We had dinner here while in Sarasota. It's a lovely restaurant in a nondescript location on…read moreLongboat Key- easy to get to and easy parking. Family owned and run- the decor is lovely! It's a Prix Fixe meal- 3 courses of which you have the option to choose 1app, 1 entree and a dessert, everything is made in house by the chef/owner. The food was great - as if you were dining in France . The service was excellent- Sam was pleasant, personable and gave us great recommendations. We will definitely back! The beef Wellington was the best! Chef and his lovely wife were a pleasure!

Madison Blanche must one of the only white table cloth restaurants in longboat key, and they don't…read moretake that for granted. The elegance of the dining room atmosphere, the wait staff, and presentation of the food was not overlooked and executed to a level where you can tell the staff truly cares about the diner's experience. The pre fixe menu is simple enough to not get lost in, and wide enough to keep you coming back for more. Everything we ordered was delicious, unique, and contained a French twist. The special was tilefish, we ordered several kinds of seafood including lobster, crab, and snapper while I had the lamb saddle. Personally speaking the blue crab avocado appetizer was something I had to order because of all the pictures I had seen, and it did not disappoint. The romulade alongside the dish gave it a fresh, elegant bite which was rich but bright. The Colorado lamb saddle had the texture of a well prepared filet mignon perfectly baked inside of a puff pastry. I was calling it a lamb wellington for fun, but that may have been the most I have ever enjoyed a lamb dish. It was hearty, and perfectly balanced between tender meat, crisp crust, and savory sauce. The pineapple dessert was light, refreshing, and felt like a unique cross between a tangy desert and a sweet airy coconut whipped ice cream. I was however very jealous of the others that ordered the rich chocolate soufflé. 10/10. I would say this is a necessary experience for anyone that lives in the area.

Hadn't been to Sage in well over a year, as I don't get to downtown too often. As we made a last…read moreminute decision, after attending the boat show, to try to get in, with no reservation, on a completely booked up Saturday, we were not setting ourselves up for or expecting to have the best of service. Yet everything was above perfect. From the greeting at the door, to the gorgeous decor, live music, lighting and overall vibe, I was reminded just how special a place Sage is. Our party of 3 enjoyed every course and nothing was less than exceptional. We had the roasted parsnip soup and Cesar salad, followed by the Crab Cake appetizer. For main course, the Thai Bouillabaisse and Lobster Gnocchi followed with warm Blueberry Crumble, cheesecake and chocolate crème brûlée. Highly recommend, this place set high standards and nothing has slipped. next time, I'll have a reservation made.

**** December 5, 2024 - Two for my wife' Birthday Dinner…read more I have reviewed over 60 restaurants in the Sarasota City and area since April of 2021. We have belonged to the Florida Studio Theater for most of that time and every night we attend we usually go to dinner beforehand. I park near the theaters and walk to the restaurant of the night. We dine and walk to the theater. I walk near or past this restaurant for ALL of these years! We have had it starred but for some reason we just never went here? The music from the rooftop caught my ear last week so we decided to drive TO Sarasota (no theater 54 miles roundtrip from our Venice home) just for this dining experience for my wife xx birthday at her request. I parked in my usual free spot so I don't get another $375 towing charge from the City and its predatory towing companies. Not a fan of valet parking when there should be an easy parking option.... and there was - in Sarasota City you just have to be careful! The exterior is delightful The entrance and lobby also inviting! We went to the rooftop bar to wait for our reserved seat.....we were purposefully early even with the almost hour drive in season. Live music was entertaining and prompt bar service was very nice! My wife got a Tito's vodka cosmo. The drink, in a plastic martini cup was about 50% full if a 6 oz or even 8 oz cup it was woefully small and based on the coloring maybe a shot of vodka? The only reason for the whining is because it was $16? In Manhattan you might get soaked for $15 to $18 but it is a "full figured" glass? I got a club soda with a sprits of cranberry for $6???? Bubble water and gun sugar for the cost of a beer? Ok onward.... Went down to the lobby to get in queue for our now on time reservation table. Another duo playing and singing in the lobby were a wonderful distraction and VERY good. Our table was an ok two top next to a support column but we were spaced away from others. the tables and chairs are stylish and fitting for the interior......however the cushions are very soft and not supportive and the table height is almost chest high unless you sit forward on the seat? Which you have to do because the back slopes backward - ZERO back support and you can feel the chair frame on your thighs. Pretty uncomfortable and my L4/L5 previously herniated disc was tingling a little. My wife confirmed the poor ergonomics. Utensils and glassware and water clarity and quality were great! Our server Steven S was TOP RATE! gregarious, conversational, and super well humored. Guiding and not afraid to make his opinion known on the food items AND probing enough to know I was not finding something exactly what I wanted. So he made an AWESOME suggestion and (not calling it a substitution, just an elimination (smile)) SERVICE was beyond what you would expect and on a par with the best restaurants!!! Zone defense table coverage with fast direct kitchen delivery, and bus service clearing table and sweeping out utensils and my favorite metric the never under half full water glass!!!! They delivered a fruit little palate cleansing taste after we were seated, very cute and elegant. For a first course I got the Pear Salad ***** and it was VERY fresh and loaded with a variety or greens and seeds, and veggies and a light wonderful dressing. My wife got the Fried Green Tomatoes **** and she REALLY enjoyed, I had a taste and it was smooth a delicious. For the 2nd/main course my wife went for the Short Rib **** which was beautifully cooked and the display with tri-color peppers was a stunning dish to see when it was presented!! (pictures somewhere worth hunting for) the beef was super nicely garnished and rubbed. I went for the (eliminate the seafood) "Veggie" Bouillabaisse ***** that Steven has recommended instead of the cold cous cous vegan style dish I was going to settle on. MAJOR great suggestion on Steven's part!!! This was a truly AWESOME dish with perfectly grilled egg plant and vegetable garnish and a perfectly (for me) spicey curry sauce and some black beluga lentils that I was saddened when I had eaten them all!!! REALLY flavorful and a tremendous medley of textures and flavors/spices. I am sure dessert would have been good, but we wanted to take a stroll and see the Christmas lights and grab a gelato on Main Street just a short stroll away. In summary, fantastic service! and a very good arsenal of food items and food groups to pick from very well prepared and presented. So why not 5 stars? Well because the ROI and economics were "lower" and frankly there are numerous great restaurants with equal or better food items and just as amazing service for ~ $40 to $50 per person w/o adult beverages instead of the $56 to $65 we spent and then throw in the additional second $16 Cosmo and you basically compound a 20 to 25% tip on there and we escaped for just dinner for two at $183.90. ($91 / person?)

