"Clay Conley's wood-oven small plates are still Palm Beach's best table fifteen years on. Book it for a first date you want to go well."
Clay Conley opened Buccan in 2011 with a wood-burning oven at its center and a menu of small plates built for sharing, and fifteen years later it is still the table Palm Beach argues about least. The short-rib empanadas and squid-ink orecchiette have been on the menu since the start; the room at 350 South County Road earned a place in the 2025 Florida Michelin Guide. Conley is a seven-time James Beard Best Chef: South semifinalist. Most plates run $14 to $32.
Clay Conley trained in fine dining before building his Palm Beach group around Buccan, which he opened in 2011 with partners Sam Slattery and Piper Quinn. The kitchen runs on a wood-burning oven and a small-plates format: short-rib empanadas and squid-ink orecchiette from the opening menu, hamachi and wood-roasted vegetables, a steak tartare that has barely changed. Conley has been a James Beard Best Chef: South semifinalist seven times, and Buccan landed in the 2025 Florida Michelin Guide, the state's first. Most plates run $14 to $32, which keeps a tasting-style meal flexible. His next-door Imoto handles the Asian side of the kitchen. For the wider island, see the best Palm Beach restaurants for a first date and the best Palm Beach restaurants to close a deal, or browse best fine dining worldwide.
Buccan runs warmer and louder than the white-glove Palm Beach stereotype: a buzzy dining room, a busy bar, and a chef's counter facing the wood oven. Sound runs lively, climbing on a winter Saturday when the season is full. Lighting is low and flattering, tables are close enough to feel the energy, and the dress is Palm Beach smart-casual, blazers beside sundresses. The house seats roughly 110 across the room, bar and counter, and the counter is the seat to request.
Book Buccan for a first date because the small-plates format is built for it: you order together, the shared plates keep the conversation moving, and nobody is locked into a three-hour tasting menu if the chemistry is off. The buzzy room flatters without forcing intimacy, the wood oven gives you something to watch from the counter, and most plates under $32 mean the bill stays graceful. Reserve the chef's counter, order in rounds, and let the short-rib empanadas do the early work.
Skip Buccan if you want a quiet, formal tasting menu. The room runs loud and high-energy, especially in season, and the format is shared small plates rather than a plated procession.
Is Buccan in Palm Beach worth it?
Yes, and it has been the island's most consistent table since 2011. Chef Clay Conley, a seven-time James Beard semifinalist, runs a wood-oven small-plates menu that earned a spot in the 2025 Florida Michelin Guide. Most plates run $14 to $32, so a full meal stays more flexible than a fixed tasting. Go for the short-rib empanadas and the energy of the room.
How hard is it to book Buccan?
It depends on the season. From December to April, when Palm Beach is full, reserve two to three weeks ahead, especially for weekends. In the quieter summer months you can often book a few days out. Book direct or on Resy, and ask for the chef's counter facing the wood oven if you want the best seat in the house.
What is the dress code at Buccan?
Smart-casual. Palm Beach dresses up more than most towns, so you will see blazers and sundresses, but there is no jacket requirement and a polished casual look is fine. Skip the beachwear; Buccan is a buzzy but real dining room, and the season crowd leans dressy without being formal.
What should I order at Buccan?
Start with the short-rib empanadas and the squid-ink orecchiette, both on the menu since 2011. Add whatever is coming out of the wood oven and a couple of the raw-bar plates, then let the kitchen send a dessert. Order in two or three rounds so the small plates arrive in waves rather than all at once.
First date at the chef's counter watching the wood oven. The short-rib empanadas are still the move. Buzzy enough to feel alive, shareable enough to keep talking.
Took a client during season and the room delivered. Energy, great small plates, and a bill that did not embarrass anyone. Book the counter.
Book direct or on Resy. Season runs hot from December to April; reserve two to three weeks ahead in winter.
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