The Best Restaurants in Sarasota, Florida

There’s no better place to get fresh-caught seafood than Walt’s. Part fish market, part fun place to eat and drink, this local haunt only serves fresh fish that was caught within the last 24 hours. For over 100 years, locals and visitors alike have visited Walt’s for grouper, red snapper, flounder, cobia, mahi-mahi, tripletail, shrimp, mullet and more. For a real treat, do as the locals do, and head to the Tiki Bar to wash it all down with a Brittany’s Margarita. It’s a classic margarita with a twist of freshly squeezed strawberry-and-orange juice.

If you want a romantic dinner, Ophelia’s is where you want to go. Open since the 1980s, this Siesta Key spot has two all-glass dining rooms and patio dining right on Little Sarasota Bay. The menu changes nightly and always includes fruits and vegetables grown in Florida. During the meal, take your eyes off your lover for just a few minutes to gaze at the water – there’s a pretty good chance you’ll see dolphins darting by.

It doesn’t get more “Florida” than a live backyard band and local Florida fish in an Old Florida shack. At Owen’s Fish Camp, eat “naked fish” caught in Sarasota Bay, dressed in lemon-caper butter and served with the spot’s famous collards and succotash. Year-round Christmas lights give the haunt a low-key, welcoming feel, while subtle nods to history are everywhere. That Banyan tree out front? It was given to Owen Burns, who owned most of Sarasota and who Owen’s is named after, by none other than Thomas Edison.

Columbia Restaurant is a Cuban classic. Florida’s oldest restaurant opened right on St Armands Circle in 1959 and has been making Sarasota locals feel like they’re dining in Havana ever since. Make sure you order the ropa vieja and “1905” salad – the latter is made tableside with iceberg lettuce, ham, Swiss cheese, tomatoes, olives, cheese, Worcestershire sauce and the spot’s signature garlic dressing. It’s quite the show.