What a fanatastic place. It was our first time going and the place was happening for a Friday…read morenight. Lovely decor inside which makes you feel right at home. Ordered the Pornstar martini to start and it was delicious (came with a side of proseco). We didn't know how big the portions were so we didn't order any apps. For dinner my husband had the korean meatloaf and I had the veggie pasta alfredo. Both were so good! We ordered the dessert special and it was fantastic. Definitely will go back since they have so much to choose from!

i had the beet salad, and wine - which was a really nice pour of malbec. my son had a steak and…read morechocolate cake, and hubby had the special which was a goulash. everything was phenomenal- taste and presentation both spot on. our server took a while to initially come up but in his defense the restaurant was slammed. i don't know that i would go back for a family meal as much as maybe a girls night out or date night. the vibe is relaxed and chic.

Food, service and ambiance were on point! Sat outside for lunch and ordered the Marco Polo pork…read morewith scalloped potatoes, the French onion soup and escargot and it was all delightful! The personal size French baguette and butter were also fresh and delicious.

I wish Yelp would allow a no-star review when a restaurant fails in such a spectacular way. I will…read morebe as concise as possible in order to exactly describe our experience last evening. We were guests in what our hosts described as "their favorite restaurant" and Yelp awards a 4-stars review...my conclusion was: either the restaurant was having a really bad night or reviewers have lost their understanding of what a 4-stars restaurant should be like. Our hosts ordered a bottle of white Bordeaux which the owner poured in our glasses as if she was pouring the lowly Sarasota water, filled our glasses almost to the top practically emptying the bottle. Then it was time to order, the lady host asked for the foie gras appetizer which she had absolutely recommended...Sorry, we are out! Appetizers: we ordered 2 Escargots, and the Homemade Country Pâté. The Escargots in herb butter were tasteless (I had to add some salt) and one of the snails was full of stones and grit. Main course: I asked for the Homemade Country Pâté which was portioned significantly less than what our host had gotten...was it to punish me for ordering 2 appetizers? My husband ordered the lamb chops...4 chops cooked to the point where they were tough, and a potato gratin reminiscent of a brick. Our hosts ordered the Pork Marco Polo and the Smoked Salmon Salad. I cannot comment on their entrees even though a comment was made that the pork was overcooked. The Salmon Salad did not look appetizing. But, the 'pièce de resistance' was when our host ordered Crêpe Suzette and was told that 'we are out of orange jam'...whaaat? You can find orange jam in any grocery store, you should never run out of orange jam. We have dined in many restaurant that we felt were subpar, this one won first price. Needless to say, will never go back.

What an absolute gem of a restaurant. The ambiance is artsy, whimsical, fun--and it all just works…read more Really well. Our server, Juliana, provided absolute perfection. She was bright, effervescent, eager to please, extremely knowledgeable about every drink and food item on the menu, always present when needed but never hovering. She has perfected her craft and it made for a wonderful experience. The menu is written with flair and verve, and every offering seems irresistible. We wanted to try everything, but of course couldn't, so we made do with a couple of their signature cocktails (wonderful), a flatbread appetizer (also wonderful) and the very delicious meat loaf and the gemelli pasta entrees. I 10 out of 10 in every respect. We were quite concerned that we were the only patrons in the restaurant during our entire meal. It was early on a Tuesday evening in low season, but still. I hope more folks discover Wink Wink as it would be a shame to lose such a treasure. I would think they might want to consider offering a happy hour to boost things a bit. On the other hand, they could be doing very well and we just hit an off night. Go. Try it. The whole experience will be very entertaining with the art and whimsy of the decor and the menu. Great vibes. and the service and food were wonderful.

