Originally, we were very excited about dining in at Indigenous Restaurant. Between being booked out over a week in advance, a $50 penalty for canceling reservations, and all the great reviews, we were fully anticipating it to be a great experience. However, after tonight’s dinner we left feeling quite disappointed. Overtly, nothing was horrible, but we were certainly not impressed by the food. The biggest letdown for me was the “Baked Scallops” which were anything but baked with no crust, and were more like “boiled” in lemon/butter sauce and slightly overdone. While the Cheshire pork chop was alright, and I could appreciate the sweet and salty flavor combination, again, it didn’t live up to the expectation at all. Additionally, while staff was very friendly, both our wait service and food service was quite slow.Overall, it’s hard to find something to recommend about our experience tonight. Unfortunately, this is made all the more worse given our initial excitement.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
James Russell
Lovely dinner. Excellent food. Our waitress (Olivia?) was lovely and charming. Beautiful setting (an old house in a quiet residential neighbourhood). Probably our best meal out while on holiday in Florida.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sandy Manning
You must go! Overall a truly enjoyable dining experience for our group of 6 from NYC, Boston and CT. The service is impeccable, atmosphere is casual and lovely, while the food is creative American fine dining, with whimsy, such as the Birthday cake ice cream for dessert. The local red snapper dish was the best seafood dish that 3 of our guests have ever had. Highly recommend the Pickled Peppers and such, Parmesan Beignets and the Berkshire Pork as well. The attention to detail and flavors for each dish is Michelin Star quality. We have dined at the finest restaurants in NYC. If we lived in Sarasota, we would go back to Indigenous over and over. You will not be disappointed. Can not recommend highly enough.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Parmesan Beignets, Berkshire Pork Chop, Red Snapper
Angie
I love learning how to be better at sustainability while enjoying an amazing dining experience. Chef Phelps and team set the bar in quality and craft a lifetime dining memory.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bread Bandits
Incredible food
Sarah Z.
My husband and I are big foodies and try new restaurants all the time. I strive try to provide accurate descriptions of our experiences, but encourage everyone to try for themselves and make your own options as everyone's palate is different. My husband heard of this restaurant and booked a reservation that took 2 months to get in. We were super excited to try it. The restaurant is a small house that was converted into a restaurant nestled into a quiet residential neighborhood and is very quiet. When we were seated, they asked for drinks so we ordered a cocktail as we got settled, but were told the restaurant does not have a liquor license and therefore only offers wine and beer. I looked at the wine list while using my phone as a flashlight, and a bottle of Quintessa was $385. Seems a little high as this bottle is $100 at Total Wine. I understand a markup, but really?? I looked at wines by the glass, but the options were very limited, so decided to just order water. However, if you like champagne, they did have a bubble section as well. Our server was dressed in shorts, tennis shoes, and a restaurant T-shirt, which looked to be the approved dress code. The tap water brought out I couldn't see through, so obviously didn't drink that! They have a limited dinner menu that had 5 main plates on our Saturday night (March 2024) dinner reservations, but I understand this changes frequently. My husband ordered the red snapper ($40) and I ordered the baked scallops ($37). The snapper was plated beautifully with bright vegetables and a small perfectly cooked piece of snapper. The dish was very good, but the snapper was served at room temperature. The scallop dish was served with a white wine sauce, cut potatoes with Italian bread crumbs and garlic that was broiled in the oven. This was good with an overabundance of flavor. Our service and server were good as well. I really wanted to love this restaurant, but overall, it was just good. I didn't understand the concept. Our meal was good, service was good, the environment was good. Nothing was great! With all of the restaurant competition in our area, this restaurant experience was an overall 6/10 or "GOOD" level for me.
Katie was our server and she was phenomenal. So nice and helpful. The food was decadent; we both had the eggplant kofta and each bite was a decadent flavor explosion. Perfectly done. The restaurant was warm, cozy and welcoming. Great for any occasion.
rleestump
After siblings raving about Indigenous, we went for the first time taking two visiting friends with us. Politely greeted, promptly seated outdoors as requested, and with our orders promptly taken, our drinks and food were just as promptly served... and the food for all four of us was exemplary. The pickled vegetables were especially liked by all. One had the char, one had the snapper and I had the burger with the wonderfully tasty duck fat potatoes. Two perfect examples of their attentiveness was one of us ordered water with a separate glass of ice... and not only was the water regularly topped off, pretty basic, but the glass of ice was regularly refilled also without ever once having to ask. Second, when asked if I wanted a second glass of white wine, I replied, yes, but when my entree comes so the wine is chilled... and it was, without any reminder... so truly excellent service. Highly recommended!
