Click here to see the winners of the Best of Sarasota 2026.

Thirty-five years ago—all the way back in 1991—we became Sarasota's first publication to launch a "Best of Sarasota" contest. We asked readers to fill out a printed ballot and mail it back to us with their picks for the city's best restaurants, shopping, experiences and more. That year, we had 39 categories—and the several hundred ballots we received encouraged us to make the Best of Sarasota an annual feature.

Thirty-five years later, here we are—and this year's Best of Sarasota received our biggest response ever. We're no longer asking voters to respond by mail (our online voting platform takes care of that); we've grown from 39 categories to 264; and this year we received more than 700,000 votes—the biggest response ever.  

Let that sink in. Nearly three-quarters of a million of you decided to take time out of your busy lives and tell us about why you love Sarasota. 

That's the thread of connection between the Best of Sarasota 1991 and the Best of Sarasota 2026. We're obsessed with where we live. We want to support the businesses that make Sarasota unique. And, as is human nature, we want to tell everyone about them.

From the tiniest mom-and-pop shops to businesses that are celebrating more than a century in business, we're proud to honor this year's Best of Sarasota winners. Click here to see them all—and stay tuned for much, much more. We've got some surprises up our sleeves! 

Click here to see the winners of the Best of Sarasota 2026