4 stars does not do this place justice so I will rate this a 5 star. We had the dancing fish, pistachio crusted grouper and lobster ravioli. We started with the crab stuffed peppers. It was all outstanding. The best of three was the dancing fish. It was sauced and seasoned the perfect amount. Ample portions of crab were on the fish to add another layer of flavor. The jalapeño sauce provided flavor but was not spicy. The pistachio encrusted grouper was also very good, it was slightly on the sweet side. The lobster ravioli was great. Was not too fishy and the sauce was nice and buttery. The crab stuffed peppers were great. read more

Please note this is NOT an Italian restaurant though Yelp classifies it as Italian. Several years ago we dined at this fine dining restaurant. The service, food and ambience were excellent, so we decided to visit for a special occasion. What a disappointment. I share pricing and timing of the meal so the reader can understand this is a fine dining experience. Or should be. Our party of three entered at 6:30pm and stood at the door until we were greeted by Nathalia, our server who apologized as she was busy with another table. She showed us to our table in the enclosed porch which was incredibly warm despite the portable fan in the corner. She was the only element of the meal that was good. We ordered sparkling waters ($12 each) and an $18 glass of Zinfandel. The Zin was warm and clearly not in climate control. One of our party ordered bisque $10 and scallops (3 small scallops for $24) appetizer as her entree; another ordered Baked Brie $22 topped with Grand Marnier fruit compote and pecans and Lobster stuffed ravioli served in a pink lobster cream sauce tossed with Gulf shrimp and diver scallops $38 and our third ordered Pistachio crusted grouper drizzled with amaretto beurre blanc and complemented by Gulf shrimp $44. Nathalia brought bread and olive oil...the best food of the meal. She told us the kitchen was backed up. We noted there were only three other occupied tables (party of 4 and two of 2) at the time. She entered the order at 6:59pm. Our first guest didn't express an opinion. The baked brie tasted like a microwaved Publix brie round with warm blackberries. No pecans. The lobster ravioli was swimming in a sauce which had broken and was oily. The lobster filling tasted like paste and there were no scallops. The grouper was a small (perhaps 3-4 ounce portion) that was fatty and was served with partial skin. There was no Gulf shrimp. Our server never checked on our meal but was ready to present the check. It was 7:34pm...a very rushed fine dining experience. Note that they charge a 4% fee for non-cash payment so before gratuity the total was almost $200. I've never written such a negative review but this experience merits it. Very disappointing and won't return. read more

Amazing experience!! This restaurant is very small and intimate, it is a perfect date night spot. The service was amazing, very friendly and attentive. My family ordered a variety of items off the menu and every dish was amazing, you really can't go wrong. I highly recommend this restaurant! read more

100% recommend Cafe Tango. We always visit every time we are in the area. Never disappoints. Great food, great service and great ambiance. Small intimate setting. read more

Wonderful experience. Great meal and a great bottle of wine. Order the kids a pizza at the condo and make this your date night.

One if the most amazing meals of my entire life!! The food was exquisite! The service was excellent, the food was superb, and the atmosphere was so inviting. I can't wait to go back! read more

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Had an amazing meal here. Service was terrific and very high-quality food. I highly recommend if you are in the area!

Actually one star is too high for this place; arrogance and rudeness here when we called to add a guest to our Friday 9/11 reservation made August 4. The "owner/chef" as he called himself (whoever it was who answered the phone) informed us he DID NOT HAVE A RESERVATION in our name and he was VERY BUSY since he is the "owner AND the chef". When asked about who took our reservation he replied it was "just the serving girl" and HE makes the reservations because he is, got this now?? THE OWNER AND THE CHEF!!! A wonderful reunion of friends from Texas, Tennessee and Alabama who were so looking forward to the end of a perfect week!! Your food sounds superb, but your attitude needs improvement--how bout taking numbers to confirm reservations and an "I am so sorry we can't accommodate you this evening" instead of I AM THE OWNER AND CHEF AND I AM BUSY..... read more

All was excellent- but need to reserve table early ! Grouper filet was exceptional and service was outstanding

