Best Seasonal Restaurants in Lake Sarasota

We visit Cooper’s Hawk often and always have a great experience. On this visit nothing has changed. Our wine came out quickly, appetizers were hot and delivered before the meal as expected. My husband had the pork chop and grouper from the “surf and turf” selection. He thought they were both delicious and served hot. I had my usual, soy salmon and was not disappointed. We had seen some of the reviews from a few days ago and expected delays…. Not so. Considering the busy time of year, Cooper’s Hawk has their act together.

First thing, we were very pleased that the hostess was able to quickly seat us in a booth. My wife has mobility issues, and it was of prime importance that we got a booth. Our server, Clark, was professional and friendly. Our meals, Prime Rib, Pistachio Snapper, and Salmon were all delicious. Sound level, for Christmas, was vibrant but not too loud at all. Overall, a pretty good experience.

The restaurant has a nice ambiance to it. The food & desert were very good. The staff is very attentive and made the whole experience so much more enjoyable.

Christmas Eve afternoon dinner. Food was exceptional. We all had filets and they were cooked to perfection. Shared the meatball appetizer and Caesar salad, both were very good also. Our server was very attentive . Only downfall was our after dinner latte’s were ice cold. We didn’t complain as it was very busy, but our server noticed they were untouched and removed them from the check. An enjoyable holiday with family!

Been a few years since we have had the pleasure of eating here since we live up north. It was the best all-round meal we have had at a restaurant in the last year. The escargot wellington and the lobster bisque to start the meal were packed with flavor and richness. My mother's tiger shrimp and chicken meatballs were delicious. So much good stuff packed in the meatballs with pasta made to perfection. My wife's crusted yellowtail snapper had a good crunch to the outside with flavorful savory fish inside, especially when combined with the tropical fruit jam and the crispy plantains. The paella had so many parts that worked but my favorites were the scallops and the pork belly. To finish the meal, our server recommended a delicious apple galette with a gelato scoop on top and raspberry sauce around thr edge of the plate for extra flavor. It was delightful. The phyllo pastry in both the wellington and galette were well prepared. What a great way to start our Christmas vacation in Sarasota.