Located south of Tampa in Sarasota County, Sarasota is a lovely city where gorgeous outdoor destinations – think beautiful beaches – abound, and fun indoor activities such as shopping and art adventures are found throughout the area. Don’t forget about food; Sarasota is home to numerous incredible eateries, restaurants and cafés featuring regional and international eats. From fine-dining locales to budget-friendly, laid-back spots, here is a list of some of the best eats this Florida city has to offer.
Opening its doors for the first time on June 25, 2013, Antoine’s is a fine-dining gem offering discerning diners an intimate and upscale environment in which to savor delicious seafood delights and other recipes. Imbued with New American, French and Italian influences, the menu is sure to satisfy many palates, with a selection of appetizers, seafood dishes, mussels prepared seven different ways, and entrées with meat, poultry or pork – with everything made from scratch. Antoine’s is known for their mussels, so you can’t go wrong with the creamy garlic mussels or marinère variety with celery, onions and butter with a side of perfectly crisp French fries. A meal at Antoine’s wouldn’t be complete without a beverage and dessert. They are open for dinner every night except for Wednesdays.
Blue Dolphin Café is a cozy and friendly café located on the historic St. Armands Circle. Serving breakfast and lunch daily from 7 AM to 3 PM, the café is a great place to start your day with a nourishing meal, and the best part is that it is a budget-friendly option with something to whet anyone’s appetite. If you prefer something sweet, opt for the apple cinnamon pancakes or the banana granola pancakes; however, if it’s something savory you’re after, you can’t go wrong with the spinach and feta omelet or the eggs benedict. If lunch strikes your fancy, you’ll find burgers, hot dogs, wraps, salads, and sandwiches. Blue Dolphin Café also offers daily specials, with past highlights being the bluefin crab benedict.
If you’re looking for the best seafood around, then Duval’s has to be on your list of dining establishments in Sarasota. Indeed, the Herald Tribune and OpenTable diners voted this restaurant the number one seafood restaurant in Sarasota, and it’s easy to see why. The team at Duval’s sources all of the ingredients used in their dishes from local fisherman and farmers, guaranteeing incredibly fresh products all the time. Within beautiful contemporary surrounds, visitors can feast upon New England fish and chips served with house-made tartar sauce; the decadent lobster mac ’n’ cheese; and cashew-encrusted chicken with zucchini-corn succotash and pineapple-habanero sauce. Duval’s is open daily for lunch and dinner plus Sunday brunch.
If your taste buds are seeking something other than regional cuisine, then Inkanto, opened in 2012, is the perfect spot to try. Specializing in authentic Peruvian cuisine, this restaurant features a warm, inviting atmosphere, complete with pops of color, art-adorned walls, and rich woods, which provides a lovely ambiance for sampling the flavorful cuisine. Pair the fried calamari seasoned with Peruvian flavors and served with Creole onion salad and fried yuca with tartar sauce with a main dish like the lomo saltado, or steak strips topped with red onions, tomatoes and peppers, all cooked in a soy-red wine vinegar sauce and served with fried potatoes. Be sure to try the delicia de Maracuya, or passion fruit mousse – you won’t regret it. Inkanto is open Monday through Saturday.
Yoder’s is a staple on Sarasota’s dining scene, first opening its doors in 1975. Opened by Levi and Amanda Yoder, who moved to Sarasota from Nappanee, Indiana, the restaurant is still within the family and grew to include a gift shop, produce market and deli. Today, it’s known as Yoder’s Restaurant and Amish Village where guests can sample the famous Amish pies brimming with fruity goodness and hearty home-style eats. The breakfast menu sees the likes of traditional egg plates, benedicts, omelettes, oatmeal and pancakes, to name a few, while the lunch and dinner side features soups, salads, sandwiches and entrées such as their famous fried chicken. Yoder’s is open Monday through Saturday for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
The cuisine at Selva Grill is a lovely marriage of Latin American and U.S. American flavors, with a particular focus on Peruvian fare. The restaurant in open every night for dinner and features a hip lounge where those looking for a late-night outing can go for some specialty cocktails and music provided by DJs. For those guests visiting for dinner, Selva’s menu features a wide range of tantalizing choices, beginning with their famous ceviches – there are ten options. Start with triologia ceviche as you’ll get three varieties: fresh white fish with lime marinade, tuna in ginger sauce, and Maya shrimp. As for mains, the seafood paella and the Andean rack of lamb with truffle-chive risotto, roasted asparagus, macadamia nut herb pesto and rosemary demi are two excellent options.
The Sarasota area is a very popular destination for fun and relaxation. Located on the Gulf of Mexico in Sarasota County, this city is home to the Ringling complex, the #1 beach in the USA, and the highest concentration of Zagat rated restaurants in Florida. The Sarasota metro area has a population of over 700,000, and includes such famous beach communities as Lido Key, Longboat Key, St. Armand’s Key and Siesta Key.
Sarasota residents and visitors alike have called on Alpha Limousine over the years to provide the finest limousine transportation available in the area. With its wide variety of limousine vehicles – from luxury sedans to Executive Coaches – Alpha is able to provide the perfect limousine vehicle for any size group.
For a night out in the Sarasota area, a day of relaxation on the Sarasota beaches or an afternoon of shopping or museum hopping, Alpha Limousine is the preferred provider of Sarasota limousine services.