternoon tea or raspberry lemonade, and start the day with a full, hot breakfast. Little extras: The innkeeper is a licensed captain and can take you for a sail to Cumberland Island to see the wild horses.
• 222 N. Fifth Street, Amelia Island 32034, historic Fernandina Beach. 904-321-1717 or 800-980-3629; Web site www.ameliahouse.com.
• Rooms: 7
• Rates: $150-$195, including breakfast.
• Credit cards: No
• Dining: Drive to many nearby restaurants.
• Children: additional guests are $20
• Pets: No, but the hosts can recommend nearby kennels
• Parking: off street
• In the neighborhood: Walk or bicycle historic streets.
Amelia Island Williams House
This magnificent mansion was bought by Marcellus Williams and his wife, a great-great granddaughter of the King of Spain, in 1859 when it was three years old. New York architect R.S. Schuyler designed the gingerbread for this house and others in this prosperous seaport. In the kitchen, look for the initials of Dr. Ash Williams carved in a window sill. A grandson of Marcellus, he became a noted Jacksonville oncologist and president of the American Cancer Society. Even though the city is filled with mansions containing priceless antiques, this house is notable for its museum-quality collections. There’s a silk robe worn by the last emperor of China, a lamp that belonged to Napoleon III and Eugenie, a carpet that belonged to Napoleon. Jefferson Davis stored some of his belongings here during the Civil War; Union troops used the house as their headquarters and hospital.
For a romantic weekend under an elaborate canopy, choose the Camelot Chambers. For elegance in blue choose the Chinese Blue Room with its window seat and expanse of original blue carpeting. Let hosts Dick Flitz and Chris Carter show you their antique collections and pamper you with a gourmet breakfast served on heirloom china, crystal, and sterling. Each room is decorated with rare artifacts from a different country; six have working fireplaces and hand-carved mantels; all have television and paddle fans. A video library of operas, concerts, sporting events and movies is available. This inn has been featured in publications, including Southern Living, Victoria, The New York Times, and National Geographic Traveler.
• 103 S. Ninth Street, Amelia Island 32034, on the corner of Ash and Ninth in historic Fernandina Beach. 800-414-9258 or 904-277-2328; fax 904-321-1325; Web site www.williamshouse.com; e-mail TopInn@aol.com
• Rooms: 8, each with private bath.
• Rates: from $175, including breakfast; $40 for an extra person in the room. Minimum two-night stay on weekends and three nights on holiday weekends.
• Credit cards: MC, V
• Dining: Walk to nearby restaurants.
• Children: Age 12 and older.
• Pets: No
• Parking: Off-street parking provided.
• In the neighborhood: Good shopping, dining, strolling historic streets to view architecture.
Bailey House Bed & Breakfast
Visitors with cameras around their necks stop short in front of this mansion and begin focusing. Even in this architectural paradise, Bailey House stands out and so does the hospitality served up by Tom and Jenny Bishop. The mansion, which was built by local boat builders and ship carpenters, is restored to museum quality. It’s furnished with antiques that the Bishops scout the South to collect; they know antiques and area history quite well. The original house has heart pine floors, fireplaces, high ceilings, and years of history that began in 1895. The same family lived here for almost 70 years. Their story can still be read in the family bible, which is on display in the front room.
We like the Rose Room because of its sunny bay window sitting area, the fireplace, and king-size bed. There’s also a fireplace in the French Garden Room, which has a queen-size French Country bedroom suite and a whirlpool bath big enough for two. The new, two-story wing matches the original mansion perfectly, so there’s no loss of heritage if you stay in one of the new rooms. Each has a marble fireplace, antique furnishings, and a spacious, modern bath with the look of days gone by. Breakfast is served in the formal dining room, and it’s a hearty meal of juice, fruit, a main dish and plenty of fragrant breads. All rooms have cable television and a direct-dial telephone.
