Lila — Restaurant in Sarasota

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Restaurant Information: Lila (Pronounced Leela) 1576 Main St, Sarasota, FL 34236 (941) 296-1042

Main Question: Is the food worth the price? Answer: Without a doubt and it's not inexpensive.

Food: Below, I talk about the plant based options because that is what my wife and I had. They have bison burgers, chicken, shrimp and other foods there as well. Their main menu is around plant based food, but they do have other types of food. If that other food is half as delicious as what we had, it will be the best thing you've had in a long time.

This is the best or close to the best plant based restaurant for which we have eaten here in Florida.

I don't even know what we all had. My wife had an amazing potato dish that only she would know what it was, Gnocchi is what the receipt says and I think that was the disk, but it was like the I can't believe it's not butter commercial because I cannot believe how amazing that tasted. Really rich so I do not believe I could eat an entire plate, but wow good!

I had Burmese rice noodle bowl and just wow! The red cabbage was to die for and was the star of that dish while the sauce took over perfectly as the red cabbage dwindled and was eaten up. They offered it to me with raw spinach and light sauce. The only thing that was something that I may have missed is that I don't care for green onions and there was a bunch of them in one spot that I didn't see on the menu, however, since they were in one spot, I was able to easily remove them and give them to my wife who loves them.

They accommodated us with vegetables for their guacamole instead of chips. The guacamole had kale in it and was very good. I am not a fan of kale, but was good.

I did not care for the asparagus sushi roll at all. My wife thought it was good and on par with other places that make it. Not a chance. I won't eat that again here and it didn't taste like asparagus. It was just dry and not pleasant to eat. However, that is not nearly enough points knocked off to ruin this meal or experience or even come close to knocking this place below 7 out of 5 stars, no that's not a typo.

The blueberry cheesecake was awesome! The chocolate mousse dessert was delicious, but too much chocolate for me. Chocoholics! Get the chocolate mousse dessert that is in the middle of their dessert selection.

The tea was fantastic. It was the one with free refills and they kept it filled. It was just delicious.

I was a little disappointed the Kombucha was out of a bottle, but that didn't make it taste any worse. I love Kombucha.

This was a healthy, delicious, expensive alternative to the other restaurants out there.

Atmosphere: This is cozy inside. I really liked the decorations, everything.

Cleanliness: The tables, silverware, dishes were all clean. The bathroom needed some help.

Service: The service was phenomenal. This is what you want when you are at a restaurant. The service we received was top notch. Knowledgeable, accommodating, quick, nice, smiles, and I can go on and on and on because this was an amazing experience. Food, Service and Atmosphere make the meal. This experience and we will be back.

Price: Expect to spend some money. It was $144.00 for 2 of us to eat here. We did order quite a bit of food and it was worth every penny. If you have the money, want to eat healthy then food is well worth the price. You will savor every penny spent.

Recommended: This is on my highly recommended list. If you want healthy food that tastes great and you don't mind spending the money, call them and make reservations. (941) 296-1042

Photos: Google is not allowing me to upload more than 19 photos for some reason. I have many more...

I recently dined here with my husband and 2-year-old, with a total bill of $140, including tip, though no alcoholic beverages were ordered. Unfortunately, the experience was mixed, and ultimately, I left feeling disappointed given the price point and the culinary execution.

Kale Guacamole (4/10) We started with the kale guacamole, which was notably under-seasoned. The guacamole lacked the necessary salt and citrus balance that would have brightened the dish. A touch of lime or another acid would have gone a long way in elevating its flavor. As it stood, it was a 4/10. Vegan Sushi Roll (7/10) We also ordered a vegan "crunchy vegetable roll," which, while fairly good, fell short of its description. The roll itself was decent, but the promised crunch was minimal at best. The small crumbles sprinkled on top may have been crunchy at one point, but by the time they reached the plate, they didn’t provide any significant texture. Despite this, the roll’s flavor was still enjoyable, so I’d rate it 7/10. Mushroom Burger (10/10), Side Greens (1/10) My husband had the mushroom burger, which he described as "absolutely delicious." He would certainly order it again, and would rate the burger itself a solid 10/10. However, the accompanying side of mixed greens left much to be desired. A small, wet mound of greens with additional elements was a poor choice for a side. It’s puzzling that a burger doesn’t offer at least fries or chips as a standard accompaniment. The side greens were more of an afterthought, earning a 1/10. Fried Seitan Sandwich (0/10) For my entree, I opted for the fried seitan sandwich, which was, unfortunately, unpalatable. The seitan, likely house-made, was breaded and fried, but the result was far from desirable. Based on the texture, I suspect the kitchen may not have a fryer, as the seitan was pan-fried at an insufficient temperature, resulting in a soggy, oil-saturated piece of dough. The unpleasant texture and overwhelming greasiness made the dish nearly inedible. I managed to eat about a third of it before feeling queasy and abandoning the meal entirely. I would rate this dish 0/10. Kid’s Meal There was no kids’ menu or child-friendly options. Therefore, I requested a simple side of buttered penne pasta, which was charged at $9 for a small bowl. The pasta was completely bland and lacked any visible seasoning or butter/oil. Given the minimal cost to prepare, this felt like an unreasonable charge. However, I also ordered a grilled chicken breast for my child, which was well-prepared and cooked to a solid 8/10. Dessert (8/10) The meal concluded with a chocolate mousse cake for dessert, which was a standout. The cake was rich, decadent, and well-executed, particularly for a vegan option. This dessert was certainly the highlight of my meal and earned a deserved 8/10. Conclusion (5/10) As a serious foodie, I appreciate the nuances of both technique and flavor. While I have no issue paying top dollar for exceptional food, the overall execution here was lacking. Many of the dishes seemed under-seasoned or poorly executed, and for the price, I expected much more. Given the quality of the food and the lack of attention to detail, I would rate this restaurant overall a 5/10. It’s disappointing, as the potential is certainly there, but the value didn’t align...

UPDATE December 2023. They seem to have added to their menu. Now friends with different eating proclivities can go together with more selections. One major disappointment was a little thing of soup for $10? Crazy. Overpriced and not that yummy. Server was sweet enough, but did not seem as informed Or as attentive as in the past. ORIGINAL REVIEW Having eaten here several times, we had originally given this only three stars because it's not my type of place, I would say this place is very good but I have not been happy with the meals that I have eaten. Other people seem to be absolutely delighted so don't go by me, I would recommend you read lots of reviews.

I ordered a Greek salad maybe I didn't read it right but I have never had a Greek salad like this before there was no lettuce in it just a bunch of chopped vegetables, and imitation cheese this is a vegetarian place but not everything is vegetarian. It was about $14 and I was not happy. Another time I got a bowl of something, not even sure what I ate but it was $22 and I wouldn't have gone back but my friend needs to eat a certain way and there's one dish on the menu that she loves which is called Buddha bowl she is gluten free and dairy free yada yada.(I don’t think it’s on the menu anymore.) I will say that I have eaten here 4?times If you have Foods limitations you can eat here. But it is not all vegetarian, at the bottom of the menu you'll notice that you can add fish or chicken to the dishes for additional money. Service was very good we told them we had a very short amount of time and they accommodated us. The descriptions of their food are like poetry when they tell them to you.. This is Artisan food. The server recently listed a number of items and the last Fabolous sounding one was $32. It's a good thing they give you the prices when they give you the specials. A lot of places do not. This is a contemporary design Cafe with very high ceilings exposed piping and quite noisy. I would say the general mood and vibration is upbeat, people seem to be happy and it's...