It's a magnificent setting--overlooking the water The food was very good though the portions were small. The prices weren't low, but I didn't expect the place to be a bargain. The parking was free and easy. The service was attentive and friendly, though I wouldn't describe our waiter/server as terribly sophisticated (though he didn't need to be). Yes, I finitely would consider going back to this restaurant. Are there very many restaurants of this caliber in the area? I think not. Give it a go! read more

Food was fair for the prices. Service was ok Nick really tried. However be careful if u order wine to make sure u rec the one u ordered. Nick brought a bottle of Moscato ($90) that apparently wasn't the one we ordered ($45) and manager wanted us to pay the higher price. She said we have to check the label with the menu. The restaurant was very warm, not crowded but a nice ambiance. Be prepared to pay the price that's it's not worth. read more

My wife's food was good. Mine was not. I had the ribeye steak. It was not seasoned at all and it was tasteless. I had asked for it to be blackened and it was not. I was ignored. We were done with the meal before we were asked if we would like a refill on our tea. Too late at that time. We were just ready for the bill. Server was also stuck with taking care of taking orders at the outside pool and delivering them. Ambiance was ok. read more

My wife and I went to Thistle Lodge on Mother's Day evening hoping for a romantic dinner, and unfortunately the experience was ruined by the general manager, Amanda. When I politely asked for my steak to be cooked correctly, Amanda made me feel like I was the problem instead of trying to resolve the issue professionally. Her speech was slurred, she sounded completely off, and her behavior made us feel extremely uncomfortable and unwelcome. I have honestly never felt so disrespected in a restaurant before. The only positive part of the evening was our server, who was excellent and did their best despite the situation. I genuinely feel bad for the employees who have to work under management like this. A restaurant can only survive so long with leadership that treats customers this way. Unless management changes, I can easily see this place going downhill. read more

The food here tonight was excellent! Service was equally high quality and sorry we have not been back before now after hurricane Ian. The view of the gulf and dolphins out our window was a special treat. I was reluctant to order Choice steak since we typically buy Prime meat but this was so well cooked to medium and so tasty you would not know the difference. Highly recommend the Thistle Lodge if you value a good meal in a good environment with excellent service! The cocktails were also great! read more

Thistle Lodge Beachfront Restaurant - Dining area with grouper special and 8oz filet. - New American Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

The food was delicious and the service was great! Went there week of March 16. Pricey but what isn't these days. Worth the money.

This is a beautiful restaurant with amazing water views of the Gulf. They have an extensive drinks list (RUM, tequila, wines). We had a mimosa with fresh squeezed orange juice. The menu includes brunch items, sandwiches and full entrees. We shared the lobster bisque which was heavenly (rich, made with cream). I had the blackened grouper with fries. Their fries are amazing. My boyfriend had the lobster salad roll. I tried it and wasn't a fan. It was a lot of chopped lobster,celery, too much dressing. read more

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Charming restaurant serving plain, safe food. Walking in, there's a woman in the lobby saying: my grandson, has anyone seen my grandson? My brother in law whispers: The Dingo ate your grandson. I can see what type of night we'll be experiencing. The menu reminded me (and tasted) what you'd order at a wedding: Chicken, fish or steak sir? It was all so plain, it's not fine dining as the past reviewers posted. My wife & I shared a beet salad, it was a nice starter. I was expecting the same level of food for our entrees. We all said it wasn't and for the prices they're charging? The last time I checked, we were on a beach in Florida? Park ave pricing does not warrant the quality of the food. My fish was average and under seasoned. Good not great is the overall consensus. Even if they lower the price by $10 per plate I'd still give the same rating. Your call, we'll never return. read more

Thistle Lodge Beachfront Restaurant - Grouper, cooked perfectly - New American Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

Beautiful grounds on the beach. We sat poolside at Coconuts for lunch. I ordered the crunchy Gulf grouper sandwich with mango & my husband did tuna tacos with fries. We had a nice breeze under the umbrella. By 1:15 every table was taken. Our lunch would have been perfect if I got the slaw I ordered, if the fish wasn't fried, if the waitress came back with extra napkins & if the woman behind me didn't spill her drink down my back. Funny they took our credit card before lunch came. Taco's & grouper were good. 18% gratitudes were added to our bill, lunch without drinks was $43. read more

