Other buildings have a restaurant. BLVD Sarasota has THE culinary dining experience.

The Beach Bistro will be creating a sibling located on the first floor of Sarasota’s new landmark building, BLVD Sarasota. Twenty years ago Florida Trend enthroned The Beach Bistro in its Golden Spoon Hall of Fame and continues to laud its presence in that ZAGAT has selected The Beach Bistro for inclusion in its listings of the Top Restaurants in America and awarded The Beach Bistro one of only a handful of 4.9-star ratings in the country.

Not only will residents have direct access to one of the finest dining establishments in all of Florida, but the services and expertise that come with it will be unparalleled in any residence on the Gulf coast. Room service is an understatement as only BLVD Sarasota residents will be privy to an incredible in-residence culinary experience brought to their door, dining room, or terrace.

These dining experiences will not be just “room service” with little pop-up carts, but actual full course-by-course white tablecloth service for you and your guests – wine, cocktails and coursed dining at your beck and call every evening. For larger parties, The Bistro can also provide wait, bar and chef staff for in-home entertaining.

The Bistro’s culinary experience will not only flow into your home, but the Bistro Chef and wine and bar staff will become your neighbors. You will be on a first-name basis with the staff and have access to them for advice and consultation for your own culinary adventures. The Bistro uses only prime American beef, domestic lamb and real Gulf of Mexico shrimp and line-caught seafood, all of which is available to residents by simple ordering.

Of course, residents will also be hosted at the restaurant as intimate neighbors with guaranteed reservation status in the BLVD Sarasota Bistro dining areas and bar. BLVD Sarasota’s Bistro will also be providing car service, transportation and reservation guarantees at her sister Beach Bistro on the island.

The object at the BLVD Bistro will be the creation of a true culinary community for all BLVD residents. Most importantly, there is no added cost to the association fees for these services.

Sean Murphy, the Beach Bistro owner and founder, will be personally available to share our vision of the BLVD Sarasota’s great new culinary neighborhood.

Enjoy a great meal and a gorgeous view at any one of these seven spots in Sarasota-Manatee

One perk of living in paradise is that you can eat outside almost 365 days a year. Whether you’re searching for a sunny breakfast spot or a breezy nightcap nook, you’ll find all sorts of options for excellent outside eating in Sarasota and Manatee. We scouted out 25 restaurants where excellent food is served on pretty patios or in gorgeous gardens, at stylish sidewalk tables or seaside decks. You’ll also find tips on great picnic takeout, top finds for an impromptu lunch at local farmer’s markets; a day trip that ends in a feast of Asian flavors—and more.

Plenty of good restaurants have outdoor seating, but each of our 25 favorites has something more. They all deliver fine food, from simple to sophisticated, but they’re also places where you want to linger long after the meal is over, where the shady oaks, cresting waves or pretty parade of passersby engage your senses and elevate your spirit.

Water Views Are The Reason We’re Here

The Old Salty Dog

Purists cried foul when the MTV show Siesta Key featured the City Island Old Salty Dog rather than the one located on Siesta Key, but we can’t blame producers for choosing to feature the northern iteration. The wooden deck sits right above the wide inlet between Lido and Longboat Keys, offering views of blue-green water, sailboats and seabirds. It’s the perfect place to scarf down oysters, grouper sandwiches and fried fish in your bathing suit.

Star Fish Co.

Pelicans flock to this simple but legendary Cortez outpost for the same reason tourists and locals do: fresh fish, straight off the boat. But while the birds rely on handouts from the commercial fishermen next door, human diners queue up to fork over cash on a covered dock that seats dozens at well-worn picnic tables. You can’t eat in a hurry here, but why would you want to?

Pier 22

According to the Paranormal Society of Bradenton, which offers ghost tours of downtown Bradenton, this riverfront restaurant is haunted, but don’t let that scare you away from booking dinner on the water-facing patio. Strung with farmhouse lights and blessed with views of the Green Bridge, the space is an ideal spot to enjoy one of Pier 22’s Flintstones-sized steaks or popular fish entrées.

The Table Creekside

The refined global cuisine—chicken Marrakesh, Ecuadorian bouillabaisse—is all the reason you need to give The Table a try, but the deck that overlooks Phillippi Creek takes the experience over the top. Set next to a bridge that straddles the creek as it widens to empty into the Intracoastal Waterway, the wooden expanse is a magical space, where the murmur of the tides and the glow of the inside lights intensify the transporting nature of the food.

Jack Dusty

Offering vistas of a narrow urban inlet, The Ritz-Carlton’s flagship restaurant preps platters of raw shellfish and fish, along with heartier favorites like a thick cioppino and a colossal ribeye, accompanied by whimsical bar creations. Casual enough for shorts and a T-shirt but swanky enough for a dinner date, Jack Dusty’s patio captures the essence of the resort Sarasota lifestyle.

Beach House

Recently overhauled with a gigantic new outdoor bar and beachfront deck, this Anna Maria Island favorite now includes transparent vinyl curtains and overhead heaters and misters that ensure you can enjoy fresh-air dining no matter the weather. The food fits the view, with a menu built around Gulf-harvested seafood, locally sourced meats and regional veggies.

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill

This hidden gem is attached to the Boathouse on Longboat, where speedboats are stored in long tiered racks and dunked in the water when the weather’s nice enough for a cruise around the bay. The nautical theme extends to the restaurant, where wooden skiffs and pillowy sails dangle above diners’ heads. The second-story dining room offers splendid views out over the water, but to really enjoy the marine vibe, head down to the dockside patio, where strings of farmhouse light make the bay glow. The Gulf-caught grouper sandwich is legendary; the red snapper one is tasty, too.

 

Sarasota Magazine