12 new restaurant openings in Sarasota and Bradenton we're most excited about in 2024

We've just kicked off 2024, and already, a new restaurant specializing in pizza and cocktails opened earlier this month in downtown Sarasota. A few days later, a highly anticipated seafood restaurant overlooking north Sarasota Bay in the historic Cortez fishing village reopened, while an exceptional Asian fusion restaurant in downtown Sarasota is set to host the grand opening of its new Lakewood Ranch location on Friday, Jan. 19.

Yes, as we approach the peak of tourist season, the local restaurant scene is buzzing with activity, promising a dynamic year ahead.

Following my ranking of the best new restaurants of 2023, here’s a list of a dozen Sarasota-Manatee restaurants I’m eagerly anticipating in 2024. For those of us who delight in dining out, what better way to welcome the new year than by anticipating fresh epicurean explorations?

From opulent dining destinations at a world-class waterfront resort, to the revival of a beloved sandwich shop, these new restaurant openings are planned for various locations across Sarasota and Manatee counties, including downtown Sarasota, Longboat Key, St. Armands Circle, Bradenton, and Palmetto, overlooking the Manatee River. Of course, I'm sure there will be many more pleasant surprises in 2024, but for now, here are my picks, presented in alphabetical order.

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15 South by Napulé on St. Armands Circle

While the closing of St. Armands Oyster Bar was a disappointment, its replacement should prove to be a most positive outcome. The owner of Napulé, the acclaimed Italian restaurant on South Tamiami Trail in Sarasota that earned a coveted Golden Spoon award from Florida Trend magazine, has announced plans to open 15 South by Napulé at the same 15 S. Boulevard of the Presidents location.

Expected to begin welcoming guests in "early 2024," 15 South will showcase an authentic Italian menu that includes scratch-made pasta dishes, Neapolitan-style wood-fired pizza and a full-liquor bar. The upper level will house another full bar along with a dance floor, while offering a street-style menu of small, shareable dishes.

More: One of Sarasota's most celebrated restaurants opening a new location on St. Armands Circle

Arts & Central in The Rosemary District

You might have observed the impressive new building under construction at the intersection of Boulevard of the Arts and Central Avenue in downtown Sarasota's Rosemary District. Called Parkside, it's the latest project by The Longboat Group, which also owns the nearby CitySide Apartments, in collaboration with the Schimberg Group, the Sarasota-based architecture, and interior design company. Parkside is being promoted as a retail space "for good people and rad businesses in the heart of the Rosemary District." Its star tenant, Arts & Central, is described as a "backyard restaurant."

"Arts and Central was born out of the concept of simply enjoying a glass of wine and eating good food with friends and family in one's backyard," reads the Schimberg Group's description. "After redesigning an old storage building for the developer, Arts and Central decided to embrace the space with their new urban restaurant, maximizing the outdoor covered deck and common area courtyard."

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Banditos Tacos & Tequila in downtown Sarasota

The Baltimore-based chain Banditos Tacos & Tequila announced in April plans to open its first restaurant outside Maryland or Virginia, at 1468 Main St. in downtown Sarasota. It's the spot where the restaurant, brewery and rooftop bar Tavern on Main Brewery (or T.O.M.B.) was supposed to open.

Banditos' winning combination of tacos and tequila also includes burritos, bowls, quesadillas, and, yes, cerveza. The restaurant was originally scheduled to open in "in late 2023" with a rooftop lounge, expected to open as part of a second phase in 2024.

More: Mexican restaurant with rooftop lounge set to open in downtown Sarasota

The Boiler Room

Karen Bell, the owner of the renowned waterfront seafood restaurant Star Fish Company in Cortez, along with her longtime employee, Josh Wilkinson, is reviving the local comfort food favorite, The Boiler Room. The new Boiler Room will specialize in the kind of cheesesteak sandwiches that once made the restaurant famous before its closure a few years ago.

Situated at 5600 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton, approximately seven miles from Star Fish Company, The Boiler Room is expected to be ready to welcome back guests in March, according to Bell, assuming all goes as planned. In addition to cheesesteaks, we can expect delectable burgers (Star Fish serves an excellent one), wings, and possibly some fresh fish sandwiches as featured specials in the future.

