For all its proximity to fresh seafood and tropical produce, Palm Beach is a destination more likely to be featured in the celeb-spotting pages of People magazine than in the gourmet photo spreads of Saveur. Like any upscale resort town, it’s got its share of overpriced eateries with ambitious menus, but the critical mass of social elites frolicking here means that the list of names on the reservation list is what makes or breaks a hotspot.

Still, though Palm Beach is by no means a “foodie town,” the restaurants here are decent and reliable, and the best ones are often full to the brim. This is especially true on weekend nights in season and during holiday breaks like Christmas week or Presidents’ Day weekend. Be prepared with dinner reservations at such peak times, though lunch reservations are very rarely needed (the resort crowd being otherwise occupied with the beach and shopping during daytime hours) and mid-week and off-season are way more laidback.

The foodiest you’ll get here is Café Boulud, a New York City transplant whose menu of light-handed French classics with international touches is our favorite on the island. Though the society set packs in, the vibes are unpretentious, especially for weekend brunch on the terrace (reserve outside or they’ll stick you in the more formal dining room). But if a formal dining room is what you’re after, head straight to L’Escalier in the elegant Breakers hotel. This is “special occasion” to the max, all gilded grandeur, flirtations with molecular gastronomy, and mature winers-and-diners.

You don’t have to channel the Gilded Age to plant yourself right in the middle of the air-kisses-across-the-room dining milieu–less stuffy (although still pricey) options abound. A fixture of the gossip column set is Café L’Europe, where gents in jackets and dames in gems feast on pan-European plates (try the wiener schnitzel) under low-hanging chandeliers. Not even a reservation will spare you a wait on Saturday nights at buzzing Bice, where the hot people and cold carpaccio (among other Milanese-inspired choices) are best enjoyed on the terrace. And though the casual American bistro fare at Ta-boo Restaurant and Bar isn’t quite as haute, the eatery continues to build upon its star-studded history of serving the likes of Sinatra and JFK.

To stay plugged into the scene but take the intensity down just a notch, there’s the Palm Beach Grill. You might think the Palm Beach set would sniff at it being a member of the Houston’s chain on such a “chain-free” island, but locals and vacationers alike love it for the simple American comfort food and the perennially packed bar. Also a great bet for American fare with a gourmet twist (think truffle fries) is Michael R. McCarty’s, a casual-ish gathering place where the patrons (older at dinner, younger for drinks) really do seem to know one another. End your night (or begin your day) at Cucina Dell’ Arte, where late-night pizza gives way to nightclub dancing and must-have morning-after breakfasts (eggs Benedict lovers take note).

As alluring as the Palm Beach dining-cum-preening scene may be, there are of course times when you just want to chill. Turn back the clock (and dial down the hype) at Green’s Luncheonette, a vintage greasy spoon in an old drug store where classics (especially good breakfasts) can be had at the Formica counter. Hamburger Heaven is just what it sounds like (aside from the epic waits on Saturdays), as is Pizza al Fresco, a great stop for a casual lunch when shopping on Worth Avenue. And finally, for your sweet fix, there’s Sprinkles of Palm Beach, a cute ice cream parlor whose triple-chocolate supreme is perhaps one of the few local foods that can compete with the island’s celebs and socialites for national press coverage–it was once voted best ice cream in the country by none other than People.

Photo of Echo courtesy of Echo