• 28 South 7th Street, Fernandina Beach 32034, in the historic section of town. From A1A, turn left on Ash St. to 7th St. 904-261-5390 or 800-251-5390; Web site www.bailey-house.com.
• Rooms: 9, each with private bath.
• Rates: From $125, including breakfast.
• Credit cards: MC, V
• Dining: Walk or drive to a good choice of restaurants.
• Children: No children under age eight; $20 per night for each additional person in the room.
• Pets: No
• Parking: On the street.
• In the neighborhood: Historic sightseeing, restaurants, walk to downtown shops.
Elizabeth Pointe Lodge
Everything we love about inns is found here, but the lodge also has the look and feel of a gracious, old Nantucket shingled hotel. And we love such hotel features as the elevator that carries your bags from the covered parking area to the second or third floor. A sandwich and homemade soup can be ordered from room service if you don’t want to go out for dinner. Surprise your love by ordering champagne and strawberries ($35), a dozen roses ($60), or a ride in a biplane ($70-$100 for two).
• 227 S. Seventh St., Amelia Island 32034, in the historic area at Cedar, between Beech and Date. 904-277-0500 or 800-261-4838; fax 904-277-3103; Web site www.fairbankshouse.com; e-mail fairbanks@net-magic.net.
• Rooms: 12, including three cottages.
• Rates: From $200, including full breakfast and afternoon social hour with beer, wine, snacks, and soft drinks.
• Credit cards: MC, V, AE, DISC
• Dining: Walk or drive to Fernandina restaurants.
• Children: 12 and older.
• Pets: No, but a local kennel can be arranged.
• Parking: Yes.
• In the neighborhood: Walk to shopping, dining.
Florida House Inn
It’s one of the oldest hotels in Florida and, because it was built as a hotel, it’s an interesting change from B&Bs that were originally built as mansions. All of the rooms in the section called Tree House Row are as cozy as Grandma’s attic; four have Jacuzzi tubs, fireplaces, and king-size beds. Washing machines are available for guest use. The rooms are shaded by an ancient live oak overlooking the courtyard. Furnishings are more country than fancy, but the quilts are treasures. Meals in the old-fashioned, boarding house-style dining room are country cookin’ at its best: big platters of fried chicken, cornbread, vegetables, relishes, biscuits and other fixin’s.
• 22 S. Third Street, Fernandina Beach 32034. 800-258-3301; Web site www.floridahouse.com.
• Rooms: 19
• Rates: $139-$189
• Credit cards: All major
• Dining: The inn has a home-style restaurant and an English pub.
• Children: Yes.
• Pets: Yes; mention your pet when you make reservations. A water bowl and biscuits are provided.
• Parking: Some off-street space available.
• In the neighborhood: Historic sightseeing and restaurants.
Hoyt House Bed & Breakfast
Double “Yankee” doors open with a big welcome to this Queen Anne Victorian mansion. All rooms have a private bath, some with Jacuzzi, and all with thick towels, fragrant soaps and shampoos, telephone, and a morning newspaper. If you want a television set, one will be supplied. Breakfasts focus on homemade pastries, scones or muffins and a specialty hot dish every morning. Order breakfast in bed if you like. The Sweet Lavender Room, the largest bedchamber, has a queen-size, four-poster rice bed, wing chair, fireplace, and a view of St. Peter’s Church. Among the other rooms, Forest Green has a whimsical jungle touch with a monkey table and giraffes. Wind Drift has a whirlpool tub. Blueberry has a non-working fireplace and a cozy, country look. The Romance Package includes a $60 credit for dinner at a local restaurant; the Golf Getaway is available for two or three nights and includes a daily round of golf for two, cart, dinner credit, and arrival wine or champagne.
• 804 Atlantic Avenue, Fernandina Beach 32034, at the corner of 8th St. in the downtown historic section. 904-277-4300 or 800-432-2085; Web site www.hoythouse.com; e-mail hoythouseb&b@ net-magic.net.
