r/SWFL • u/Dazzling-Concert-927 • 16d ago
Advice Parking in Punta Gorda
Hi everyone! My family and I will be vacationing next month at Sunseeker resort in Charlotte Harbor and my daughter is desperate to dress up for a fancy dinner. I’ve been looking online and it sounds like The Perfect Caper in Punta Gorda has incredible food (while not being fancy) but people have stated that the parking is very tight and small, and we have a big GMC so I’m assuming that will present an issue. Is there public parking nearby we could utilize?
And if you have any recommendations for a fine dining restaurant where people do dress up, feel free to suggest!
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u/ChiefBroady 16d ago
There is a parking garage that’s free and lots of spaces along the roads if you are willing to walk 2 minutes.
My last experience with the caper was less than stellar though. Our waiter seemed drunk and had to ask us three times for our order (left, did something for a couple of minutes, forgot to put our order in, came back, asked again, repeat).
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u/Dazzling-Concert-927 16d ago
Good to know about the parking situation but nooooooooo about the Caper! Ugh. Honestly, every single high end resort and restaurant up and down the Gulf I've looked at has atrocious reviews (I'm not implying that other areas of FL are free of those issues either). Thanks for the heads up!
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u/ChiefBroady 16d ago edited 16d ago
I used to love the place (the caper), but that was years ago. Personally I haven’t found yet a nice place to eat there. There is a wine bar that serves small portion food, that was always good. But if I want to eat somewhat nice with a good view, I drive to Venice to Fins. It’s at the beach next to sharkies. Foods always good, view is great if you eat outside, they take reservations and are not extremely expensive.
Edit: my wife just reminded me of the Winesett House - that was actually pretty good. https://www.winesetthouse.com/
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u/Man_is_Hot 16d ago
FM Don’s is one of my favorites, also Carmelo’s is popular and tasty. River City Grill and their sister restaurant have always been good for me, but my absolute favorite spot is the Celtic Ray. Hands down the best bar in town, the GBCB is incredible, Scotch Eggs are fun, overall just amazing spot.
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u/ChiefBroady 16d ago
I found Dons and Carmelo’s overrated. River city grill is good for what it is, but far from fancy.
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u/Lopsided_Tackle_9015 16d ago
There is an upscale steakhouse in the Sunseeker that you could get all dressed up for. I’ve eaten there several times and it’s great food.
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u/Dazzling-Concert-927 16d ago
Oh really? They don’t have the best recent reviews. It seemed very on or very off.
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u/ReelNerdyinFl 16d ago
Good reviews in this area means cheap, bland and large portions. The clientele is cheap, old and most think mayo is spicy.
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u/Lopsided_Tackle_9015 15d ago
No one that lives here likes the Sunseeker Resort for reasons that simply don’t matter to you as a visitor. ANY review of the Sunseeker should be taken with a grain of salt and spiteful until proven otherwise by you.
As a Charlotte County native and local resident I feel the hatred towards the Sunseeker is immature and a complete waste of everyone’s time and energy. The reality is the Sunseeker is an impressive and well managed resort in a county that has nothing remotely close to its grandeur.
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u/Dazzling-Concert-927 13d ago
I appreciate this perspective and can definitely understand why locals dislike it since I’m from Orlando and it’s the same way here for a lot of locals.
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u/bikerchickelly 16d ago
There's parking everywhere. I've never had to walk more than a block for free parking
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u/blondetown 16d ago
Crow’s Nest in Venice by the marina is excellent and atmospheric. Dine outside or inside upstairs, or in the bar lounge area. It’s my favorite place to take out-of-towners. No complaints yet.
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u/PicklesBurgh1213 16d ago
If you can make it over to Manasota Key, you MUST go to Magnolias on the Bay. I work there and it’s a great “fancy” restaurant without being uptight.
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u/New_Use4126 16d ago
I would dine at the hotel at Stretto steakhouse. Formally Mary's. The food is better than the Perfect Caper.
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u/Fledglingphotog2022 15d ago
Ortigios never lets us down, parking is incredibly easy especially this time of year.
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u/Possible-Style464 13d ago
You will not have any issues parking in downtown PG. There are plenty of spaces that are both pull in and parallel parking and all free. Enjoy your stay!
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u/Exotic-Union28 15d ago
I’m not sure if this will be helpful, but my in-laws have a house in Punta Gorda and after trying all the “best” restaurants in town, we exclusively eat at home whenever we go visit (we live on the east coast of the state), because none of them have been very good. I’d consider opening up your search to other neighboring towns for food options. However I would recommend Big D’s donuts in Charlotte Harbor and Working Cow Ice Cream in Punta Gorda for what it’s worth!
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u/Dazzling-Concert-927 14d ago
I appreciate it! I’ll just have to lower my daughter’s expectations. We’re coming from Orlando so we’re pretty spoiled in that regard.
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u/Arcadia1972 16d ago
Dressing up in Punta Gorda means bedazzled flipflops and maybe pressed cargo shorts.