TradeWinds Italian Restaurant

What can I say? It is perfect, no frills, American-style Italian food. There is NOTHING on the menu I would not try. The mussels were so well cooked, massive portions, no grit. The entrees… I had chicken parm, were perfectly executed. I could bathe in their marinara sauce. The environment is warm, inviting, friendly but not overly fussy. It was a perfect experience. Make a reservation any night of the week during tourist season because it was immediately packed.

Okay, here's a pizza review for Tradewinds: Tradewinds' Margarita pizza is a total winner! The crust is perfectly crisp with just the right amount of chewiness. The sauce is super fresh and vibrant, and you can tell they use quality tomatoes. The mozzarella is creamy and melts perfectly, giving you that classic Margherita goodness in every bite. Plus, the basil is fresh and fragrant, adding a nice pop of flavor. Seriously, if you're craving a simple but delicious pizza, Tradewinds nails it.

Very good, I had chicken marsala, the atmosphere is very casual and the staff friendly. We ordered 4 plates and shared nothing we got was not top notch. Reservations are needed and worth the trip

Love coming here. The food and atmosphere are awesome. Love mom and pop restaurant.

What a wonderful experience. We came to Niceville from Navarre for a show at Mattie Kelly’s and decided to try Tradewinds. Our server Wendy W was spot on with her service and made sure everything was timed perfectly so we could make the show on time. All of our food was perfectly prepared and SO delish. The mussels in orange sauce (white wine and marinara) were a huge hit as well as the crab cakes advertised as “meaty”. Check out my photo of the huge pieces of crab! And loved my lasagna with sliced meatballs and sliced sausage. It’s a wonder we were able to walk out. Got a great laugh after we looked closer and discovered we had misread the employees shirts. Too funny. Thank you to the host, our server Wendy W and all of the cooks! You made our night!!!

Very cute Italian spot, and you can smell the garlic as you walk up. Reservations are recommended, and I can see why. It is a very popular spot, so make reservations. Our waitress was awesome and gave me great recommendations. We had the amazing bread to start. Also had the yummy crab cakes. Followed by the capricciosa pizza. The crust was crispy, and the toppings were plentiful. If I am ever back in town, I will definitely be back.

Filet special was delicious and served with absolute grace! Lisa and the crew did an amazing job!!!

TradeWinds was recommended by a group we met on Crab Island one weekend and we decided to take a day to come back down and try it. We drove 3 1/2 hours and although we didn’t make reservations(HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) so we couldn’t get a table, but we did order ToGo. It has a cute quaint smaller intimate dinning area. We got our food and went Lions Park to have a park dinner date. I could not believe my eyes when I saw the portion sizes and gave my taste buds just as much joy. We ordered 2 servings of crab cakes, Eggplant Parmigiana, Grouper My Way, Veal Picata, and Tiramisu for an amazing price might I add! We will definitely be returning soon. The drive was well worth it and the food was the icing on the cake of our day trip!

Excellent - We are weekly patrons Meals are impeccable and so is the service What a GEM in Niceville, Florida

Always great to enjoy an excellent Italian meal - instead of going for my normal fare - I tried a Calzone, something I haven't had since serving in USAF in San Vito, IT. It was a meal for two or three and I loaded it with Yummie ingredients - It was tasty and took 2/3 home with me. Our server Melody is a true professional server and loves her peeps! Great to get a reservation at the bar to see how George and team create their signature dishes. If you haven't been - make a reservation. The decor makes you feel like a family restaurant.

The special of the day was amazing and everyone else in the group all said their was excellent too! The fresh bread and dipping oil was a great start to the great meal...nice warm bread with a nice garlic bomb of oil...yum!

The food is always amazing. We love making this jewel our go to on special occasions. A chef's kiss to a fabulous dinner date.

I had heard so much about this place and how good the food was so needless to say I was a little disappointed when it didn't meet my expectations. I thought I would try the raviolis. They sounded delicious but when the dish arrived, it was covered in sauce and smothered and mozzarella on top. I thought the ravioli should've been the star of the dish and they hit it. It was just too much such a shame because the ravioli themselves were very good but they got lost in the sauce and the massive amounts of mozzarella melted on top . The staff was extremely pleasant and I would have found the prices reasonable had the food been better....