• Rooms: 10
• Rates: $165-$240, including breakfast.
• Credit cards: MC, V
• Dining: Walk to downtown restaurants.
• Children: No.
• Pets: No.
• Parking: Yes.
• In the neighborhood: Walk to historic sites, shopping, dining.
Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island
Rising above the sand dunes facing the Atlantic is this regal resort covering 13 pristine acres. You’ll be pampered shamelessly. Spacious rooms are done in rich jewel tones and soft beiges. Your marble bathroom has twin sinks, a separate toilet, plush robes for him and her, and European toiletries. Rooms have three telephones with voice-mail, private balconies with ocean view, and a fully-stocked minibar. Maids bring fresh towels and ice twice a day, turning down your bed while you’re at dinner. On the Club level, enjoy complimentary continental breakfast, afternoon tea and hors d’oeuvres. Cocktails are served afternoons and evenings in an elegant, drawing-room setting.
Swim in the ocean or supersize pool, play 18 holes of championship golf, take a horseback ride in the surf, play tennis, use the fitness center and day spa, go kayaking, or join groups for tai chi, morning beach walks, workouts, water aerobics or cooking school. Dine splendidly in The Grill Room, or splurge on “A Seat in the Kitchen,” where, for $225 per person (including tax and gratuity), you’ll enjoy the chef’s most inspired dishes accompanied by just the right wines. After dinner have a cognac and dance to live music in the Lobby Lounge & Billiard Room. For less formal dining try room service, the poolside Ocean Bar & Grill, or Café 4750. Picnic fare is sold in the Gourmet Shop for takeout. Surprise him or her with a basket full of sandwiches, fruit, sweets and a bottle of bubbly. A macrobiotic dining option is offered in both The Grill Room and The Café 4750.
• 4750 Amelia Island Parkway, Amelia Island 32034. 800-241-3333 (reservations) or 904-277-1100; fax 904-277-1145; guest fax 904-261-9064; Web site www.ritzcarlton.com.
• Rooms: 449 rooms, including 45 suites.
• Rates: $189-$1,500.
• Credit cards: All major.
• Dining: The Grill Room, located in the hotel, is one of northern Florida’s most honored restaurants, holding AAA five-diamond and Mobil four-star awards. Café 4750 is open all day for more casual dining. Room service is available 24 hours.
• Children: The Ritz Kids program for children ages five-12 offers all-day fun from 9am-4pm; cost is $45 per child daily, including lunch. Half-days are $25. Kids’ Night Out, at $30, provides games and dinner from 6-9pm, Friday and Saturday. Babysitting is available at a nominal charge.
• Pets: Only by special arrangement.
• Parking: Valet parking only; $13 daily.
Summer Beach
Many guests rent here by the week, month or season, so there’s a sense of aloof privacy and exclusiveness in this complex of condos, townhouses, villas and penthouses with one to four bedrooms. Every unit has a full kitchen with microwave, washer and dryer. Your suite will have color television and a VCR. Beach and pool are nearby. Play tennis on the resort, or take advantage of golf privileges at the Golf Club of Amelia Island. Rent a bicycle and ride on the beach or the island’s roads, go parasailing, book a sightseeing tour, or just rent a beach chair and umbrella and veg out at the edge of the sea.
• 5456 First Coast Highway, Amelia Island 32034, on the south end of the island near the Ritz-Carlton. Take Exit 129 from I-95 and go east on A1A to AmeliaIsland. At the first traffic light on the island, go south seven miles to the flashing light. A mile later, look for the resort on your left. 800-862-9297 or 904-277-0905; fax 904-261-1065
• Rooms: 100
• Rates: From $180
• Credit cards: AE, DISC, MC, V
• Dining: Dine at the Ritz-Carlton, where Summer Beach guests have charging privileges.
• Children: Yes; babysitting services are available.
• Pets: No.
• Parking: Ample and free.
