Best Restaurants for Outdoor Dining in Sarasota

29 restaurants available nearby

1. Indigenous

4.7

Exceptional(893)

Price: Expensive

• American • Sarasota

Booked 8 times today

Opened in 2011, Indigenous has earned a reputation for being an inspirational and educational restaurant. For years, Indigenous has been known as one of America’s top restaurants, renowned for its passion for food, the community, and the planet. Indigenous’ menu of seasonal American cuisine changes progressively throughout the year based on peak ingredient availability. With a focus on sustainable seafood, we work closely with local fisherman, artisans, and farmers to maintain the highest quality. At Indigenous, we are always working our best to create a better food system. Owner Chef Steve Phelps has been a James Beard Foundation Semi Finalist for Best Chef South in 2014 & 2015, an Ambassador for Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Blue Ribbon Task Force, and a founding member and Chef for the EDF Coalition for Sustainable Aquaculture.

A photo of Mediterraneo Ristorante Italiano restaurant

2. Mediterraneo Ristorante Italiano

4.8

Exceptional(3538)

Price: Expensive

• Italian • Sarasota

Booked 69 times today

With its modern but classic Italian cuisine and emphasis on artisanal and contemporary Northern Italian style, Mediterraneo is often credited with being the first restaurant to bring authentic contemporary Italian cuisine to Sarasota when it first opened in 1996. Still under the same ownership, Mediterraneo has consistently been rated one of the top restaurants in Zagat. The restaurant has received numerous accolades including the acclaimed Insegna Del Ristorante Italiano awarded by The Minister of Agriculture & Commerce in Rome. With its highest honor, inducting the restaurant into its Accademia Italiana della Cucina "Fine Dining Hall of Fame." Mediterraneo has been rated as Best of the Best in Sarasota Magazine since the first year of opening. So whether you're celebrating a special occasion or grabbing a quick bite to eat, at Mediterraneo you are always assured the best quality food accompanied by excellent service. All of it thoroughly Italian.

A photo of Bavaro's Pizza Napoletana & Pastaria-Sarasota restaurant

3. Bavaro's Pizza Napoletana & Pastaria-Sarasota

4.7

Exceptional(1086)

Price: Moderate

• Italian • Sarasota

Booked 33 times today

For parties of 13 or more please call the restaurant.*Weather may interfere with your reservation, we will do our best to accommodate you.*Out of passion, tradition, hard work and integrity, Bavaro’s opened its doors in March 2009 as the first traditional Neapolitan Pizzeria in the state of Florida. Determined to share their family recipes with the world, Dan Bavaro, his wife Anna-Maria, and their five beautiful children packed their U-Haul, left their friends and family, drove from New Jersey to Tampa, and set out to provide for others the same love, energy, and authenticity that they experience around their own dinner table.

A photo of Selva Grill Downtown Sarasota restaurant

4. Selva Grill Downtown Sarasota

4.9

Exceptional(5815)

Price: Expensive

• Latin / Spanish • Sarasota

Booked 61 times today

Selva offers innovative, intricately prepared dishes, plated and presented as works of art. Selva has earned raves from allover the world, including from the New York Times, which write that Selva is “serving possibly the best food in Sarasota,”and that “everything on the menu is worth trying.”

A photo of Dry Dock Waterfront Grill restaurant

5. Dry Dock Waterfront Grill

4.9

Exceptional(9318)

Price: Expensive

• Seafood • Longboat Key

Booked 187 times today

The Dry Dock Waterfront Grill is a “polished casual” restaurant over looking Sarasota Bay. We are located at the south end of Longboat Key behind the gas station. We are north of St. Armand’s Circle, and minutes from downtown Sarasota. Best known for Local Fresh Grouper and Red Snapper. Enjoy the second story dining area with a panaramic view of the bay, or enjoy dining outdoors on our dockside patio.

A photo of Duval's Fresh. Local. Seafood. restaurant

6. Duval's Fresh. Local. Seafood.

4.7

Exceptional(5493)

Price: Expensive

• Seafood • Sarasota

Booked 45 times today

We are an eclectic eatery with a passion for stunning seafood, superb service, fine wine, and creative cocktails.We are committed to serving only the freshest dishes to our guests. We receive fresh fish daily from our local suppliers and filet everything in house to ensure the best possible quality.Together with our unique menu, our focus on excellent service allows us to deliver a one-of-a-kind dining experience in downtown Sarasota. Every menu item is prepared to order to allow for customization and personalization of each dish and to ensure you are getting the freshest possible meal.Voted Sarasota's Best by Herald Tribune Readers:Best All-Around Restaurant (2019-2023)Best Seafood Restaurant (2016-2023)Best Sandwich for our renowned Po' Boy (2016-2022)Best Lunch (2020-2022)Thank you, Sarasota!For parties of 8 or more, a gratuity of 18% will be added to the check.

7. Boca - Sarasota

4.2

Awesome(1587)

Price: Moderate

• Contemporary American • Sarasota

Booked 87 times today

With a cozy vibe, food you crave, and heartfelt hospitality, Boca is your kind of place - an everyday upscale restaurant where you can be yourself and enjoy great fresh seasonal creations while we work thoughtfully to make even the most simple moments extraordinary. With a fresh and seasonal approach to the classics, Boca is the food you love handcrafted with the freshest ingredients into dishes you will crave. Like the food, our Market Fresh cocktails are thoughtful, luscious, and handcrafted featuring house-infused spirits and fresh ingredients. Join us for Weekend Brunch and Bottomless Mimosas, Lunch on the Avenue or Dinner with friends that feel like family.

