Best Restaurants for Groups in Lake Sarasota

Beautiful Christmas Eve lunch with my children. Sylvia took great care of us. The food, the view and ambiance are fantastic!

We have eaten here many times over the last 15-20 years. Always a great experience. My husband who usual orders one of the Paella dishes said it was probably the best he ever had there and everything tasted fresh, not over cooked. I had their famous 1905 salad, very good! Locals and tourists eat here.

Surprisingly good food. Nice selection of enjoyable beers. We arrived at 5:30 on a Monday evening and were surprised to find the place very crowded (great sign). Once the food and drinks started to arrive we understood why. From the pretzel to the salad to the wings, the starters were very good. Burger and pizzas, delicious. Thanks for an enjoyable evening out with visiting family.

I have lunch at Connor’s at least once a month. I view it as a combination of excellent food and reasonable prices. I’m particularly fond of their half price happy hour. It’s pretty easy to have a delicious meal and a beer for $20. That’s hard to find these days. Today our server was Frank and he couldn’t have been more attentive. He let us take our time before before ordering, checked if we needed anything during the meal and then wrapped up leftovers for us. If you haven’t gone already, treat yourself to lunch at Connor’s and I think you’ll be happy.

Sage is probably the most beautiful restaurant in Sarasota or its environs, and the professionalism of the staff is the highest level we have seen in the area. Unlike most joints which stop serving by 9:00 PM, Sage serves dinner until 10:00 PM on weekdays and 11:00 PM on Friday and Saturday, with last reservation at 9:30. We walked there in 4 minutes from seeing the Ballet at the Sarasota Opera House, and I called ahead to say the performance was delayed (it was an actual world premiere). Bless them, they kept the kitchen open just for us, the last diners, and we had the best after-theatre experience since we've lived in Florida, like the old days when we lived on the Upper West Side and went to Lincoln Center.