Great vibe, delicious menu. Blake was our server and he was very knowledgeable of both the menu and fun things to do in town. Had the sea bass and skirt steak and wanted to lick our plates after the last bite! When we arrived was told 30 min wait but they sat us in less than 15 minutes :) FYI on different seating sections when making a reservation... interior dining room has a great vibe but is a little loud from chatter | There is a quiet area over by the bar, same tables and way less noisy | Patio seating (blocks the wind on a cold night) and they have side walk seating out by the street. They do have heaters for cold nights (which is rare here in Florida lol). Enjoy! read more

I've been to Selva Grill twice, and both times the food was amazing. The second time we went, the service was a little ho-hum, but that's fine, as I'm averaging it in with the first time we went to make an even medium. Back to the food: it is great. Ethnic flavors abound, to the point where I keep expecting a herd of bulls to run by the table. The Lomo Saltado was fandamntastic, as were the two ceviches I tried. My wife had the flank steak, and it was delicious as well. The decor is hip, without being annoying; the atmosphere was very likable. All in all, it's one of the best bets on Main Street in downtown Sarasota. read more

Best restaurant in Sarasota, bar none. Creative menu, interesting unique cocktails. Two locations, at downtown and university mall.

Another favorite here in Sarasota, if you order the right thing! Super cool Ambiance, it's very modern inside. The lights are dimmed but it's a little loud inside so if you're looking for a super quiet and romantic evening this isn't the best spot. However, with that being said we had some delicious shrimp soup for appetizer, it was spicy and so good! I don't remember the name but the waitress recommended it and it was delicious. The lomo Saltado and Seabass are both amazing. The fried calamari.. Also amazing! This place is pricey but in a great location and the food is so good. It's not traditional Peruvian, more of Peruvian with a modern twist and it works for them! Try it out you won't be disappointed read more

Be warned that the menu is somewhat similar to Darwins on 4th - apparently chef/owner of Darwin's used to work here before he absconded to start his own place...! My guy and I went there on a Tuesday evening at about 7pm and got seated right away. The good: Patio right on Main Street - people watching opportunities abound. The Duck with risotto was exquisite, the shortribs so tender and tasty it was a crime (my partner) - presentation was also visually appealing. Hostesses were very friendly and welcoming - big smiles all around. The ugly: Aloof waitress who was acting bothered that she was working our table yet she was all smiles for the other tables she was serving. I don't understand how you would expect a decent tip when you're giving your patrons an attitude, I mean seriously. The prices - this is a pretty pricey restaurant but I think for special occasions it's worth it. The Hispanic staff were busboys, not waiting tables - this at an authentic Peruvian restaurant. Tip: if having a non-ceviche appetizer, you can split one if you're only two people as the entrees we had were sizeable. read more

If you want a really fun, upbeat, trendy restaurant with really good food then this is the place. The bar is a great place to start the evening before moving on to dinner. My husband loves the skirt steak and various seafood dishes and I love anything with pork. Start with the Ceviche - it's good! The service has always been friendly and efficient when we've been there. The only real problem is the parking. If you don't mind walking, try the public garage on Palm. read more

Crowded, expensive and food served spoiled. Whole snapper served standing upright with head on and mouth open. Disgusting.

Selva has been the best experience I've had locally since I moved here 4 years ago. Knowledgeable professional service, casual yet upscale, confident but not cocky. And the food is amazing! New American trendy using classic Peruvian recipes. read more

Unbelievably good food :-) Classy decor, perfect service, great wines, and the menu is awesome. Ceviche was the best I have ever had, perfectly balanced flavors. I had the swordfish and he the whole snapper, both were exceptional. He had the coconut icecream with rum roasted pineapple, which was ridiculously good. MUST do if you are a snobby eater in Sarasota. Expect to drop at least $100 for two... Lounge is equally classy, great drinks and sexy ambience. read more

Selva Grill - Whole snapper... To DIE for - Spanish Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

All around great place, from the service and decor to the food and presentations. Ceviche was awesome, had the watermelon tuna tower and the tropical ceviche. The corn and Caesar were also delicious and unique. No complaints at all. read more

An indisputable local favorite, Selva time and time again proves it's excellence in both favor and depth... While neither inexpensive nor accidental, selva brings the highest quality dining experience to the table. This is the best of Sarasota's Nuevo South American cuisine. read more