We enjoyed our visit to Cafe Tango during our Florida vacation of about three weeks ago. Bread was served with olive oil combined with cheese, parsley, and garlic. We really enjoyed appetizers of Diver Scallops and Baked Brie w/ raspberry and other fruits. I had the "Dancing Grouper", served with crab meat, shrimp, and a diver scallop. Unfortunately, the scallop was badly charred (unlike those we had for our appetizers), but most of the scallop was cooked well once the burnt portion was trimmed off. The remainder of the dish was excellent, perfectly cooked and with excellent flavors. Other members of our party had: Filet Mignon, served with Portabello and a red wine demi-glacé and Panko Crusted Fried Fish Both were very tasty. For desert, I had a lightly spiced Pot du Creme (with cayenne pepper) that I thought was pretty special. The other desert of note I tasted was the Creme Brulee. read more

We have been staying in the Seagrove/Seaside area for two weeks. We have been to a lot of restaurants. Cafe Tango was by far the best dinner yet. We started with a very unique stuffed pepper seafood appetizer which was amazing. The table next to us had the baked Brie and it also looked incredible. The Dancing Fish was simply the best fish dish I have had on 30a. I could eat that every night. Great wine selection and the homemade key lime pie was perfectly tart and sweet. And the staff was great. We met Patrick, the owner/chef who has really created a special place. Such a good night. read more

Wonderful place for a romantic dinner. Great food, great service in an intimate setting. Our go to place for special occasions

We've been visiting 30A since the 90s. I'm not sure how long Cafe Tango has been around, but I know that it's been around for a long time, and yet, we've never tried it though we've talked about it plenty. During our most recent beach visit, my husband made a reservation for us, which is basically a requirement as this place has very few tables and only a handful of seatings. The atmosphere isn't hip or trendy, it's actually slightly dated, but it also feels homey and comfortable. We settled into our table and started with the Spicy Shrimp Scampi. It was amazing! And while we were tempted by the special of the day, I'm so glad we ordered the Scampi as the dish was the highlight of our meal. I've never had a Scampi with a red sauce, but now that I've had, there's no turning back. To eat, I selected the 1855 Black Angus Steak presented Portobello style. It wasn't as spectacular as the shrimp, but it was really good. I think what makes this place extra is the service, which is fantasitc and personal. If you can snag a table at Cafe Tango while visiting 30A, do it. read more

This little restaurant was amazing. The stuffed pepper app was great we got two orders. LOBSTER RAVIOLI was to die for. Everything was amazing just very expensive. :) read more

AWESOME!! Hands down, this is the best restaurant we've tried in Destin! The experience is similar to dining at one of the smaller, top notch, local restaurants in NOLA - like Brigsten's, Patois, Clancy's, Boucherie, Bistro Daisy or Dante's Kitchen. The restaurant is in a converted bungalow and the entire dining experience is first class all the way. Service, food, atmosphere, ambiance. I would have given them 5 stars except we happened to have our meal on a very chilly evening (40 degrees) and we were seated in their converted porch area and it was quite cold out there (note: it did improve after we asked our server to kick up the heat). The restaurant is quite small - 9 tables - so GET RESERVATIONS! And finally, they only serve wine and beer - no liquor license. Cheers! read more

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One of the best dinners in years. Perfectly prepared food, served by our delightfully professional server, Theda, all in a cozy, intimate atmosphere. Don't miss the stuffed pepper appetizer. The flavors explode in your mouth but are not peppery hot. Great wine list. Don't miss this restaurant. read more

Steaks were delicious! Staff was so knowledgeable of wine and friendly. We loved our experience and will return on another special night out! read more

Want a place for an intimate dinner in a quaint setting? This is the place. The steaks were cooked to perfection with a by the temperature method. A lovely wine list. The service is excellent and not rushed. The salad lite fresh with house made vinaigrette. Dessert yes !! Please !! House made and a perfect compliment to a great meal. read more

Cafe Tango - House Made Key Lime - Italian Near Me - Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

This is by far our favorite place to eat on 30A! Unfortunately, the server we had this past Friday night (Andrew) left us wanting. When we sat down he informed us that we had a "time limit" due to the next reservation (mind you we also had a reservation). It seemed like every 2 minutes he was pushing us to order our food as we just got our glasses of wine, and then that is when he said "you must be gone by 8 for the next reservation". This clearly ruined the dining experience when your server is pressuring you so he can flip the table as quickly as possible. When we finished our meal and departed the restaurant, it was 7:56pm and there wasn't a soul in the waiting area and only 1 table with customers seated. This review would have 5 stars had it not been for him. read more

BEST atmosphere. Very small, should make a reservation. Best food on 30a. Great for a date night. Steak is wonderful and fish is very fresh. Highly recommended. read more