Excellent! First time eating here and the service was wonderful and the food was excellent! 4 of us and we all loved what we got. We got the cannoli to go and can't wait to get back to enjoy it!

The food is delicious though the portions could honestly be larger. That's a compliment to them though because they are THAT good you want more! The Service is terrific and friendly. The ambiance is cozy and nice.

Seriously the best Italian food I've had. Neat atmosphere and great service. I got the shrimp Alfredo and it comes with bread and side salad. Super amazing.

I wanted to try a local spot while in town. They have plenty of chain restaurants that you can have at any time. I checked the reviews, and reservations were recommended, so I gave them a call to check if they had seating available. The gentleman on the phone was so nice and made a reservation for me and told me to stop by. We were greeted at the door and a table was ready for us. Our waitress, Wendy, came over for our drink order and let us know she had fresh bread coming for us. BTW, while walking up to the restaurant, you could smell the garlic in the air. The bread arrives, and we give it a try. It was delicious, and even my mom liked it. She ate three pieces! She is not a bread person. We tried the crab cake appetizer. My mom, who said she was not hungry, proceeded to eat the entire crab cake. It was filled with crab meat, and the filling was not overpowering. I asked Wendy for her recommendation between the pizza and the calzone. She said she would have the pizza for the first time. I opted for the CAPRICCIOSA pizza that has almost everything. The crust is super thin, which I like because I am more into toppings. I could see them cook my pizza from where I was sitting, and it came to the table as soon as it left the oven. Needless to say, of course, I almost burned myself trying to get it in my mouth. I couldn't help it. The pizza smelled so good, and I was excited. It was worth the temporary numbness. The crust was light, and the toppings were flavorful. I was halfway in before I remembered to take a picture. I am glad I had a chance to stop by here. From a look at the other tables, the past portion sizes were quite large, and everyone seemed to enjoy their food.

Very nice service and environment. Had a great time and ate great food. Only downside is the size being quite small which is not important unless you have a big group.

The service is relaxed yet formal enough for a special dinner. The servers are attentive and friendly. I cannot say enough about the delicious Italian food! My favorites are eggplant parmigiana and the pepperoni pizza but everything is fantastic!

Fantastic food. Incredible service. One of the best restaurants in the Panhandle and better than 90% of 30a. Would love to recommend you dine here, but it's hard enough to get a reservation. So, stay away!!

So we've been back here about 5 times in the last three months. We just CANNOT get enough! Always great service and the food is always so delicious! We recommend making a reservation!!

Went back after 2yrs & this time things were much improved. Three at our table ordered the steak special. It was perfectly cooked filet on top of mushroom & sundried tomato risotto. The risotto was delicious. Very creamy & lots of mushrooms & sundried tomatoes, then topped off with hollandaise. Very decadent meal. Others in our party had onion soup said Very good. Hubby had shrimp aioli. I tasted his it was good but not outstanding. Service was much better & our server was very attentive. Will go back again now I know things are better. Prices are reasonable & you get a good deal of food. Wine list also improved. One note parking is limited & the restaurant can be quite noisy, it's small, so wouldn't recommend for romantic place to go.

My server was very nice and made sure to check on us. I went with a big group and the workers did an incredible job on keeping up with us. The food was absolutely splendid. The pasta was cooked perfectly and the bread was nice and warm. The salad was not my favorite but the rest of my appetizer were amazing. The shrimp and bruschetta was something I would definitely get again.

Disappointing experience. Jammed into a table with little space, it is not quiet or intimate at all. The restaurant is filled with locals who frown at new comers. The food was mediocre at best. Our waitress couldn't understand us, she was wearing shorts and a t-shirt for what we thought was "fine dining" with two giant thy tattoos for everyone to stare at. We had to scream our order and were made to feel dumb when we had questions about the food options or specials. It was not the experience we expected at all sadly. Won't return. Wouldn't recommend you waste your time.