Thistle Lodge Beachfront Restaurant - Lunch - New American Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

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We didn't have a great experience here. There was a wedding the night we went, as well as a rehearsal dinner in the restaurant, and restaurant service was slow. It got quite noisy. The view of the water is pretty far away and blocked alot by mangroves. The food was kind of like 1980s, lots of sauce, and not well cooked. We won't go back. read more

This restaurant was a short walk from where we were staying. I wanted to treat my granddaughter to a birthday dinner. It was her first time to eat in an upscale restaurant and she was impressed with the ambiance. It was beachfront but was inside with huge windows overlooking the beach. The food was excellent. I had the filet with Jamaican shrimp and she had the fettuccine alfredo. It was all delicious and she loved it! They had a full bar with great selections. The service was good, a little slow considering we were the only people in there. Overall it was a wonderful experience. read more

Thistle Lodge Beachfront Restaurant - Filet with Jamaican shrimp. Delicious! - New American Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

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This meal was one of the highlights of my trip! Very elegant place. I got the special which was salmon and shrimp in a soy honey glaze. It was so flavorful! My cucumber drink was delicious. The lemon came in a little net - so fancy! My family loved their meals as well. Beautiful view of the beach from our table! read more

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Thistle restaurant sits on Casa Ybel's property. Some folks chimed in their write-ups and mentioned slow service, long wait and other reasons we didn't experience ourselves. However, this second time around at the resort and on a quiet but humid and windy evening, we decided to stay put and be open minded. We followed the brick and stone path directly from our room to lead us to Thistle-nestled between palm trees and more lushness. Thistle's Tropical/Southern- with a whiff of Hemingway-ish design, is seen throughout from the entrance and beyond: off whites on walls, light brown woods, natural ropes, etc. Thistle had a warm glow that rang throughout the space. We skipped formalities and ordered a few appetizers and drinks at the bar. Hubs had gotten his usual Cosmo with Tito's and said it packed a real nice punch and I had a 'Cucumber Cooler'- minus the alcohol. Rosie as well as the Bar crew were all pleasant. Our Grilled Octopus appetizer was silky smooth and Seared Tuna Trio- was surprisingly nice and figured, our appetizers were anything from ordinary. Except for hubs' Creamy Lobster Bisque with an Argamac Foam. Just reading the ingredients sounds mind blowing- but it was too good to be true when the Bisque was plated and brought over in like 5 minutes from when he initially ordered. I personally didn't like the clumps- but hubs stirred it a bit and down it went. We had a low key evening and enjoyed our few appetizers and drinks. Wouldn't mind taking Thistle up on their Lunch, Brunch or other Dinner items. read more

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Service was outstanding! The staff was very friendly and helpful. Went with a group of 9. I had the lobster salad roll with fries and a house made hot sauce that was made by Maria. It was my first time eating lobster and I thought it was good but not great. I had two other family members get the roll and they loved every bit of it. Maybe because it was my first time. My wife loved her grilled chicken sandwich...I even had a couple bits of the chicken. It was amazing! read more

Thistle Lodge Beachfront Restaurant - Grilled chicken with fries - New American Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

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The place and location are beautiful. We went as a family for a nice dinner and to see the sunset at the beach. The waitress was not very helpful as this was our first time and we were not sure what to order(a little rude). Got two Caesar salads which were not appetizing, had way to much dressing and it was very soggy. The food was ok. read more

Thistle Lodge Beachfront Restaurant - Stuffed Flounder - New American Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