Started with the seafood stuffed peppers. They were awesome! Wife & I split the wedge salad which was very good. For entrees wife had pistachio crusted fish and I had the Basque fish. Both were outstanding. We will be back on our next trip to 30A. read more

Romantic, dim lighting, super small venue. I went with 3 other burly guys as we were there for work. They seemed to feel a little out of place but whatever. I should mention one of the guys was onto his second bottle of Tequila so that was interesting. The staff seemed a little pretentious but overall they put up with us we'll. The atmosphere is wonderful. We called in 2 days before our visit to reserve 4 of the bone-in ribeye steaks. We had them with the Gorgonzola topping. (Omg) one comment described it perfectly... "there's more flavor with every chew" it was easily a top 5 steak in my book. I went medium rare. I also recommend the ravioli appetizer. The Brie was too sweet for my taste with too much fruit. I much rather a savory Brie dish. The brownie dessert won best in class and the pecan pie and key lime tied for second. Perfect date spot. P.s. We brought a bottle of wine with us and they waived the corking fee... maybe because we bought 2 more bottles while we were there. That was nice of them. Our tab was an even $400 (not bad for 4 hungry guys) and the tip ran another hundo. read more

Food and service sub par. We were part of a party of 8, from the moment we arrived, our waiter kept hounding us to order, because they had turn over the table for another party of 8 at 8:30. Our dinner group eats out monthly, we have never felt so uncomfortable or rushed in a restaurant anywhere along 30A. read more

We ate at Cafe Tango the last night of our Spring Break trip and what a terrific find on 30-A! Friends told us about this tiny gem and it lived up to the hype. The food was absolutely outstanding! Fresh baked bread served with warm olive oil that has Parmesan and fresh chopped spices in the bowl We started with the Baked Brie which was covered with a blueberry fruit compote and served with slices of the homemade bread. There are two seatings at Cafe Tango--one at 6 and one at 8. You can run a little bit late for the 6 pm seating but you have to be out by 8. You must have reservations to dine here, so we called and put our name on the waitlist. Fortunately for us, someone canceled. The restaurant is in a small old house, so it is very small and quaint. We can't wait to go back! read more

Oh boy. Here we go. What to do with a unanimous 5 star restaurant on Yelp where my experience didn't measure up? First off, I love local, and this place is precious in that it only seats 30. Hence the difficulty in getting reservations normally. But during this week everywhere has openings, so we decided to venture out with the two best (IMO), George's and Onano being closed. We hoped to add to that list. We did not. Brie appetizer--a mess. Love Brie. But this was uninspired. Move along. SIDE NOTE--decent wine list at typically crazy prices. Bring your own favorite--$20 cork fee. Bonus points here. Worth a star. Entrees---2 "dry aged" rib eyes, one chimichurri and one portobello, along with one dancing fish. The steaks were a little above average cut, but the flavors were just---not there. Or they were. It depends on how much you like smoked paprika. And they BELIEVE IN SMOKED PAPRIKA. it just overwhelmed everything. The two sauces were uninspired. The dancing fish was very good. But take note. It had a lot of sneaky heat. If you weren't sharing around, as we did, it might clear your sinuses an awful lot if you were in charge of cleaning your plate. But by far the best on our table. Perhaps the lesson is order fish. I don't know. Everyone gets the same sides. Tired mashed potatoes and vegetables, and the veggies were fantastic. Sorry---but at these prices ($160 for 3, including cork fee), it needs to be outstanding. I saw this line for a different restaurant---"Food was less than average, overpriced, and service wasn't great. Skip it..." I am afraid that is the rule here, along with almost everything we have tried over many years on 30-A. Disappointed. Should be a two star. I tacked one on for bring your own wine. read more