There's a floral pop up event of some sort going on The food…read morewas great! And the drinks were unique and tasted even better! The charcuterie was like a dream, and the Popsicle champagne drink wasn't too shabby! The service was good, and it wasn't too busy when I went. There's definitely photo ops for days for all my fellow content creators! The manger was friendly as well, and was nice enough to check in on all the guests here and there. Will def come back soon!

This place is great. They have an awesome bar on one side and restaurant on the other. We sat in…read morethe private room with our larger group. All of the drinks are great and interesting (shout out to Diors, the bartender!). For apps, we had the mussels, bread service, and duck wings. Do not skip the duck wings - they were a great portion, the meat fell off the bone, and the flavor was phenomenal! For dinner, the group ordered the ribeye, shrimp and grits, chicken sandwich, pork ragu, and fish sandwich. The crowd favorites were the fish sandwich, chicken sandwich, and shrimp and grits. Great spot in downtown Sarasota!

Updated Visit: We went to recreate and celebrate our anniversary and we were a disappointed with…read moreour food and the libations served as they were very acrid smelling and tasting. They drinks were remade but unfortunately the taste didn't move very much from its original state, perhaps that's how the Spritz tastes? The pork ragú this time was missing that je ne sais quoi. Perhaps a change in recipe? The server too, they were missing that dazzle that Connor had provided and fell flat with her personality. All in all, the experience wasn't as illustrious as the first go around. Previous Experience: From the door being opened for us, to the moment we walked out, the experience at State Street was celestial. The libations were on point and I thoroughly enjoyed two orders of the Holla Peña, it had a wicked nice kick! Their fresh, homemade bread was excellent and served with a nice side of salted butter. My date took the special. The filet with the dauphine pommes and enjoyed it very much. She couldn't stop smiling. I had the Pork Ragu and I'll say...it is something I'll fantasize about for sometime to come. LOL It was CHOICE. Our server Connor was so polite, timely, knew how to read cues and overall made it the best experience out dining in a while. It's all how you take care of patrons with pacing and knowing your menu. He also had some friendly recommendations for the rest of our date and couldn't have asked for better time. We will be back.

Cindy at the bar...if nothing else she will make it crazy levels of amazing!…read moreHappy hour is 4-6 and that means half off all cocktails and 5$ off the bar bites/appetizers. Super attractive men in the server pool...easy on the eyes is never a bad thing! Prime Rib Monday?!?! Everyone else's is later in the week, Fin & Tonic does it right at the start of the week! We will ABSOLUTELY be back!

Good food and great service, highly recommend this place for a nice dinner or lunch we had nice…read morelunch with friends.

Taverna Toscana is a fantastic restaurant. I made a last minute reservation to celebrate my…read moreanniversary (yeah, I know- should have done it sooner) and all that was available was outdoor seating, but the patio is covered and there are fans, so we went ahead and endured the heat and boy, was it worth it! The hostesses sat us right away, being careful not to overwhelm one server, so they discussed where to seat us amongst themselves and agreed on a plan. I almost expected them to clap and yell "Break!", but they were doing their jobs the right way. Our server was attentive, she knew the menu very well, and she was a true pro. We started off with the Parker rolls, which is super delicious and there is enough for way more than two people, so we had to be careful not to eat all of them, as difficult as that was. I'm also a French Onion soup fan, so I tried that- and it was great, and served in a very cool looking crock. My wife sat there saying she didn't want any, but proceeded to pick off half the cheese. (not cool, honey!). I ordered the seafood cioppino with the bucatini (a must have), and my wife had the chicken parm. First, the Cioppino was outstanding- full of great seafood, and the sauce was amazing. The bucatini is possibly the best pasta I have ever had. There is nothing like homemade pasta, and this was incredible. I was so full, but I kept eating it anyway. I paid for that later. Next time I will skip the apps and go straight to the dish. My wife loved the chicken parm and the portion was big enough so that she took well more than half of it home and I enjoyed it a couple of days later. All of the food was outstanding! Finally, I'd like to salute the server who was dealing with the table next to ours. The table was 4 extremely arrogant women who kept complaining about the temperature (you chose to sit outside, ladies) and the flies (wow...flies outside, who could have guessed?). The server handled them and their arrogance way better than she should have. They told her they were ready to order, then proceeded to take 10 full minutes to place their order because they really weren't ready. I have to admit, when my seafood dish was placed in front of me and it drew a lot more flies near us, I was a little happy because those ladies kept giving me the side-eye while complaining about "more flies than ever". Hilarious! We will be back often to Taverna Toscana, that's for sure. They know how to run a restaurant and their food is delicious. Thanks!

Since this is a very upscale restaurant you have to dress into a more business attire, something…read morenot too casual. The lighting and space is well designed with being able to reserve upper floor, bottom floor and main floor that has a bar. Reserve a place you would want I recommend a a full week ahead. There is valley parking and across the street. The servers make check ups, they take food allergies seriously and make sure to make the food safe. I recommend this place for those that want an experience of a fancy romance. Or a friend evening. Prices can range $$-$$$$ They allow you to see your check from a quick scan on the table. Great experience!!