Visitors Guide Source 2026 • The Official 2026 Visitors Guide of Sarasota County® • Savor the Scene

Sarasota serves up meals worthy of the memory bank. From chef-driven hotspots, breezy tiki bars and craft disilleries to cozy cafés and bistros honoring family-held recipes, every bite and sip here is to be savored a few seconds longer.

Gone fishing? The chefs at Landy’s Restaurant will prepare and cook your catch to your liking with all the trimmings. Overlook the Gulf dining on swordfish tacos and sushi at Fins at Sharky’s. Taste tide-to-table scallops cooked to perfection at Ophelia’s on the Bay. Fine-dining seafoodies rejoice—Crow’s Nest Marina Restaurant is the spot to settle in for off-the-boat cuisine overlooking the water. Curb your Maine lobster roll craving with a stop at Lazy Lobster’s airy cafe and patio. Or swing by Lefty’s Oyster & Seafood Bar for a fresh, rotating selection of raw and seasonal oysters served in a nautical dining room or on a tropical patio. Spearfish Grille is your chance to try spear-caught hogfish with nightly live music under the tiki hut beside Siesta Key Marina.

Fire up your appetite at Kore Steakhouse, where Korean and Asian fusion flavors meet interactive, tableside grilling. Get your fill of spice at Tikka Indian Cuisine with dishes like Chili Chicken, Eggplant Chaat and Tandoori Shrimp. Authentic Mexican food is on the menu at Kolucan Mexican Bar and Grill, with live music and a special “Hora Feliz” menu of street tacos and taquitos in The Frida Lounge. Head to Farlow’s on the Water for a tropical ambiance and Caribbean island-inspired dishes, like Stuffed Flounder with mango jerk sauce.

Taste authentic Sardinian food cooked in a wood-burning oven, like the ember-roasted veal chop, plus homemade pastas and 150+ wines at Sardinia Restaurant. You can’t go wrong with staples like spaghetti and meatballs or a dish from the specials chalkboard at Dolce Italia. For tasty Italian cuisine without the plane ticket, Chianti serves a mean Lasagna Bolognese, Spaghetti Alla Carbonara and Marsala Chicken. Enjoy artwork-covered walls and live painting with an 8-course meal at the chef’s table at Café Barbosso. Molto buono!

Fresh-Take Flavors

After touring the artwork, grab farm-to-table salads, soups and sandwiches at Bistro-Sarasota Art Museum. Take a seat in the upstairs loft or wrap-around bar area at Boca Sarasota for seasonally inspired American fare made with local ingredients—from a daily selected butcher’s cut to seafood bucatini, creative flatbreads and sweet potato gnocchi. Find bold dishes inspired by the sea, but with a twist, at Tripletail Seafood & Spirits, like Lobster Mac & Cheese, Smoked Bourbon Oysters and Bacon-Wrapped Scallops. Whether in the downtown courtyard or upstairs speakeasy, Rose & Ivy brings nuance to a classic sushi meal, serving up specialty rolls and cocktails. Nourish your body with a wholesome menu at Selby Gardens’ solar-powered restaurant, The Green Orchid, featuring produce and herbs from its rooftop organic garden.

Brunch Sunny-Side Up Try

Come the weekend, revel in beloved brunch options at Libby’s Neighborhood Brasserie, like Blue Crab Benedict, Cinnamon Roll Pancakes and bottomless mimosas. At Der Dutchman, go sweet or savory with a buffet-style breakfast including everything from Amish-baked hotcakes to biscuits and gravy—voted a Best Buffet Restaurant by USA Today. Indulge in fresh French pastries, croissants and creamy cappuccinos at C’est La Vie or explore the fun options at The Toasted Yolk Cafe, like Brisket Tacos and Granola Apple French Toast. Organic Farmer’s Table does breakfast right with scratch-made morning meals like Farmers Waffles, Steak and Egg Tacos, and Omelette Florentine.

