2025 was another banner year for new restaurants, and it can be hard to keep track of all of it if you’re not constantly dining out. It helps for us that it’s our job, and even we still haven’t been to everything we wanted to try this year.
Rather than a list of everything new that opened in 2025 (that would be exhaustive), we’re highlighting some of the staff picks for the favorite new spots we’ve truly enjoyed. There will be several new spots that we missed not out of displeasure, but because we just haven’t had time, yet. Isu, for example, is near the top of our list to kick off 2026.
We also want to give a shoutout to all the restaurants that re-opened in 2025 following closure from hurricane damage in 2024. We missed you dearly while you were gone, and we’ve made it a goal to support those local stars as they bounce back. Some of them, like Nicko’s Pizza, even went out of their way to help others despite being shut down themselves. That’s St. Pete being St. Pete…