This is definitely one of the best restaurants in Sarasota. I lived in Sarasota for a number of years and Selva Grill is very consistent in every way. What started in a small strip mall years back has transformed into a flashier, much larger venue on Main St. in downtown Sarasota. The service in the restaurant and the bar has always been fantastic. The food preparation and execution is top of the line and the presentation of all of the dishes is very nice to look at. It would be hard to find many people who did not have an enjoyable experience here. The ceviche here is comparable to any I have ever had. Some of the best in my opinion are: Tuna Tiradito Nikkei (fresh sushi grade tuna marinated with ginger, soy sauce and cubes of fresh watermelon) and Mixto (shrimp, fresh seasonal fish, octopus, mussels, onion, cuzco corn & roasted camotes). The combination of the tuna and watermelon, one on top of the other, in the Nikkei is absolutely the best dish I have had here. I miss the original location as it was a much smaller venue and off the beaten path. However, even with the move to a mainstream location, the quality of the food has not diminished at all. I do think the prices are a little high, but in the end, you will not be disappointed with your food at all. When the weather is nice, they have about eight tables outside which are great. Also, the bar area is very nice, full of both bar seating and lounge seating and the bartenders are always friendly and quick with the drinks, including some good mojitos. read more

I used to attend Ringling so I lived in Sarasota for 4 years and I absolutely loved this place. I've only been here a few times but I really appreciated the creativity they put into their dishes. I had the duck, plantains, chicken, and salmon, and everything was totally unique tasting. Not to mention I thought the service was top-notch. I was with some people that weren't as adventurous and they did a great job making sure they'd find something they liked. Also, this place had awesome interiors/ambiance. It's really a perfect date spot. If you can get over the price, you won't be disappointed! read more

Selva Grill is fabulous - the food and martinis are delicious. My party shared the cobb salad, shrimp appetizer, lomo saltado, tuna tartare, and the salmon - ALL of which were great ( the lomo saltado was our fave, would definitely order it again). One diner is a vegatarian and was dissapointed when there were NO veggie options on the menu. However the waitress listened to what she liked and the kitchen whipped up a delicious and great looking grilled veggie platter. The martinis are awesome, as we tried a few and I would recomend the bellini marinti. The crowd is a little older, a lot of older white couples - until around 10pm when younger people start rolling in. Location is great as its on main street and there is a lot of parking in a lot behind it. read more

Went here before a show at the Van Wezel. Yelp was not wrong. Can't find a bad thing to say. Wonderful all the way around. Great food, quaint atmosphere, and highly attentive staff. Will definitely be returning. read more

I haven't enjoyed a meal this much in a long time. The service was fast and courteous, and everything was scrumptious! The best Lomo Saltado and lamb ever. Can't wait to go back! read more

See all

It was our first time in Selva and we will come back, we try almost all the happy hour nene and it was awesome. Thank you so much to Mike and Aldo you are both skilled with a customer advocate labels. We will come back. read more

Selva Grill would be a go-to place were it in New York or Paris. Sarasota happily is where you will find this exceptional restaurant, a bit different from all others. Start with a cocktail, a Pisco sour, and go on to wonderful seviche offers. I'd stay with fish but the meat offerings are tasty and certainly worth ordering. read more

My cousin and I went to Selva Grill last night, a Saturday, for the first time. The food was delicious - everything we tasted - and the service excellent. I had the salmon and my cousin the sea bass. Both were superb. Dessert was the tres leche and that was delicious as well. We loved the restaurant but both of us agreed that we may not come back because of how loud the restaurant was. It was the kind of atmosphere where you start out talking loudly to be heard and, as more people filled the restaurant, everyone seemed to be shouting and the volume was very high. Loved the food and service; volume may be better on weekdays or days with smaller numbers of customers. read more

Went there last night with my adult children in town for the Christmas holiday. Reservation for 7:30, sat down at 7:30. NICE. We ordered a martini, mojito, Cosmo and beer. All good. The three meat eaters had the braised ribs, fall off the bone tender. They were served asparagus and couscous. Delicious they said. I ordered the snapper special, oh no, learned they were out of the snapper while eating my appetizer. Got the tuna, came rare as ordered. Very good but would have loved that snapper... Mention appetizer anyone? A delicious crab cake, spring roll, and shrimp appetizer off the regular menu was enjoyed by all... Service, as usual, very good. It was noisy, a full house on Tuesday evening. But this remains my favorite restaurant in Sarasota... read more

