City dining guide

Best restaurants in Sarasota

3 guide-listed restaurants — Michelin, Bib Gourmand, Black Pearl, Must-Eat List, World's 50 Best and more. Reference quality signals; never ranked by commission, no in-app checkout.

Bib Gourmand 1

Lucky 8

Bib Gourmand$$American, Creole

The spirit of New Orleans is alive and well in Sarasota’s Southside Village. Open for lunch and dinner, the restaurant draws inspiration from a range of Cajun and Creole classics. Chicken and andouille sausage gumbo with pickled banana peppers is a comforting effort, as is the barbecue shrimp with superb French bread. Crispy suckling pig with herbs dressed in nuoc cham honors Louisiana’s Vietnamese community. The colorful dining room leans kitschy and vintage and is run by a friendly team that’s always happy to help.

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Other guide picks 2

Focaccia Sandwich + Bakery

$American

The team rises before the crack of dawn every day to fire up the ovens and make trays of gorgeous, fluffy rounds of focaccia. From buffalo chicken with green goddess to prime rib with smoked horseradish cream, this bread serves as the base for satisfying, hulking sandwiches that are finely constructed and come in half portions for those with more petite appetites. The simple operation has a few outdoor tables along with counter seats at the edge of the kitchen, which also turns out fine soups and salads.

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Tralia

$Pizza

Find one of the city’s best pizzas buried in an assuming strip center. The team uses a sourdough base for two very different results: Artisan round is crispy and crackly, while Detroit square has the rise of a layer cake and the fluffiness and lightness of a cloud. Both eat as well as they look; the MVP featuring marinara and dueling vodka and pesto sauces is a winner. Though the menu offers a number of apps and sandwiches, a satisfying Caesar salad blanketed in parmesan and black garlic breadcrumbs is all you need before diving into the main event.

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