Bucket list: Discover Sarasota's 100 best restaurants, fun things to do, places to visit
Sarasota is a special community to call home, recently ranked No. 1 on U.S. News & World Report's list of best places to live in Florida and No. 5 in the country. It's also a great place to visit, with our impressive selection of hotels and restaurants helping secure the city a spot among the best in Florida for a family vacation.
Regardless if you're the rare Sarasota native, a transplant, snowbird or tourist, here's our freshly updated bucket list of 100 fun things to do in Sarasota County. It includes everything from world-famous tourist attractions to hidden gems. You’ll find activities in the cities of Sarasota, North Port and Venice, as well as places to visit in beloved communities such as Longboat Key, Siesta Key, Osprey and Nokomis.
We have spotlighted lots of our favorite restaurants, bars and beaches along with destinations for fans of architecture, arts, circus, film, history, literature, sightseeing, shopping and sports. Presented in no particular order, here’s our list.
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1. Play in the sugary soft sand, or perhaps just sunbathe, at our world-famous Siesta Beach and then take a dip in those soothing Gulf of Mexico waters.
2. Take a selfie from the top of the John Ringling Causeway, aka Ringling Bridge.
3. Order the Half and Half Combo with a Cuban sandwich and the Original “1905” Salad at Columbia Restaurant, which opened on St. Armands Circle in 1959, with its original location in Tampa’s Ybor City opening in, yes, 1905.
4. Visit Gillespie Park — and if you have a dog, be sure to check out the Canine Club.
5. Find a shark’s tooth on Caspersen Beach in Venice.
6. Dine, drink and shop in historic downtown Venice and then follow Venice Avenue to Venice Beach.
7. Visit Pinecraft, Sarasota's historic Amish and Mennonite community.
8. Eat a cheeseburger in paradise at New Pass Grill and Bait Shop, established in 1929.
9. Explore the Burns Court Historic District in downtown Sarasota that includes various shops and restaurants including Owen’s Fish Camp.
10. See one of the classic movies or HD opera productions being screened during the summer at the Sarasota Opera House. Or attend live opera during season!
11. Admire the downtown Sarasota and Bayfront skyline while sipping a craft cocktail at the Westin’s 19th floor Roof Bar and Eats or Art Ovation hotel’s Perspective Rooftop Pool Bar on the eighth floor.
12. Enjoy a premium aged steak in a sophisticated setting at Michael’s on East.
13. Admire classic European paintings at The Ringling Museum of Art on a Monday, when it’s free!
14. Take in the constantly changing contemporary art exhibitions at The Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College.
15. Have a romantic dinner on the water at Ophelia's on the Bay.
16. Visit Lido Beach, the Lido Pavilion and 25-meter lap Lido Beach Pool.
17. Check out Nokomis Beach and the Nokomis Beach Plaza, which was designed and built by famed architect Jack West.
18. Enjoy barbecue, brews and bands at Snook Haven, established in 1948.
19. Have a drink at Pelican Alley in honor of legendary Sarasota author John D. MacDonald, who was a regular there when it was called The Admiral’s Wardroom in the 1970s.
20. Eat a cheeseburger at Hob Nob, established in 1957.
21. Order the fantastic “Famous Italian” sandwich at The Main Bar Sandwich Shop, established in 1958.
22. Eat an authentic, Miami-style Cuban sandwich and enjoy live music at J.R.’s Old Packinghouse Cafe, which occupies a funky, Old Florida building from the 1950s.
23. Play on the circus-themed playground at Payne Park and then grab lunch at Cafe in the Park.
24. Drink the famously potent mai tai at the Bahi Hut, established in 1954.
25. Go dancing, or sip some whiskey upstairs, at the Gator Club, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2013.
26. See a show at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and/or explore The Bay Park.
27. Pub crawl through Gulf Gate and take the “fire in your hole” wings challenge at Munchies 420.
28. Dine in style at Cafe L’Europe, which has been a St. Armands Circle landmark since opening there in 1973.
29. Eat a Loaded Salty Dog at Old Salty Dog, which has locations on City Island, Siesta Key and Venice.
30. Spend the day at Bayfront Park, and be sure to stop for a drink at O’Leary’s Tiki Bar & Grill before or after lunch or dinner and at sister business Marina Jack.
