Americans love their steakhouses, but the classic high-end steakhouse—with its thick cuts of filet mignon, ribeye and New York strip; crisp, white tablecloths and candlelit ambience—has largely remained elusive in Sarasota, with only a handful of options, most of which are chains like Fleming’s, Capital Grille, Ruth’s Chris and Hyde Park. 

Now, with the arrival of CW Prime, located within the St. Regis Longboat Key Resort, the steakhouse game has reached a new level, with impeccable service and impressive prime cuts of beef alongside unexpected and creative culinary twists, courtesy of its new chef, Drew Adams.

In 2024, when the St. Regis Longboat Key opened its doors, CW Prime became one of the resort’s three dining outlets open to the public. Drenched in warm tones with rich wood walls and soft lighting, guests can choose an indoor or outdoor table. At sunset, golden hues reflect off the shimmering Gulf of Mexico, illuminating both dining areas.

The St. Regis, founded in 1904, has a reputation for the ultimate in hospitality. When approaching the front gate, an attendant takes your name and discreetly alerts hotel staff that you’re pulling in. A hotel employee often greets CW Prime guests in the lobby to escort them inside the restaurant. Throughout the meal, an enormous team of captains, server assistants and food runners quietly attend to every need. Not once does a water glass go empty, and any crumbs or debris are swept away with every course. It’s the most impressive white-glove service in town.

Start with a cocktail. CW Prime has an extensive drink menu that brings fresh touches on spirit-forward beverages. The “Belefonte” ($24), for example, elevates the traditional daiquiri with fresh banana-infused and clarified rum (a labor-intensive straining process that eliminates any cloudiness from an infused spirit). It exudes island flavor without the all-too-common cloying sweetness some daiquiris have.

If you’ve got money to burn, the bar will gladly serve its famous $400—yes, you read that right—cocktail, the “Caroline 400.” It’s named for New York City’s leading Gilded Age socialite, Caroline Astor, whose son, John Jacob Astor IV, founded the St. Regis (he later perished on the Titanic). The drink is an extravagant riff on a French 75, made with Hennessy Paradis cognac (which sells for thousands of dollars) instead of gin and Krug Grand Cuvée Champagne, which retails for several hundred dollars.

The food menu starts with a handful of steakhouse classics like shrimp cocktail ($22) and beef tartare ($28), but Adams’ signature touch is immediately evident in vegetable-forward dishes like grilled maitake mushrooms ($28) with sweet eel sauce and an impossibly smooth cauliflower mousseline (purée), and simple snap peas kissed on the grill and tossed with green goddess sauce and crispy shallots ($22). Regulars at Adams’ former restaurant, Adeline, will recognize many of CW’s flavors and will be delighted to see that Adams’ popular scallop crudo topped with herbed cream ($28) has traveled with him to his new kitchen home.

But this is a steakhouse, after all. The menu offers 11 different steaks, ranging from a six-ounce strip from Kentucky-based American wagyu farm Black Hawk ($95) to a 36-ounce, dry-aged tomahawk steak ($280, but enough for several diners). If you’ve decided that the “Caroline 400” cocktail is really worth it, continue the indulgence with olive-fed Sanuki ribeye wagyu ($60 per ounce with a three-ounce minimum requirement). It’s only served at one other restaurant in the state, and it is the finest bite of beef I’ve ever had. You can taste the subtle olive richness as an undertone in the back of your palate.

In keeping with steakhouse tradition, sides are served à la carte, the best of which are a chilled corn salad with flavors influenced by Mexican street corn ($19) that acts as a sort of palate cleanser to the steak, and crispy potato pave with layers of potato that are deep fried and nearly potato-chip crunchy ($24). You can—and should—top your steaks with truffles (market price) and sauces like béarnaise ($10) or a sherry-infused au jus reduction ($14). Despite being a steak purist, trust me, add a sauce. Among his many talents, Adams touts his sauce work as his greatest culinary gift. Given the entirety of the meal, however, I’d say those gifts are many. 

CW PRIME | Inside the St. Regis Longboat Key Resort, 1601 Gulf of Mexico Drive, (941) 233-9036, cwprime.com