I brought co-workers for dinner on a Wednesday night. The waiter knew the menu like he wrote it! The appetizers were incredible and served in ample portions. The dinner entrees were spectacular. The desserts were heavenly. Service was attentive without being intrusive. A small army cleared the entree plates so swiftly and quietly. Ninja busboys? Just an awesome night. I brought back my family on Friday night to celebrate a college graduation. Same wonderful food and service! New Fav! read more

Selva Grill - Octopus Ceviche! Sublime. - Spanish Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

See all

One of our favorites -for many reasons. Wait staff was so attentive, overheard one of our guests tell us it was her husband's birthday. At the end of the meal he brought out a beautiful dessert with candle and another different one for the rest of us. I also told him I liked the yucca chips and he brought me a plate of them. All this adds up to special, BUT the real expertise of this restaurant is the exquisite presentation of each dish. We had crab Napoleon and empanadas first. One of the guests had a ceasar salad that was so unique. Everything was delicious, including the steak and fish. read more

Linda and I started on our entrees, Linda looked at me and said this is the best meal I've ever had. We've had a lot of meals. Wow, great experience, we highly recommend you try it for yourself. Great service thank you Stephen. read more

Selva Grill - Linda and Marc - Spanish Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

5 stars for the presentation alone!! Everything from the grapefruit basil martini to the salad was not only delicious, but beautifully presented. Our friends from the area recommended we give this place a try and I am so happy we did. The four of us enjoyed dinner here over the weekend and we all ordered diffrent meals, each one just as tasty as the next. When our entrees arrived we went completely silent because we were too busy eating!! I would love to go back the next time I am in Sarasota. Definetly a great place for great food, drinks, and atmosphere read more

I will never go to this restaurant again. It's not because the food is bad because it is actually okay, but the general manager and some of the wait staff are rude, pompous and ill trained to work with the public. The general manager is very arrogant and condescending with absolutely no wherewithal to be and a not so perky waitress needs to be taught to not bring her home issues to work with her. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone. Many other great restaurants in the downtown Sarasota district for paying customers, looking for a good meal with a nice, respectable and fun atmosphere to go to without having to deal with a rotten and sully group of ungrateful employees ruining their owners' business. read more

The husband and I visited SG while we were in the area on vacation. A friend of mine lives here and she recommended it. So glad we came here! The whole space has an upscale, artsy vibe. We were greeted promptly and presented with cocktail menus. Selva has some amazing drink selections... The house special mojito was really delicious. They have select bottles of wine for half price on Tuesdays which is why we chose to visit on a Tuesday, but their cocktails were so good that we skipped the wine altogether! We ordered the tuna and watermelon ceviche along with the chicken spring rolls to start. DELISH is all I have to say. Of course we all eat with our eyes first, and the plating at this restaurant is so creative and beautiful. The tuna ceviche was so delicious, cool and fresh. The spring rolls reminded me of a creamy chicken enchilada with a crisp shell. So far this place was firing on all cylinders. For dinner we had the whole fried snapper which came with a small side of black beans and rice. We ordered some truffle fries too, because we saw them at a nearby table and they looked amazing. We also got a side of the grilled Cuzco corn. The fish was very tasty. They had just gotten it in at 5pm that day so it was literally fresh off the boat. Very light, no heavy fried taste, beautiful presentation. Black beans and rice were nothing outstanding. Truffle fries were thick and had a beautiful color to them. They were stacked up and topped with a tiny bit of cheese and were just perfect. The Cuzco corn is similar in size to hominy. I was hoping for a bit more of a summer corn taste, but it was kind of bland and soft. By this point we were so full there was no room for dessert. If you are in the SRQ area, make sure Selva Grill is on your list. read more

Incredibly tasty and well done fare. We were here from out of town and very pleased we stopped in. Tuna and watermelon ceviche made a believer out of a friend of mine who despises seafood, the skirt steak was divinely tender and flavorful, and the wine and bread were excellent. Skip the parmesan truffle fries, not really as good as they sound. Go for the pot of mousse, doesn't disappoint. I'll drive back to sarasota for this food. read more

