Checked by The Things To Do In Fernandina Beach editorial desk.
"Waterfront" gets used loosely in a town on an island. Amelia Island has three different waters — the Amelia River and marina on the west side of downtown, the Atlantic on the east, and the Intracoastal Waterway across the marsh — and a restaurant on one of them is a completely different evening to a restaurant on another.
Here is the honest version: which restaurants have a real view of water, what you are actually looking at, and which side the sun sets on. The short answer to that last one, which trips up a lot of visitors: the sun sets over the river and the Intracoastal on the west side, not over the ocean beaches on the east. If sunset over water is the plan, book downtown or across the bridge, not on Fletcher Avenue.
How this list is put together: To be on this list, a restaurant has to have water in view from a table — not a water-themed name or a two-block walk to it.
Photo: Sunset over the water on the west side of Amelia Island.
Waterfront Restaurants in Fernandina Beach
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1
The Salty Pelican Bar & Grill
Marina and Amelia River views from the upstairs deck, at the foot of Centre Street. The west-facing sunset room most visitors mean when they say waterfront.
The Salty Pelican guide → -
2
Sliders Seaside Grill
Genuinely oceanfront on South Fletcher — a deck over the Atlantic. Mornings and afternoons, not sunsets.
Sliders guide → -
3
Salt Life Food Shack
Rooftop deck across the road from Main Beach, looking over the sand and the ocean.
Salt Life guide → -
4
Down Under Restaurant
Under the bridge on the Intracoastal, with boat traffic going past and a west-facing sunset.
Down Under guide → -
5
Shuckers Oyster Bar & Grill
Off Amelia Island Parkway on the island's west side — casual, local, and close to the water.
Shuckers guide → -
6
The Hidden Crab
Out on Old Nassauville Road in marsh country, on the mainland side of the water.
Hidden Crab guide →
Waterfront Restaurants in Fernandina Beach: FAQ
Which Fernandina Beach restaurant has the best sunset view?
Anything facing west: the marina end of downtown or the Intracoastal side. The Salty Pelican's upstairs deck and Down Under both face the right way. The beach restaurants on Fletcher Avenue face east — they get sunrise, not sunset.
Are there restaurants directly on the beach in Fernandina Beach?
Sliders Seaside Grill is oceanfront on South Fletcher Avenue. Salt Life Food Shack sits across the road from Main Beach with a rooftop overlooking it. Most of the town's better-known restaurants are downtown by the river instead.
What happened to Brett's Waterway Café?
It closed in October 2025 after 40 years at 1 S Front Street, and the building is slated for redevelopment. It still appears in a lot of older guides — it is not open.
Where do you park for the downtown waterfront restaurants?
The marina end of Centre Street is inside the downtown on-street parking zone, where the paid programme is due to end on 18 November 2026. The beach-side and Intracoastal restaurants all have free on-site parking.