Walnford Inn
In the heart of Fernandina’s historic district is this stately home with its wealth of antiques and jolly hosts who make you feel right at home. The best room is the Pool Villa, which has a private pool off the king-size bedroom. Cook in the kitchen if you don’t feel like going out – the kitchen has a Jenn-Air range – then have morning coffee on the private balcony. The most private room is The Penthouse on the third floor. It has a king-size bed, 27-inch television, and a Jacuzzi that seats two. The Monica has a king-size bed and corner fireplace, the Rose Room has a corner view and king-size bed. The Petite Victorian has a double bed, private bath with claw-foot tub, and the most modest rate.
Little extras include a well-stocked library, free local calls and, for an added charge, a professional massage. Ask for the Honeymoon Escape package (even if this isn’t really your honeymoon) and you’ll get chilled champagne, fresh flowers, chocolate-dipped strawberries, and a Jacuzzi tub big enough for two. Use the host’s bicycles to explore the historic district.
• 102 S. Seventh Street, Amelia Island, FL 32034, in the historic district. (800) 277-6660.
• Rooms: 9, plus the Pool Suite.
• Rates: Honeymoon packages start at $480 for two nights, three days. Nightly rates are $155-$280, including breakfast in the dining room or on the porch.
• Credit cards: MC, V, AE
• Dining: Walk to restaurants.
• Children: Not encouraged, but call to ask about special arrangements.
• Pets: No.
• Parking: Off-street.
• In the neighborhood: Historic points of interest and restaurants within walking distance; beaches are 10 minutes away.
Tables For Two
Amelia Inn Dining Room
The room looks out over the Atlantic but your eyes will be on each other and on a barge-sized buffet laden with salads, local shrimp and other seafood, carving stations for ham, roast beef and turkey, vegetables, breads, a world of cheese, and a big choice of delectable desserts created by the Plantation’s own pastry chef. While you dine, a pianists plays love songs.
• At Amelia Island Plantation. 904-321-5050.
• Hours: Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner; Sunday brunch served 10am-2pm.
• Prices: $20-$30 per person.
• Reservations: Recommended.
• Credit cards: AE, DISC, MC, V
Angel’s Porch Café and Gifts
What a pleasant spot for a romantic lunch or dinner in an 1887 “shotgun” house overlooking Centre Street. Dine on the veranda or in the dining room on stuffed crab, black beans and rice, shrimp or chicken salad, a calorie-wise turkey meatloaf, or the quiche of the day. Shop for gifts while you’re here, then end the visit with a decadent dessert and a flavored coffee or a cappuccino. Take-out is also available.
• 708 Centre Street, downtown Fernandina Beach. 904-321-2299.
• Hours: Daily except Tuesday, 11:30am-closing.
• Prices: Plan to spend $10 per person, without beer or wine.
• Reservations: Suggested.
• Credit cards: DISC, MC, V
Beech Street Grill
We love this place for romantic dining because it seems to have so many pleasant nooks and crannies. There’s always feeling of privacy and specialness, with just the right lighting and a comfortable sense of yesteryear. There’s a daily blackboard special or two, usually centering around the catch of the day prepared with fresh herbs and served with a special chutney or sauce. Choose from an eclectic menu that offers a good selection of chicken, beef, vegetarian, and seafood dishes.
• 8th Street at Beech Street, two blocks from Centre Street. Note that 8th Street is one-way northbound. 904-277-3662
• Hours: Nightly 6-10pm.
• Prices: Approximately $40 per person for dinner and a modest wine.
• Reservations: Recommended.
• Credit cards: AE, MC, V
Brett’s Waterway Café
Everyone seems to end up here eventually because it’s so much a part of the colorful, Fernandina Beach waterfront scene. Stroll and shop Centre Street, photograph the shrimp fleet, stop at the old railroad depot, and come out onto the docks for a sundowner on the veranda. Shrimp and other fresh seafood dishes, and aged beef are the specialties here.