Petya Georgieva Miller
Special and incredible place! The seafood is so delicious, the pickled veggies that come with the Uncle’s burger are amazing, and the popcorn ice cream is just something unreal. Lovely selection of wines from Italy, France, and California.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Wild Mushroom Bisque, Parmesan Beignets, Scallops and Shrimp, Baked Shrimp & Scallops, My Uncles Burger, Snapper, Red Snapper, Roasted, Tuna, Burger, Baked Scallops
Wow! We are visiting friends who live near Sarasota. As foodies we often frown about going to someplace in a tourist center. That frown turned into the biggest smile ever! We were wowed from the first nibble of their green curried fish paste. We swooned over our entrees! We might have to fly back to Sarasota just to enjoy another great meal, with super service at Indigenous!
Anne Bergevin
We had dinner last night. I was disappointed. We had heard it was awesome and had to wait more than 2 weeks for a table. The food was presented well but bland. No plans to return.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
Edward Trott
Absolutely the BEST Restaurant in Sarasota the service was excellent and of course the food was amazing and prepared to a level that absolutely impressed my Wife and our out of town guests.I would recommend anyone that is looking for a 5 star Restaurant look no further Indigenous Restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Wild Mushroom Bisque, Parmesan Beignets, Scallops and Shrimp, Red Snapper
JulieW
A small and unique restaurant within a city block, surrounded by other small businesses and homes. Parking lot conveniently across the street. We were greeted immediately and shown to our table. We booked 2 months in advance - which is normal during "season". But it's worth it. The food is as unique as the space itself. Menu changes weekly based on what is available from the local merchants. Our server Kelsey, was attentive, informative and knew the menu. This is a MUST eat at restaurant. What are you waiting for?
Katy McBrayer
The most charming and thoughtful restaurant in the area. The small rooms of an older house have been turned into intimate dining rooms. The porch is sprinkled with tables and lights strewn around. The entrees are always changing depending on what is in season and available. Unique and beautiful flavors in every dish. Their homemade ice cream leaves you only ever wanting dessert here with its rich flavor. The ambiance is warm and sophisticated. Great wine selection by the bottle
Amazing food. A true chef-driven restaurant.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Originally, we were very excited about dining in at Indigenous Restaurant. Between being booked out over a week in advance, a $50 penalty for canceling reservations, and all the great reviews, we were fully anticipating it to be a great experience. However, after tonight’s dinner we left feeling quite disappointed. Overtly, nothing was horrible, but we were certainly not impressed by the food. The biggest letdown for me was the “Baked Scallops” which were anything but baked with no crust, and were more like “boiled” in lemon/butter sauce and slightly overdone. While the Cheshire pork chop was alright, and I could appreciate the sweet and salty flavor combination, again, it didn’t live up to the expectation at all. Additionally, while staff was very friendly, both our wait service and food service was quite slow.Overall, it’s hard to find something to recommend about our experience tonight. Unfortunately, this is made all the more worse given our initial excitement.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Lovely dinner. Excellent food. Our waitress (Olivia?) was lovely and charming. Beautiful setting (an old house in a quiet residential neighbourhood). Probably our best meal out while on holiday in Florida.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
You must go! Overall a truly enjoyable dining experience for our group of 6 from NYC, Boston and CT. The service is impeccable, atmosphere is casual and lovely, while the food is creative American fine dining, with whimsy, such as the Birthday cake ice cream for dessert. The local red snapper dish was the best seafood dish that 3 of our guests have ever had. Highly recommend the Pickled Peppers and such, Parmesan Beignets and the Berkshire Pork as well. The attention to detail and flavors for each dish is Michelin Star quality. We have dined at the finest restaurants in NYC. If we lived in Sarasota, we would go back to Indigenous over and over. You will not be disappointed. Can not recommend highly enough.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Parmesan Beignets, Berkshire Pork Chop, Red Snapper
I love learning how to be better at sustainability while enjoying an amazing dining experience. Chef Phelps and team set the bar in quality and craft a lifetime dining memory.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Incredible food
