Every year, Sarasota's culinary scene grows with new and exciting offerings—but over the past 365 days, it's soared to new heights with fancy food, epic sandwiches and overall good vibes. Check out our list of the best new restaurants in the region.

Peachey’s Baking Co.

4800 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, peacheysbakingco.com

Sarasota's most popular (and famous) seasonal food truck has finally made the leap from four wheels to four walls. Historically, Peachey's homemade, sourdough leavened, Amish doughnuts were only available at a rotating list of Sarasota businesses and markets from November through April. Those days are gone. The bakery's permanent new brick-and-mortar opened in The Landings shopping plaza in May. We're thrilled. 

Flower Child

6532 University Parkway, Suite 160, Sarasota, (941) 373-0199, iamflowerchild.com

We rarely go all-in on national chains, but Flower Child has made us think again. The Arizona-based restaurant is led by multiple James Beard Award-nominee Sam Fox and focuses on healthy-ish menu options that are meant to fill you up without weighing you down. It's got a fast-casual service style in which guests order and pay for their meals at the counter and then receive table service once they select a seat. It's that table service that won our heart—well, that and the Peruvian beef bowl.

Lefty’s Oyster & Seafood Bar

428 N. Lemon Ave., Sarasota, (941) 954-8688, leftysoysterseafood.com

Is Lefty's a kitschy seafood spot that leans into cliché fisherman décor? Yes. Do we love that about it? Also yes. Lefty's Rosemary District location replaces Mandeville Beer Garden and capitalizes on the building's breezy indoor and outdoor floor plan. Lean in to the coastal vibe and order oysters, lobster rolls and conch fritters; otherwise, you're leaving a void in your dining game.

Fork & Hen

1990 Main St., Suite 112, Sarasota, (941) 444-7094, forkandhen.net

We've been super-fans of chefs Mark Traugutt and Alfonso Duron's Fork & Hen since the old days, when it was teeny tiny and located on North Tamiami Trail. Imagine our elation when we found out Fork & Hen (and its fried chicken) hit the big time and moved to Main Street in downtown Sarasota. The new Fork & Hen occupies the former Made Restaurant space, so it's a huge expansion for this restaurant—but we're confident Traugutt and Duron's food will keep us coming back, especially if they keep dishing out that killer mac 'n' cheese. 

Mirna’s Cuban Cuisine

2901 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, (941) 316-9793, mirnascubancuisine.com

Yes, Mirna's is an old Sarasota favorite, but its shiny new location is reason to sing its praises all over again. The menu is the same, with affordable, traditional Cuban food, but the restaurant is now way bigger, so you don't have to wait and hope the already seated diners will swiftly finish their dinners. Don't forget to save room for Mirna's guava pastelitos. 

Ocean Prime

501 Quay Commons, Sarasota, (941) 404-1024, ocean-prime.com

Although the original Sarasota Quay was demolished in 2006, a resurgence is underway. Rebuilt in the same locations as the previous iteration, The Quay Sarasota has added a premier restaurant partner in Ocean Prime. Gone are the days of driving to the Tampa location for an indulgent date night—now we've got one in our own backyard, the chain's 19th location. Expect prime steaks, seafood and Ocean Prime's incredible warm butter cake. Heck, just go for the cake and a cocktail. We're serious.

Casa Masa at the Landings

4862 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, (941) 0578, casamasa-srq.com

When Casa Masa owner Rob DiSilvio bought the old Island House Taqueria, on Bee Ridge Road, he learned how to nixtamalize so he could make his corn tortillas from scratch. (Nixtamalization is a process that involves soaking ground corn in an alkaline solution.) DiSilvio is a madman, and we love that for him. At Casa Masa's new location in The Landings, you’ll find the standards you love at the Bee Ridge outpost, as well as dishes that further showcase DiSilvio’s strange but brilliant take on Mexican cuisine. While you're there, grab a “Corn Hub” cocktail made with a crazy-drinkable Tito’s vodka base, lemon and soda water and a surprise twist: popcorn syrup.  It's burst of popcorn at the front of the palate might sound weird but is unexpectedly awesome.

Lucky 8 Luncheonette

1812 S. Osprey Ave., Sarasota, (941) 444-0155, lucky9srq.com

Lucky 8 Luncheonette co-owner Edward Zaki is slowly building a Sarasota restaurant empire. Well, maybe not that slowly, considering he opened the freshly revamped Adeline (see below) just weeks before Lucky 8 Luncheonette. Lucky 8's success, however, won't be because Zaki is a shrewd businessman. It'll take off because chef-owner Mark Majorie makes the best fried chicken we've ever tasted—and we've tasted a lot.

Café on St. Armands

431 St. Armands Circle, Sarasota (941) 388-4415, cafeonstarmands.com

One of Sarasota's oldest restaurants, Café L'Europe, has been reimagined in the wake of this year's devastating storm season. After some serious recovery efforts due to damage from the hurricanes, Oysters Rock Hospitality group introduced Café on St. Armands in the same beloved location as Café L'Europe, but with a full menu revamp. Café L'Europe's 1970s continental-style menu was in desperate need of an overhaul, and Café on St. Armands' new offerings lean heavily into Mediterranean flavors. That said: We're so glad Café L'Europe's French onion soup is still around.

Adeline

1920 Hillview St., Sarasota, (941) 444-7692, adelinesrq.com

It's not technically new, but it's also not technically old. Adeline is a reincarnation of the former Meliora—but with the same great food and chef (Drew Adams) we all love. Adams has teamed up with Edward Zaki, who also co-owns Lucky 8 Luncheonette (see above), to zhuzh up what was already one of Sarasota's best restaurants. And don't worry—the raw scallops with herbed cream are still on the menu.

Taverna Toscana

1301 6th Ave. W., Bradenton, (941) 357-7772, tavernatoscana.com

This new addition in Bradenton—courtesy of former Top Chef contestant Fabio Viviani—offers a rustic Tuscan Italian dining experience. There's no shortage of pasta and pizzas, but proteins dominate the menu. An enormous double-cut pork chop is brined for days, then grilled and plated with a bright romesco (red pepper pesto) and toasted chickpeas. It's big and meaty but also simple and glorious. 

The DUO Döner & Deli

5049 Ocean Blvd., Siesta Key, Sarasota, (941) 298-9660, instagram.com/theduo_donerdeli

If you've had the luxury of traveling abroad—or even just to some of the U.S.'s major metropolitan areas—then you might have indulged in some late-night döner kebab. Chunks of beef or chicken, or the two mixed together, are griddled on a flat top and rolled into pita or lavash (a very thin flatbread) with cabbage, onions, tomatoes and cucumbers with a creamy garlic spread. Pro tip: Add spicy chili sauce and hummus for a filling meal, day or night. 

EnRich Bistro

5239 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton, (941) 289-1299, enrichbistro.com

EnRich Bistro chef-owner Rich Knowles was forced to close the original EnRich Bistro during the pandemic, and Bradentonians lamented its loss to anyone who would listen. Now Knowles is back, and he's revived the old EnRich Bistro concept with fresh new dishes. A quail appetizer, for example, is aggressively brined (almost to the point of being over-seasoned), then pulled back from the brink by Oaxacan mole and black bean purée. The result is a perfect balance of salty, sweet, smoky and earthy. It's a must-try.