• At the foot of Centre Street, Fernandina Beach. 904-261-2660.
• Hours: Monday-Saturday; 11:30am-2:30pm for lunch and from 5:30pm for dinner.
• Prices: Around $30 per person for dinner.
• Reservations: Only for groups of six or more.
• Credit cards: All major.
Café 4750 at The Ritz-Carlton
Overlook the swimming pool and the Atlantic in a bright, Florida-style room, where a new menu is prepared every two months and the chef’s selections change daily. Have a drink at the gourmet coffee bar. A buffet bar serves breakfast and offers Italian, seafood, and Southern buffets on selected days. Buffets are also served Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. Choose from a menu of fresh salads, seafood, soups, inventive treatments for chicken and beef, and a cuisine they call “Southern nouveau.” A macrobiotic menu is also available. Wear your best resort duds because, while this is one of the less formal restaurants at the swank Ritz-Carlton, it is still a very upscale establishment. The local newspaper voted their Sunday brunch the best on the island.
• 4750 Amelia Island Parkway, on the ocean, midway between the north and south ends of the island. 904-277-1100.
• Hours: Daily, 6:30am-10pm
• Prices: Around $20 for breakfast, $25-$30 for lunch, and $40-$50 for dinner, per person.
• Reservations: Accepted.
• Credit cards: AE, MC, V
Crab Trap
This family-owned and -operated eatery has been a Fernandina favorite since 1979. Raw oysters are a specialty, and fresh local seafood is offered fried, broiled, grilled, or blackened. There’s also a good choice of chicken and steaks. No need to dress up here; resort casual works just fine. The upstairs pub overlooks the Intracoastal Waterway. Have a drink here before or after dinner.
• 31 N. 2nd Street, downtown, one block from Centre Street. 904-261-4749.
• Hours: Dinner daily from 5pm; closed Tuesday.
• Prices: Main dishes are priced $8.95-$16.95.
• Reservations: Recommended.
• Credit cards: MC, V
Down Under
The same family has been working its winning ways at this waterfront favorite for almost 20 years. Have grilled, fresh seafood or steak or one of the daily blackboard specials, which could be anything from a Caribbean-style chicken breast to a Mediterranean-style grouper or swordfish. Dress your beach-bum best, which is to say chic but casual. Dine on the deck if the weather wills, where you’ll view a passing parade of boats. There is live entertainment on weekends.
• A1A at the Intracoastal, Amelia Island, under the A1A bridge. Cross the bridge and take the first left, then drive to the end of the road. 904-261-1001.
• Hours: 5-10pm daily.
• Prices: Approximately $25 per person.
• Reservations: Recommended.
• Credit cards: All major.
1878 Steak House and Seafood
With its brassy Victorian elegance and lively entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights, this has long been one of our favorite places to end the week. For the most romantic setting, ask for a table in the courtyard if the weather is good. The food is meat-and-potatoes basic, hearty and well prepared with steaks tender and juicy, fresh fish done just right, and daily specials. Happy Hour specials apply 4:30-7:30pm and there’s a free buffet at the bar on Fridays.
• 12 N. 2nd Street, downtown just off Centre Street. Note that 2nd Street is one-way northbound. 904-261-4049.
• Hours: Daily from 11am.
• Prices: Dinners start at $12.
• Reservations: Recommended.
• Credit cards: MC, V
Salt at The Ritz-Carlton
This intimate room, formerly called the Grill Room, a-glitter with the sparkle of soft lights on brass and crystal, has the charm of a private English club or an exclusive hotel in the countryside of Scotland. By day you’ll look out over the ocean. Emphasis is on fresh seafood, but there is also an abundant selection of meat, poultry, and game dishes. A first course might include hearts of romaine with a smoked trout crêpe and a dab of caviar, a lobster fritter, or caramelized diver scallops with pappardelle pasta. The chef’s main course suggestion might be wood-grilled sturgeon with smoked tomato compote and rosemary, or pan-roasted prawns with applewood bacon and black pepper dumplings. There are plenty of traditional foods too, such as barbecued pork tenderloin with jalapeño cornbread or a meltingly tender filet mignon. For dessert have a roasted peach soufflé with spiced sauce anglaise, or the warm chocolate cake with vanilla-roasted mangoes.