My husband and I are big foodies and try new restaurants all the time. I strive try to provide accurate descriptions of our experiences, but encourage everyone to try for themselves and make your own options as everyone's palate is different. My husband heard of this restaurant and booked a reservation that took 2 months to get in. We were super excited to try it. The restaurant is a small house that was converted into a restaurant nestled into a quiet residential neighborhood and is very quiet. When we were seated, they asked for drinks so we ordered a cocktail as we got settled, but were told the restaurant does not have a liquor license and therefore only offers wine and beer. I looked at the wine list while using my phone as a flashlight, and a bottle of Quintessa was $385. Seems a little high as this bottle is $100 at Total Wine. I understand a markup, but really?? I looked at wines by the glass, but the options were very limited, so decided to just order water. However, if you like champagne, they did have a bubble section as well. Our server was dressed in shorts, tennis shoes, and a restaurant T-shirt, which looked to be the approved dress code. The tap water brought out I couldn't see through, so obviously didn't drink that! They have a limited dinner menu that had 5 main plates on our Saturday night (March 2024) dinner reservations, but I understand this changes frequently. My husband ordered the red snapper ($40) and I ordered the baked scallops ($37). The snapper was plated beautifully with bright vegetables and a small perfectly cooked piece of snapper. The dish was very good, but the snapper was served at room temperature. The scallop dish was served with a white wine sauce, cut potatoes with Italian bread crumbs and garlic that was broiled in the oven. This was good with an overabundance of flavor. Our service and server were good as well. I really wanted to love this restaurant, but overall, it was just good. I didn't understand the concept. Our meal was good, service was good, the environment was good. Nothing was great! With all of the restaurant competition in our area, this restaurant experience was an overall 6/10 or "GOOD" level for me.
Katie was our server and she was phenomenal. So nice and helpful. The food was decadent; we both had the eggplant kofta and each bite was a decadent flavor explosion. Perfectly done. The restaurant was warm, cozy and welcoming. Great for any occasion.
After siblings raving about Indigenous, we went for the first time taking two visiting friends with us. Politely greeted, promptly seated outdoors as requested, and with our orders promptly taken, our drinks and food were just as promptly served... and the food for all four of us was exemplary. The pickled vegetables were especially liked by all. One had the char, one had the snapper and I had the burger with the wonderfully tasty duck fat potatoes. Two perfect examples of their attentiveness was one of us ordered water with a separate glass of ice... and not only was the water regularly topped off, pretty basic, but the glass of ice was regularly refilled also without ever once having to ask. Second, when asked if I wanted a second glass of white wine, I replied, yes, but when my entree comes so the wine is chilled... and it was, without any reminder... so truly excellent service. Highly recommended!
Special and incredible place! The seafood is so delicious, the pickled veggies that come with the Uncle’s burger are amazing, and the popcorn ice cream is just something unreal. Lovely selection of wines from Italy, France, and California.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Wild Mushroom Bisque, Parmesan Beignets, Scallops and Shrimp, Baked Shrimp & Scallops, My Uncles Burger, Snapper, Red Snapper, Roasted, Tuna, Burger, Baked Scallops
Restaurantji Recommends
Wow! We are visiting friends who live near Sarasota. As foodies we often frown about going to someplace in a tourist center. That frown turned into the biggest smile ever! We were wowed from the first nibble of their green curried fish paste. We swooned over our entrees! We might have to fly back to Sarasota just to enjoy another great meal, with super service at Indigenous!
We had dinner last night. I was disappointed. We had heard it was awesome and had to wait more than 2 weeks for a table. The food was presented well but bland. No plans to return.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
Absolutely the BEST Restaurant in Sarasota the service was excellent and of course the food was amazing and prepared to a level that absolutely impressed my Wife and our out of town guests.I would recommend anyone that is looking for a 5 star Restaurant look no further Indigenous Restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Wild Mushroom Bisque, Parmesan Beignets, Scallops and Shrimp, Red Snapper
A small and unique restaurant within a city block, surrounded by other small businesses and homes. Parking lot conveniently across the street. We were greeted immediately and shown to our table. We booked 2 months in advance - which is normal during "season". But it's worth it. The food is as unique as the space itself. Menu changes weekly based on what is available from the local merchants. Our server Kelsey, was attentive, informative and knew the menu. This is a MUST eat at restaurant. What are you waiting for?
The most charming and thoughtful restaurant in the area. The small rooms of an older house have been turned into intimate dining rooms. The porch is sprinkled with tables and lights strewn around. The entrees are always changing depending on what is in season and available. Unique and beautiful flavors in every dish. Their homemade ice cream leaves you only ever wanting dessert here with its rich flavor. The ambiance is warm and sophisticated. Great wine selection by the bottle
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5