Great service. Excellent food. Really enjoyed our meal. Local place - no silly attempt to be fancy just good food and good people.

Molly our waitress was fabulous. First time there with a group of 10 friends. Food came out quickly, and was deeeelicious! Mussels were the best I've had in Florida. Crab cakes could have been main course. So much crab!

I came here for my birthday dinner. This restaurant has been around for 20 years and I'm just now learning about it. Well I've been back for three years but this was WOW. I love Italian. Lived in Italy for two years. I miss the food! You need a reservation and there are two sittings at 5 & 7 pm. We went to the 5 because going to a movie after. Parking in front or around back. You have to enter from the front. They have covered patio seating as well. Tables are spaced out to keep inline with Covid rules. Waitress was outstanding and very helpful. Don't eat all the bread and the dipping oil. I had to stop myself from eating so much. Love the garlic in the olive oil. We had an app of bruschetta and it was delicious. Wine was on point. We all had something different to eat. I truly enjoyed my meal called principessa. I had leftovers for two additional meals. Tiramisu was delicious. I apologize for having eaten half way before taking a picture. If you're in the area and want a very low key Italian meal this is it.

Pleasantly not surprised because all the other great reviews stated the same. This place is all about the food, portions. and friendly service. Parking is sort of tight and disorganized, the building is a one story added on to structure that is fine but nothing fancy. The food is simply amazing, we skipped the apps and went straight to the entres, tried a lot of different dishes and all were delicious and large enough to share. Had the Tom's Pasta, Clams and Pasta, Lasagne and others. Table got real quiet as we devoured and enjoyed. Service was perfect, not too much time waiting and food came out quickly. This is a great family friendly restaurant, make reservations because it fills up quickly. Lots of couples on date night and great wine selections. Highly recommend and will repeat whenever in Niceville.

Food was plentiful and delicious! Ordered to go- service fast and friendly. Would recommend highly.

Food is amazing and they give you plenty for leftovers! Highly recommend! Service was incredible- they truly make you feel like a special guest. Building is a little old but they have decorated the inside nicely.

Okay but not great! I won't be selecting them on my own. Spaghetti with meatballs only, no meat sauce is offered. Meatballs are not good in my humble opinion.

I have been coming to Tradewinds for 3 years now. It's located in a very unassuming house on the way to VPS airport. You would not know it's a restaurant unless you knew it was there. The food and service is outstanding. The prices are very reasonable and portions are large. The owners, George and Sherri are very nice people that know how to treat their customers. We drive from 30 minutes away almost weekly for the experience to eat there. But you better call ahead and get a reservation at least a week in advance or you won't get in. I can't say enough good about this place, other than you need to experience it for yourself. You won't be sorry!

Pork chop bone smelled rotten, the service is the worst I have ever seen and they over charge on everything. Dinner for 2 over $100 and the diarrhea is free! Olive Garden is half price, 3 times the flavor and lower the chances of gut rot! Also be prepared to be greeted by a elderly homeless man posing as a hostess.

It's been our favorite restaurant for years.. always consistent and quality authentic Italian food.. best pizzas with thin crust is very good!! You will need reservations as they stay booked!!!

We're on vacation and drove 30 min to Tradewinds solely based on the reviews. We weren't sure if we were "mislead" based on the look of the place (but you should never judge a book by its cover, right?) Upon arrival, we were asked if we had a reservation, which we did not. My husband, being a typical husband, didn't fully do his research, to which it's says all over their website that THEY RECOMMEND RESERVATIONS! We explained we were unaware and how we had driven so far to come and weren't from around here. We were fortunate to get a table and thanked the very kind manager, as our only other option would have been ordering to-go and driving 30min back to our condo. The service was very accommodating and the food was exceptional. When we visit Destin again, Tradewinds will make the list of stops and we will certainly be sure to make reservations.

Awesome little Italian Restaurant! Great selection, decent prices, large portions and great service. Food was delicious!

