Diners' Choice: Best Food restaurants in Sarasota / Bradenton

OpenTable

Updated December 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants with the best overall cuisine in Sarasota / Bradenton? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

La Dolce Vita Authentic Italian Cuisine

4.9

4.9 (349)

$31 to $50

Italian

Sarasota

About the restaurant

We welcome our guests to an authentic Italian restaurant: here we offer traditional cuisine, with a modern take on northern and southern Italian recipes. Mauro, the chef, and his wife Tina, have an huge amount of experience behind them.

Mauro is from Naples, Tina was born in a little sicilian town near by Enna.
He began to learn everything about the southern cuisine by his experience in Naples since he was a child, from “Polipetti alla Luciana” to “Paccheri ai frutti di mare”. Furthermore he moved in Milan and he had the chance to learn the northern cuisine, from “Risotto ai funghi porcini” to “Polenta grigliata”, one of his favourite specialties!
From an ancient sicilian tradition, Tina learnt everything about the desserts by her grandmother and her mother, from “Millefoglie” to “Cannoli cake”.

We hope you enjoyed reading about us. but it would be great if you would have the chance to taste our fantastic dishes! It will be an amazing experience with no

Top review

Lynn

Dined on Dec 17, 2024

Thoroughly enjoyed our evening. Everything was delicious and the service excellent. The homemade Limoncello at the end was a treat!

Sophie's at Saks Fifth Avenue- Sarasota

4.9

4.9 (736)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Sarasota

About the restaurant

Sophie's offers globally influenced yet decidedly American cuisine in a luxurious intimate setting featuring an outdoor terrace, open kitchen and private dining area. Sophie's dining experience captures the style and elegance of Saks Fifth Avenue, with a passionate focus on outstanding food and drink. Sophie's Chef Andrew Thompson changes his innovative menu seasonally using the best locally-sourced ingredients. The menu is complemented by a selection of craft cocktails and a thoughtfully curated wine list.

Top review

Susan

Dined 7 days ago

This restaurant is a jewel. We love to lunch here. Food and staff are terrific !!

Bruschetta Fine Italian Cuisine

4.9

4.9 (42)

$31 to $50

Italian

Gulf Gate Estates

About the restaurant

At Bruschetta Fine Italian Cuisine , our history is rooted in family and tradition. Our recipes have been passed down for generations, and we take great pride in using authentic ingredients and techniques to create the flavors of Italy. From our humble beginnings in a small kitchen in Rome to our bustling restaurant today, we've always stayed true to our roots.

Top review

RobertVIP

Dined 4 days ago

Sicilian style Italian at its best. Nothing fancy, but absolutely delicious. Cannot wait to to return.

Clayton's Siesta Grille

4.8

4.8 (2237)

$30 and under

American

Sarasota

About the restaurant

At Clayton’s Siesta Grille, our motto is “If you give people good food that’s affordable, and love them, they’ll support you”. We promise that only the finest and freshest ingredients are used and you can be sure that attention to detail, quality, and customer satisfaction is and will always be our primary goal. Come and join us for dinner and see for yourself why Clayton’s Siesta Grille will be one of your favorite hotspots on Siesta Key.

Top review

Maxwell

Dined 3 days ago

Good food at this local establishment that has been on siesta key for years. Service was great. The menu has not changed in several years and is due for a change in our opinion – they used to have the best roast duck anywhere, it was a big seller and yet they took it off the menu when they revised it 2 or 3 years ago; they need to bring the duck back and a few other dishes That were taken off the menu. The mushroom pizza is gone and was also terrific. Still a great local restaurant

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Popular dish

Scallops & Gnocchi

Popular dish

Macadamia Crusted Grouper

Selva Grill Downtown Sarasota

4.9

4.9 (5809)

$31 to $50

Latin / Spanish

Sarasota

About the restaurant

Selva offers innovative, intricately prepared dishes, plated and presented as works of art. Selva has earned raves from all
over 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.”

Top review

LizVIP

Dined 2 days ago

We’ve been coming to Selva for years and it just keeps getting better. Everything was delicious, service (Glinda) was excellent, which always make the dining experience that much better. Looking forward to our next visit.

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La Violetta Restaurant

4.8

4.8 (1039)

$30 and under

Italian

Sarasota

About the restaurant

Intimate and designed to provide a rustic Italian experience. Buonissimo!

Top review

JacquelynVIP

Dined 2 days ago

Simply the best find Italian dining in greater Sarasota, every time!

Mediterraneo Ristorante Italiano

4.9

4.9 (3531)

$31 to $50

Italian

Sarasota

About the restaurant

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.

Top review

Mark

Dined 6 days ago

The restaurant and server Johnny were very welcoming and accommodating of a group of 9 for lunch.

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Popular dish

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Experience

NYE À la carte Dinner Menu

Roessler's

4.9

4.9 (1852)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Sarasota

About the restaurant

WE CANNOT WAIT TO SEE YOU!
PLEASE NOTE WE CAN NOT ACCEPT RESERVATIONS FOR OUTSIDE DINING, PARTIES OVER 6, OR HOLIDAYS THROUGH OPEN TABLE. PLEASE CALL THE RESTAURANT IF YOUR TIME IS NOT AVAILABLE. THANK YOU!!! 941 966 5688

Top review

LeslieVIP

Dined 1 day ago

As usual, the food was excellent, but now this is the second time we mentioned it was a birthday (last time it was mine, this time, my husband’s) on the reservation and no mention was made about it.

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Popular dish

Wiener Schnitzel Holstein

Popular dish

Steak Diane

Marcel DW

4.8

4.8 (91)

$30 and under

Contemporary French / American

Sarasota

About the restaurant

Marcel is Sarasota's newest and most popular dinner spot. It is an elevated European Bistro that specializes in unique dishes with a French influence. Our menu and portions are designed for guests to try a variety of items, and sharing is encouraged. Our standout dish is the snapper ceviche made with mango and passion fruit, and our most popular dish is the short ribs, which you must try!

Top review

RichardVIP

Dined 1 day ago

Excellent food and ambience. Enjoyed all the food, but the cauliflower app was excellent. And they made a proper martini!

Cafe L'Europe - St Armand's

4.8

4.8 (2434)

$31 to $50

Modern European

Sarasota

About the restaurant

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!

Top review

VirginiaVIP

Dined on Sep 25, 2024

Lovely experience. The amazing food, excellent service, and gorgeous style of this restaurant are truly wonderful

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Popular dish

French Onion Gratinée

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