We polled our readers about their favorite shops, services and more. Here’s what you had to say. 

Food & Drink

Best New Local Restaurant

Beso

Kolucan Mexican Bar and Grill; Samurai Japanese Fusion; Osteria 500

Best Waterfront Dining

Shore

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill; Ophelia's on the Bay; Marina Jack

Best Outdoor Dining

Evie's on the Bay

Owen's Fish Camp; Shore; Jack Dusty 

Best Date Night Restaurant    

Selva

State Street Eating House + Cocktails; Michael's on East; Indigenous

Best Breakfast Spot

First Watch

The Breakfast House; Station 400; Millie's

Best Brunch

Made

First Watch; Libby's Neighborhood Brasserie; State Street Eating House + Cocktails 

Best Lunch Menu

Connors Steak & Seafood

Gecko's Grill & Pub; Green Zebra; Anna's Deli

Best Kids’ Menu

Gecko's Grill & Pub

Fins at Sharky’s; Pop’s Sunset Grill; Brick's Smoked Meats

Best Deli

Palm Avenue Deli

The Original Wolfie's & Rascal House; Southside Deli; Meshugana Deli

Best Seafood Restaurant 

Walt's Fish Market Restaurant & Tiki Bar 

Owen's Fish Camp; Brine Seafood & Raw Bar; Duval's

Best Sushi

JPan

Pacific Rim; Tsunami Sushi & Hibachi Grill; Kojo

Best Italian Restaurant

Cafe BarBosso

Napulè; La Violetta Rustic Italian Restaurant; Chianti Ristorante Italiano

Best Pizza

Origin Craft Beer & Pizza Cafe

Rico's Pizzeria; Valentino Pizzeria Trattoria; Asaro's Pizzeria Ristorante

Best Burger

Gecko's Grill & Pub

Patricks 1481; Shakespeare's; Made

Best Tacos

Screaming Goat Taqueria

Kolucan Mexican Bar and Grill; Rocco's Tacos; Reyna's Taqueria 

Best Barbecue

Brick's Smoked Meats

Stottlemyer's Smokehouse; Sonny's BBQ; Mission BBQ

Best Amish Food

Yoder's Restaurant & Amish Village

Der Dutchman; Detwiler's Farm Market

Best Local Steakhouse

Connors Steak & Seafood

Alpine Steakhouse; Summer House; Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse

Best Vegan Menu 

Lila

Green Zebra; Ionie Organic Cafe; Ka Papa Cuisine

Best Gluten-Free Menu 

Green Zebra

Beckham's Bar & Grill; Gecko's Grill & Pub; Kolucan Mexican Bar and Grill

Best Venice Restaurant

Fins at Sharky’s

Cassariano Italian Eatery; The Crow's Nest; Dockside Waterfront Grill

Best Bradenton Restaurant

Château 13

Pier 22; Anna Maria Oyster Bar; Michael John's French-American Steakhouse

Best Lakewood Ranch Restaurant

Owen's Fish Camp 

Grove; Korê; Osteria 500

Best Food Truck

The Maine Line

Hamlet's Eatery; Mouthole BBQ; Peachey's Baking Company

Best Local Bakery 

Bread Bandits 

Rendez-Vous French Bakery; Paisano's Italian Bakery; C'est La Vie!

Best Desserts

Morton's Gourmet Market

Beso; C'est La Vie!; Yoder's Restaurant & Amish Village

Best Chef

Drew Adams (Meliora)

Steve Phelps (Indigenous); Marcello Aquino (Marcello Ristorante Italiano); Andrea Bozzolo (Andrea’s)

Best Specialty Grocery Store 

Morton's Gourmet Market

Detwiler’s Farm Market; Trader Joe's; Fresh Market

Best Chocolate Shop 

Norman Love Confections

Läderach; Kilwins

Best Butcher Shop

The Butcher's Block

Alpine Steakhouse; Southern Steer; Geier’s Sausage Kitchen 

Best Wine List

Michael's on East

99 Bottles; Marcello Ristorante Italiano; Café Gabbiano

Best Brewery

Calusa Brewing

Big Top Brewing Company; Good Liquid; Motorworks Brewing

Best Beer List

99 Bottles

Yard House; Shakespeare's; Oak & Stone

Best Distillery

Siesta Key Rum

Loaded Cannon Distillery; Good Liquid

Best Cocktail Menu

State Street Eating House + Cocktails

Cask & Ale; Bar Hana; Kojo/Meliora (tie)

Best Cocktail

Bramble, State Street Eating House + Cocktails

The Siren, Jack Dusty; Black and Gold, Kojo; Mainland Margarita, Bar Hana; Pear Martini, Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse

Best Coffee Shop

Project

Breaking Wave Coffee; Rise up Cafe; Perq Coffee Bar

Best Wine Shop

Total Wine & More

Norman's Liquors & Fine Wine; Sarasota Wine Co.; Seagrape Wine Co.

Best Mixologist

Mike Miller, State Street Eating House + Cocktails

Dillon Murray, Bar Hana; Michael McDaniel, Dive; Shannon Illch, Cornerstone & Co.