Sweet Destinations

You can never have too much pie—whether from Caribbean Pie Company for Key Lime Pie that’s a heavenly balance of tangy and sweet, or the homebaked Chocolate Peanut Butter pie at Yoder’s Restaurant & Bakery. Talk about a wake-up call—The Dearborn Coffeehouse and Bakery will have you singing morning praises for its chocolate croissants, cinnamon rolls, muffins and scones. Can you think of a better way to satisfy your sweet tooth than dipping marshmallows, cookies, chips and fruit into a decadent chocolate fondue at The Melting Pot? For reimagined French desserts with playful precision, Marcel dishes up elevated sweets like Funnel Cake Fries and Pistachio Creme Brulee.

Mocktails to Cocktails

At O’Leary’s Tiki Bar & Grill, locals and visitors alike mix and mingle under hanging lights to sip mojitos and mudslides along the water’s edge of Bayfront Park. Pick your proof at Blasé Martini Bar, where the vibes are anything but with martini creations like Peanut Butta Cup, Watermelon Sugar, and Lavender Q. Say ¡Salud! at Agave Bandido, with margarita flavors that range from sweet, smoky, spicy and “skinny,” as well as a no-spirit mocktail option. A massive bourbon and rye whiskey bar is one of the reasons to make your way to B&B Chophouse for a flight. As the name implies, Daiquiri Deck is famous for its wall of frozen daiquiris (virgin and spiked), featuring flavors like Beach Coffee, Frosé, and Venice Vice. At The Ritz-Carlton, Rufa’s zero-proof cocktails are proof that you can still sip in style without the spirits.

Craft Beer Stops

Play cornhole or chill by the firepit in Adirondacks while sipping a Circus City IPA at the new location of Big Top Brewing Company, a local brewery inspired by Sarasota’s circus history. Sun King Brewery offers games and award-winning house brews, like the Pachanga Mexican-style lager or Sunlight Cream Ale. Dark stouts, fruity sours, hoppy IPAs, rare releases – you name it, 99 Bottles Taproom & Bottle Shop has it. Imbibe at the bar or take home favorites from the wall of craft selects. Come by boat or car to catch sunset over the water at Evie’s at Spanish Point Restaurant & Tiki, where you can try local favorite, Calusa “Zote” Hazy IPA, on one of three different floors.

Wine-Down Here

Cafe Venice Restaurant & Bar features an impressive selection of fine wines you can try with one of their wine-pairing dinners. Choose from 1,000+ wines in the Wine Cellar at Michael’s On East, known for its award-winning wine list (and incredible happy hour). At Cafe Gabbiano, take your pick from an expansive wine list featuring vintages from Italy. A Chianti Classic Reserve from Tuscany, anyone? Cheers a glass of vino at Café on St. Armands, an open-air space pouring a Mediterranean-inspired wine list with charming sidewalk seating.

Fine-Dining Newcomers

Sarasota’s culinary scene is leveling up with a trio of refined new arrivals. At the newly opened CW Prime, inside the St. Regis Longboat Key Resort, discover a tucked-away speakeasy serving up vintage-inspired cocktails in an intimate, jewel-toned setting. Ocean Prime Sarasota brings its nationally acclaimed seafood and steakhouse experience downtown, pairing luxe interiors with standout service. And at Ringside, the stylish new restaurant at Cirque St. Armands Beachside, expect modern coastal fare served with a side of circus-themed showmanship—where every cocktail and dish is worth a standing ovation.

Get in the Spirit

Get a taste of the tropics straight from the source at Siesta Key Rum. Go behind the scenes on a distillery tour where island vibes meet small-batch craftsmanship, then sip your way through a tiki bar-style tasting featuring their famous Toasted Coconut Rum. Locally brewed in Sarasota, Boombacha Kombucha’s gut-healthy fermented tea pops up in bottles and on tap at area bars and eateries like 99 Bottles—bringing craft refreshment with a splash of Florida sunshine.

Visitors Guide Source 2026 - The Official 2026 Visitors Guide of Sarasota County®

Savor the Scene