Evenings
Cocktail bars and Sarasota nights
Rooftop terraces, bayfront hotel bars and live music downtown. Sarasota evenings are polished, unhurried and best begun at sunset.
Rooftops and sunset bars
Downtown’s best views are from the top floors of its hotels and restaurants, looking west over the bay toward the keys.
The Westin Sarasota, 19th floor
The Roof Bar & Eats
Sarasota’s favorite sunset perch: a poolside bar on the Westin’s 19th floor with panoramas of the bay, Marina Jack and the Gulf. Open daily from 11 a.m.
1216 First St
Sage Rooftop
Above Sage’s downtown dining room, an elegant rooftop for cocktails under the sky before or after dinner.
Palm Avenue
Art Ovation Hotel
The arts-themed hotel’s rooftop lounge pairs cocktails with views across downtown and the bay.
St. Armands Circle
Shore
A rooftop bar above the Circle, ideal after an afternoon on Lido Beach.
The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota
Jack Dusty
A bayfront restaurant and bar at the Ritz-Carlton, with a terrace made for a sunset cocktail and a menu built around Gulf seafood.
Tiki bars on the beach
On Lido Key, the sunset drink comes with sand and a Gulf breeze.
700 Benjamin Franklin Dr, Lido Key
Lido Beach Resort Tiki Bar
Poolside, a few steps from the sand, with frozen drinks and Gulf views. Open daily 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
1330 Benjamin Franklin Dr, Lido Key
Lido Key Tiki Bar at The Ritz-Carlton
The Ritz-Carlton’s relaxed beachfront bar on Lido Key, for a cocktail with your feet nearly in the sand.
Departs downtown Sarasota
Barefoot Tiki Tours
Take the tiki bar to the water: a private, captained sunset cruise on Sarasota Bay for up to 16 guests. See charters.
Speakeasies and hidden bars
Some of Sarasota’s best cocktails are poured behind unmarked doors, upstairs rooms and velvet curtains.
1296 First St
Rose & Ivy
Steaks, sushi and cocktails in the main dining room, with a restored speakeasy upstairs for a quieter, candlelit drink.
1920 Hillview St, Southside Village
Mimi Brasserie & Speakeasy
Step through the gilded doors of this Southside Village brasserie, then slip behind the velvet curtain to its hidden speakeasy for late cocktails and music.
1564 Main St
Pangea Alchemy Lab
There is no front door on Main Street: find the hidden entrance to this moody cocktail lab. Open nightly from 5 p.m., until 2 a.m. on weekends.
1289 N Palm Ave
Bar Hana
An intimate cocktail bar sharing Kojo’s Palm Avenue address, made for a pre-dinner drink or a nightcap.
Happy hour and cocktail hour
Where to start the evening. Times change with the season, so check before you go.
1592 Main St
1592 Wood Fired Kitchen & Cocktails
One of downtown’s most popular happy hours: weekdays 3 to 6 p.m., Saturday 3 to 5 p.m. and Sunday 4 to 5 p.m.
1548 Main St
Cask & Ale
A Main Street cocktail spot with happy hour weekdays from 4 to 7 p.m., plus weekend brunch and Sunday jazz.
611 Central Ave, Rosemary District
Arts & Central
Happy hour every day in an art-filled Rosemary District room, with creative cocktails and bar bites.
1920 Hillview St, Southside Village
Mimi Brasserie
Happy hour runs 4 to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, before the speakeasy fills up.
Live music and late tables
1490 Main St
The Gator Club
A downtown landmark in a historic Main Street building, with live bands and dancing most nights.
1 N Lemon Ave
Mattison’s City Grille
Live music on the corner patio, with tapas and a full bar.
2 Marina Plaza
Marina Jack
The bayfront landmark’s lounge has live music most evenings, with the marina lit up outside.
Plan the evening
- Start at sunset. Check the time and book a terrace table or a private sunset charter.
- Have dinner downtown or on St. Armands. See our dining guide.
- Catch a performance. The arts season runs from late fall through spring.
- Downtown is compact and walkable; use a rideshare between the keys and the mainland.
Nightlife questions, answered
Where is the nightlife in Sarasota?
Downtown, along Main Street, Palm Avenue and the bayfront, has the most bars and live music. St. Armands Circle is quieter, and Siesta Key Village is the most casual.
Is there a dress code?
Smart casual is right almost everywhere. Hotel bars and fine dining rooms lean dressier in season.