Fresh Kitchen

First time at Pura Vida, even though we have one local in Cali at South Coast plaza. Food was…read morereally good. Lots a healthy vegetarian and gluten free options. My girls are here for a soccer showcase and overall there not many healthy eating options around that I could find like this. I also like the decor of the inside as well. We'll be back.

Beautiful decor, spread out tables, lots of different seating options inside and out...it was…read morewonderful as a first timer here. I met my friend who told me the avocado salmon bowl is fantastic, so that's what I got (sans the feta). And she was right - it was really, really good and fresh tasting. I can't say there was anything super 'special' about it, if that makes sense, but rather just delicious and the salmon was cooked really nice (not overdone!). I think this is why I'm giving it four stars instead of five. Also, I think it was $26 which seemed a tad over-priced especially for a smaller cut of salmon. Again, a solid four stars for that as well. I would definitely come back and try some other things. It would be a great space to get some work done, or do a meeting. Very impressed!

All day brunch table spread with no seed oils: perfect egg sandwich, new yorker toast, croissant sandwich, supergreens smooth...

Avocado toast with pasture-raised eggs - a clean, healthy all-day breakfast option.

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Avocado Salmon Bowl - nutritious protein-packed meal. Enjoy lunch or dinner with Pura Vida Miami.

Al Forno Mediterranean Grill & Subs

4.3(167 reviews)

Lunch today was a VERY pleasant surprise. I found Al Forno on Yelp, we were interested in finding…read morea good Shwarma sandwich place in the Sarasota area (we eat them a lot in NYC), but had, we'll say, "moderate" expectations. The storefront is nothing special at all, you order from a big tablet screen and then they have standard fast-casual seating. It doesn't look fancy at all and the restroom situation is weird (you have to go outside through a back alley for the men's restroom?). The workers were nice but I was only hoping for "solid" food. Then I took my first bite of the mixed-shwarma sandwich, and it was sublime. Perfectly cooked and well seasoned tender meat, they press the pita with just the right amount of salad/pickles, so the pita is crunchy and the meat isn't overwhelmed with too much salad like so often happens. Their house fries were spiced deliciously and fried fresh (which makes us want to try the Falafel, which we also saw them frying fresh). The food was *fantastic*, making it one of those diamond-in-the-rough places that you'd never guess had such good food. We're looking forward to going back and trying more on the menu, highly recommend if you're near UTC mall.

Stopped by Al forno Mediterranean Grill in UTC Sarasota with my uncle and had a good experience…read moreoverall. The food was solid, your typical Mediterranean cuisine but I will say it's a bit on the pricey side if you're just trying to grab a quick lunch. The tabbouleh parsley was chopped a bit larger than I personally prefer. I usually like it more finely chopped, but it was still fresh and enjoyable. Service was quick and the food came out fast, which I appreciated. There's limited seating inside, so it seems like it's set up more for takeout than dining in. Overall, a good spot. Just keep the pricing and seating in mind depending on what you're looking for.

Dinning area

Fattoush salad

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Mixed shwarma sandwich, reasonable serving size and majority meat with delicious crispy pressed pita.

Comida

4.5(53 reviews)

6.5 mi

We arrived on a very busy night. Didn't realize they had just opened…read more Everything was delicious. Drinks were yummy. Food was hot and unique. Great new addition to a strip mall with great atmosphere. Would definitely return!

The most off-putting thing about this restaurant is the service. An older man was our waiter, and…read morehis misogynistic attitude was very obvious towards us as two young women. He was dissing our food and drink choices, recommending what HE would order (because his wife is a French chef, this makes him an expert?). He made us order the tuna crudo instead of the ceviche which we originally ordered; he claimed the ceviche had no flavor, but other than mango, I couldn't taste any flavor in the crudo, either (he was also man-splaining the ceviche, as if we'd never had it in a broth before; that's how it's served at Ocean Prime, sir...). Then my friend wanted sauvignon blanc and he steered her to the albarino (which she didn't like as much). The food itself is ok (nothing special), but the service really left a bad taste in our mouths (pun intended). I wouldn't bother eating here unless you have Celiac disease (everything on the menu is GF).

