Antoine's Restaurant — Restaurant in Sarasota

Antoine's is easily one of the best restaurants I've ever been to (my wife agrees). A hidden gem and well worth a visit.

My wife and I were have a pre-anniversary getaway for the weekend in Sarasota. Never been to that area before I took a chance on an unassuming little restaurant located in a strip mall next to a Dominoes of all places. Talk about a diamond in the rough. My wife loves mussels, it's her favorite food - when I was looking for a place to dine our first night in town, the 10 different preparations of mussels was all I needed, along with some good reviews.

From the time we stepped through the doorway into Antoine's our expectations were blown away by the service, the ambience and decor and of course - the food. Greeted warmly by our maître d' Olivier, who we soon found out was also the owner along with his wife Angela, he ushered us to our table with a friendliness and effortless hospitality. We felt like we had been transported to a small intimate restaurant in France being welcomed by an old friend. By the time we left we felt like we were indeed old friends.

We started with the Caesar salad and mushroom delight. Before we received our starters they brought out a delicious amuse bouche - a tiny bowl of vegetable bisque and house made rolls. It was a small delectable taste, foreshadowing the level of flavor we would soon be enjoying throughout our meal. The mushroom delight was indeed incredibly delightful (ask for a small serving of the house made baguette to be served with it). It was in a creamy garlic sauce and the taste was incredible. It was honestly difficult to restrain myself from licking the plate clean. The salad, was simply the best Caesar salad I had been served (my wife as well). Small house made buttery croutons, dressing and absolutely packed with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano, the romaine was cut into smaller pieces. From the smallest detail everything had careful thought put into it.

The house made rolls were hot, light and airy. Hard to describe how delicate and flavorful they were but so easy to eat with the salted butter sourced from Europe.

My wife selected Angela’s favorite Mussels for her entree. I picked the 9oz filet with blue cheese sauce on the side. First you must understand my wife is nothing short of a mussel aficionado. It's her favorite food item and very rarely will not order them if they are available on a menu. These rose to the top as her all time favorite. Served properly with home made fries. The fries themselves were incredible, you could tell they double cooked the fries, which is the absolute correct way to make them in my opinion.

My thick 9oz filet was perfectly seared and cooked. The blue cheese sauce was incredible, I was not disappointed.

Finally if that wasn't all enough we ended with dessert - Profiteroles with Sea Salt Caramel Ice Cream and Belgian Chocolate drizzle. Wow, wow, wow.

Neither my wife nor I could stop thinking about the incredible meal we had, but more then that the incredible experience we had. We talked about it that night and the next morning. We decided to go back on Saturday night as well! It did not disappoint the second night. We made a few different selections but suffice to say everything, just everything was delicious and warm and inviting.

It was 2 nights of smiles, laughter and taking our time with our courses. Never once feeling rushed. Our server was Edwin was equally hospitably and friendly. Both Olivier and Edwin provided excellent suggestions for both wine and meal selections. We truly felt we got to know them well, it was such an incredible and memorable experience. We did not have the pleasure of meeting Angela. She was cooking in the back everything to absolute perfection.

I could not think of a place I would more highly recommend in all of Florida. We very much enjoyed Sarasota but we loved Antoine's. It is the main reason we want to get back to...

We were immediately greeted by the staff and ushered to our table, who introduced us to the menu and shared the night’s specials. You could immediately tell the front of the house was well-trained and passionate about food.

We started with the escargot and roasted octopus. Both were expertly prepared. The escargot was savory, buttery, and had just the right amount of roasted garlic. It even came with a flakey biscuit to mop up the remaining juices. An absolutely perfect start to the meal. The octopus was expertly roasted: impossibly tender on the inside, and charred in the outside with no hint of bitterness. The cauliflower purée was rich and creamy. The arugula salad was bright and peppery. This was a truly balanced appetizer. They even paid attention to the little details, like the lemon half that was served with a mesh to catch the seeds. So thoughtful.

The staff was amazing and worked as an entire team. Our server was knowledgeable. The bussers were attentive, yet not intrusive. And a sommelier greeted us and paired our wine for the main course.

We ordered the scallops and lobster ravioli for dinner and were pleasantly surprised by an amuse-bouche of vegetable broth. It was simple, refined, and salty in all the right ways. The perfect pallet cleanser.

The scallops were expertly seared and not overcooked. They were perfectly complemented by the bed of rich, creamy risotto and adorned with a sophisticated beurre blank. The seasoning was spot-on, and the plate was cleverly decorated with a balsamic gastrique, which provided a much needed brightness and acidity to balance out the richness of the dish. The lobster ravioli was equally impressive. Filled with generous portions of lobster meat, the pasta was perfectly al dente, soaking up the bisque in a warm and rich celebration to the sea.

Just when we thought the meal could not get better, the desserts came out. We treated ourselves to a trio of small tastings: a profiterole filled with caramel and sea salt ice cream, a Belgium chocolate mousse, and crème brûlée. The choux pastry was a perfect cradle for some of the creamiest ice cream we have ever had. It was sweet, salty, and covered with the perfect amount of semi-sweet chocolate sauce. The mousse was rich and decadent but not too dense. The Belgian chocolate was earthy and luxurious but not overly sweet. The crème brûlée was equally impressive with a hard crack topping hiding a creamy French vanilla custard. Every bite was savored and enhanced by some of the best espresso we have had. It was earthy and dark roasted, providing the perfect balance to its sweet counterpart.

I cannot recommend this restaurant enough. The ambiance is warm and inviting; classical and demure. The staff exceed all expectations. They are passionate, knowledgeable, and dedicated to guiding you through a culinary experience. The food is top notch. Every plate is thoughtfully constructed to provide a range of textures and balanced flavors. The portions are fair and designed to allow you to experience a compliment of courses. If you are looking for a dining experience, you must try this restaurant. Be sure to make a reservation well in advance. It has been selling out for...

My friends and family have been going to Antoine’s for the past decade, we have followed Angela and Olivier (Wife/Chef/“The Boss” and Husband/Front of House team) since their previous location.

Food: Every dish is perfection. My go-to dishes include the Goat Cheese Salad (the cheese is encased in a puff pastry 😋), Scallops w/ risotto, and ALL the desserts but my favorite is the Profiterole! I’ve probably had a bite of everything at some point and you can’t go wrong. There are always specials, and if one peaks your interest, go for it!

Lastly and most importantly, let Olivier choose the wine for you! He will pair the most perfect wine according to your appetizer and entree selection. If price is of concern, let him know the limit and he’ll still find the best for you in that range.

Service: Always impeccable.

Atmosphere: The restaurant is tucked away in a strip mall, between a Chinese and pizza joint. But do not let that fool you, once inside, it’s cozy and the decor is lovely. The music selection is appropriate and sits nicely in the background.

Price: For a couple, with a full experience of appetizer w/ wine, entree w/ wine, and desserts, I’d say it’s roughly between $200-350, more or less. But well worth every penny, the quality of food and service...