Traveling to Sarasota (Lido Key) - Restaurants? (for sale, oceanfront)

[sp0705]

Hello,

I am going to be in Sarasota (Lido Key, to be exact) for a work-related vacation and then extending my stay for a couple nights with my girlfriend.

We are looking into restaurants for the nights we are on our own, and would like some suggestions. We don't have many limitations as far as cuisine, but we are hoping to find something more upscale that has outdoor seating, preferably on the beach or with a nice view. Any suggestions?

I would also like any other suggestion you may have that aren't necessarily on the beach, or outdoor seating. If there any "must-go" places, I would love to hear.

Thank you in advance!

[SoFLGal]

Well, if I could pick one person to answer this question it would be Rushmore. He's our resident foodie.

I'll give it a shot though.

The Columbia Restaurant:
Columbia Restaurant - Sarasota, Florida Location

Bijou Café:
The Bijou Cafe

Ophelia's:
Ophelia's On The Bay

Inkanto:
Inkanto Authentic Peruvian Cuisine | Sarasota Foodies

Selva Grill:
Selva Grill - Nuevo Latino - Downtown Sarasota

The Cottage:
CottageSiestaKey.com | Welcome to The Cottage

[sp0705]

SoFLGal.. Thank you very much for the suggestions. Some of those look great!

[SoFLGal]

Originally Posted by sp0705

SoFLGal.. Thank you very much for the suggestions. Some of those look great!

You're welcome! I'd wait for Rushmore though to give his seal of approval. He should be on in the next day or so. I'm sure he'll be able to come up with more ideas and maybe some better ones.

[blueherons]

On Lido:

Shore
Columbia
Tommy Bahama

On Siesta:

The Cottage
BlueQ
The Hub
Café Blasé

Mainland:

Walts
Barnacle Bills

[Rushmore]

OK, I will give it a whirl.

First, try to forget the idea of having really good food "on the beach" or really even with any sort of Gulf view.

That said, there is some reasonable dining.

On St. Armand's (near Lido):

The Columbia is very good (not fine dining, but pretty darned good).

The Crab and Fin is a nice spot. The seafood tower is top-notch.

Cafe L'Europe is very good, and at least aspires to fine dining.

I consider The Table (on Phillipi Creek), Bijou Cafe (downtown) and Pomona (Gillespie Park) to be some of the best restaurants in Sarasota. None will break the bank, and they're all places you will want to dress to go.

There is GREAT sushi in Gulf Gate at Vizen. Don't wear shorts and flip flops, or they will bounce you out.

If you are in town on a Sunday, Ophelia's does a nice brunch, and you can have it outside on the water (intercoastal, but nice).

Lido Beach Resort also does a nice brunch with a great view.

Enjoy!

[Cardiff by the Sea]

there is clearly demand for fine dinning on the beach or with a view. I find it puzzling that it doesn't exist. It seems like some crappy restaurant with a fab gulf view location would have failed in the financial meltdown and been acquired by an upscale restauranteur. Or why doesn't someone put one of the top of some building downtown? People are crying for it. Why has no one stepped up and provided it?

[blueherons]

Originally Posted by Rushmore

OK, I will give it a whirl.

First, try to forget the idea of having really good food "on the beach" or really even with any sort of Gulf view.

That said, there is some reasonable dining.


Cafe L'Europe is very good, and at least aspires to fine dining.



There is GREAT sushi in Gulf Gate at Vizen. Don't wear shorts and flip flops, or they will bounce you out!

And I've been bounced out of Vizen before! Literally they told us to leave so don't go in your shorts and flip flops. I always forget how good Café L'Europa is!

Originally Posted by Cardiff by the Sea

there is clearly demand for fine dinning on the beach or with a view. I find it puzzling that it doesn't exist. It seems like some crappy restaurant with a fab gulf view location would have failed in the financial meltdown and been acquired by an upscale restauranteur. Or why doesn't someone put one of the top of some building downtown? People are crying for it. Why has no one stepped up and provided it?

Cardiff, have you priced oceanfront property before? Oceanfront property is so expensive in SWF that there is no chance of opening anything. Anything that is on the oceanfront has been there for many, many years. Anything that has gone out of business gets sold for face value. A property owner isn't going to rent out a building for $10,000 a month when they can sell it for several million. My husband's restaurant on St. Armands paid $22,000 a month in rent and that is several blocks from the beach.

Again, the above is for oceanfront specifically, not bayside or bay front. Ceviche had an excellent rooftop bar downtown and the owners didn't renew the lease. It is something else now.

[Cardiff by the Sea]

Originally Posted by blueherons

Cardiff, have you priced oceanfront property before? Oceanfront property is so expensive in SWF that there is no chance of opening anything. .

Why yes I have. I sold a piece of oceanfront property in San Diego (near Del Mar race track) in the past year. We bought it in 1990. We couldn't afford our own property at the time we sold it.

And I accompanied my BFF last September in a search for affordable oceanfront/bayfront in Sarasota. Her CA oceanfront house is in escrow now.

So I would say after 17 years of coastal living, I am pretty familiar with the cost of oceanfront property, both residential and commercial.

There were 3 oceanfront restaurants the house we sold. A Chart House and a couple of non chain restaurnts are in a row about a mile from us. One went out of business, one barely made it, and who knows what the deal was with the Chart house (deep pockets). Meanwhile a health food restaurant opened across the street. Their second floor deck has fabulous views at probably half the price.

I just find it hard to believe that there was nothing like those restaurants that went into foreclosure in 2008-2009. Hubby and I bought foreclosures at 40% of peak during that period. I find it hard that there was not a single desirable location for sale by a bank back then.

I know that there is nothing like that available now. I used to regularly peruse the mfcre for Sarasota (commerical mls). Summer 2012 there were still waterfront parcels and buildings to be had. Not now. The time for a restauranteur to make a land grab is when the blood is in the streets. Now it is too late.


Edit: Sore bet boy: I know the difference between oceanfront and gulf front. :-)

[beninfl]

Originally Posted by blueherons

Cardiff, have you priced oceanfront property before? Oceanfront property is so expensive in SWF that there is no chance of opening anything.

I agree! Oceanfront property is VERY expensive here in Southwest Florida. There's so much demand for it, and strikingly, NONE to be had!

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