Scenery

Picanha - rum cap or Brazilian cut (no not that) of sirloin, this was very good.

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BLACK BEANS, PICKLED FRESNO CHILE, QUESO FRESCO, GREEN ONION

Namo Izakaya Ramen & Yakitori

4.7(147 reviews)

6.6 mi

As someone who has owned a restaurant in the St Regis Hotel, I understand how difficult it is to…read moreconsistently deliver great food and service. That's why I don't give praise lightly -- but Namo Izakaya Ramen & Yakitori in Sarasota absolutely deserves it. My wife, son, and daughter and I dine here twice a week, and we have never had a bad dish. The yakitori is outstanding -- perfectly cooked, flavorful, and consistently executed. The sushi is always incredibly fresh, beautifully presented, and clearly prepared with care and precision. The ramen is the best we've ever had What truly sets this place apart, though, is the personal touch. The owner and chef treat us like family every time we walk through the door. That level of hospitality, combined with the quality coming out of the kitchen, is rare. In this business, consistency is everything -- and Namo delivers it every single time. We feel fortunate to have this gem in Sarasota and recommend it without hesitation.

Blown away! It was super good. The chicken is here is soo flavorful in the kaarage and the ramen…read more Absolutely phenomenal, will return for the sushi next time. Service was great, ambience was great. Love it!

Dinning hall

Creamy curry ramen

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Pork dumplings w homemade sauce

Zoto

4.4(28 reviews)

We sat at bar, and the drinks were fantastic. Great interior,…read more Great atmosphere vibe.. and the sushi was some of the Best I've had in Sarasota. Enjoyed the upscale environment and The hip background music along with impeccable service .

I had really high expectations for Zoto Sushi. Their social media is beautifully done, they…read moreemphasize that their fish is flown in from Japan, and they present themselves as having a very high-quality, well-curated team. I had been wanting to try it for months since they opened, and we finally went for our anniversary. I even noted that on the reservation, which made the experience feel like it should have been something special. Unfortunately, it missed the mark. Nothing was outright "wrong" with the host or wait staff, but the overall vibe just wasn't welcoming. For the price point, I expected to leave feeling like it was an incredible, memorable dinner that I couldn't wait to repeat. Instead, we left pretty underwhelmed and unlikely to return. One thing that stood out was that although we noted it was our anniversary on the reservation, nothing was acknowledged at all. That's totally fine, but it does make you wonder why the question is asked in the first place if it's not going to be recognized in any way. The fish itself was fresh, and I do think if I had ordered more simple sashimi or nigiri, I would have enjoyed the food more. However, we ordered a mix of sushi rolls and appetizers, and the rolls just weren't well balanced in flavor. Nothing stood out as something I'd order again. The potstickers (gyoza) were the highlight, honestly some of the best I've had. Beyond the food, there were a lot of small details that added up. The drinks were served in glasses that felt cheap. The silverware felt cheap. Our table was wobbly. The space felt small, loud, and a bit cold in atmosphere. Plates weren't cleared when they should have been, and there were noticeable service gaps. Our server didn't know the answer to a simple question about a drink on the happy hour menu (he did go find out, but it slowed things down). Our meals and desserts didn't come out together, with a pretty significant delay between, which took away from the experience. At the end of the night, it was about a $200 meal that felt more like a $75 experience. We really wanted to love it, but overall it just didn't live up to the expectations they set. There are several other sushi spots nearby that we would choose over this next time we want to go out for sushi. Overall, I'd rate it a 6/10.

Bar area

Spider roll, nigiri: belt fish, sweet eel, chu toro, miso salmon, crab fried rice, corn ribs, a5 wagyu ribeye

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Cordial Affair Mocktail

Percoco’s Pizza and Pasta

4.5(134 reviews)

1.2 mi

We have been using this establishment since opening day. This is our favorite location for family…read moreand friends gathering. Food is always great, delicious, and excellent staff. This past Wednesday I guess it was one of those off days. We sat at our table at 6:50 pm. Our server came by our table right away and took our orders. Everythijng was going fine until I informed the server that how much longer before our entree comes out since it has been 45 minutes since we ordered? Instead of apologizing he removed his electronic device to check the actual time we ordered. When he noticed it has been around 45 minutes he excused himself to see why? The entree finally was served. The other problem was my daughters entree was delivered within minutes and didn't want to start until ours was brought. She didn't eat her service because it got cold. Other than the food being delicious as always why would it take 45 minutes to make pizza?