Have not been to TW in awhile, joined friends for an early evening of food and wine and good times. Our server was wonderful, quick to anticipate, to replenish TW's fabulous bread, not intrusive. So why only three stars, my entree was barely adequate. Chicken parmgiana, just a slab of chicken (baked, grilled, not sure) over pasta topped with runny marinara sauce and mozzarella. The dish was floating in the runny sauce. I'm thinking the pasta was not drained enough. Also the chicken parm I have had in the past was lightly breaded, this chicken not so much. It was meh. Everyone else at our table seemed to enjoy their entrees. Our red wine was excellent, of course I forgot to get the name!

Lovely atmosphere, fair prices. Great service. I'm only giving it a 3 because I ordered a grouper dish and it was not great at all. The fish was hard and rubbery. I had to use a knife to cut it and even then it didn't give much. I didn't say anything to the server because it's not like they could re-cook it. It was also almost time to close and I didn't want to hold anyone up. (Or get my food spit in) But that dish was surprisingly awful. I will go back again and give it another try. So many positive reviews and I feel like it would be worth going back just for the pre-meal bread. My husband had a pizza and didn't have any complaints.

Delicious and genuine Italian food! The wine selection is great, and the atmosphere is welcoming.

Favorite Italian restaurant in Niceville. My go to is the Clam Linguine - YUM! I choose the white wine sauce but it is also delicious in the "orange" sauce (red/white mixed). The spaghetti and meatballs are AMAZE-balls. We prefer take-out so we can enjoy our meals at home but I know the ambiance is very nice! Unfortunately we had one minor server/service incident that has deterred us to dine in but we can't not enjoy their delicious pastas and pizzas. Phone service is always impeccable. Wait time is very manageable and appropriate.

Oh, we've been coming to TradeWinds for years and years; special occasions usually. There's something absolutely brilliant about them. Everything's always been wonderfully spectacular, safe to say, even memorable. Super top marks for warmth and hospitality, exceptional food quality and superlative execution. Always. They've always been happy and friendly and warm and welcoming and the food has always been wonderful. One of a few places I know with very enthusiastic and highly talented owner/operators. Foodies making food oh, that's a wonderful thing. Totally in Love with their pizzas but went in for the rarely offered special penne bolognes with brothy black bean chorizo soup. Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant! Sure, if you didn't know, it's not exactly easy to find them and parking's tight (though there's parking out back too ...it just took us a few years to realize that). And, the space is small albeit intimate even if you didn't want it to be. Something spectacular's going on here. There's a reason the parking lots almost always full and my best advice is to make a reservation.

Yet another delicious dinner here with warm Italian bread (where do they get this incredible bread I can make a meal) and dipping Oliver oil

Forgot to check in but the food was so fantastic, a review was in order. All meals start with homemade bread served with oil and spices. We added Parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar. Our meals were lasagna- a double size wonderful serving. Crab cakes and pasta salad, blackened salmon with grilled blackened shrimp with creamy pasta. Our meals came with a salad. Don't forget your reservations since people who want to work in Niceville are hard to come by. Every restaurant needs help to be able to take care or the customers.

Tradewinds is a locals favorite and getting reservations is a must. The bread was hearty, delicious with the olive oil mix. My husband said the lasagna was one of the best he's had around and we've pretty much to all of them from Destin to Pensacola. The penne carbonara is my favorite here. Tiramisu was good, nothing spectacular, similar to Olive Gardens. Overall you definitely can't go wrong to get your Italian fix here.

We brought our family of six to celebrate life at Trade Winds tonight. We started with their fresh, fabulous and hot bread with their olive oil blend, it was great. We followed the bread with a pepperoni and cheese pizza that was the best I have ever had. Each person selected different dishes, all of them were amazing. We didn't take photos, because we immediately started eating. Everything was so fresh, tasty and savory that we just couldn't. Portions were enough for two, so we have left overs to take home. The service all wore shirts were so funny, you have to come here to experience the food, the atmosphere snd that top rate service staff for yourself. This was our first trip, but not our last. We ate in the outside covered area, and it was enchanting, the inside seating is welcoming snd charming in its own way. We bought gift cards because we can't think of a better gift to give anyone that is special to us.