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Oh so disappointing! We thought this would be a nice way to spend the 4th of July for our friend saying it was her birthday. On arrival for lunch we where seated by the window right next to another table that has a party of four. The restaurant was empty there was no need to have us close to this other table. Then the waitress Jazmyn comes with the menu we give our drink order it took exactly 9min to receive the drinks (weak drinks) very little alcohol in them. We proceeded to order our starters 10min later they came out and I must say very tasty however on one of the starters we ordered chicken Quesadilla and on the plate was three small quarters, where did the four one go? So cheap of them. The male server came to the table and starter to take our plates while we where still eating the starters. I was like excuse me as you can see we are still eating and please do not remove anything unless we are finished. He made a huff and walked away. Very rude and unprofessional of him. We continued to order our main lunch meal and 15 min later out it came. Pictures will show on the grouper sandwich is was dry over cooked and tasteless. The lobster roll tasted like canned lobster and the bread over done. The tuna plate was fine. Now back to the birthday girl! You would think knowing it was her birthday the waitress would of made some fuss over her or offered a bday surprise dessert but no all she got was after we paid the bill of $207.62 while walking away. Oh have a good birthday. We where like what!!! Never ever again will I ever return to this place and I think an explanation and apology from any manager should be a follow up reply to this. One more thing as we walked in the ceiling due to obviously water was falling in and the smell of mold was high. read more

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Came here for our anniversary, the atmosphere is amazing. The staff were all extremely friendly and helpful. The food was outstanding, my wife is still talking about the scallops. The only problem we had was we both ordered an old fashioned, you would expect a place as upscale as this would know some of the most basic drinks. What we received did not even resemble an old fashioned. It was as if you went to the beach and they weren't sure how to make a margarita. Other than that, it was an amazing time and I would recommend it. read more

Think: Cape Cod Country Club. This restaurant was decorated for Christmas and ready to go for the holidays when we arrived for our reservation. Staff was attentive and we were seated promptly. Dinner is a multiple hour affair. The salads were delicious: I had a tomato mozzarella salad that I would highly recommend. The Cesar salad was also delicious and I stole a bite. The mains were not as good as the salads or desserts, but they were still yummy. My crusted mahi mahi was a bit under-seasoned and the spinach that accompanied it was too garlicky. Overall, however, the meal was very tasty. Based on other members of my party's experiences, I would recommend the lamb chops and the parpadelle with sausage. The pork chop was a bit overcooked. We also enjoyed a creme brûlée, apple crisp, and key lime pie for dessert. All were delicious! read more

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Was staying in the Casa Ybel resort. I ordered Pistachio Salmon and this was the worst salmon I have ever tried. It was a take out so I just threw it into the garbage can read more

Stopped for lunch and sat outside on the patio overlooking the pool, beautiful property but unfortunately the food/service does not match the setting. I ordered the lobster roll and was surprised at the quality of the lobster. Not sure what kind of lobster is was, not Maine for sure. It was bland and dry. The fries were the frozen, seasoned potatoes you expect to get in a bar, not a restaurant of this quality. Service was slow. Waited quite a while for a oil/vinegar cruet. Server never checked back after sandwich was served. read more

My family used to vacation at Casa Ybel Resort when I was a kid and after a twenty-five year hiatus I returned. One thing my parents never did was take my sister and I to Thistle Lodge, the upscale restaurant located on property. Why? Because back then we couldn't appreciation fine dining. Upon my return to Sanibel I told my wife that we would be eating at Thistle Lodge. She readily agreed and one evening we walked over from our condo. The place was practically empty, though it did get busier later on. The atmosphere was quiet, with piano music in the background and a view of the ocean from our table. The waiter was phenomenal and my wife ordered the day's catch. For me? Scallops are my passion and these were amazing, cooked perfectly. Each scallop was topped with a lobster salad and my God... the lobster risotto! Creamy, savory, delicious! read more

Thistle Lodge Beachfront Restaurant - Scallops were wonderful, but the lobster risotto was truly amazing. - New American Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

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Great COVID friendly upscale meal We were in Sanibel for the first time and this restaurant was suggested as a place for an upscale meal. It was perfect. The host let me select my table (far away from everyone because of my mother's age) outside on the patio. We could get from the car to the table without encountering another person. The food was divine. We all ordered different meals and no one was disappointed. The service was fantastic, attentive without being intrusive. Loved our dinner. read more

Great atmosphere. Awesome service great food. This place is in a great spot and has a great view of the ocean. It's was a perfect night w the wife. read more