We so wanted this to be better. Great atmosphere, nice people, good wine selection, great appetizer, great dessert but the main dishes just didn't cut it for us. Shrimp and Crab Gnocchi appetizer ($14) was delicious and had a generous amount of crab meat in it. Our wine for the evening was Emeritus Pinot Noir ($58) and it we found it to be a good decision. Main courses. We tried land and sea. For land we picked the 2 duck breasts in a maderia wine, plum, and orange reduction sauce. Duck was cooked right and the portions were enough to feed two people really, which is not a complaint by the way. The problem was it just didn't taste like anything special. For $32 we expected it to be at least as good or better than the appetizer. No wow factor for something that sounded so delicious when reading it on the menu. For sea we tried the Dancing Fish and chose the grouper option (Snapper was also available). Once again, cooked right and a nice serving size but nothing special. $38 for fish that had no wow factor. Our dessert choice was the key lime pie ($7) and it was outstanding. So, we walk out underwhelmed after spending close to $200 when all was said and done. It's not about the money - we knew we were going to drop close to $200 - if the main dishes had been great we'd spend $200 again there another time. For that kind of money, we'd rather go to Cuvee Bistro, Lois Lois, Cafe30a, or Vintij to name a few. An earlier review said to go and just get the appetizers and desserts. I am in agreement with that reviewer. That might be hard to do though during the season when it's hard to get in the place but if you order two appetizers per person that's almost the same price as a main course and maybe more in some cases. read more

This place is off the chart good! If you are looking for a real culinary treat and fresh seafood, do not hesitate to go! It is very small (only 8 tables) so you must have and they typically book weeks out. I have eaten here several times and tried numerous dishes and my favorite is the "The Dancing Fish". The Dancing Fish is pan sautéed (snapper or grouper) fish fillet topped with gulf shrimp and lump crabmeat, grilled diver sea scallop, and spinach in a jalapeño cream sauce! It is one of the best things I have ever had. If you are still hungry after your entree try the key lime pie, it is unreal and made with real key limes. If you have a certain type of wine and it is not on their list, you can byob. They charge a $20 cork fee but this can be well worth it, pending what you drink. As we all know, the correct pairing of wine makes or breaks th meal sometimes. Awesome Place! read more

We spent a lovely and DELICIOUS vacation in Rosemary Beach and the 30A area, and this was the best meal we had all week, which is really saying something! There was a lot of competition, but we were glad we saved this place for our last night -- nothing else could have competed. One of my friends suggested Cafe Tango to us when she heard we would be in the area, as she said her father said he had eaten "one of the best meals of his life" here. MAKE A RESERVATION! There are only nine tables in the entire place, which is a small house, obviously converted to a restaurant. We sat at a lovely table for two on the dividing wall between the tables on a kind of porch area and the larger dining room. (There was an AC vent on the floor beneath us that was rather uncomfortably blowing on us, so my husband strategically placed my large purse over it, and that solved the problem!) The service was attentive, but the food did not come quickly -- this will be your evening's entertainment, so allow plenty of time to savor and enjoy. Essentially, the menu offers some amazingly delicious-sounding appetizers, steaks with various preparations in two sizes and then many preparations of fish. The menu doesn't stipulate the fish, because they offer whatever is fresh that day with those options. For example, when we dined there, the fish were grouper and snapper. For my appetizer, I chose the foie gras (I can never resist this), and the mango sauce presentation of this was to die for! Before the appetizer came, the host brought over super fresh (and hot!) French bread with an olive oil mixture containing parmesan and herbs. It was addictive. I inhaled my appetizer, and then our salads came. The salads are included with the entrees, and you get your choice of some deliciously inventive dressings. I chose pecan blue cheese, and my husband chose parmesan ranch. The dressings are served "pooled" on top of the center of the plate of greens. I started with a glass of Malbec to drink with the foie gras, but asked the waitress to suggest a dry white for the fish. The entrees were amazingly rich! We both chose grouper, but I had the "Spanish" preparation, panko crust with a chorizo sauce. I would describe it as "meaty fish." It was just such a medley of flavors, but they went well together and didn't overwhelm the palette. The fish was perfectly cooked, and it was served with heavenly mashed potatoes and a mixed-vegetable side, containing peapods. How wonderful! My husband chose the pistachio-crusted grouper, and he just kept saying how delicious it was, like "fish candy!" Neither one of us could finish our entrees; though it was fish, it was SO RICH. I almost always get dessert, but I just couldn't eat another bite. I was sorry I couldn't eat all of my entree. I have never tasted anything like it. What a memorable meal! I will recommend this delightful, low-key, friendly and inventive restaurant to all my friends who are traveling in the area. The homey atmosphere doesn't just originate with the physical setting. From the moment you arrive, you feel welcomed, appreciated and feted. And then, the food is a unique and wonderful experience on its own. What a perfect dining experience! read more

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We had a wonderful meal here last night! The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. The food was amazing ( we both had fish dinners although the steaks looked fabulous too). The restaurant only has a few tables so definitely make a reservation. it's well worth the visit! We will definitely be back! read more