31. Dine and shop on a Saturday morning at the Sarasota Farmers Market, established in 1979.
32. Dine and shop at Newtown Farmers Market, held 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays and first and third Fridays in the heart of Sarasota's historic Black community.
33. Climb aboard Bob’s Train for a meal with a whole lot of circus history.
34. Purchase a Tervis tumbler at their official retail store in Osprey or on St. Armands Circle. The drinkware company has been based in Venice for decades.
35. Attend a Baltimore Orioles spring training game, or any other event, at Ed Smith Stadium.
36. Attend an Atlanta Braves spring training game at CoolToday Park, or just have a drink or bite to eat at the Tomahawk Tiki Bar, perhaps during their Summer Movie Nights series.
36. Eat tacos, quesadillas, sopes and more outstanding, authentic Mexican cuisine at Reyna’s Taqueria.
37. Attend a performing arts event by Asolo Repertory Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre, Sarasota Ballet, Sarasota Orchestra, Urbanite Theatre or Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, all of which are professional companies with Sarasota venues.
38. Savor a fresh, flame-grilled grouper sandwich while looking for dolphins at Pop's Sunset Grill.
39. Go shopping, and dining (or do a pub crawl!), at The Mall at University Town Center.
40. Have a drink at the Crescent Club, which opened in 1948, and remains a popular spot on Siesta Key.
41. Pub crawl your way through Siesta Key Village including a stop at the Beach Club, which opened in 1947, and, yes, also remains a popular spot on Siesta Key.
42. Order a filet mignon with legendary animal trainer and longtime Venice resident Gunther Gebel-Williams’ steak sauce at Crow’s Nest in Venice.
43. Booze cruise on Sarasota Bay under the palm trees of LeBarge, which launches from Marina Jack in downtown.
44. Check your local library for a fun summer read by part-time Casey Key resident Stephen King.
45. Walk, cycle or kayak at Nathan Benderson Park.
46. Pet stingrays at Mote Marine Aquarium, because they are actually kind of cute after their spiky stingers have been removed.
47. Take a free tour of Siesta Key Rum, one of the most acclaimed rum distilleries in the country.
48. See an indie or arthouse film at Burns Court Cinemas in downtown Sarasota.
49. Pair a true pint of fresh Guinness with awesomely authentic Irish cuisine at The Shebeen Irish Pub & Kitchen, the best Irish pub in Sarasota County.
50. See a performance by beloved local reggae band Jah Movement.
51. Spend the night at south Siesta Key’s Turtle Beach Campground, one of the few places where sleeping on the beach at night is not only legal but expected (in one area of the park, at least).
52. Bang on a drum, dance or go hooping at the Siesta Key Drum Circle that forms Sunday about an hour before sunset on Siesta Beach.
53. Expand your hippie horizons and do the same at Nokomis Drum Circle, which forms every Wednesday and Saturday evening.
54. Feed the flamingos and do lots of other fun stuff at local landmark Sarasota Jungle Gardens, which opened in 1939.
55. Hike to Myakka River State Park’s Deep Hole and eye the army of alligators and/or spend some time in the treetops via the Myakka Canopy Walkway.
56. See a production by Venice Theatre, which opened in the 1950s and is now recovering from damage by Hurricane Ian.
57. See the Historic Venice Train Depot and be sure to take the tour.
58. Look for gopher tortoises, alligators, river otters, wild turkeys, swallow-tailed kites and Florida scrub jays at Deer Prairie Creek Preserve in Venice.
59. Indulge in Sunday brunch at Made.
60. Have a drink at the Lido Key Tiki Bar, which is part of Ritz-Carlton’s guests-only Beach Club but remains open to the public. Or, you know, just stay at the fabulous Ritz-Carlton in downtown Sarasota.
61. Visit the Venice Fishing Pier and have a drink at famed beach bar Sharky’s on the Pier.
62. Purchase a collectible book from A. Parker’s Book Bazaar in downtown Sarasota.
63. Enjoy the go-karts, bumper cars, arcade games, and more at Livingston’s Amusement Center.
64. Drink a few beers, bowl a few frames at Sarasota Lanes.
65. Uber your way to all of our great Sarasota County breweries: Big Top Brewing Company, Brew Life Brewing, Calusa Brewing and Sun King Brewing.
