Lee County’s dining scene is entering a flavorful new chapter this year after a banner 2025 wave of restaurant openings, leaving customers with no shortage of dining experiences. Everything from a new brewery to comfort food to unique food experiences alongside trendy food truck parks and a long-awaited reopening of a cultural icon that had been closed since Hurricane Ian, and another downtown favorite reimagined by new owners, launched with a soft opening to wrap up the year.
Sip and Sizzle
Making the Fort Myers food scene first in 2025 was downtown establishment Sip & Sizzle, which debuted on Jan. 6. Owned by partners Nils Richter, Emil Atanassov and Kristian Alekov, Sip & Sizzle is a hot stone concept featuring a relaxed vibe and interactive moments of a fondue experience. According to Richter, “Contrary to fondue, you get to really enjoy the quality of our proteins, cooked to perfect order, bite by bite.”
A fan favorite is the restaurant’s 500° Sizzle Stones Dinners. “They combine the best of a few worlds,” Richter explained. “Think steakhouse meets fondue or Korean barbecue: You get the flexibility to choose and combine up to six different proteins – instead of just settling for a specific steak cut – together with the ability to enjoy it in all due time (because it stays warm), while at the same time getting it perfectly cooked the way you like it, since you slice it bit by bite – which is nearly impossible to achieve with fondue or Koren barbecue.”
When selecting a location for Sip & Sizzle, Richter picked downtown Fort Myers. “My deep roots are in downtown Fort Myers. I have been involved in downtown businesses of multiple sorts (including restaurants and real estate) for 25 years. This location came along and was too good to pass up,” Richter said.
Swamp Cat Brewing
Swamp Cat Brewing features a year-round beer garden, a tasting room, an indoor and outdoor bar, a covered front porch area, and a private event room opened in March 2025, located at 1943 Fowler St…