St. Armands Circle is Sarasota’s answer to the glamour of Worth Avenue or Rodeo Drive, the resort-chic of St. Bart’s and the artiness of Key West—all in one easy-to-maneuver shopping and dining paradise.

A short ride over the Ringling Causeway from downtown Sarasota, the Circle is abuzz with trendy restaurants and outdoor cafes, elegant jewelers and some of the Gulf Coast’s most fashion-forward boutiques. Happily, St. Armands is both hip and family oriented: You can savor homemade ice cream by day and then party into the night. 

BURRRberryJust warm enough for Sarasota winters, Burberry’s hot raspberry jacket ($395) has big-city style and Sunshine State color. Check out The Met’s collection of the British stalwart’s hip new colors on their classic plaid scarves ($250), then treat yourself to one of the spa’s all-new ayurvedic treatments. The Met Fashion House Day Spa & Salon, 35 S. Boulevard of Presidents, (941) 388-3991.

Cent’Anni
That’s the way Italians toast long life…100 years, to be exact. We’re toasting Martini, the Circle’s newest shoe store, and the hundreds of miles you’ll walk in Pikolinos, the Spanish-made sneakers ($150) worn by those hot Italian waiters at downtown’s Epicure. Go to www.pikolinos.com to log your miles and blog-share trekking routes around the world. Martini, 362 John Ringling Blvd., (941) 388-9151.

Pink Panther
She’ll purr with delight over Optical Art’s new Philippe Charriol collection of Kucha (that’s Swahili for “claw”) watches. Choose restrained pink or white, or go wild with mother-of-pearl panther or zebra dials hooked onto matching fur straps by diamond-encrusted claws. $6,450 with diamonds; $1,690 without. Optical Art, 16 S. Boulevard of Presidents, (941) 388-2317.

Ace of Spade
Kate Spade, of course. When it comes to arm candy, Reason’s trumps with Kate’s newest drawstring pouch ($535), a blend of saddle and metallic leathers. You’ll find fashion-forward handbags from Miu Miu's new take on patent leather to cool organic textures from Cole Haan. Only the strong-willed will leave without another must-have pair of designer shoes. Reason’s Shoes, 57 S. Boulevard of Presidents, (941) 388-1602.

Here’s the Skinny
Café manager Thai Branton confides that the skinniest fashion plates take shopping breaks for Tommy Bahama’s protein-rich salads. “Our steak salad is guilt-free,” he says of the glam set’s favorite mixed greens topped with six ounces of filet ($17). That leaves calories to spare for the bar’s secret weapon: mojitos ($9) sweetened with lemon-flavored Sprite instead of sugar. Tommy Bahama, 300 John Ringling Blvd., (941) 388-2888.

Cutting-Edge Kitchen Couture
Décor de France’s chic iridescent knives by Claude Dozorme of Thiers, the cutlery capital of France. The pre-packaged steak knife and breakfast sets come in two prismatic colorways (red to orange or green to blue); or you can buy separately in the color of your choice. Décor de France, 24 N. Boulevard of Presidents, (941) 388-1599.

In Vogue
A true lifestyle emporium, Exit Art has everything from Alessi’s kitchen gifts to Eastern-inspired Me & Ro necklaces favored by Julia Roberts, Jennifer Garner, and Anne Hathaway (who debuted these irresistible new gold pieces in The Devil Wears Prada). Exit Art, 26 N. Boulevard of Presidents, (941) 388-2827.

Cold Case
It’s no mystery that Crab & Fin serves the freshest fish in town. “It’s a cold job,” says executive chef Doug Hitchings, who insists that every fish be cut or filleted inside the restaurant’s walk-in freezer to preserve freshness. Exotic monchong pomfret (the Japanese call it “utopia fish”) and walu are shipped from the South Pacific by Fed-Ex. Crab & Fin, 420 St. Armands Circle, (941) 388-3964. 

In the Pink
You’ll score fashion points with this tennis racket cover ($132) from Addison Craig, the go-to spot for luxury accessories. It’s just one of Oprah’s favorite upscale tennis totes from Henry Brown Bags. Addison Craig, 28 S. Boulevard of Presidents, (941) 388-3400.

Don’t forget to…

Check the list of available beauty and spa appointments posted daily outside The Met’s front door. Wickedly serendipitous and no less superb.

Carry home sweet memories of Kilwin’s: Specially packed gift baskets and homemade fudge are frequent fliers across the pond.