French-American$$$$the Brazilian Court Hotel, Australian Avenue, Palm BeachOpen since 2003 at the Brazilian Court · Cafe Boulud
Daniel Boulud's courtyard room at the Brazilian Court, Forbes Four Stars since 2003 — book the terrace to impress a client at lunch.
8Food
8Ambience
7Value
About Cafe Boulud
There is a fountain in the Brazilian Court's courtyard, and on a clear Palm Beach night the best seats at Cafe Boulud are the ones beside it, under open sky. Daniel Boulud, the Lyon-born chef behind Manhattan's Michelin-starred Daniel, opened this room inside the hotel in July 2003 and has held the island's attention ever since. The cooking is Franco-American with a South Florida lightness, and the address does as much work as the plate: this is where Palm Beach books when the meal has to land.
The Kitchen
Daniel Boulud sets the direction; executive chef Christopher Zabita runs the kitchen day to day. The menu reads like classic Boulud through a coastal filter: the signature Caesar, Dover sole filleted at the table, and a prime rib cut from Scharbauer Ranch Wagyu. A three-course early dinner starts at $48 and the à la carte climbs from there, while the weekday lunch prix-fixe is the quiet value.
The dining room sits at 301 Australian Avenue, inside the Brazilian Court Hotel, where Cafe Boulud has cooked since July 2003. The name on the door, Daniel Boulud, is a James Beard Outstanding Restaurateur, and the room itself holds four stars in the Forbes Travel Guide. Set it against our best French restaurants worldwide, browse the full Palm Beach dining guide, or measure it with our seven signs of a great restaurant.
The Room
Ask for the courtyard. The room spills out around the hotel's fountain, tables set under the sky with the Brazilian Court's hush around them, and it flatters a face the way few rooms in town can. Sound stays easy and grown-up, the lighting is soft, and the spacing is generous in the way Palm Beach expects. Dress is resort-elegant, a jacket common at dinner without being demanded, and the service is polished and unhurried. Between the dining room, the bar and the terrace it seats a comfortable crowd, but the open-air tables are the ones worth waiting for.
Best for Impressing Clients
Book Cafe Boulud to impress a client because everything reassures at once: the Boulud name on the door, the Forbes-rated courtyard around you, and a kitchen that lands the Dover sole without theatre. A weekday lunch in the open air closes more than it costs, and the early three-course dinner gives the evening a clean shape. For more rooms that do the convincing, see our best restaurants to impress clients guide.
Not for
Skip Cafe Boulud for a casual budget dinner. This is moneyed Palm Beach inside a luxury hotel, and the bill climbs fast once wine and a few courses are on the table. And if you want the courtyard, the seat that makes this room, you cannot walk in for it in season.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cafe Boulud worth it?
Yes, if you want polished French-American cooking with a name behind it. Daniel Boulud has held this Palm Beach room since 2003, executive chef Christopher Zabita runs a confident kitchen, and the courtyard at the Brazilian Court is among the prettiest tables in town. Come for the Dover sole and a weekday lunch; do not come looking for a bargain, and it delivers the occasion you are paying for.
How hard is it to book Cafe Boulud?
Book ahead in season. From the winter Palm Beach high season through spring, weekend dinners and courtyard tables fill well in advance, so reserve a week or more out on OpenTable or by phone. Lunch and the early three-course dinner are easier to land. Ask for a courtyard table; those open-air seats are the ones everyone requests, and they go before the indoor dining room does.
What is the dress code at Cafe Boulud?
Resort-elegant. There is no strict jacket mandate, but this is a Daniel Boulud room inside a luxury Palm Beach hotel, so dress the part: a jacket is common at dinner, smart resort wear works for lunch, and beachwear does not. Evenings lean dressier than the day. Err toward polished; you will feel right in the courtyard and never overdressed in this particular room.
What should I order at Cafe Boulud?
Start with the signature Caesar and the Dover sole, then build from the seasonal French menu; the Scharbauer Ranch prime rib is the move for a bigger appetite. Consider the three-course early dinner from $48 if you want the kitchen's range at a set price. A bottle from the French-leaning list suits the cooking, and at lunch the prix-fixe is the value play.
Diner Reviews
Richard A.February 2026
Occasion: Impress Clients
Hosted a client lunch in the courtyard and it could not have gone better. The Boulud name set the tone, the sea bass was flawless, and the open-air room felt like Palm Beach at its best. The reliable choice when the meeting matters.
Caroline P.March 2026
Occasion: First Date
Sat under the sky in the Brazilian Court courtyard and it was effortlessly romantic. Beautiful French cooking, attentive but unfussy service, and a setting that does half the work. Not cheap, but exactly the right kind of special.
Reserve on OpenTable or call the restaurant. Courtyard tables in season are the hardest to get.
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Practical Information
Address301 Australian Ave, Palm Beach, FL 33480
NeighbourhoodThe Brazilian Court Hotel, Australian Ave
CuisineFranco-American
Price$$$$; three-course dinner from $48, a la carte higher
Dress CodeResort-elegant; jacket common at dinner
SeatingDining room, bar and courtyard terrace
ReservationOpenTable or phone; book the courtyard ahead
DietaryVegetarian options; flag needs when booking
