The Palm Beach List

Compared with Miami down the coast, Palm Beach has traditionally been the more discreet, old-school cousin—less nightclub, more cocktail hour/ladies who lunch; less flashy designer labels and more inherited jewelry. Think Mediterranean-inspired mansions behind hedges, impenetrable membership clubs, and hidden courtyards off of Worth Avenue. But tradition doesn’t have to be stuffy, and lately there’s been a fresh wave of energy, with new hotels (or revived historic ones), restaurants, boutiques, and a new guard evolving the island’s rituals—even shifting some of the energy “over the bridge” to West Palm Beach, where Sean MacPherson’s The Nora Hotel just opened its doors. Our local friends and regulars help us crack the code, sharing their favorite addresses—from a proper martini and tasteful diner to chic linens and vintage shopping.

ALEXANDER KRAFT – Owner & chairman of Sotheby’s International Realty France-Monaco and designer of luxury sartorial brand Alexander Kraft Monte Carlo.

Palm Beach and I have had an enduring love affair for about 30 years now. After having passed through it as a child, I (re)discovered it with adult eyes in my mid-twenties as a young Sotheby’s International Realty executive (I was the European MD of the brand then), when my company held a management meeting at the local Four Seasons on South Ocean Boulevard. Used to narrow European beaches, I couldn’t believe the vastness of the beach behind the hotel, the beauty of the ocean, and the fact that there were plenty of condo and co-op buildings right on the beach whose residents got to enjoy the magic of this environment every day. When I drove my car along the fabled “billionaire’s row” on South Ocean Boulevard, with the ocean on one side and mind-blowing 8- to 9-figure mansions on the other side, and finally arrived in the town center which (contrary to so many other cities) had managed to retain its unique historic charm—with perfectly proportioned intimate limestone buildings, shady courtyards, bubbling fountains and charming small boutiques, shops and restaurants everywhere—it was love at first sight. I felt transported back to a Mediterranean village, albeit one inhabited by an American elite who had preferred quiet luxury over flashy displays of wealth for more than a century. Needless to say I was hooked, and became a part-time resident soon after, spending my winters invariably in my local pied-à-terre. Please note that my recommendations are mostly based “on the island,” i.e. Palm Beach itself, and rarely “over the bridge,” in West Palm Beach, which has been undergoing a “Miami-zation” over the past 5 to 10 years with countless new luxury developments and high-rises popping up every day.

EAT + DRINK 

Breakfast 

Surfside Diner – A classic American diner, albeit in the tastefully reimagined Palm Beach version, serving the town’s best French toast and sandwiches, with a delightfully mixed clientele from surfers to young families and “grandes dames,” famous writers and a string of billionaires.

Drinks

The Honor Bar at The Royal Poinciana Plaza – Although new, it looks like it has been there since Hemingway’s days and Papa himself might have frequented it; it does not take reservations and tables and booths are allocated on a first come, first served basis. However, waiting for a table with a drink outside is half of the fun, when you’re eventually rewarded with simple yet delicious dishes served in cozy booths by charming staff. 

Dinner