Here’s our ultimate guide to the best design, art, and culinary offerings in this luxurious seaside destination.
Welcome to the VERANDA Weekend Guides, where we show you how to make the most of 72 hours in one of our favorite destinations. Palm Beach, Florida, is one of our editors’ favorite places to visit, not only for its beautiful coastline but also its antiques shopping, designer-owned stores, art galleries, architecture and dining—all with a distinct Florida glamour.
The “season” in Palm Beach formally runs from November to April (post-hurricane season boasts the most consistent weather and a sunny winter escape), but more and more it’s becoming a year-round destination. We packed our Palm Beach weekend itinerary with all the highlights you’ll want to take in during your stay. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a seasoned South Florida vet, there’s plenty for design lovers to see, do and eat on this list. (Just make sure to pack the right outfits!)
Friday Morning
After arriving in Palm Beach, make your way to the White Elephant Palm Beach to check in for your stay. The 32-room boutique hotel gives guests all the intimate hospitable warmth of a home and all of the luxury of a resort. Housed in the 1924 Bradley Park Hotel building, the freshly renovated hotel reopened with a neutral color palette accented with vibrant pops of color in 2020 as a sister property to Nantucket’s White Elephant.
The seven-foot white elephant statue by Santa Fe-based artist Fredrick Prescott that greets you upon entry to the hotel is a hint at the gallery of art you’ll find inside, with 1950s pop art by Robert Rauschenberg, abstract expressionist pieces by Japanese American painter Kenzo Okada, and a 54-inch round acrylic work by Orit Fuchs, among other pieces.Amenities like BMW house cars, nightly turn-down service, and complimentary wine and cheese by the pool each afternoon make for a truly luxe experience.
If you are looking for a quick, light lunch after check in, grab a smoothie, salad, or açaí bowl just around the block at Field of Greens.
Friday Afternoon
Where better place to start your weekend than on the beach? Take a 10-minute stroll down Sunset Avenue to the Atlantic coast to take in the teal blue waters and colossal crashing waves—you can also ask the hotel to set up beach chairs for you.
On the way back, stop by the Serena & Lily store to peruse home furnishings by the beloved brand and Michelle Farmer’s fashionable selections at her retail store plus other shops and galleries you pass. Be sure to go to Main Street by the Breakers for an afternoon pick-me-up: handmade mini doughnuts, coffee, pastries and gelato are just the ticket. You can also shop for everything from cocktail napkins to designer dishes there. Don’t miss nearby Contessa Gallery, which caters to art collectors with a beautiful selection of photography, sculpture, paintings and mixed media pieces.
Friday Evening
Make dinner your first night an easy stroll downstairs to the hotel’s on-property restaurant. At Lola 41’s original location in Nantucket it’s nearly impossible to get a reservation in its small space, but you can reserve a table at the more spacious Palm Beach location indoors or on the patio.
Their two kitchens serve up sushi and creative takes on cuisine from countries and regions located on the 41st parallel, as well as fresh local seafood (think: Poke “Nachos,” Lobster Fried Rice, and Black Cod).
Saturday Morning
Start your day with a two-hour cruise along the lagoon between West Palm Beach and Palm Beach Island in a restored light pink (or mint green) Boston Whaler “picnic boat” from Palm Yachts, and take in the island and its incredible waterfront homes from the water, while sipping drinks and listening to music on the boat’s Bluetooth stereo.
You can take the boat to Peanut Island at the north end of the island if the waters are calm (or you’re up for a wetter ride), you can get a glimpse of Mar-a-Lago to the south.
Saturday Midday
Stop for a leisurely lunch at Sant Ambroeus in the Royal Poinciana Plaza, a shopping and dining epicenter with notable architecture by John Volk. Its pastas, salads, pizza, and gelato (if you have room) are well known from its New York City outposts. After lunch check out nearby shops and galleries, including Assouline, Kirna Zabete, and Onna House.
While you’re in the area, the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum’s stately 100,000-square-foot waterfront building is worth walking by (or taking a tour inside), as is the colossal and majestic Kapok tree just south of the museum. If you are wanting to explore more of the area, stroll around Society of Four Arts’ gardens that are equally lush and full of interesting sculptures.
Saturday Afternoon
Take a car further south on the island to Worth Avenue’s four blocks of luxury shopping amongst exquisite architecture. Visitors from all over the world are drawn to wander around the iconic avenue and its vias off the main street that take you to shops (like the Leta Austin Foster Boutique in Via Mizner) and restaurants centered around courtyards that make you feel like you’re in the Mediterranean.
Today, the Lilly Pulitzer flagship shop—located near where Lilly was inspired to start the brand when her shift dresses would get splattered working at a juice shop— uniquely offers custom-painted shift dresses and handbags.
In addition to luxury brands you’ll find all over the world (including Il Papiro’s stunning paper collection, the company’s only location outside Italy), over half of the shops are mom and pop businesses that have made their home there for decades like Stubbs & Wootton, a maker of bespoke custom slippers with iconic Palm Beach design, and Worth Avenue’s oldest shop Kassatly’s, which sells linens, cashmere sweaters, sportswear and sleepwear. After an afternoon on Worth Avenue, be sure to make pit stops at the nearby Julia Amory store, the Kemble Shop, and Lori Jayne.
Saturday Evening
For dinner, cross the bridge over to West Palm Beach and make your way to Fern. The farm-to-table, ranch-to-table concept sources all of its beef from a Wagyu cattle ranch in Okeechobee, Florida, where Akaushi cattle are raised without using hormones and antibiotics.
The dining experience (complete with at least one bottle of wine, of course) takes place in a former art gallery which now exclusively features pieces from Anthony Hernandez, a Florida-based artist whose work is inspired by the artists of his birthplace, Havana, Cuba.
Sunday Morning
Begin the day by checking out one of the White Elephant’s cruiser bicycles and riding it up the Lake Trail, which starts less than a block away. The 5.5-mile trail runs along the Lake Worth lagoon with views of its yachts and boats.
As you head to the northern end of the island, peek over the hedges to see the palatial homes lining the trail and take in unique trees along the way too. Make sure to look for the Old Bethesda-by-the-Sea—a building that served as a church until the 1920s and is now the residence of local designer Mimi McMakin.
Sunday Midday
Check out West Palm Beach’s Norton Museum of Art after it opens at 11 a.m. Housed in a stately Art Deco building, it features American, Chinese, European and contemporary art from a 8,200-piece collection that began in 1941 with the private collection of Ralph and Elizabeth Norton.
After you have explored the museum, sit down for lunch at The Restaurant on site, then walk outside to take in pieces of the Goergen Sculpture Garden.
Sunday Afternoon
If you have time before your flight, it’s time to shop West Palm Beach! Kick things off right near the museum at HIVE, a coastal chic retail empire curated by Sara McCann of McCann Design Group that boasts 24,000 square feet of home décor and gifts. Plus there’s a thoughtfully curated kids store with toys and clothing, as well as a bakery café and floral studio on site.
Continue driving up South Dixie Highway to find more design and antiques stores (more than 40 in all!) sprinkled along the road as a part of West Palm Beach Antique Row Art & Design District. Be sure to go in the notable Cedric Dupont Antiques and Patricia’s Gallery, then head further south to Georgia Avenue for Casa Gusto, Authentic Provence, Meg Braff Designs, and Town Country Coast. Circa Who Furniture, located north of downtown West Palm Beach, is also a must-visit for design lovers.