My husband and I are not picky eaters but the food at this restaurant was fair to poor. Our server was not very attentive and we had to ask for bread as we saw everyone else with it and we never got ours We started out with a lobster bisque and I have to say this was the worst part of the meal. It was thick without a hint of lobster. It tasted like condensed salty canned soup without water! I couldn't eat it. The meal itself was very basic for the high price. The beautiful restaurant itself did not match the horrible food. read more

We had an amazing date night at thistle lodge. The plate of the night goes to the cedar smoked octopus. Overall, everything was delicious. Not pictured was the ribeye & it turned out so good. You read more

Thistle Lodge Beachfront Restaurant - creamy lobster bisque, espresso crusted lamb lollipop, cedar smoked grilled octopus & caesar - New American Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

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Ambiance pleasant. Almost like taking a step into a modern-day Victorian time frame. *But if you do not fancy being ignored and not catered to, this is not the place to dine or get a drink. We were completely ignored, very bizarre read more

A beautiful restaurant has excellent service and great food. If you want a nicer evening than Bermuda shorts on the beach than make a reservation and sit back and relax and enjoy the beautiful views, food and service. Lobster bisque is fantastic. Make a reservation on open table, plenty of parking. read more

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Oceanfront, secluded and great food! Sanibel's hidden gem. What more can you ask for?

Stopped by here on the way home from a day of cycling. What a nice surprise! My tuna tacos were great and accompanied by a great glass of sauvignon blanc. And the view of the beach and ocean was terrific. read more

First of all Sanibel Island is beautiful. If anyone has never visited please do. If you need help please contact me as I know the place really good. Food at this place is excellent. You will not be disappointed. read more

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We decided to go here for lunch one day while in Sanabel. While it was in the afternoon no one was at the reception area so we called the restaurant and talked to what appeared to be the manager and told him we were there waiting to be seated and no one still came so we called again and ask again if someone could come see us and he finally did. The best thing about the restaurant is there a beautiful view of the ocean and the property however the food was just OK. I ordered a salmon Caesar and the one I ate at lazy flamingo was actually the best on the island. Probably will not return. read more

I have mixed reviews about this place. About 3 years ago my family and I came to eat at this place but we left after taking a quick look at the menu. Fast forward to this week where my boyfriend and I came to dinner here. My hopes were to arrive before the sunset, however, a storm kept us from leaving our room so we arrived at around almost 9. Consequently, we had absolutely no view to the outside because it was pitch black and all you can see is your reflection. The dining room decor sort of feels like you are on a cruise, with a piano/guitar player included. Anyway, our waitress came over to introduce herself and to go over the menu. Unfortunately, she was super loud and had a thick accent, we tried to switch over to Spanish to see if that would help the volume situation but she stuck to English. For appetizer, we ordered the shrimp and crab cocktail which left much to be desired. The three jumbo shrimp were good but the shredded crab with wheat thin crackers was not good. I ordered the twin lobster special which was good but definitely not enough lobster. The picture here seems like it's more but that's only an illusion. There may have been three bites to each lobster tail. The jasmine rice and veggies were good, there was just not enough lobster for the $52 price. My boyfriend ordered the half capon (rooster) which he said was pretty good. We chose to skip dessert and called it a night. All in all, I'll probably skip this place next time. read more

Thistle Lodge Beachfront Restaurant - Twin lobster tails ($52) - New American Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