8. Michael's On East

4.7

Exceptional(5602)

Price: Expensive

• Contemporary American • Sarasota

Booked 17 times today

Serving "inspired cuisine" since 1987, the celebrated Michael’s On East restaurant takes fine dining to another level, offering award-winning cuisine and outstanding service, in an exceptional 1940s supper club atmosphere. Michael's On East has been inducted into Nation's Restaurant News Fine Dining Hall of Fame and recently received their 34th consecutive AAA Four-Diamond Award. The 350+ bottle wine list has been awarded the Best of Award of Excellence by the Wine Spectator!Upon entering the dining room, you are immediately dazzled by the plush design and inspired décor. The restaurant’s intimate aura, along with its contemporary flare, world-class wine cellar and incomparable service, create an unparalleled dining experience.Michael's Lounge, complete with a grand piano, is a guest favorite with its signature cocktails and award winning wine selection. Michael’s Atrium for outdoor dining is a stunning glass-covered, plant-filled courtyard with a beautiful flowing fountain.

A photo of Columbia Restaurant - Sarasota restaurant

9. Columbia Restaurant - Sarasota

4.8

Exceptional(10537)

Price: Moderate

• Spanish • Sarasota

Booked 263 times today

Family-owned and operated for more than 116 years, Columbia has earned acclaim for its old-world charm and award-winning Spanish/Cuban cuisine. Casual attire is fine, but we don’t allow sleeveless shirts on men in the dining room.Join us for century-old family recipes like Paella "a la Valenciana," Roast Pork "a la Cubana,"and fresh seafood specialties. Don’t miss Columbia’s Original “1905” Salad®, prepared with our delicious, freshly-made dressing, a 100-year-old family recipe of fresh garlic, oregano, wine vinegar and Spanish extra virgin olive oil. Be sure to sample a fine Spanish wine like Montecillo or Campillo. Relax outdoors on our patio, or inside our Mediterranean-style dining rooms filled with hand-painted tiles and family heirlooms. We are a sister to the Columbia in Tampa's Ybor City, founded in 1905. Children's menu available. Open 365 days a year, including all holidays.

A photo of Cafe L'Europe - St Armand's restaurant

10. Cafe L'Europe - St Armand's

4.8

Exceptional(2434)

Price: Expensive

• Modern European • Sarasota

This season marks Café L'Europe's 51st year in its iconic St. Armands Circle location. Whether celebrating life's most meaningful moments, or the end of a long week, we welcome lovers of food and drink for a five-star experience inspired by Europe's finest bistros.Spring 2024 brings a reimagined restaurant interior and new dining menus. European culinary tradition inspires scratch-made dishes using local, sustainable ingredients. An exquisite Old World-meets-New World wine list, craft cocktails, and music greet you from our newly renovated "Wet Bar".We aim to graciously walk the tightrope between past and future: To honor the beloved traditions of Sarasota families, to welcome new visitors to our beautiful destination, and to celebrate the legacy of a place once housing the sales office of Sarasota’s most famous resident - John Ringling!

See what locals rave about

From verified diners like you

R
RomayneVIP
Orlando / Central Florida East •16 reviews
5.0
Dined 1 day ago
Everything was beautiful. Our server Katie is the best.
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IndigenousPrice: Expensive• American• Sarasota
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4.7
L
Lowell
Orlando / Central Florida East •3 reviews
5.0
Dined 1 day ago
Really a great experience. This was our first visit since recently moving to the area. Food was excellent and the service was great from being seated to the end. Our server, Kate E was absolutely wonderful. She was caring, attentive, and had a fabulous customer-centric focus. Nice views on top of great food and service. 10 out of 10 for us.
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Dry Dock Waterfront GrillPrice: Expensive• Seafood• Longboat Key
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4.9
W
William
Southwest Florida •10 reviews
5.0
Dined 2 days ago
This is an excellent place to visit anytime. The food and service are always exceptional. Always check the specials as I have gotten some great ones at different times. The prices are a value for such quality.
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Mediterraneo Ristorante ItalianoPrice: Expensive• Italian• Sarasota
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4.8
J
JeanneVIP
Baltimore / Maryland •24 reviews
5.0
Dined 4 days ago
My only regret is that I don’t live closer so that I could experience this fabulous restaurant more often. Glenda took great care of us, and we sat outside on a beautiful night. I highly recommend the scallops, Caesar salad, the tuna entree and the skirt steak with plantains. This was a special anniversary for us, and the dessert- a chocolate confection of mousse with a hard chocolate shell- was divine. Thank you, Selva, for a memorable evening!
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Selva Grill Downtown SarasotaPrice: Expensive• Latin / Spanish• Sarasota
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4.9
P
Paul
Greater Boston •3 reviews
5.0
Dined 5 days ago
The service was outstanding, and remarkable, due to the specifics of this particular night. Our group was at Bavaro's in Sarasota during a busy holiday week, and on a night when the restaurant was a little understaffed, yet filled to capacity with patrons. Even the food met the standard that we have come to expect from Bavaro's. I tip my hat to you Bavaro's.
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Bavaro's Pizza Napoletana & Pastaria-SarasotaPrice: Moderate• Italian• Sarasota
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4.7

Best Restaurants for Outdoor Dining in Sarasota

Price

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Top Rated

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29 restaurants available nearby

1. Indigenous

2. Mediterraneo Ristorante Italiano

3. Bavaro's Pizza Napoletana & Pastaria-Sarasota

4. Selva Grill Downtown Sarasota

5. Dry Dock Waterfront Grill

6. Duval's Fresh. Local. Seafood.

7. Boca - Sarasota

8. Michael's On East

9. Columbia Restaurant - Sarasota

10. Cafe L'Europe - St Armand's

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