We had a great friend of ours suggest Cafe Tango to us and we took him up on the suggestion. SO GLAD WE DID! From the reservation experience with Patrick to the ambience to the food... Everything was exceptional. We started the evening with the pan seared foie gras and it was cooked to perfection. It may not register for everyone's palate but for ours it hit the spot. Next, we probably had one of the BEST wedge salads I've had in a very long time. We then had the cowboy bone-in ribeye with chimichurri sauce. Oh MY was it delicious. The ribeye was prepared with I believe a roasted red pepper butter. It was fantastic and cooked to perfection. While they only serve wine and beer, the wine selection was nice. We cannot wait to head back down to Seaside and make our reservations again. Unfortunately, I was so hungry and the food looked so delicious, I did not take any pics. Trust me, if you're looking for a quaint little restaurant with great service, quiet ambience and wonderful food, you will have an awesome evening. read more

We've dined here before - and frankly I don't know why it's taken us a couple of years to come back. Simply exquisite! We had the pasta entree as an appetizer - scrumptious! And the Pistachio crusted grouper is out-of-this-world! Superb service with knowledgeable and efficient wait staff that knew just when to come back. Definitely a good place for intimate dinner for two or a party of 4/6. It's tiny- maybe 8-9 tables, so reservations are a must but so worth it! We won't take a year to come back! read more

I think this place qualifies as a hidden gem of sorts. You probably won't notice it if you aren't looking for it and you may drive past it even if you are. It seems to be a cozy home that was converted into a restaurant. Despite the tiny size, it wasn't full when we were there (off-season) but I've heard that it is hard to get reservations as it is small and has a good rep. Anyway, the interior is pretty nice aside from the carpeting (the reason why I assumed it was a home). I think it does have charm and is romantic. Unfortunately, that was ruined a bit by our table. There was a pretty sizeable depression in the floor where our table was and that put our table and my chair off-balance throughout the entire meal. Also, there was an air vent underneath the other chair which made for a cold dining experience. Next time I would definitely ask for another table. I had a salad that was decent but the dressing (raspberry I think?) wasn't my favorite. I also had the steak oscar which was well-cooked and pretty damn good! The steak was nicely seasoned and seared and the oscar part was pretty tasty and rich. I would definitely get it again. It came with mashed potatoes which were good and some mixed vegetables that were not good. The service here was polite and aimed to please. The prices were within the range you would expect to find at a nice place at the beach. Overall, this is one of the more romantic places I've been to in this area so I would recommend it for dates. However, your date better be pretty special because you will drop some change here! I will probably go back next time I'm in the area. 3.5 read more

From the greeting at the door to the exit, everything extremely classy and excellent. Really small but perfect. Would recommend over any other restaurant. 5 star deserving read more

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Enjoyed a quaint date night here while staying in Seaside. It leaves something to be desired for the metropolitan foodie but still worth the 6 mile drive from the beach. read more

Every dish was executed to perfection. Locally owned and family operated. Service matched the amazing food. This place is a hidden gem. The best restaurant on 30A! Bravo!! read more

Went back to Cafe Tango after many years. It's still a quaint small amazing restaurant! Bar, dinner and deserts were as amazing as we remembered. Prices not much different than the rest of destin and Santa Rosa area. read more

Great fine dining at the beach! The shrimp and crabmeat gnocchi's sauce was Devine! The pecan coconut and key lime homemade pies were phenomenal! Great friendly service! read more

Cafe Tango - Brie - Italian Near Me - Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

Shrimp scampi was perfect starter. Dancing fish, Pistachio fish, and chimichurri filet were great too. The Albarino and Tempreanillo were very good and Peter's service was also excellent. Can't wait to return! read more

This is located in a very small older house. You are very close to other diners, so if they're great, it's awesome. If they are loud and obnoxious, it makes for a very aggravating meal. BUT the food Is amazing. It's quite pricey, so be prepared to bring lots of $$$. I ordered the garden salad, and the greens were wilted. The filet with portobello mushrooms was amazing! My husband ordered the wedge salad and it was just so so. He ordered the drunken fish and he raved about it. We were celebrating my birthday and my husband told Ken our server. He said he'd take care of it, and when our check came, we were charged for the dessert. Doesn't seem like That's 'taking care of it'. All in all, aside from our wonderful entrees, this place left a bad taste in our mouths. We won't visit again. read more

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One of our favs on 30a & we live here & know we're blessed with many great optionz. So grateful they take reservations!!