The Verdict
Chef Michael Mayer runs the kitchen at La Fuga, the Italian restaurant set in the courtyard of the Kimpton Shorebreak, the mid-century hotel that reopened on Fort Lauderdale Beach in October 2022. The name is Italian for the escape, and the room plays to it: indoor-outdoor tables, a rooftop pool above, and the Atlantic a short walk east.
Mayer cooks housemade pasta and fish brought in whole, with Florida produce worked into otherwise classic plates. The signature is the branzino, filleted at the table, and the bill runs about $100 a person before wine. This is a beach-resort dinner with real cooking behind it, not a hotel afterthought.
The Kitchen
Executive chef Michael Mayer built La Fuga's menu around housemade pasta and whole fish, with starters meant to share. The branzino is the dish to order: a whole sea bass roasted and filleted tableside, dressed simply so the fish leads. Pasta is rolled in-house daily, and Mayer leans on local Florida produce and Atlantic seafood to keep the cooking seasonal rather than fixed. Dinner lands around $100 a head before drinks, which buys a starter, a pasta or fish course and dessert. The wine list is broad and Italian-led, with bottles priced for a resort crowd but a fair spread by the glass.
The Room
La Fuga sits in the open courtyard of the Kimpton Shorebreak, a restored 1950s beach hotel two blocks from the Atlantic on Riomar Street. Tables spill from an indoor dining room out to the pool deck, with a rooftop bar above overlooking the Intracoastal. The mood is relaxed and coastal rather than formal, sized for couples and small groups, and the courtyard tables are the ones to ask for. Service is attentive without hovering, and the noise stays conversational once the sun drops.
Best for a Relaxed Date
Book La Fuga for a relaxed date or a low-key celebration near the beach. The courtyard setting, the shared starters and the tableside branzino make for an easy, unhurried evening, and the walk to the sand afterward seals it. It suits couples and small groups who want good Italian cooking without a jacket-and-tie room.
Not For
Not for anyone after a quiet, sealed-off fine-dining room. La Fuga is an open hotel courtyard near the pool, so it can run lively on weekends and busy nights, and the resort setting means the crowd is a mix of diners and hotel guests. Skip it if you want hushed formality or a budget meal.
Reservations
La Fuga takes reservations through OpenTable and the Kimpton Shorebreak, and weekend evenings in season book up, so reserve ahead and ask for a courtyard table. Dinner runs about $100 a person before wine; valet and self-parking are available at the hotel on Riomar Street. Dress is resort-smart, and the kitchen serves lunch and dinner daily.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is La Fuga worth it?
La Fuga is worth it for a coastal-Italian dinner near Fort Lauderdale Beach with real cooking behind it. Chef Michael Mayer rolls pasta in-house and serves a whole branzino filleted at the table, and the courtyard setting at the Kimpton Shorebreak suits a relaxed date. Expect about $100 a head before wine; it is not a budget meal.
What should I order at La Fuga?
Order the branzino, the whole sea bass roasted and filleted tableside, which is the kitchen's signature. Start with a shared plate and a housemade pasta, since both are made in-house daily by chef Michael Mayer and his team. Florida produce and Atlantic seafood drive the seasonal specials, so ask what came in that morning.
Where is La Fuga in Fort Lauderdale?
La Fuga is at 2900 Riomar Street, in the courtyard of the Kimpton Shorebreak hotel, two blocks from the Atlantic on Fort Lauderdale Beach. The dining room runs indoor to outdoor around the pool, with a rooftop bar above overlooking the Intracoastal. Valet and self-parking are at the hotel.
How much does dinner at La Fuga cost?
Dinner at La Fuga runs about $100 a person before wine, covering a shared starter, a pasta or fish course and dessert. The branzino and other whole-fish plates sit at the higher end, while pastas are more moderate. The wine list is Italian-led and priced for a beach-resort crowd, with a fair selection by the glass.
Also in Fort Lauderdale
Explore the full Fort Lauderdale dining guide, or compare it with Casa D’Angelo and Cafe Vico. See our Italian and seafood guides, and the best restaurants for a first date.