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Cest La Vie, Sarasota, FL

Cest La Vie

4.7
4.7
149 Reviews
$30 and under
French

Make a reservation

2 people
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
7:00 PM
Booked 6 times today
  • Great for fine wines
  • Great for outdoor dining
  • Great for brunch
C'est la Vie Downtown! Authentic French Bistrot. Serving Classic French cuisine in a rustic provençal atmosphere. Only downtown location is doing dinner.
We also offer a spacious outdoor dinning garden terrace with a beautiful shady oak tree and illuminating string lights.
Our Artisan bakery and the quality of our pastries will have you feeling like you are in the heart of Paris.
Opened since 1997 by Christophe and Geraldine Coutelle, we collected over the years many awards from Best French Restaurant to Best french bakery. Located on Main street - Downtown Sarasota.
Come and join us for a delightful evening.

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Additional information

  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    French
  • Hours of operation
    Mon, Tue 7:30 am–6:00 pm Wed, Thu 7:30 am–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 7:30 am–9:30 pm Sun 8:30 am–9:00 pm Dinner Wed, Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–9:30 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Olivier Orion
  • Neighborhood
    Sarasota
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Beer, Cafe, Corkage Fee, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Wine

What 149 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.7Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Tampa / Central Florida West

    Best Value

  • Tampa / Central Florida West

    Neighborhood gem

  • Tampa / Central Florida West

    Great for fine wines

  • Tampa / Central Florida West

    Good for special occasions

  • Tampa / Central Florida West

    French

  • Sarasota / Bradenton

    Best Value

  • Sarasota / Bradenton

    Neighborhood gem

  • Sarasota / Bradenton

    Great for fine wines

  • Sarasota / Bradenton

    Good for special occasions

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
C'est La Vie offers "wonderful French cuisine" in a charming atmosphere reminiscent of Paris. Guests praise its "great food," "excellent service," and "authentic" ambiance. Known for its delightful pastries and crepes, this family-run gem is ideal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The vibrant Main Street location adds to its appeal.
149 Reviews
  1. OpenTable Diner

    Greater Boston1 review

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great food. Delicious escargot and mussels. Anis was a very friendly and attentive waitress.

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  2. Micki VIP

    Chicago16 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The restaurant is so charming, as was our server. Caesar salad and mussels were delicious. Paninis were excellent. We will return.

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  3. RoseS

    New York City5 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Great little restaurant downtown. Food was delicious.

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  4. thomas

    Louisville7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 16, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Wonderful French cuisine. Excellent service. Bon appetiti!

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  5. David VIP

    New York City201 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always a great experience dining at this restaurant. Prices are in the market range for restaurants on main street in Sarasota.

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  6. mike

    Philadelphia12 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Have tried both lunch and dinner at C’est La Vue and each visit was a pleasure. Delightful ambiance, great food, excellent service and good value. Definitely check them out, you won’t be disappointed.

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  7. Gary VIP

    Tampa52 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 13, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food. Great service. Enjoyed very much! Highly recommend!

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  8. susan

    Greater Boston8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 2, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    So glad we found this gem while vacationing in Sarasota. Went on a Saturday night and only made the reservation that afternoon. We were given the choice of outside or in, and chose outside. It was a beautiful March evening for us Bostonians and the scene on the street was lively. Cool cars cruising Main St and lots of people strolling the sidewalk. Shared escargots with baguette. I ordered traditional buckwheat crepe with cheese, leeks, and tomato - came with crisp salad. A chilled glass of chardonnay (good pour) was perfect. Husband had lamb shank came with lentils - very healthy portions. He said it was probably the best lamb shank he ever had. They have a french bakery onsite and we bought almond croissants for Sunday morning breakfast - they were delicious!

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  9. Charl VIP

    New York City11 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on February 26, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Wish the heat lamps were working outside Otherwise the food and service was excellent! Thank you!

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  10. Jane VIP

    Tampa46 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on February 22, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Lovely inside dining. All our entrees and appetizers were delicious with generous servings. The four of us each had something different-mussels, salad, escargot, French onion soup, beef Bourgogne and Branzino! Service with just the right timing too. We will happily dine there again.

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FAQs

Cest La Vie is rated 4.7 stars by 149 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
7:00 PM
Booked 6 times today
Google Map for Cest La Vie

1553 Main St, Sarasota, FL 34236

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Sarasota
  • Hours of operation
    Mon, Tue 7:30 am–6:00 pm Wed, Thu 7:30 am–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 7:30 am–9:30 pm Sun 8:30 am–9:00 pm Dinner Wed, Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–9:30 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    French
  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Olivier Orion
  • Additional
    Beer, Cafe, Corkage Fee, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Wine
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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