Las Olas Wine & Food Festival Celebrated Three Decades of Culinary Chaos, Cocktail Creativity and Charitable Goodness.

April 24th, 2026

It was easy to get lost in the indulgence that was the 30th annual Las Olas Wine & Food Festival. The cocktails, the exquisite bites, the DJ sets that blur into one long, glowing stretch of Las Olas Boulevard. But beyond the shots of booze, the illuminated Demesmin and Dover cowboy hats, and full tummies, this party had purpose. This year, more than $450,000 was raised benefiting the American Lung Association.

Endless Bites

At the 30th annual Las Olas Wine & Food Festival, bold flavors and handheld convenience were on the menu. With tasting pavilions, imaginative cocktails, and 200+ wines spread across four blocks of Las Olas Boulevard in downtown Fort Lauderdale, the festival delivered, satisfying the appetites of over 2,500 foodie attendees.

Around 50 of the best and newest South Florida restaurants stepped up to the task, including: Wild Sea Las Olas, Shooters, Abiaka Wood Fire Grill, American Social, Anthony’s Catering and Events, Baires Grill, Batch New Southern Kitchen & Tap, Café Del Mar, Casa Sensei, Del Mar, Eddie V’s Prime Seafood, El Vez, Ethos Greek Bistro, The Federal, Fireman Derek’s Bake Shop, The Hollywood Donut Factory, Laudy Bar Craft Kitchen, Mastro’s Ocean Club, New River Café and Bakery, Ocean Prime, Oceanic at the Pompano Beach Pier, Padrino’s Restaurant, Pho Bar, Radiant 166, Sixty Vines Restaurant, Skinny Louie, Steak 954, Sweet Melody Ice Cream, Timpano Las Olas, The Wilder…the list goes on-and-on.

Top 5 Bites

With so many diverse offerings, there really was something for everyone. Specifically satisfying to my palate was Timpano’s short rib ravioli with truffle butter. Juicy, meaty, and rich, Las Olas’s mainstay Italian restaurant easily earned top 5 status. Another top 5 finisher was the lobster yuzu taco in homemade wonton shell from Bondi Sushi. Packing a solid crunch, tangy twist, and a creamy finish, this was the top-notch taco. Fresh, simple, and refined beyond expectation, Eddie V’s Prime Seafood’s yellowtail sashimi was an indulgent top 5 taste. A favorite amongst many attendees I spoke to, and packing loads of smoky, creamy goodness, the fiocchetti pasta from Anthony’s Catering and Events was a perfect 10. Rounding out the top 5, since I went back for thirds, was the sweet, creamy, and crispy stracciatella crostini from The Wilder.

Well Rounded Meal

While the food may be enough for some, beer, wine, and cocktail options at Las Olas Wine & Food Festival were abundant. From softer sips like Aperol Spritz to straight shots of tequila and bourbon, it was all on the menu. My favorite sip of the day was Jim Beam’s Golden Mullet cocktail, with Jim Beam Pineapple, lemon juice, vanilla syrup, soda water, and candied ginger. Unfortunately, this would be 20 pages long if I covered everything I enjoyed, but overall, every sip, every bite, every meatball, skewer, salad, and offering from the sea of tuna tartars, was spectacular.

Since no great meal is complete without dessert, I have to give thanks to New River Café and Bakery for the gooey, sweet goodness that was their cinnamon bun bites. Sweet Melody Ice Cream’s Kooki Monster ice cream, with natural coloring, was also a sweet favorite. As were the out-of-this-world, pillowy doughnut holes from The Hollywood Doughnut Factory.

Final take: 30 years of “Sip, sample, repeat”

After 30 years of Las Olas Wine & Food Festivals, you might assume the novelty is gone and the party’s over, but with an ever-changing local restaurant scene and new participants and partners every year, Las Olas Wine & Food Festival remains fresh, exciting, and enjoyable as ever – all for a great cause.

Visit LasOlasWFF.com or follow on Instagram via @lasolaswff for more information on tickets and festival news.