French-American$$$$the Brazilian Court Hotel, Australian Avenue, Palm BeachOpen since 2003 at the Brazilian Court · Cafe Boulud
"Daniel Boulud's Palm Beach room since 2003, sea bass in a potato crust. Book it to impress a client over lunch."
8Food
8Ambience
7Value
About Cafe Boulud
Daniel Boulud has run a dining room inside the Brazilian Court Hotel since 2003, and for two decades Cafe Boulud has been the address Palm Beach reaches for when a meal needs to land. The Lyon-born chef behind Manhattan's Michelin-starred Daniel built the Palm Beach menu to parallel his New York Cafe Boulud, Franco-American cooking with a touch of South Florida, served in a courtyard room and on a terrace. It is moneyed, polished and quietly confident, the kind of room where the food and the address do equal work.
The Kitchen
The cooking is Franco-American, created by Daniel Boulud and run day to day by executive chef Christopher Zabita. The signature is Boulud's sea bass in a crisp potato crust, a plate of only a handful of ingredients that has followed the chef across restaurants and evolved without ever leaving the menu. Around it sit the seasonal French dishes Boulud is known for, plated with a South Florida lightness. The kitchen sets a three-course dinner from $48 in the early evening, with the à la carte menu climbing from there.
The room is at 301 Australian Avenue, inside the Brazilian Court Hotel, where Cafe Boulud has cooked since 2003. The name on the door, Daniel Boulud, is a James Beard Outstanding Restaurateur and one of the most decorated chefs in America. Set it against our best French restaurants worldwide, browse the full Palm Beach dining guide, or measure it with our seven signs of a great restaurant.
The Room
The room opens onto the Brazilian Court's courtyard, which is the seat to ask for: tables under the sky, a fountain, and the hotel's quiet around you. Sound is easy and grown-up, lighting is soft, and the spacing is generous in the way Palm Beach expects. Dress is resort-elegant, jackets common at dinner without being mandated, and the service is polished and unhurried. Between the dining room, bar and terrace it seats a comfortable crowd.
Best for Impressing Clients
Book Cafe Boulud to impress a client because the name, the address and the cooking all reassure at once: Daniel Boulud on the door, the Brazilian Court courtyard around you, and a kitchen that lands the sea bass without theatre. A weekday lunch here closes more than it costs. For more rooms that do the convincing, see our best restaurants to impress clients guide.
Not for
Not for a casual budget dinner. This is jacket-optional but moneyed Palm Beach, set inside a luxury hotel, and the bill climbs quickly once wine and several courses are involved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cafe Boulud worth it?
Yes, if you want polished French-American cooking with a name behind it. Daniel Boulud has held this Palm Beach room since 2003, executive chef Christopher Zabita runs a confident kitchen, and the courtyard setting at the Brazilian Court is among the prettiest in town. Come for the signature sea bass in a potato crust and a weekday lunch; do not come looking for a bargain, and it delivers the occasion you are paying for.
How hard is it to book Cafe Boulud?
Book ahead in season. From the winter Palm Beach high season through spring, weekend dinners and courtyard tables fill well in advance, so reserve a week or more out on OpenTable or by phone. Lunch and the early three-course dinner are easier to land. Ask for a courtyard table; those open-air seats are the ones everyone requests, and they go before the indoor dining room does.
What is the dress code at Cafe Boulud?
Resort-elegant. There is no strict jacket mandate, but this is a Daniel Boulud room inside a luxury Palm Beach hotel, so dress the part: a jacket is common at dinner, smart resort wear works for lunch, and beachwear does not. Evenings lean dressier than the day. Err toward polished; you will feel right in the courtyard and never overdressed in this particular room.
What should I order at Cafe Boulud?
Order the sea bass in a crisp potato crust, Daniel Boulud's signature and the one dish to try first. Build around it from the seasonal French menu, and consider the three-course early dinner from $48 if you want the kitchen's range at a set price. A bottle from the French-leaning list suits the cooking. At lunch, the prix-fixe is the value play.
Diner Reviews
Richard A.February 2026
Occasion: Impress Clients
Hosted a client lunch in the courtyard and it could not have gone better. The Boulud name set the tone, the sea bass was flawless, and the open-air room felt like Palm Beach at its best. The reliable choice when the meeting matters.
Caroline P.March 2026
Occasion: First Date
Sat under the sky in the Brazilian Court courtyard and it was effortlessly romantic. Beautiful French cooking, attentive but unfussy service, and a setting that does half the work. Not cheap, but exactly the right kind of special.
Reserve on OpenTable or call the restaurant. Courtyard tables in season are the hardest to get.
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Practical Information
Address301 Australian Ave, Palm Beach, FL 33480
NeighbourhoodThe Brazilian Court Hotel, Australian Ave
CuisineFranco-American
Price$$$$; three-course dinner from $48, a la carte higher
Dress CodeResort-elegant; jacket common at dinner
SeatingDining room, bar and courtyard terrace
ReservationOpenTable or phone; book the courtyard ahead
DietaryVegetarian options; flag needs when booking
