The Reserve Retreat — Restaurant in Sarasota

I've come to The Reserve in past years and spent time in the Coffee Bar, writing and enjoying a glass of wine or a cup of coffee or tea, but they've rearranged things and there is now no seating in the Coffee Bar. Come to find out they have moved all the books that used to be in the Coffee Bar into the dining room. It's a quaint little dining room, comfortable and inviting. I was the only one there at 10:45a until my writing partner arrived at 10:15a. My breakfast came very quickly after I ordered, and the waitress was very attentive, but definitely not hovering.

We use the setting as a meeting place for our writing group during NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). It's the perfect place for it, as it's easy to get to (right off US 41), but it's still peaceful and quiet. While sitting inside, you would never know that one of Florida's oldest, yet still very well used highways is right outside the door. (You probably used it to get to where you currently sit, if you're sitting in the dining room) The buildings are so well sound-proofed, or I was so deeply into my breakfast and my writing, that I didn't notice, even with the doors open on this beautiful Fall day.

Speaking of breakfast, Wowza! I was there for brunch on a Friday morning, and there were plenty of offerings for this vegetarian palate. I chose the Eggs Benedict with avocado and tomato instead of ham.🤤 (See picture).

Last year I had the avocado toast worth avocado, tomato, Basil & a poached egg. Delicious! This year I got the Eggs Benedict with avocado & tomato (instead of ham).

The star of the show consisted of an English muffin, each side covered with thinly slices fresh avocado and the freshest tasting tomato I've had in a very long time, a PERFECTLY poached egg that ran all over the place when I pierced the yolk, and the perfect amount of homemade hollandaise sauce... Just enough to top it, not smoother it. The home fries were delicious little nubby bits of impeccably fried potatoes that magically disappeared without my knowledge! Everything came pre-seasoned. It was perfect! I also ordered a delicious glass of iced tea that tasted sensationally. I would go back just for the iced tea... But would be hard pressed not to order that Avocado Eggs Benedict again!

They have rooms to rent overnight, as well, and I believe this would be a wonderful place for a writer to stay for a getaway and to write their next novel or nonfiction book. All you writers out there, I'm talking to you! I'm betting it would also be a sweet place to spend your honeymoon, since it's very close to downtowns Sarasota and Bradenton, as well as the beaches, without paying the expensive prices for being directly on the beach. Idk the prices to stay in the rooms...

This historic little resort has it all. Beautiful clean room with a B&B feel and a fantastic restaurant. The courtyard is the perfect cozy outdoor setting, between buildings, for outdoor dining and listening to live music. And a nice contrast to a bustling near downtown location. The food is amazing, and the fish tacos are the best in town. Coffee shop building is charming. The photos represent it well.

Cons: All are very minor, but combined prevented me from giving 5 stars: -The new door locks were tricky, you had to jiggle them due to what looked like original doors and flooring. But part of the historic charm. -There was weird items stored in the closet- a mattress and old framed art. Not a problem, just odd. -Just a heads up, for people who need accessibility, you have to go up a flight of steep stairs. -The Host/Coffee Shop/waitress was very attentive but seemed stretched a little thin. -The book store is really just a couple high shelfs in the dining room above bottles of wine. You would not be able to browse while other people were dining.

Pros: This place is SO CUTE. -The historic building's bathroom was completely updated. -Very comfortable bed with upscale linens and towels. -It would be a great romantic getaway as you'd wouldn't need to leave if you didn't want to. -Complementary bottle of wine was a nice touch! -Blackout curtains helped block out the busy street corner noise. -The location is fantastic, you can walk to the grocery store or to the park across the street.

I was traveling by myself, felt completely comfortable, and loved the experience. I would...

On October 15, 2022 we had the pleasure of hosting our Wedding Reception at The Reserve Retreat. We selected this venue because it was the perfect size to host our small party of 35 people, we loved how the venue is a mini complex with separate spaces (restaurant, outdoor space, bar/wine room and hotel rooms) and it's convenient location close to Downtown Sarasota.

When planning our event we worked hand in hand with Sarah, the General Manager. Sarah was extremely responsive, great to work with and always ready to accommodate. Her flexibility proved she is an event expert and always ready for changes or open to new ways to do things differently if needed. Of all the vendors we worked in our Wedding Planning....Sarah was by far the best with her attentive service.

On the evening of our event, everything was perfect!! Our vision was brought to life and delivered even better than we imagined. The quality of food was superb, the staff was AMAZING and the atmosphere was warm and upbeat. The staff was easy to work with, professional, hospitable and always smiling. They took great care of our large party. It's been 4 days since the wedding and I'm still receiving messages saying how awesome the food was and how we picked the perfect venue for our reception. I couldn't agree more!!

Thank you, Reserve Retreat for making the most complex part of Wedding planning my easiest part of all the planning!! Thank you for the experience you gave us. You went above and beyond!!

See you on our 1 year anniversary...