Best Rooftop

Sage

Art Ovation; The Westin; Oak & Stone Bradenton

Best Place for Beer and a Game

Gecko's Grill & Pub

Food + Beer; Evie's; Miller's Ale House

Best Place to Sip Wine

99 Bottles

Cooper's Hawk; Fine Wine & Tastings; Vino Bistro 

Best Non-Alcoholic Drinks

State Street Eating House + Cocktails

Green Zebra; Gecko's Grill & Pub; Kolucan Mexican Bar and Grill 

Home & Real Estate

Best Fine Furniture Store

Clive Daniel Home

DutchCrafters; The Sarasota Collection Home Store; Soft Square

Best Home Décor Store

Clive Daniel Home

Blu Home Store; DutchCrafters; Pecky Interiors

Best Lighting Store

Bee Ridge Lighting

Franklin Lighting; Light up Your Life; Lyteworks

Best Contemporary Furniture Store

DutchCrafters

Copenhagen Imports; Soft Square; Clive Daniel Home

Best Architecture Firm

DSDG Architects

Sweet Sparkman Architecture & Interiors; Halflants + Pichette/Hoyt Architects (tie)

Best Developer

John Cannon Homes

Medallion Home/Neal Communities/Nutter Custom Construction (tie) 

Best Closet Organization Company

California Closets

Closet Tec; More Space Place

Best Rug Store

Rugs as Art

Clive Daniel Home; Robb & Stucky Furniture/Shah Abbas Fine Rug Gallery (tie)

Best Windows and Doors

PGT Innovations

All Glass & Windows; Armorvue/Sarasota Glass & Mirror (tie)

Best Custom Home Builder

John Cannon Homes    

Trinity Custom Homes; Lee Wetherington Homes/Mason Martin Home Builders/Nutter Custom Construction (tie)

Best New Condo Project

The Ritz-Carlton

Obsidian; St. Regis/The Strand (tie)

Best Interior Designer

Clive Daniel Home

Lancaster Interior Design; Chic on the Cheap; Riley Interior Design/Anne Folsom Smith Interior Design (tie)

Shops & Services

Best Women's Clothing Store

Lotus

Darci/Foxy Lady/L. Boutique (tie)

Best Men's Clothing Store

Tweeds

The Met; Tommy Bahama; Shore

Best Swimwear Store

Swim City

Beach Bazaar/Compound Boardshop/Dive in Style/Splash (tie)

Best Consignment Shop

The Exchange

Fifi's Fine Resale Apparel; Laura Jean's Consignments; Designing Women Boutique

Best Eyewear Store

Soto Optical Boutique

Spectacle Gallery; iOptics Eyewear; Moon & Co Eyewear

Best Vintage Shop

Canned Ham Vintage

Bon Bon Vintage; Creative Hands of Sarasota; The Exchange

Best Jewelry Store

Milans Jewelry

Sarasota Watch Company; Diamond Vault; Coffrin Jewelers    

Best Gift Shop    

The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime

Molly's; Elysian Fields; Garden Argosy

Best Place to Buy Artwork

Art Avenue

Chasen Galleries/Creative Liberties/State of the Arts Gallery (tie)

Best Boat Dealer

Cannons Marina

Galati Yacht Sales; Ingman Marine/Nautical Necessities (tie)

Best Florist

Beneva Flowers    

Flowers by Fudgie; Suncoast Florist; Victoria Blooms

Best Bike Shop

Popcycles Trek Sarasota

Village Bikes; Ryder Bikes/Trek (tie)

Best Place to Buy a Kayak or Paddleboard

Economy Tackle    

Compound Boardshop; REI; Vanhunks

Best Spa

The Ritz Carlton

L. Spa; The Met; Sirius Spa, Salon & Medspa

Best Hair Salon

Nuovo Salon Group

Cutting Loose Salon; Yellow Strawberry; Shine Hair Design Studio

Best Barbershop

American Shave    

APX Barber Co; Barber Chair Barber Shop/Gulf Gate Barber Shop (tie)

Best Hair Colorist

Nuovo Salon Group

Cutting Loose Salon; Yellow Strawberry; HairGem/Kelly Blanch HairArt Studio LLC (tie)

Best Med Spa

Sirius Spa, Salon & Medspa

Elite Medical Spa; Florida Plastic Surgery & Med Spa; Marlow Med Aesthetics/Sarasota Plastic Surgery Center (tie)

Best Tattoo Shop

Oddity Tattoo

Mockingbird Tattoo Company; Seven Sins Tattoo; Trap Ink Tattoos 

Best Manicures and Pedicures

Paint Nail Bar    

Nuovo Salon Group; A J Nails; Blossom Nail Spa

Best Massages

Massage Envy 

Sirius Spa, Salon & Medspa; Essentials Massage and Facials; L. Spa

Best Facial

L. Spa

Sirius Spa, Salon & Medspa; Massage Envy; Nuovo Salon Group

Best Wax

European Wax Center

American Shave; L. Spa; Sirius Spa, Salon & Medspa

Best Lash Services

Lash Boutique

The Brow House; Salted Beauty Co.; Beauty by Iveta

Best Pet Boarding Service

Bayside Pet Resort

Ace Pet Resort/Doggy Resort SRQ (tie); Just 4 Paws

Best Pet Daycare

Bayside Pet Resort    

Doggy Resort SRQ; Ace Pet Resort

Best Retirement Community

The Glenridge on Palmer Ranch

Plymouth Harbor; Sarasota Bay Club; Del Webb

Best Home Health Care

Take Care Home Health

Home Helpers Home Care; Sarasota Memorial BayCare HomeCare; Home Instead

Best Concierge Service

Castle Concierge

Key Concierge/Welcome Home Concierge/Home Watch (tie)

Best Financial Planner

Rochelle Nigri, Morgan Stanley

James Morrison, Edward Jones/Aimee Cogan, Morgan Stanley (tie); Michael Calamaras, Northwestern Mutual

Best Law Firm

Berlin Patten Ebling

Williams Parker Attorneys at Law; Fergeson Skipper Attorneys at Law/Shapiro Law Group (tie)

Best Art Gallery

Wyland Galleries

Art Center Sarasota/Palm Avenue Fine Art/State of the Arts Gallery (tie)