Love your caesar salad (with bread please)!! Not happy with no more slices - the small pizzas - not…read moregood!

Interior

Roasted clams - yum!

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Sophie's - Sarasota

4.4(56 reviews)

0.5 mi

The curry chicken sandwich was absolutely fantastic... We went back basically two days in a row to…read moreget it along with the turkey cranberry chutney club , which was equally as good! Excellent service nice environment reason

Sophie's is Sarasota's best secret nestled inside Saks. The staff is amazing and the food has never…read morelet us down. It is like sitting inside Hudson's from my Michigan days. I am also thankful that they are NOT closing!!!!

Interior

Sliders

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Candle wall

Thai Spice & Sushi

3.8(207 reviews)

0.8 mi

Amazing food and personalized service! The Noodle Soup, Veggie Medley with Chicken, and Pad See Ew…read morewith Chicken was amazing! Always a great place to eat in Lakewood Ranch! Cant wait to eat there again!

staff members were very nice but food was low quality…read more chicken thigh meat and no breast meet meat was chewy requested hot spice level and my Tomkha and veggie medley had a pile of spice on top not cooked in with broth Others lunch was served with small soup and small fried eggroll, mine was not? Sadly not a good choice for Thai Many other great options in Sarasota

9/23/24:-) One Of My Favorite places here in Sarasota

Disgusting

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Tuna tartare salad

Rice Bowl Asian House

4.4(348 reviews)

3.8 mi

I have had a lot of Chinese food lately and this is by far the BEST quality in town. No weird fat…read morein the mean, no canned vegetables. I am disappointed in myself for forgetting how good this place really is. You really can't go wrong with anything on the menu.

Recently ordered takeout from here at a friend's recommendation, but it was some of the worst…read moreChinese take out I've ever tried. For context I'm used to take out from New York, and while I haven't found any perfect comparisons nearby, some come close and have flavor and texture more like what I'm used to. We ordered the general tso's chicken and pineapple shrimp and it genuinely tasted exactly the same. The rice had a starchy taste to it and the consistency was mushy. The lo mein noodles had a really funky taste also. The crab rangoon was equally disappointing, it wasn't crunchy when we got it and the flavor was a bit off. We were left really disappointed and not satisfied with the meal at all. The inside ambiance seemed decent and the woman at the takeout counter was very pleasant though. It might be a decent sushi spot, but we will probably just stick to something that suits our flavor palette better.

Chicken Lo Mein

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Avoid

Blaze Pizza

4.1(369 reviews)

•$

When I arrived to pick up my order, someone from behind the counter noticed I was standing there…read moreand I requested my online order. After giving my name, he knew that my order was ready and asked his coworker to retrieve the pizzas for me. She politely handed me pizzas. The pizza boxes were sealed with stickers. I opened the seals to check the pizzas and they were hot and prepared well. We ordered the high-rise crust with pepperoni ham and meatballs. The pizza was well cooked and delicious. The price of the pizza was reasonable considering the fresh ingredients. We ate at home so I could not give any review about the dine in experience there, but the quality of the food and service behind the counter is great. Definitely a great stop to get a bit of pizza

We visited on a Sunday afternoon and it was almost impossible to find parking…read more When we arrived, there was ample amount of seating and you were able to order online for some discounted deals. However, the place was swamped and chaotic. To be fair, it seemed to be the general vibe overall for the area. We ordered online and our later party members took a while waiting in line to order. The staff seemed friendly and were dealing with the crowded as best they could. The pizzas were tasty. The drink station was a little messy, but not terrible. We sat outside in a shaded area, but we had to switch out one of the tables we occupied since it was super wobbly. We grabbed a napkin dispenser from a table that had one, but it was broken so that it opened every time you pulled a napkin. If you're in the area already, it's not a bad for a quick bite.