10 best restaurants in Sarasota and Bradenton to impress out-of-town guests

It's the holiday season, and that means entertaining friends, relatives, and other assorted out-of-town guests — all delighted to be down here in Sarasota-Manatee rather than freezing up north.

You could exhaust yourself cooking for your guests, or you could wisely suggest everybody dine out and recommend a place that is impressive. Presented in alphabetical order, here are 10 of the most renowned restaurants in Sarasota and Manatee counties, including one that will be open Christmas Day.

They feature a couple of James Beard-nominated chefs and have appeared on various lists by sites such as Yelp and OpenTable ranking the top restaurants in Florida as well as the nation. You will find the oldest restaurant in Sarasota as well as a pair that opened last year. All of these local restaurants, including two with gorgeous waterfront views, should leave a memorable impression on your friends and relatives or simply make for a great date night during the holidays.

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Chateau 13

535 13th St. W., Bradenton; 941-226-0110; chateau-13.com

Chateau 13 stands out as one of Sarasota-Manatee's premier fine-dining destinations. This year, it claimed 40th place on Yelp's list of the Top 100 Florida Restaurants, up a position from last year. Situated in downtown Bradenton, just south of Manatee Avenue and the bustling crowds of Old Main Street, Chateau 13 serves upscale cuisine inspired by Western Europe. Its hip and romantic setting encompasses a main dining area, a wine and beer bar, and inviting sidewalk seating.

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Columbia Restaurant

411 St. Armands Circle, Sarasota; 941-388-3987; columbiarestaurant.com

Open since 1959 and Sarasota's oldest full-service restaurant, Columbia is an integral part of the famous shopping and dining district St. Armands Circle. The restaurant's nationally acclaimed Cuban sandwich, as well as their Original "1905" Salad, are among the most essential dishes in Florida, while their tapas classics include the Ybor City Devil Crab Croquettes. Additionally, Columbia will be open on Christmas Day, offering its regular menu as well as dine-in and takeout specials.

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Dry Dock Waterfront Grill

412 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key; 941-383-0102; drydockwaterfrontgrill.com

Overlooking Sarasota Bay and specializing in fresh seafood, Dry Dock Waterfront Grill rightfully earned numerous national honors this year, including a place on OpenTable's annual list of the 100 Most Popular Restaurants for Outdoor Dining. Additionally, Yelp ranked Dry Dock at No. 54 on its annual Top 100 Florida Restaurants, and it appeared on OpenTable's 100 Most Romantic Restaurants in America published in January. I'm also a big fan of Dry Dock's sister restaurant, Dockside Waterfront Grill, located in Venice.

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Fork & Hen

2801 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota; 941-960-1212; forkandhenssrq.com

Tucked away in an unassuming spot just north of downtown Sarasota, near Ringling College, Fork & Hen serves Southern soul food that is both impressively creative and deeply satisfying. Opened last year and ranked as the 22nd best restaurant in Florida this year by Yelp, it's an essential destination, particularly for those craving an elevated serving of fried chicken.

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Indigenous

239 S. Links Ave., Sarasota; 941-706-4740, indigenoussarasota.com

Steve Phelps, a two-time semi-finalist for the James Beard Foundation's Best Chef: South award in 2014 and 2015, opened Indigenous in downtown Sarasota's Towles Court in 2011. The restaurant remains one of the top spots in the region, celebrated for brilliantly crafted seasonal American cuisine with a focus on sustainable seafood. Just ask Bobby Flay — the celebrity chef dined at Indigenous in June. In addition to Indigenous, Phelps recently launched PigFish, serving sustainable seafood, including fish sandwiches and a "Cobia Hot Dawg," at the new taproom of Sarasota brewery Calusa.

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Meliora

1920 Hillview St., Sarasota; 941-444-7692; meliorarestaurant.com

The best new Sarasota restaurant to open in 2022, Meliora is where Chef Drew Adams puts his deft spin on New American cuisine. Must-try dishes include the thinly sliced raw scallop bathed tableside in its warm, briny juices, accented with chives and basil. Another standout is the red snapper served with endive, green mango prepared like pasta, and an alluring citrus emulsion. Meliora placed at No. 87 on Yelp's Top 100 Florida Restaurants rankings, which is great, but it should have ranked higher and earned Adams a James Beard nomination.

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Maison Blanche

2605 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key; 941-383-8088; themaisonblanche.com

If you or a loved one adore fabulous French cuisine, there's probably no better restaurant to visit in the state than Maison Blanche. Chef and owner José Martinez earned a Michelin star for his La Maison Blanche restaurant in Paris before relocating to Sarasota. He opened Maison Blanche on Longboat Key and was named a James Beard semifinalist for Best Chef South in 2010. Recently, Martinez announced that he would lead the culinary team behind Le Mans Kitchen, a restaurant opening inside the Sarasota Ford dealership.

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Star Fish Company

12306 46th Ave. W., Cortez; 941-794-1243; starfishcompany.com

Named one of the "15 Best Seafood Dives in Florida" by Southern Living magazine this year, Star Fish Company is an Old Florida gem located on the north Sarasota Bay in the commercial fishing village of Cortez. Featuring seafood recently plucked from the surrounding Gulf of Mexico waters, the super casual restaurant is owned by Karen Bell. She's also the proprietor of the fishing boats and fish house next door as well as co-owner of Tide Tables, a nearby waterfront establishment that also excels at seafood.

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Tikka Indian Cuisine

525A U.S. 41 Bypass N., Venice; 941-303-5073; tikkaindian.com

If you're in Venice, this restaurant should be on your very short list of places to visit for lunch or dinner. Serving authentic Indian cuisine, Tikka placed second on Yelp's Top 100 Florida Restaurants 2023 list, earning praise for its "sleek, modern presentations of authentic North and South Indian dishes — from clay-oven-baked meats to biryani rice blends."

Walt's Fish Market Restaurant & Tiki Bar

4144 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota; 941-921-4605; waltsfishmarketrestaurant.com

It's Florida stone crab season, and there's no better place in Sarasota to feast on the delectable claw meat than at the century-plus-old Walt's. (Fourth-generation owner and fisherman Brett Wallin recommends pairing stone crab with their Linda’s Margarita or perhaps a locally brewed beer.) Don't feeling like eating crabs? All the seafood is fresh and smartly prepared at Walt's, with a personal favorite being the Square Grouper Sandwich.

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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 [email protected]. Support local journalism by subscribing.

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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Best restaurants in Sarasota, Bradenton to impress out-of-town guests