Picking five “essential” restaurants in downtown Jacksonville is trickier than it sounds. First off, there are dozens of good dining establishments in the downtown area. And then there’s the whole question of where downtown ends.
As far as the first question, we started with a list of about a dozen places good enough to be essential (which we’re defining as a place you really should try at least once), then whittled it down to an essential five by digging through Times-Union archives, Yelp reviews and online menus.
For the second, we followed the lead of the city, which considers the Southbank area to be part of downtown, even if two of the restaurants we included in this list claim to be in San Marco.
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Now it’s your turn: Help pick the next ‘essential restaurant’ in downtown Jacksonville. Vote for your favorite
bb’s
BB’s Restaurant and bar is shown, Wednesday, July, 23, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla.
1019 Hendricks Ave., (904) 306-0100, bbsrestaurant.comÂ
A Southbank institution since opening in 2000, bb’s offers separate lunch, dinner, dessert and brunch menus packed with items ranging from a Fried Green Tomato Sandwich to Roasted Chicken with a cherry and Coca-Cola glaze. The brunch menu, served Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., is one of the city’s best.
It’s a popular pre-show dining spot, with the city’s performing arts center, the Florida Theatre and VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena located just across the river.
Restaurant review: Good service, inventive food at San Marco’s excellent bb’s
More restaurant news: What’s new or coming soon to Jacksonville’s downtown, San Marco in 2025
Bellwether
Bellwether is shown, Wednesday, July, 23, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla.
117 W. Forsyth St., (904) 802-7745, bellwetherjax.comÂ
Local is important at Bellwether; meal ingredients are almost exclusively sourced locally or made in-house (or at sister restaurant Orsay). Even the beer comes from Jacksonville-area breweries, and local distillers provide most of the spirits. Bellwether is often packed with downtown workers at lunch, but dinner service ends early (7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 8 p.m. Saturdays). Info: bellwetherjax.com
Restaurant review: Bellwether offers fresh, new downtown dining option
City Grille & Raw Bar
City Grille & Raw Bar is shown, Wednesday, July, 23, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla.
1314 Prudential Drive, (904) 298-8989, citygrillerawbar.comÂ
Located on the Southbank of the St. Johns River (which the restaurant’s website calls San Marco but the  city considers to be “downtown”), City Grille has grown a following since its 2023 opening. From the 300-year-old live oak out front to the themed dining rooms to a menu that includes items such as escargot, Iberico pork and New Zealand rack of lamb, City Grille’s a dining experience you’re not likely to soon forget.
More on City Grille: Caviar and prime steak: New Jacksonville fine-dining restaurant promises ‘sophistication’
Cowford Chophouse
Cowford Chophouse is shown, Wednesday, July, 23, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla.
101 E. Bay St., (904) 862-6464, cowfordchophouse.comÂ
Long-time Jacksonville residents will recall the building housing Cowford Chophouse as the downtown “jaguar” building. The Chophouse opened in 2017 after a multi-million dollar renovation on a century-old bank building that had been decorated with a prowling jaguar in its windows. Today, it’s known for its rooftop bar offering views of the Main Street bridge and some of the finest steaks and add-ons in the city. It’s not cheap, but it’s a meal you’ll remember.
Restaurant review: Cowford Chophouse a throwback to downtown’s fine dining era
Indochine
Indochine is shown, Wednesday, July, 23, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla.
21 E. Adams St., (904) 598-5303, indochinejax.comÂ
Top-notch Thai food was difficult to come by in downtown Jacksonville before Indochine opened in 2010. It shares a century-old building with the new Dorothy’s Downtown.
Indochine has become a go-to for fans of pho, Pad Thai and curry dishes. You can build your own dish, choosing between noodles & rice, wok dishes or curries. You then choose your own protein and heat level on a scale of 1-6 (and anything above 4 is seriously hot).
Restaurant review: Downtown gets very good Thai with Indochine
What are the Essential Restaurants of Jacksonville?
Jacksonville has plenty of great restaurants. But in a city as big as ours — it is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States, after all — it’s easy to overlook some of the true gems. That’s where our new guide, Essential Restaurants of Jacksonville, comes in. We’re sharing some of the must-try restaurants based on our experiences, past reporting, including Times-Union reviews, and online review sites, in a neighborhood-by-neighborhood guide. For now, we’re starting each list with five destination restaurants. Next year, we’ll add one more, selected by readers like you.
More Essential Restaurants of Jacksonville
Look for future Essential Restaurants of Jacksonville lists here as they become available.
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville dining: Bellwether, other must-try downtown restaurants