While the main site is being refloored we were moved to the location where they normally host weddings, a beautiful intimate setting, food a lovely as always and still worth the visit
Barbara Joy
We dined at Old Captiva House to celebrate our 36th anniversary, as we have done several times in past years. This time, our anniversary coincided with Father's Day, so the restaurant was happily busy with a number of big families. Yet we were given a nice table in a quieter nook, which suited us very well. Our server quickly ascertained that we were locals, not tourists, and we pleasantly chatted about friends in common, such as the former chef at Old Captiva House, who is now on Useppa island. The server was knowledgeable, too; no need to explain what a kir royale is, she knows, and the bartender knows. Food was good. My husband's lamb chops were excellent, and cooked precisely to the point where he prefers them. My gruyere chicken was very nice, too, although the chicken was a little dry. The mushrooms were really fine. The dessert menu could have been more imaginative, but my husband enjoyed a copious bowl of ice cream very much. Perfect for a summer evening! Mostly we love the historic and tropical ambiance at Old Captiva House. We feel at home there.
Sarah
Beautiful setting and amazing drinks and apps. A must-visit when traveling to Sanibel or Captiva.
Michael
Brenda, Wycliff and Benny were amazing! BUT, our waiter was the worst I may have had in decades. We went to the bar for a pre-dinner drink and the bar tender was rude and when we went to pay for our drinks didn't lay down my bill, he held it up n the air and I had stand up and go get it from him, he was rude to staff when asking them to get water for us as well Then, unfortunately, he was also our waiter...young guy with dark hair...this was on May 24, 2025, and we had 6;30pm reservation. He was rude the entire time, very short, walked away several times while we were still asking questions, but the worst part is the tables around us also had issues and they said something to us when our food got there. When our food arrived, I asked the waiter for salt and pepper, and he just walked away...tables by us said "we heard you", meaning he clearly ignored us. Then another table by us also had issues...worst service in decades and stinks cause the food was top notch but when you spend $200 or more on a nice dinner for 2 people, you expect outstanding service. Very poor service, horrible service to say it nicely, Very disappointed...while the food was amazing, we will not be returning to the Old Captiva House because of the terrible service only.
Nichole
I am a 4th generation Floridian. This is by far the best steak and lobster I have had. It's the best grouper we have had & the lobster risotto the grouper laid upon. To die for!!! The escargot was absolutely amazing and what a uniquely different sauce. It was so refreshing to experience amazing foods we love, prepared in different ways than most restaurants. It's not your run of the mill food and or taste. We had a bottle of the Sonoma Chard, and it was absolutely delightful as well. Our waitress Shelby was so professional and personable. We were greeted so very well when we arrived, as we were celebrating my birthday with no kiddos this weekend. I absolutely fell in love with the ambiance, the staff and the way they made us feel at home and welcome. Amazing customer service!!! That extra touch, makes this my favorite restaurant in all of Sanibel and Captiva for celebrations and did I mention the food?! It was a beautiful experience, enjoyed amazingly delicious food and the gulf just a glistening and sparkling away, from our table. Thank yall for the most amazing experience. I live in Vero Beach area and we go to Ocean Grill there for special occasions. This is our place now on the gulf to go to , for special occasions. Thank you again!
Steve
Great location made even better by outstanding food and ambiance. Book dinner at a time that allows you to watch the sunset from the beach directly across from the restaurant. Makes for an amazing night!
Tally
We ate outside on the patio, lovely, with excellent service from our waiter Richard, good food. However, we were told that our little dog in an airplane carrier backpack could not join us when we reserved the table, so we put her back in our hotel room. However, the manager and host then allowed a dog to come sit behind us with a ‘local' couple. Rules for thee but not for me. No, their dog was not a service dog but hoisted over the wall by the couple. Shame, shame. Special treatment I understand but make your policy consistent. Probably won't stay here again.
joseph
Service started out great then did not see our waiter for an hour. Bread was stale and shrimo and calamari in the bouillabaisse was like rubber. Would not recommend
Edward
Great food and service. Filet was excellent and cooked perfectly. Outdoor dining was great. Great experience!
Kim
Our first visit in many years. My prawn appetizer was over cooked and the Ceasar Salad was pitiful. No check in to see if everything was ok. Waited another 45 minutes for our dinner to be served. I had the scallops, and they were very good. My husband had the fish special and it was ok. Overall, quite the disappointment based on previous excellent visits.
Extremely picturesque dining room overlooking the gulf sunset. Duck was magnificent but too much food. Great cocktails available try Sidecar. Try for around sunset and get a show.
Robert
Easier buffet and the lamb was the star dish. Great seafood spread. Delicious dessert of banana bread pudding. Parking confusing as it directs you to area not marked.
Kristina
We went to their Easter buffet, and it was the worst money I have ever spent. The food was terrible, very little selection and our server was nowhere to be found. Everything was dry like it had been sitting out for hours. There was nothing available at the buffet to justify the cost. Our server came by to take a drink order, deliver the drinks and then we never saw her again until we had to request our check from the hostess. We have eaten here before and had a wonderful experience. I don't know what happened on this most recent visit, but I see no reason to ever go back.
Amy
The Easter brunch was a little disappointing for how expensive it was. The good quality was medium. All of the food they had outside should have been covered as there were bugs.
kerri
My family has lived this restaurant for many years, but this year, it has been off. Last night, for dinner we waited for over an hour for our meal after ordering with no explanation no check-in while other tables were getting served who arrived after. The seafood stew was always so flavorful, but was oddly over-seasoned and no one left raving over their entrees. We were disappointed and hopefully next year, things return. I hate to post a negative review but it honestly was the lack of any acknowledgement that really seemed very off for the price point.