Great date night spot! I loved the sole entree with a delicious side of corn flan. Highly recommended! Only reason I didn't give 5 stars - Their food is unusual which can sometimes be good. In this instance, I would prefer to have traditional ceviche. Why mess with a good thing? read more

My husband and I stopped in for some apps and drinks prior going to a show at the FST. We sat at their bar area. I felt as if I was in LA, Miami or NYC. Very trendy looking. Male bartenders were nice , quick to replace the drinks and knowledgeable about the menu. We ordered the Selva's wild Ceviche and La Buena Causa. The food is VERY fresh. The ceviche was a tad salty and needed more lime (to cut the salt and to "cook" the fish more). Aside from that, it was great. La buena causa was divine. 3 perfect little timbals of cilantro mashed potato with crab meat. Very tasty. Their martini specials are very reasonable. Got a Ketel one dirty martini for $10. They would have gotten another star if it weren't for the fact that I found a hair in my ceviche! We didn't make a scene or anything, but -it wasn't a favorable experience. Bartender was pretty cool about it. Removed the ceviche from the bill and comped us 2 drinks. Might go again if in Sarasota, but will fork thru the ceviche several times before taking a bite. read more

I went with my husband recommended by the Ritz for our special occasion. We arrived on time and the manager refused to give us an outside table although there were empty tables. We made the reservation three days in advance. He was extremely rude and seated us in front of the kitchen, the worst table in the restaurant. Then the food came..... all kind of strange sauces and spices on a simple thing as an empanada, they should have asked before including the sauce, it was not described in the menu. We then ordered skirt steak and it was like rubber. Dessert was fine and on the house. But for such an expensive restaurant, the service and attitude is important. I think that the manager needs to go. We will never recommend this restaurant and will certainly talk to the Ritz about it. read more

We were with a group of couples and had a reservation for 8:00 on a Saturday night. We arrived half an hour early and planned on having a cocktail while we waited. But we didn't even have to wait. Our table was ready. The cocktails were well made. My husband and I had the empanadas which were probably the best empanadas I've ever had. We also had a shrimp spring roll. Which was just ok. For our main course, I had the seafood duo. It was a hard decision bc many dishes sounded so yummy. Everyone was very happy with the food. The whole experience was great. Even though it was $200 for just my husband and I with 4 cocktails, two small plates, and two entrees, I am glad we are here. It's vacation! I wouldn't be able to eat here every weekend with that price tag. But it was definitely worth it for our last night in Sarasota. read more

I'm between 3 and 4 stars and heres why: The food was good (not to die for, but good), and the atmosphere was great! We were a fairly large party of 14 celebrating a birthday and it was a good setting for the amount of people. However, I took one star off because after almost drinking a cup of water, I noticed that the inside of my cup was dirty. YUCK! Most people might be thinking that I dropped something in my cup- but nope, it was stuck on there tight! Also, the waitress bought out two baskets of bread for 14 people. We asked for more, and she said that it is currently baking. Needless to say, we never got our bread. Bottom line, I would recommend the place for the environment but you can find the same food elsewhere for a cheaper price. Or you can pay the same price elsewhere and get better. It's a place you would want to try once when in Sarasota, but cannot say I'd be dining again. read more

Over-rated. Cool ambiance with the backlit wall, but food was just meh. Small portions. Came for dinner and got skirt steak. It was tough and stringy. Chimichuri sauce was good but barely got any. Beet relish was gross and out of place. read more

Excellent! My wife and I made this our first stop on our trip to Sarasota, and it was a great kick off to the week! I knew that we were in for a treat when upon arrival at our table we were presented with warm bread and truffle butter... Based upon recommendation from a friend, we tried the tuna and watermelon ceviche ($13) and much like other reviewers - we found it to be light and refreshing. I had the Skirt steak served with chimichurri sauce and sweet plantains ($26). The steak was cooked perfectly to the requested temp (MR) -tender, and delicious! The sauce really accentuated the steak and the cilantro flavors played really well with the sweet plantains. A really flavorful dish. My wife had the Chilean Sea Bass ($36) the presentation was beautiful, like an underwater seascape! The bass was light and flaky and the asian marinade was present but not overwhelming, served with a black bean puree and a polenta flan.. It was delicious. Overall we had a great evening at Selva Grill, we found it to be upscale but definitely not pretentious. The staff was welcoming and extremely friendly, they were very knowledgable about the menu and appeared proud of the quality of the food that they were serving. We will definitely be back! read more