66. Eat a pizza from the wood-fired brick oven at Bavaro’s Pizza Napoletana & Pastaria.
67. Gamble, legally, at One Eyed Jack’s facility on Bee Ridge Road.
68. Test your skateboard, bike or inline skate skills at North Port Skate Park.
69. Pamper yourself for a few nights at The Resort at Longboat Key Club.
70. Visit the Sarasota Classic Car Museum, one of the oldest continuously operating antique car museums in the country, before it's forced to relocated.
71. Enjoy super fresh seafood at Walt’s Fish Market, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2018.
72. Listen to Sarasota community radio station WSLR 96.5 and attend a folk or jazz concert, or perhaps a book talk, at Fogartyville Community & Media Arts Center.
73. Enjoy a healing soak at Warm Mineral Springs in North Port.
74. Eat delicious barbecue while enjoying a rock concert under the tiki at Stottlemyer’s Smokehouse.
75. See the sights on one of Discover Sarasota’s many tours taking place on their air-conditioned trolley.
76. Drink coffee and people-watch at Pastry Art on Main Street in Sarasota.
77. Treat yourself to some single-origin java at Perq Coffee Bar.
78. Make a reservation for an amazing meal at Meliora, the most exciting Sarasota restaurant opening of recent years.
79. Go vegan at Lila with non-meat versions of everything from a burger and BLT to sushi rolls.
80. Try the TurDucKen — a boneless chicken stuffed inside a boneless duck stuffed inside a boneless Turkey — at Alpine Steakhouse, which also serves one of Sarasota's best burgers.
81. Kayak the mangrove tunnels of South Lido Key.
82. Drink a deceptively strong Deck Diesel at the original Daquiri Deck in Siesta Key Village or at one of their other Sarasota County locations in Venice, St. Armands Circle and south Siesta Key (there's also one in Manatee County on Anna Maria Island with a rooftop bar).
83. Dine at Almazónica Cervecería & Peruvian Eatery and learn why celebrities like AC/DC singer Brian Johnson and MLB slugger Manny Machado are such big fans of Chef Darwin Santa Maria.
84. Treat yourself to seasonal American cuisine at Indigenous, home of chef and owner Steve Phelps, who made the semi-finals of the James Beard Foundation's Best Chef: South award in 2014 and 2015.
85. Enjoy a luxurious meal of fine French cuisine at Maison Blanche, home of James Beard-nominated chef (and owner) José Martinez.
86. Dine on authentic Italian cuisine at Caragiulos or the family's Old Florida seafood place Owen's Fish Camp. Both are among the best restaurants in downtown Sarasota.
87. Explore the Towles Court artist colony.
88. Eat the famous fried chicken dinner and save room for pie at Yoder’s Restaurant in Pinecraft.
89. Try the beloved buffet, recently voted No. 1 in the U.S., at Der Dutchman, which is also in Pinecraft.
90. Enjoy a romantic dinner of fresh seafood while overlooking Sarasota Bay at Dry Dock Waterfront Grill.
91. See the lions, tigers, bears and other animals at Big Cat Habitat and Gulf Coast Sanctuary.
92. Dine on delectable Asian cuisine at Kojo in downtown Sarasota and then stop in for an equally exciting tropical drink next door at their tiki-themed Bar Hana.
93. Golf at one of the county's many outstanding courses in honor of John Hamilton Gillespie. An avid golfer, he brought the game to Sarasota when he came here in the 1880s and had a heart attack on the links and died at his home a short time later in 1923.
94. Mini-golf with live alligators at Smugglers Cove.
95. Cycle the length of the Legacy Trail.
96. Spend an afternoon at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens near downtown Sarasota, and be sure to also visit their Historic Spanish Point Campus in Osprey.
97. Go canoeing at Oscar Scherer State Park and keep an eye out for gators, otters and mullet.
98. Take your doggy to the Brohard Beach Paw Park in Venice.
99. Go bird watching at Celery Fields, which is “an ideal location for wildlife watching and passive recreational use,” according to the Sarasota Audubon Society.
100. Enjoy the sunset. Any beach, pretty much any day, in Sarasota County.
Wade Tatangelo is Ticket Editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and Florida Regional Dining and Entertainment Editor for the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. He can be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota best restaurants, fun things to do, places to visit