While the main site is being refloored we were moved to the location where they normally host weddings, a beautiful intimate setting, food a lovely as always and still worth the visit
We dined at Old Captiva House to celebrate our 36th anniversary, as we have done several times in past years. This time, our anniversary coincided with Father's Day, so the restaurant was happily busy with a number of big families. Yet we were given a nice table in a quieter nook, which suited us very well. Our server quickly ascertained that we were locals, not tourists, and we pleasantly chatted about friends in common, such as the former chef at Old Captiva House, who is now on Useppa island. The server was knowledgeable, too; no need to explain what a kir royale is, she knows, and the bartender knows. Food was good. My husband's lamb chops were excellent, and cooked precisely to the point where he prefers them. My gruyere chicken was very nice, too, although the chicken was a little dry. The mushrooms were really fine. The dessert menu could have been more imaginative, but my husband enjoyed a copious bowl of ice cream very much. Perfect for a summer evening! Mostly we love the historic and tropical ambiance at Old Captiva House. We feel at home there.
Beautiful setting and amazing drinks and apps. A must-visit when traveling to Sanibel or Captiva.
Brenda, Wycliff and Benny were amazing! BUT, our waiter was the worst I may have had in decades. We went to the bar for a pre-dinner drink and the bar tender was rude and when we went to pay for our drinks didn't lay down my bill, he held it up n the air and I had stand up and go get it from him, he was rude to staff when asking them to get water for us as well Then, unfortunately, he was also our waiter...young guy with dark hair...this was on May 24, 2025, and we had 6;30pm reservation. He was rude the entire time, very short, walked away several times while we were still asking questions, but the worst part is the tables around us also had issues and they said something to us when our food got there. When our food arrived, I asked the waiter for salt and pepper, and he just walked away...tables by us said "we heard you", meaning he clearly ignored us. Then another table by us also had issues...worst service in decades and stinks cause the food was top notch but when you spend $200 or more on a nice dinner for 2 people, you expect outstanding service. Very poor service, horrible service to say it nicely, Very disappointed...while the food was amazing, we will not be returning to the Old Captiva House because of the terrible service only.
I am a 4th generation Floridian. This is by far the best steak and lobster I have had. It's the best grouper we have had & the lobster risotto the grouper laid upon. To die for!!! The escargot was absolutely amazing and what a uniquely different sauce. It was so refreshing to experience amazing foods we love, prepared in different ways than most restaurants. It's not your run of the mill food and or taste. We had a bottle of the Sonoma Chard, and it was absolutely delightful as well. Our waitress Shelby was so professional and personable. We were greeted so very well when we arrived, as we were celebrating my birthday with no kiddos this weekend. I absolutely fell in love with the ambiance, the staff and the way they made us feel at home and welcome. Amazing customer service!!! That extra touch, makes this my favorite restaurant in all of Sanibel and Captiva for celebrations and did I mention the food?! It was a beautiful experience, enjoyed amazingly delicious food and the gulf just a glistening and sparkling away, from our table. Thank yall for the most amazing experience. I live in Vero Beach area and we go to Ocean Grill there for special occasions. This is our place now on the gulf to go to , for special occasions. Thank you again!
Great location made even better by outstanding food and ambiance. Book dinner at a time that allows you to watch the sunset from the beach directly across from the restaurant. Makes for an amazing night!
We ate outside on the patio, lovely, with excellent service from our waiter Richard, good food. However, we were told that our little dog in an airplane carrier backpack could not join us when we reserved the table, so we put her back in our hotel room. However, the manager and host then allowed a dog to come sit behind us with a ‘local' couple. Rules for thee but not for me. No, their dog was not a service dog but hoisted over the wall by the couple. Shame, shame. Special treatment I understand but make your policy consistent. Probably won't stay here again.
Service started out great then did not see our waiter for an hour. Bread was stale and shrimo and calamari in the bouillabaisse was like rubber. Would not recommend
Great food and service. Filet was excellent and cooked perfectly. Outdoor dining was great. Great experience!
Our first visit in many years. My prawn appetizer was over cooked and the Ceasar Salad was pitiful. No check in to see if everything was ok. Waited another 45 minutes for our dinner to be served. I had the scallops, and they were very good. My husband had the fish special and it was ok. Overall, quite the disappointment based on previous excellent visits.
Restaurantji Recommends
Extremely picturesque dining room overlooking the gulf sunset. Duck was magnificent but too much food. Great cocktails available try Sidecar. Try for around sunset and get a show.
Easier buffet and the lamb was the star dish. Great seafood spread. Delicious dessert of banana bread pudding. Parking confusing as it directs you to area not marked.
We went to their Easter buffet, and it was the worst money I have ever spent. The food was terrible, very little selection and our server was nowhere to be found. Everything was dry like it had been sitting out for hours. There was nothing available at the buffet to justify the cost. Our server came by to take a drink order, deliver the drinks and then we never saw her again until we had to request our check from the hostess. We have eaten here before and had a wonderful experience. I don't know what happened on this most recent visit, but I see no reason to ever go back.
The Easter brunch was a little disappointing for how expensive it was. The good quality was medium. All of the food they had outside should have been covered as there were bugs.
My family has lived this restaurant for many years, but this year, it has been off. Last night, for dinner we waited for over an hour for our meal after ordering with no explanation no check-in while other tables were getting served who arrived after. The seafood stew was always so flavorful, but was oddly over-seasoned and no one left raving over their entrees. We were disappointed and hopefully next year, things return. I hate to post a negative review but it honestly was the lack of any acknowledgement that really seemed very off for the price point.
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