You know @cesarslists. Now meet Cesar De Los Santos behind it.
Credit: @cesarslists
If you’ve scrolled Instagram or TikTok for dinner plans in Fort Lauderdale lately, chances are you’ve landed on Cesar’s Lists.
Behind the camera is Cesar De Los Santos, a Lima, Peru native who moved to South Florida at age five, grew up in Hollywood and now calls downtown Fort Lauderdale home.
By day, he works in civil engineering. By night, he’s mapping out the best restaurants, bars and experiences across Broward, Miami and well beyond. The twist? Sometimes he’s helped design the very places he’s filming. “A lot of the projects or new restaurants that come out I’ve actually designed or helped design,” he tells Browardist. “So, when I see a place that’s been constructed, I’m like, oh yeah, I already knew that was coming two years ago.”
If you’ve watched more than one of his reels, you’ve probably noticed another signature: the hat. It started as his “vacation hat,” something he’d wear on island trips and beach weekends. He never loved how he looked in a traditional baseball cap, so he leaned into a breezier, tropical-leaning style that matched his love for coastal vibes. Now, it’s become part of the Cesar’s Lists uniform, equal parts comfort and personality.
The brand itself wasn’t born from a marketing master plan. It started with travel. During a season of frequent monthly trips, he built meticulous to-do lists for cities like New York and Chicago so he wouldn’t “miss out on anything.” Friends kept asking for the lists. The name stuck. Instagram came later.
He officially leaned in around 2023. Then came the post that changed everything: a Key West restaurant list that unexpectedly went viral, racking up half a million views. “All of a sudden I get all these alerts on my phone,” he recalls. “I was like, wow. All right, I might have something here.”
Today, about 50 to 60 percent of his content spotlights Broward. He’s selective, too. “I can’t fake interest,” he says. “I like to be genuine about it.” That authenticity shows in his reels, which focus less on himself and more on the food, vibe and atmosphere. “I don’t like to be in it too much,” he explains. “I like to focus on the restaurant… to try to make a video that’s going to want to make people visit that place.”
Lately, he’s been excited about Downtown Fort Lauderdale Peruvian spot Sakana Nikkei, Swizzle for cocktails and his Flagler Village go-to, Livia Bar & Grill.
At 47, the former DJ and club promoter says staying busy keeps him young. The long-term goal? “This would be great to do full-time,” he says, eyeing hotel collaborations and travel content next.
For now, Cesar’s Lists is his love letter to South Florida’s ever-evolving dining scene, one thoughtful reel at a time.
To check out Cesar’s goodness, visit instagram.com/cesarslists.