We were extremely excited to get out to Sanibel to visit friends and eat at the Thistle Lodge Restaurant. I'll start by saying that Sanibel is a beautiful area and the property that the restaurant is on is just as beautiful--a tropical paradise. We had a 5:15 pm reservation. The restaurant was not busy at that hour so we were promptly seated. Our server came to the table, took our drink order and vanished for about 45 minutes. Seriously, he did not come back to our table to get our food order until a little after 6 pm. I asked about vegan dishes and he stated they could do a pasta dish and make it vegan. Great, so I ordered that. While our one appetizer came out in about 15 minutes, it was almost another hour before our entrees came. We had eaten all of our bread, appetizer and the lemon on the water glass. We also, went through almost an entire bottle of wine so we were pretty mellow and didn't complain about the wait. The pasta dish was good, but my husband said his dish was "just okay". Certainly not worth the price we paid for the dishes we received. We expected to pay a little more being in Sanibel and at a "lodge" but it certainly was not worth the price we paid. We finished and hoped to pay our bill and get out. Our waiter again had disappeared for quite a while. When he finally appeared and presented our bill we noticed he messed up the ticket so we had to ask him to go back and fix it. He didn't seemed thrilled, but was good because this was the only expression he had all night as he appeared to be in a daze the few times we saw him. After what seemed like an eternity we finally got out of Thistle Lodge. Would we go back? Maybe for a drink and to enjoy the scenery, but we would NOT go back for dinner, even with an early bird dinner reservation. read more

Dined at the Thistle Lodge in March, this was by far our favorite meal on the Island. It is white tablecloth and great service. The food was delicious, two of us ordered the surf and turf filet mignon special of the day and one of us had a fish daily special. Everything was delicious and our waiter was the best balance of attention and privacy. The dining room is lovely and the resort was so pretty that we wished we had stayed there. Ask for a table with a view when you make your reservation (highly encouraged) and the view is so pretty. I'm not sure if this is a daily occurrence or if it was special for a weekend night but they had a professional at the piano which was so lovely during dinner. He played standards and a few requests, obliviously has great talent and a deep repertoire. We will be sure to eat at the Thistle Lodge on any return visits to Sanibel. read more

The food was a bit pricey but was worth it. It had a great view of the Ocean and made for a wonderful evening. I would recommend this to anyone who is wants a fun dining experience for a bit of a price. read more

Thistle Lodge Beachfront Restaurant - Key Lime Pie - New American Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

Oh, so romantic! We enjoyed the surf 'N' turf and the seafood trio indoors. The balance between the beautiful, fiery sunset views and the warm indoor lighting seemed to highlight the richness of the plank wood floors, the painted millwork and the colonial style woven bamboo armchairs. With such great attention to detail that one is almost transported to a previous era when island life was only to be tasted by the elite. Our food was absolutely perfect. My boyfriend and I shared the filet mignon and lobster tail...both were scrumptious. And also the Sea Bass, Scallop and Prawn Trio, which were all flawless. Our bus boy was clearly experienced and professional. But our server, although diligent in his responsibilities, would be wise to shadow the busboy for a time and learn the art of allowing a couple to have private, uninterrupted conversation in this very romantic setting. If he were our server on our next visit, we would have to say something. But the ambiance and food here are fabulous. read more

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Wonderful fine dining. The yellow snapper with crab is outstanding. There is indoor and outdoor (covered patio) dining. Indoor is chilly, even when it's in the 80's outside. It's pricey but very yummy. Kids menu runs from $24 lobster to $12 cheeseburgers. The is entertainment in the lounge. read more

This is a lovely time share resort on Sanibel Beach. The restaurant is open to the public and the four of us ate poolside. I had the 3 mini croissant sandwiches and my wife had the seafood wrap. To be completely honest, both meals were decidedly average - certainly nothing special. I would normally rate this meal 3 stars, but I boosted it to 4 because of the spectacular setting, located between the pool and the beach. Worth a try, but don't expect much quality in the food department. It is worth it for the physical setting. read more

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We have been in Sanibel several nights and had wonderful meals at Cielo and Bleu Rendevous I highly recommend and can't say enough good things about these places. My 17 year old says- save your money and don't come here. There is weird cumin spices- unmentioned on the menu- in pasta both Seafood Provençal and the Alfredo. The filet was served cold inside/raw and ordered Medium Rare - read other reviews the hostess is very aggressive and unfriendly. No manager to be seen!?! On a Spring back weekend in March?! It's crazy. It doesn't seem like anyone from this place is reading or fixing anything- fro the reviews-there's some consistency among the reviews that go months back that remain unaddressed: read more

Food was good service was terrible, 2 very rude waiters. It was slow so they had everyone stuffed into one room.