Restaruants:
Sea Salt | Sea Salt is a mainly seafood restaurant downtown Naples. This is a pretty fancy restaurant and caters to an older crowd. I went with my boyfriend and the other couple we were on vacation with. Unfortunately we had terrible service. I don't want to complain too much because the food was delicious! But, it is annoying to get denied good service just because we are college age students. We weren't being loud, obnoxious, we were actually the first people in for dinner and the restaurant was very quiet. So, for this reason I wouldn't go their again, at least without parents or adults, which is unfortunate. We got the dinner special (served between 5-6PM) which was three courses. I got the salad, beef ragu pasta, then sorbet for dessert. My food was good and everyone else enjoyed their sea food (but that's not my thing). However, due to the poor service I would only suggest this to people who think they will spend a lot of money at their meal or who are over I'd say 24.
Continental | Best meal of spring break BY FAR! We had incredible service, a delicious steak, and a great experience. Continental is also downtown Naples and is a very fancy steak restaurant. They have different categories of mean you can order under which lets you decide how expensive or fancy your steak is. I got a filet and it was probably the most tender piece of meat I've ever had. I'm personally a steak person so I loved my meal. Our server was great and we never went a minute without new water or a drink re-fill (major plus). This meal was a great way to end the trip compared to Sea Salt. If you like steak this is a must if you are in the Naples area. Not to mention the restaurant is gorgeous. The decorations are amazing and chic and just fun to look at. Overall, it was a great experience!
Yabba | Yabba has a little bit of everything from steaks, seafood, to burgers. I liked the menu because you could basically have anything you may be in the mood for. I went with a steak because that's how I role (as I've said before). The service was average but the waiters were friendly. They give you awesome cheesy biscuits before your meal which were so good! Biscuits are served with butter, cinnamon butter, and sour cream.
Snook Inn | The Snook Inn is the ultimate fun Florida restaurant. With outdoor seating on the water it is an awesome place to get a meal when it is warm. Dishes range from seafood, steak, burgers, basically anything anyone could ever want. The atmosphere is probably the biggest selling point. Snook Inn is always booming! There is constantly a wait, so go early, but it makes for a fun vacation environment. For those who are 21+ they have a fun bar with live music and happy hour from 4-6PM and 10PM to close. Also, you can snap some super cute photos on the water before or after your meal! Overall, this place had good food, a fun atmosphere, and is right on the water. If you're around I would say it is a must see!
McCormick and Schmick's | Yet another steak place. I believe this is a chain restaurant but I've never been to one until Naples! This place is perfect if you want steak or seafood. I had a filet and it was very tasty. My boyfriend got crab legs which were tasty too (but you have to hand crack them (you've been warned)). Overall, good service and tasty food!
Nacho Mama's | I love Mexican food. So naturally I found the Mexican restaurant on Marco Island. I've gotten steak tacos and steak quesadilla. The food is good but there is always a long wait! So word of warning, but I think it is worth it if you are in the mood for Mexican food.
Ice cream:
Adelheidi's Gelato Caffe | Hello delicious gelato! This place is located on 5th Avenue downtown Naples and had very good gelato! It was all organic which is a plus if you are looking for a sweet treat but you are vegan or something like that. We got lemon, mango, and pina colada flavors in a medium size cup (choose 3 flavors). Besides Frost in Naperville, IL (personal favorite) this is some of the best gelato I've had outside of Italy!
Custard | This custard was so good!!!! They make hand made waffle cones and original custard which makes it a super yummy treat. I got strawberry custard and Jeremy got orange sherbet and both were super tasty. If you are downtown Naples I think it is the best ice cream spot.
Beebe's Ice Cream | This ice cream is tasty! Although it is a pretty average ice cream shop it is in walking distance with most major Marco Island hotels and it is around a lot of restaruants. So, it makes for the perfect dessert stop!
Shopping:
Downtown Naples 3rd Street | 3rd Street in Naples features more of the higher end apparel and boutiques. My personal favorite is the small Lilly store C. Orrico (not a flagship store). The store is pretty large and has a wide selection of Lilly Pulitzer pieces. I picked up an adorable cotton quarter sleeve top on sale from them! The great thing about these smaller Lilly stores is that they have a sale section. This area features cool shops ranging from very high end luxury goods to more trendy beach brands. My boyfriends personal favorite is John Criag Clothiers that features very high end men's apparel. It's fun just to browse around in these shops, because most of them are crazy pricey!
Downtown Naples 5th Avenue | Although 3rd Street is pricey, I think 5th Avenue has some more affordable shops. Some of my favorites include the huge Trevis store (hello new Tumblrs!), Best of Everything, and Castaway Clothing/ TRACY NEGOSHIAN. Best of Everything has endless costume jewelry that make fun gifts. They also have Kate Spade and Lilly Pulitzer home items like cups, planners, and tote bags. The best part is that they have Bourbon and Bow Tie bracelets which are hard to find up north. TRACY NEGOSHIAN has some cute preppy apparel perfect for vacationing. Castaway Clothing is in the same shop and has preppy men's apparel as well as Smathers and Branson needle point gifts. In addition, there are a ton of little gift shops and boutiques that feature beach decor, sea shells, and lots of other goodies you can bring back for friends and family.
Waterside Shops | Waterside Shops are the holy grail of malls. Not only is this mall absolutely gorgeous it has some of my favorite shops including Lilly Pulitzer, Kate Spade, Anthropologie, vineyard vines, Nordstrom, J Crew, Brooks Brothers, Tory Burch, and Tiffany & Co.
Coastland Center | This mall is located in Naples and has all of your basic stores like H&M, Victoria Secret, etc. Although I think Waterside is better this mall has more affordable stores and shops that are great to pick up some warm clothes if you want a new resort look!
Activities:
Mini golf | Who doesn't love a game of mini golf? My boyfriend and I went to Coral Cay Adventure Golf in Naples for mini golfing on the last day we were in town for spring break. It was super fun and a good activity to do on a nice day.
Want more suggestions for Marco Island and Naples? Let me know and I can create another guide on my next trip!
XOXO
Miranda