More: One of Sarasota and Bradenton’s best sandwich shops closed in 2020; now it's reopening

The Buccaneer

It has been more than six years since I first reported that The Buccaneer would be opening on Longboat Key. Despite the fact that there's still no date for the start of construction, I remain hopeful it will happen in 2024. The latest venture by the 1905 Family of Restaurants, which owns the group of Columbia Restaurants, including the one on St. Armands Circle that has been open since 1959 and is the oldest full-service restaurant in Sarasota, The Buccaneer will replace the waterfront landmark PattiGeorge’s, which the 1905 Family had demolished in 2018.

The plan is for The Buccaneer, at 4120 Gulf of Mexico Drive, to honor a former Longboat Key dining destination. “My parents’ favorite restaurant, besides the Columbia, was Herb Field’s The Buccaneer Inn on Longboat Key,” said Richard Gonzmart, a fourth generation “caretaker” of the 1905 Family of Restaurants, in a statement issued in 2017. “My goal and my dream is to make this new restaurant an architectural gem and to pay homage to some of that restaurant’s beloved menu items, such as oysters and prime rib, as well as to add distinctive touches.”

More: Columbia owner unveils plans for new restaurant on PattiGeorge’s location

CW Prime Steakhouse at The St. Regis Longboat Key

Expected to open summer of 2024, The St. Regis Longboat Key Resort will offer guests an 18-acre sanctuary complete with a private white sand beach overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, pools and cabanas, spa, winding waterway and a saltwater lagoon wildlife experience. The breathtaking Gulf vistas are also being incorporated into the brilliant new dining concepts at The St. Regis designed by Dutch East Design, including the CW Prime Steakhouse, which will be open to the public and feature expertly prepared classics from premium cuts of aged beef and fresh seafood to theatrical salads prepared tableside.

In addition to the high-end steakhouse, The St. Regis will be offering an as-yet-unnamed Coastal Italian concept with a pasta bar, and a reflection bar offering Asian cuisine. There will also be the St. Regis Bar, and a tiki bar dubbed The Monkey Bar. An homage to the drinking destination of the same name that operated out of the old Colony Beach & Tennis Resort that preceded The St. Regis, The Monkey Bar will also be open to the public, via beach access. In addition to boat drinks and such, The Monkey Bar will serve a limited food menu, including a "Murf Dog," named after longtime Colony owner Murray "Murf" Klauber.

Darwin Brewing

One of my all-time favorite local chefs, Darwin Santa Maria, announced in March his acquisition of the Darwin Brewing brand he co-created, and plans to open a new brewing facility that will include a full-service restaurant and distillery. The facility, scheduled to open in Sarasota in late 2024, will also feature soccer fields and a live music stage.

"I'm thrilled to be back at the helm of Darwin Brewing and can't wait to share my passion for great beer and delicious food with our customers," said Santa Maria in a statement. "This new facility will allow us to really showcase what we can do, and I'm confident that our beers and restaurant will become a go-to destination for beer lovers and foodies alike."

For now, you can enjoy Santa Maria's superior cuisine at Almazónica Cervecería (4141 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota).

More: Renowned Sarasota chef to open new brewery, restaurant and distillery with familiar name

EnRich Bistro

Bradenton will soon have two of its most beloved restaurants resurrected: the previously mentioned Boiler Room, and chef and owner Rich Knowles' EnRich Bistro, which will be located less than half a mile to the east at 5239 Manatee Ave. W., in the same shopping plaza as the outstanding pizzeria Agrigento. EnRich Bistro previously served Knowles' elevated American entrees at 5629 Manatee Ave. W. before closing in July 2020 due to the COVID pandemic and strained lease negotiations.

Expected to open this spring, the new EnRich will feature a larger full-bar area to complement the indoor dining room, as well as an outdoor patio and banquet area. The menu will include past favorites such as the calamari salad, tuna poke appetizer, and the bestselling buttermilk-fried chicken with honey truffle butter. Knowles, who has remained busy in recent years with his Innovative Dining catering company, as well as being co-owner of the Bradentrucky Grub Truck, will also debut new dishes at EnRich. In fact, the one he just told me about, a black garlic-crusted skirt steak, sounds like the perfect entree for my first visit back — along with his fried chicken that I have been craving for nearly four years!

