Welcome back, Polk County.
Mike here.
We had a few weeks there where we were hitting some towns we don't normally hit with our core hubs of Polk County, Lakeland and Winter Haven; and you guys seemed to really enjoy it.
For those of you who missed it, the last month we hit the best places to eat in Bartow, Davenport, Haines City and Lake Wales.
But now we're hitting another gap in our lists: the upscale restaurants in Polk.
We recently asked you guys [in the newsletter] if you were okay with us sticking to the "easier" spots for our reviews for Mike & Katie's Polk Food Quest and you guys said yes; but make sure to give the upscale enough love here in the Best Food Lists.
We've covered the best date night spots, and some of these have snuck into some other lists, but we want to give them some love here as well.
Which brings us to...
The Best Upscale Restaurants in Polk County, Florida.
And, as always, this isn’t just a list I’ve put together based on my own preferences…
This list was built from HUNDREDS of votes, from locals just like you.
Let’s go 
First Place: Nineteen 61
The Best Upscale Restaurant In Polk County, Florida
Nineteen61 — 215 E Main St, Lakeland
This one wasn't close.
Nineteen 61 got more votes than the next two spots combined.
Downtown Lakeland's answer to "where do I take someone I'm trying to impress."
Nineteen61 got a MICHELIN Guide recommendation this year, and was also number one on our list of the best date night restaurants in Polk as well.
Voters said things like:
- "Nineteen 61. I went to a large birthday party up on the second floor. We had a sit down dinner and they had a DJ, too. Was beautiful and fun."
- "Nineteen 61 is genuinely really nice. It's the kind of place where you won't feel overdressed if you dress well."
- "I just had my anniversary dinner there last night. Make reservations or you might be sitting at the bar, or not at all."
Make the reservation. Apparently everyone else already did.
Second Place: Scarpa's Italian
The Second Best Upscale Restaurant In Polk County, Florida
Scarpa's — 1833 E Edgewood Dr, Lakeland
Coming in second is Scarpa's.
Small, intimate, and the kind of place locals mention like it's a well-kept secret, even though most of Lakeland already knows about it.
Scarpa's came in at number three among our best date night restaurants, and many voters are already campaigning for it to be #1 when we eventually release our list of the best Italian in Lakeland (as of now we've only done the best Italian in Winter Haven).
Voters said things like:
- "Scarpa's is small and intimate."
- "Scarpas is a good Italian restaurant."
- "LOVE Scarpa's!"
Here's proof you definitely don't need a huge dining room to be somebody's favorite.
Third Place: Bay Street Bistro
The Third Best Upscale Restaurant In Polk County, Florida
Bay Street Bistro — 211 E Bay St, Lakeland
Rounding out our top three is Bay Street Bistro.
I was extremely surprised that this is the first time we're actually seeing Bay Street Bistro land on the site; but I suppose it just hasn't landed in a specific category well enough yet.
French cuisine in Downtown Lakeland, and a go-to answer whenever someone asks for something genuinely fancy.
Voters said things like:
- "Bay Street Bistro is my go-to place for fine dining."
- "Bay Street Bistro has a beautiful dining experience. Fabulous hidden gem."
- "Bay Street Bistro is nice. Expensive, but nice."
This is one that Katie and I haven't been to yet, but when I was gathering the images it was almost enough to book a reservation right there.
Fourth Place: Arabella's
The Fourth Best Upscale Restaurant In Polk County, Florida
Arabellas — 346 W Central Ave, Winter Haven
Coming in fourth is Arabella's.
The Winter Haven crew came out to help Arabella's come in second (just narrowly beating Scarpa's) for the best date night restaurant (behind Nineteen61); but they come a couple slots below this time.
This is a spot that came up in nearly every single voting phase though; clearly being a Winter Haven favorite across the board.
Voters said things like:
- "Arabella's in Winter Haven is Italian, but a whole nother level."
- "In Winter Haven it is Arabella's."
- "Arabella's in Winter Haven!"
This is one that people drive across the county for.
Fifth Place: Terrace Grille
The Fifth Best Upscale Restaurant In Polk County, Florida
Terrace Grill — 215 E Main St, Lakeland
Finishing up our top five is Terrace Grille, inside the Terrace Hotel in Downtown Lakeland.
An American bar and restaurant with a reputation for being a step above, especially since a recent remodel.
This is another one that hasn't made a list yet, but for similar reasons to Bay Street Bistro (it just hasn't quite fit a category).
Voters said things like:
- "Terrace Grille Lakeland, downtown. Very high end."
- "Terrace Grill has nice atmosphere and feel. Better than most places."
- "Terrace has a new menu that's phenomenal."
This one is a mix of old Lakeland charm with a fresh menu behind it.
Other Great Upscale Restaurants To Eat In Polk County, Florida
If you’re anything like me, you want to try all the best upscale restaurants to eat in Polk County, Florida so you can be the judge for yourself.
So here is the rest of the top ten best upscale restaurants to eat in Polk County, Florida (in order 6-10):
- #6 — Chef T's (Lakeland)
- #7 — Harry's Seafood Bar and Grille (Downtown Lakeland)
- #8 — Nutwood (Winter Haven)
- #9 — Frescos (Downtown Lakeland)
- #10 — Aria Steakhouse (Winter Haven)
Special Shoutout to The Abigaile in Auburndale that just recently opened and didn't have a chance to make it on this list.
It's brought to us by the owners of Frescos, which comes in at #9 and has made other lists we've had here on the site. Definitely a new favorite of ours.
Which gives us the full top 10 best upscale restaurants to eat in Polk County.
And brings us to the moment you’ve all been waiting for…
My personal opinion (that no one asked for 
).
Here are my top upscale spots:
- Nineteen61
- Scarpa's
- Saving This Spot
The last few weeks I switched it up and gave a top three spots that I'm excited to go to, and there are a few here, but I think I'm also well-versed enough on this list to give an opinion and then just reserve my last slot until I've tried them all.
THANKS!
Thanks for reading this edition of The Polk Squeeze today.
Share this with a friend who's been looking for the best upscale restaurants in Polk County.
- Mike Romaine
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