If you’re really into gourmet cuisine, arrange to have “A Seat in the Kitchen,” which offers dining on the chef’s most extravagant inspirations for $200 per person, including appropriate wines. You’re seated at ground zero, watching the chefs perform their magic. Reservations for this must be made at least 24 hours ahead. A macrobiotic diet can be followed here. Jackets are required for gentlemen.
• 4750 Amelia Island Parkway, Amelia Island. 904-277-1028.
• Hours: 6-9:30 nightly; Sunday brunch 11am-2pm.
• Prices: Around $150 for dinner for two, plus wine.
• Reservations: Required.
• Credit cards: All major.
Florida House Inn
Dine in Florida’s oldest surviving hotel on foods that were enjoyed by sojourners (including Mary Pickford, Ulysses S. Grant and the Rockefellers) throughout the hotel’s long history. Heaping platters come to the table and are passed, family style. Fried chicken is a favorite, plus real mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables such as black-eyed peas, collards, and green beans, hot biscuits, cornbread, ham, and plenty of relishes and sauces. Dessert and iced tea are included in the prices. The hotel has a full bar, an English-style pub.
• 22 S. Third Street, downtown Fernandina Beach. Note that Third Street is one-way, southbound. 904-261-3300.
• Hours: Lunch, Monday-Saturday, 11:30am-2:30pm. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday, 5:30-9pm. Sunday brunch, 10:30am-2pm.
• Prices: Lunch, around $7; dinner, $12; Sunday brunch, $9.
• Reservations: Recommended.
• Credit cards: MC, V
Golden Grouper
At lunch have the big, juicy grouper sandwich, the grouper fingers or the crab burger. Seafood also stars on the dinner menu, which offers the fresh catches fried, broiled, baked, sautéed, or blackened. Soups are homemade and there’s a nice selection of salads. Try the mixed grill or the Cajun-baked grouper. Plates include a choice of potato or rice, hot bread, and steamed vegetables. The restaurant has an extensive wine and beer list, including 20 micro-brews.
• 5 S. Second Street, historic downtown Fernandina Beach; 904-261-0013.
• Hours: Lunch 11:30am-3pm, dinner 5-9:30pm. Hours vary seasonally, so call ahead.
• Prices: Dinners for $25; lunch for half that.
• Reservations: Recommended.
• Credit cards: AE, MC, V
Horizons
The chef is talented, the setting relaxed and romantic, and the food is full of luscious surprises, thanks to fresh herbs and deft seasonings. There’s a good choice of starters, salads and soups plus pastas, seafood, chicken and beef prepared to order. Breads are freshly baked, and there is always a tempting array of desserts and special coffees. The restaurant has a full bar and a good wine list. The Jacksonville Times Union gave this restaurant five stars.
• Ash Street at 8th Street, downtown Fernandina Beach. 904-321-2430.
• Hours: Daily except Sunday, 6-11pm.
• Prices: Plan to spend $30 per person.
• Reservations: Recommended.
• Credit cards: MC, V
Joe’s 2nd Street Bistro
Dine indoors, on the brick courtyard, or try the outdoor deck upstairs under the stars. Joe Robucci creates dining magic with his spicy shrimp tamales, seafood chowder, chargrilled burgers or steaks, grilled salmon, grilled Cornish game hen, and rack of lamb with shoestring sweet potatoes. Joe calls it New American cuisine, borrowing from Asian, French, and Mexican influences. For something new, have the grilled antelope sirloin in wine sauce. Breads are hot and homemade. For dessert have one of their homemade ice creams or the banana chocolate bread pudding, which is served warm.