Sorry, we’re closed: Remembering 21 Sarasota-Manatee restaurants lost during the coronavirus pandemic

The Green Orchid at Selby Botanical Gardens

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens recently unveiled the first phase of its remodeled downtown Sarasota campus featuring what's being promoted as the first net-positive restaurant in the world. The Green Orchid, which will implement an all-electric induction kitchen, is the latest by the legendary upscale Sarasota restaurant Michael’s on East, which has been Selby Gardens' longtime food provider.

Expected to open in mid-February, The Green Orchid is located on the first floor of Selby Gardens' Morganroth Family Living Energy Access (LEAF) that houses parking, a gift and garden shop, and a rooftop garden that will provide fresh produce for the restaurant. The globally-inspired menu will focus on local, regional and sustainably-sourced options for produce, seafood, meats and poultry. There will also be botanical-inspired cocktails featuring finishing touches plucked from the rooftop garden, a wine list of many organic and biodynamic selections, and local craft beers.

The Green Orchid's hours of operation will be 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The restaurant will be open to Selby Gardens visitors (admission required) and members only. It will offer walk-up indoor and outdoor dining table service and no reservations will be required.

More: Selby Gardens opens first phase of energy-efficient campus with toasts and tours

Ocean Prime

The acclaimed seafood and steakhouse chain Ocean Prime, which made OpenTable's list of the Top 100 Most Beloved Restaurants in America, has announced it will open its first Sarasota location in late 2024. It will be in The Quay, the 14.7-acre downtown development site on Sarasota Bay set to merge a marina setting with upscale residences, shops and restaurants.

The Ocean Prime in Sarasota will feature more than 9,500 square feet of space spread across two stories, with outdoor terraces on each floor. The restaurant will include more than 350 seats, two bars, and two private dining rooms, with the second floor offering guests an immersive experience thanks to sliding glass walls that open to the outdoors overlooking Sarasota Bay.

The restaurant is renowned nationwide for its upscale menu featuring seafood and steaks, hand-crafted original cocktails, special features, and desserts. Popular menu items include the "smoking shellfish tower," sea scallops with Parmesan risotto, signature steaks, a 10-layer carrot cake, and the Berries + Bubbles cocktail. Additionally, Ocean Prime boasts a Wine Spectator Awarded wine list.

More: Top-ranked U.S. steakhouse, seafood restaurant to open waterfront location in Sarasota

Oyster River Bar at The Marriott Palmetto Resort

During my daily strolls along the Bradenton Riverwalk, I always try and make a point to gaze across the water and up at the progress taking place at the Marriott Palmetto Resort. It will be connected to the Bradenton Area Convention Center via walkway and is expected to open early this year.

The new hotel is eight stories high with 252 rooms, 10,000 square feet of meeting space, 32,420 square feet of outdoor space and a full-service restaurant as well as "a chic VIP rooftop lounge" called the Oyster River Bar. The rooftop area should provide impressive views of the Manatee River, Sunshine Skyway Bridge and Tampa Bay especially at sunset.

More: Exciting new rooftop restaurant, bar openings for Sarasota, Bradenton area

Taverna Toscana

Celebrity chef Fabio Viviani, an Italian native perhaps best known for his 2008 appearance of the show "Top Chef," created a buzz in July when he announced via social media that he was opening a Taverna Toscana location in downtown Bradenton. "Picture a modern Italian kitchen paired with the hearty allure of a top-tier steakhouse," reads Viviani's Instagram post. "And yes, we've also curated a selection of craft cocktails that will knock your socks off."

The restaurant is currently under construction in front of the Sunz Insurance Company building at 1301 6th Ave. W., near other popular downtown Bradenton restaurants Chateau 13 and Sage Biscuit. Viviani previously opened a Taverna Toscana in downtown St. Petersburg at 200 Central Ave. Suite 165. Viviani describes the St. Pete Taverna as "the perfect blend of a rustic Italian eatery, an energetic local tavern, and an upscale modern restaurant."

More: 10 best restaurants in downtown Bradenton

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Wade Tatangelo is Ticket Editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and Florida Regional Dining and Entertainment Editor for the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. He can be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Best new restaurant openings in Sarasota and Bradenton set for 2024