Columbus Hall is home of Knights of Columbus Council 3358. During Lent the Knights and Columbus…read moreHall open every Friday for a Fish Fry. The menu is Fried, or Baked Wild caught Alaskan Pollock, (no farm raised fish here). If fish isn't your thing, they also have fried shrimp. Choices for your sides are macaroni and cheese, rice pilaf, or french fries, all dinners come with coleslaw. Upon arrival you are greeted by volunteers of the Knights of Columbus, who will seat you, wait on you, and even offer a drink from the full liquor bar. Its a Sarasota tradition. Monies collected help support some of Knights of Columbus Council 3358s local charities. Columbus Hall is also available for parties. ColumbusHall.org VictoryKofC.org

We spent maybe 90 minutes at the gardens, which are currently featuring sculptures and drawings by…read moreartist Alexander Calder. Calder is most famous for his use of primary colors, and for his mobiles. This exhibit, "Alexander Calder: The Nature of Movement" ends May 31, 2026. Calder's connection with Sarasota is mainly through sketches he made of Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus, which was based in Sarasota. Portions of the gardens are under construction, but most areas along the water are open. There wasn't much in bloom during our visit. Admission is not cheap ($28 per adult, $12 for children 5-17) but we were able to get in for free using the reciprocal arrangement from our membership at another botanical garden. Garage parking is free, and there's an elevator.

Such a lovely time ! This is a must-see place to go if you're visiting Florida. Nice place to take…read morepictures and walk around. I do wish there was more structure as to what section of the garden to go to first. However, they do provide you with a map to make sure you hit everything.

We held our rehearsal dinner at the Riverhouse for my son and daughter-in-law's wedding the next…read moreday. About 30 guests were in attendance. We chose this venue because of it's location in proximity to the wedding (Baker's Ranch), the price, the menu, and mostly because of the room itself and the views of the sunset over the Manatee River. When we first met with Cindi many months ago, she already knew the time of sunset on March 9. That speaks for itself. We set the end of cocktail hour to coincide with that time, and worked everything backwards from there for the rehearsal. The sun cooperated on the day of the event and everything was magical. We choose an open bar, appetizers, and a menu of about five entrees. The food was all very good, but I wouldn't call it excellent. The mahi-mahi was a tad too done. The brisket was close to excellent. I didn't have the island tacos, but heard they were a hit. The coconut shrimp was perfect. So a mix. Appetizers were generous. We selected "premium level" beer and wine and liquor for the bar. Mostly I was happy with that choice - good beer and liquor, except I felt that the Chardonnay options brought it down a notch. We asked for a slightly better Chardonnay, and the best we could get was still not so great. Wine lovers need a little more value in an event like this, and a better white would help to improve the overall value of the premium selection. The venue and the staff are the reason the rating is high. Cindi was very helpful and accommodating from the time we first met in the fall, but really showed her professionalism on the night of the event. She and her team were friendly and helpful, paying attention to detail and flexible in meeting our needs. Big kudos to the staff!

Absolutely amazing. Working with the Riverhouse was like a dream come true for my out of town…read morewedding. I had so little time and flexibility, but Cindi and the team at the Riverhouse consistently went above and beyond to make everything so easy and perfect with me. I cannot imagine what my wedding would have been like without them. They are FANTASTIC and I whole-heartedly recommend this venue to all my friends and family. The venue is beautiful, food is delicious, and the people are amazing.

We were here for a business lunch. The service was great, food was decent, and the view was…read morewonderful during lunch.

Bird Key Yacht Club is located on the private island of Bird Key approx. 5 minutes from downtown or…read morethe famous shopping area of St Armunds Circle. Drive another 2 minutes and you are at Lido Beach or further down is Lido Park. BKYC is a private club offering a beautiful clubhouse, fine dining, tennis courts, huge pool, and work out facilities. In addition, members can rent a slip and keep their boat their for substantially less than a conventional marina. For the boater, they also have reciprocity with approximately 30 yacht clubs in Florida.

A beautiful wedding venue that is right on the water! I attended an April wedding here, and I was…read moreblown away about the beauty of this venue. To get to the venue, you have to drive through a university's campus... there was tons on construction going on. Once you get to the estate, there isn't a sign saying you are at the estate. The only sign there is, is the one from the street. This and the parking lot situation were the only two things that I wasn't a fan of. Everything else was absolutely stunning. Our bride had her ceremony under beautiful trees, and the whole back lawn was decorated with tables, bar tops, photo booths, and a marquee sign. There were two bars, one under the gazebo and one under the trees, so there wasn't congestion there. There was tons of space to walk around and spread out. Such a picture worthy venue. It photographs extremely well. For the reception, we sat at tables right by the water. It wasn't too hot because of the nice breeze and sitting out at sunset was priceless. The bride didn't have anything set up inside, but you could go in there if you wanted. A beautiful spot for a destination/beach vibe wedding.

I attended a wedding here a couple days ago and the venue is absolutely stunning and beautiful! The…read morereception was under a tent and it was perfect with the sunset and no rain. Inside the estate, there are a few bathrooms and a separate room just for the bride. There were approximately 130 people and didn't feel crowded at all. Definitely would recommend this place if you are planning any events!

Hadn't been to Sage in well over a year, as I don't get to downtown too often. As we made a last…read moreminute decision, after attending the boat show, to try to get in, with no reservation, on a completely booked up Saturday, we were not setting ourselves up for or expecting to have the best of service. Yet everything was above perfect. From the greeting at the door, to the gorgeous decor, live music, lighting and overall vibe, I was reminded just how special a place Sage is. Our party of 3 enjoyed every course and nothing was less than exceptional. We had the roasted parsnip soup and Cesar salad, followed by the Crab Cake appetizer. For main course, the Thai Bouillabaisse and Lobster Gnocchi followed with warm Blueberry Crumble, cheesecake and chocolate crème brûlée. Highly recommend, this place set high standards and nothing has slipped. next time, I'll have a reservation made.

Don't sleep on this…read more Fantastic cocktails, food and service make this a goto in Sarasota. Zero disappointments and literally everything was great including our server Cassie. We will be back.