• 14 S. 2nd Street, downtown Fernandina Beach. Note that 2nd Street is one-way, northbound. 904-321-2558.
• Hours: Open daily except Monday for lunch and dinner.
• Prices: Dine for $30; lunch for $15.
• Reservations: Recommended.
• Credit cards: MC, V
Le Clos
A charming cottage built in 1906 forms the clos (enclosure) for this little piece of transplanted Provence. The owner-chef trained at the Ritz in Paris and has degrees from Cordon Bleu and L’Ecole de Gastronomie, so you’re assured that your meal will be impeccably prepared in continental style. Emphasis here is on seafood fresh from Fernandina fleets, but there’s also chicken, beef and lamb, and perhaps a game dish. The wine list is extensive. Le Clos was named one of North Florida’s top 25 restaurants by Jacksonville magazine.
• 20 Street 2nd Street, historic downtown Fernandina Beach. 904-261-8100.
• Hours: Dinner nightly, except Monday.
• Prices: Plan to spend $40 per person.
• Reservations: Strongly recommended.
• Credit cards: MC, V
Palace Saloon
It’s so famous that you expect it to be snooty and expensive, but this saloon has been welcoming guests through its swinging doors since 1878 and is still a friendly local hangout. Here you’ll find grizzled local shrimpers rubbing elbows with sunburned tourists. The Victorian setting is elegant, yet the food is honest: Black Angus beef burgers, marinated chicken, fresh local seafood, snacks, and always plenty of shrimp. By day it’s a cool, dark escape from the harsh sun. By night it’s the kind of place where you expect to find Matt Dillon and Miss Kitty. Have a drink at the carved mahogany bar; don’t miss the famous Pirate’s Punch. This is Florida’s oldest saloon, and well worth a trip to see the interior.
• 117 Centre Street, downtown Fernandina Beach; 904-261-6320.
• Hours: Monday-Thursday, noon to 5pm; Friday and Saturday to 11pm; Sunday, 11am-5pm.
• Prices: Eat for $15 or less per person.
• Reservations: No.
• Credit cards: No.
The Southern Tip
New American cuisine means fresh ingredients, lean meats, fresh seafood, artful seasonings, colorful presentation, and a good choice of dishes for vegetarians. The restaurant has a full bar and a lengthy wine list. The setting is upscale and smart, so don’t let the “shopping center” address discourage you.
• Palmetto Walk Shopping Village, on the southern end of the island between the Ritz-Carlton and Amelia Island Plantation. 904-261-6184.
• Hours: Open daily, 11:30am-2pm and 6-9pm.
• Prices: Around $25-$30 for dinner, per person.
• Reservations: Recommended.
• Credit cards: MC, V
Things To Do
Amelia Island Museum of History
They don’t call this the Discovery Coast for nothing. Amelia Island’s history is almost as long as St. Augustine’s, and it has even more twists because the island has served under the flags of eight conquerors. The story is told by docents in Florida’s only oral history museum. Stop by at 11am or 2pm for tours of displays on the first floor of the museum, which was once the county jail. It is open at these hours only. Second-floor exhibits are open any time for browsing without a docent. 255 S. Third Street, Fernandina Beach; 904-261-7578. Hours are 10am-5pm, Monday-Saturday, but the first floor is open only at 11am and 2pm for docent-guided tours. Admission is $3 adults and $1.50 students. The museum periodically offers other walking and minibus tours; call to ask about the schedule.
Boating and Fishing
Go deep-sea fishing, bay and inlet fishing, fly-fishing or freshwater bass fishing. Or take a sail for two, three or four hours on the waters that brought French and Spanish explorers to northeast Florida 500 years ago. Amelia Island Charterboat Association, 3 S. Front Street, 904-261-2870 or 800-229-2682.