Might look a bit divey on the outside, but they had one of the best steaks I've eaten in a while and pasta was perfectly cooked. Not to mention the cannolis were delightful.

The customer service was amazing. The food was good. Their pizza was exceptional. It was loud and crowded.

Best Italian food you may ever have. The homemade marinara is off the charts. Fair warning, it's always packed so think ahead when you need reservations

TradeWinds is by far the best Italian food in the area. The food and service is the best. The staff is very friendly and helpful. We love this place

This place is the best, the last time we ate there, we sat at the bar in front of the kitchen, the food was wonderful and watching the chefs and staff work together was impressive and just fun to watch. The entire staff work so hard to make you feel important and ensure a great dining experience. Thanks

After passing through some new ownership, a lot of things have changed it is still pretty good, but is not near what it used to be

We attempted to walk-in yesterday and a dark haired lady in her 50's approached us and said, "Do you have a reservation??" When we said "no" she condescended to us and explained rudely, "We have tables.... But they're only for people that have reservations!" We tried to see if it may be possible to sit down as there were clearly open tables that could support a table for three. She wouldn't budge and continued to talk to us like we were toddlers as she explained that only people with reservations will be seated. Their website says "reservations recommended," not "mandatory," which, is how it seems that they like to operate. You had to be there to witness the dialogue - I'm not sure if she's the owner or what, but I was blown away by her poor customer service. It honestly wasn't that busy, it was 6:04 PM, but she made us feel like we were completely wasting her time. It's not like she's working at Alimentari e Veneria in NYC... cool it lady - you're working at Tradewinds on the edge of ValP and Niceville. I will say - their Italian fare is generally really good. We mainly order from them because of the quality and how close to home they are, so takeout is typically our go to. I don't plan on going there again. FYI, Basil and Baxter's a block away, so we flexed to that restaurant, and they seated us right away - another "reservations recommended" type business. Bonus! They actually serve cocktails (Tradewinds is Beer / Wine only) - which we gladly consumed as we laughed about our baffling experience with the rudest hostess of Tradewinds in Niceville.

So good. Come hungry, they are going to feed you like your grandmother. Best Italian in the area, hands down. Very large portions. Good wine, beers, and cocktails. Good for a date night or a family outing. Staff is amazing. Friendly and helpful with suggestions. Small outdoor area. Free parking. Always busy so we plan ahead with a reservation to be safe.

Delicious pasta dishes, service was good, relaxing atmosphere. Nice wine selection. Definitely will return.

It was great food and service. I would definitely return. We had ravioli and lasagna, wonderful bread with oil to dip in. Also a side salad and soup.

If you were not looking for this restaurant you would miss it. It is your classic "hole in the wall", tables don't match, not much for decor , but for awesome Italian food it is the place to go. Only open from 5:00 to 9:00 and you need a reservation if you don't want to wait a long time for a table. I had the chicken Marsala and it was awesome!

Literally the BEST Italian food in North Florida... Just WOW!!! What a treasure to find in this little gem in Niceville. We went last Friday night around 6:00pm and they had no tables available and the place was packed. They could seat us at 9:15pm. The owner Sharon apologized and gave us a card and said on the weekends it is best to make a reservation. We politely said we would return at a later date. I was not surprised because every time I drive by this place it is packed. So I made a reservation this Friday early in the day for Saturday and there was a 5:00pm or 7:30pm slot left. So I opted for the 7:30. When we arrived we were seated by Sharon, the place was packed and loud. It's a quirky little place but the smells are enough to charge for. Our waitress Nicole was great and friendly and kept us updated on the appetizer and meals coming out. All of the staff were polite and busy but attentive. We had the crab cakes for an appetizer and there is literally more crab than cake. They were scrumptious! I had chicken piccata and My man had veal parm. Both were amazing. The specials included a grilled pork chop dish, a grouper and pasta dish, and a bacon wrapped filet with risotto- all of it look amazing!!! Kudos to this small town place for serving it up hot and fresh! Amazing experience- we decided we will return at least once a month! It's our new go to place for great food and amazing pizza!