My wife and I had a top 3 meal of all time at Selva last weekend. We split the crab crusted salmon with cinnamon plantain mash. Absolutely amazing. Great cocktails as well. The menu isn't inexpensive, but not ridiculous either. As a sidenote, Selva also has a really chill bar area with a lounge and couple of couches. We thought it was an excellent place to spend a few hours. read more

We celebrated a friend's birthday here and it was 5 stars! The Trilogi Ceviche was to die for, although I prefer the white fish and the shrimp ceviches over the salmon because they had a more distinctive lime flavor, but they were all good. The La Buena Causa was also excellent - just like you can get in Peru - where I was last year. There are 2 reviews of this on the menu and the reviewers are not experienced in Peruvian cuisine, so don't go by them. I usually don't do reviews, but after seeing what they wrote, I was compelled to set the record straight - they are authentic and so delicious! In fact, I was quite full after these two dishes and I even brought some home for lunch leftovers! Ahhhh....!!!! read more

Selva Grill - Spanish Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Nice place. Presentation is on-pointe. Had the crab napoleon which was delicious and seafood paella which was disappointing. Broth was heavy, and a bit cheesy. It was like they tried to do saffron truffle risotto and added seafood. Shrimp and mussels in there were good, but I could barely find any calamari. When I did,they were so small. Paella is supposed to be packed with squid, etc. hence the name: seafood paella. I wouldn't order it again, but would come back to try something else on the menu. read more

Selva Grill - Delicious crab napoleon - Spanish Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

See all

INSECTS in the restaurant, Food has no Peruvian flavor, Pisco Sour and Maracuya Sour disgusting, Manager not professional, has no management. We arrived from NY and we chose this restaurant because of the reviews but I was mortified. In the restaurant there were animals on the table, two large spiders coming down from the ceiling to the table, I immediately shouted and we changed tables because we were in the middle of dinner, but the manager came to yell at us because we changed tables and he knew there was animals in the restaurant The manager's bad management because he didn't look for any other solution, he just made all the clients uncomfortable because he wanted me to show him the animals and the clients, the employees saw the spiders. Immediately my husband asked for the bill (we only finished the entrees), the manager began to say that we had pending dishes to serve, that he would still charge me. The bill was over $ 200.00. My husband told him that there was no problem but to deliver the food to take away. This is how the night ended, without any apology from the Manager, a bad temper and terrible management. Manager must be gentle and seek solutions to problems without yelling at customers for a lack of cleanliness in the restaurant, I wonder how the kitchen will be with the cleaning? or do they just clean for inspection? The dishes we ordered: Ceviche Selva: Terrible flavor, nothing like Peruvian food, Cuzco corn was hard and tasteless, the ceviche had no lemon, it looked like water with vinegar. Parihuela: It had no seafood flavor, sour, tasteless liquefied tomato. Pisco sour and Maracuya Sour: Terrible when tasting it tastes water, it has a bitter taste, nothing like Peruvian. From my experience the cocktail had NO PISCO, it had no flavor and it only looked like bitter water. In the end we trade it for beer. Lomo saltado: Acceptable but a lot of soy sauce, the meat was not the best, it was tough. "Tuna Tiradito": finally a delicious dish, a good combination of Tuna with watermelon. Also recommended is the "Andean Rack of Lamb". Definitely any other restaurant in Sarasota is better than this. Think before reserving! read more

Selva Grill - dinner dishes you should not order. Terrible taste - Spanish Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

See all

Not sure what is so great about this restaurant. The food was very overpriced. I paid $36 for a piece of striped bass, which was not that tasty. My wife had the vegetarian plate which consisted of a slab of tofu overly marinated in soy sauce. The best part of the dinner was the dessert which was bananas and ice cream. The Ambiance is very nice. The food, however, was not worth the price at all. Generally a disappointing experience. read more

Absolutely love this place!! Our favorite of Sarasota. My son loves it so much that he asked to have his 10th birthday there. Once again they did not disappoint. We had the Sea Bass, Skirt Steak, Lamb Chops, several Ceviches, and more. They made my sons birthday experience amazing, bringing him out a Pot of Mousse in a Chocolate cup with a candle and we sang. Thank you Selva, we will be back. read more

Selva Grill - Spanish Near Me - Sarasota, Florida