The Cottage

Great spot, diverse menu, great service. We ordered 4 items from the tapas side of the menu and it was the perfect amount for 2 people. We started with the sashimi and the peruvian ceviche. Both were great (would have loved a few more pieces of sashimi, but the seaweed salad was delicious). We then got the tuna wonton tacos and the short ribs, also delicious (and i wish there were 4 tacos vs. 3, but again, delicious!). We also got a side of the kimchi mash and surprisingly it was underwhelming. It was good, but plain mashed potatoes would have tasted the same to me. Overall a great night out in the village of siesta key. I look forward to returning next year!

Best salmon I’ve ever had… Best food we had all week going back in April.
They had a great love guitar player that night and free valet

Unfriendly and very slow service. Drinks are in plastic bekers and cocktails are extremely tasteless, inadequately alcoholized and overprized.
If you like to watch the crappy people who typically visit this low budget spring break beach, this is the best spot (together with the lani Kai), but don’t waste your money on drinks and (exept if you want to get food poisoned) not on food.
Best you can do is go by boat (if you own one) and anchor. And don’t bother to go ashore. Bring your own boose and snacks…
Rather go to the waterfront bars at Doc Fords. Way better atmosphere and nicer water views.

I don’t understand the poor reviews on this place. It was by far our best dining experience while vacationing in Siesta Key. With the mixed reviews we were a little anxious about celebrating my wife’s birthday here. It goes to show how wacky Unilocal reviews can be.
We started with cocktails — they have a decent offering. I had the Adam and Eve which was the perfect mix of booze and sour flavors for me personally. For apps we had Mussels and we also tried the Lobster Bisque. I feel like I am a bisque expert and this was among the best I have had.
For dinner we had the skirt steak and the lobster roll. Having been to the lobster place a few days before, I was thinking a Lobster Roll like they make in Maine (because I did not read the menu) but it was sushi and it was excellent. The skirt steak was also excellent.
The service was neither speedy of slow, it felt about perfect for a meal like this. The décor inside the place will throw you off, very bar like feel — the food is much more upscale than the décor would suggest. With 4 cocktails, 2 apps and 2 entrees our bill with tip was $ 150. About what I was expecting. Sometimes when you spend that kind of money for dinner for 2 you are underwhelmed, but at The Cottage both of us felt the value for this good of food was worth it.

Awesome foods, delicious drinks, perfect location! We came in mainly for some drinks, but our waiter talked us into special on the night that we visited, which was cooked clams with sliced garlic bread for dipping. We loved it and will sing it’s praises until next time we get to come back!
The ambiance was a bit dark since we came in the evening, but I will say it seemed like a nice romantic spot. It was a bit on the expensive side, especially if you are there for a dinner. But we really enjoyed it.

Food is great. The service is terrible. Last week I brought my family from Boston to have lunch there. Our waitress seemed very uninterested while she took our order. She seemed frustrated and irritated. Very unprofessional… as she took our order she was looking elsewhere. I’ve been to the cottage quite a few times because I do like the food and atmosphere however the service is pretty consistent-​terrible.

We came here based on the Unilocal reviews and we were quite let down. We were rather forewarned by the couple we visit every year in Siesta Key which had just eaten there the night before. They said the food was fine but it’s really more about the ambience.
This was our experience — maybe it was just an off day for them. We went for lunch versus dinner; we have a two-​year-​old and I was 7 months preggo so dinner is too late for us. We started with the Lobster Bisque and that was okay; my little boy liked the accompanying chips — that was the only plus. The tuna tacos were okay along with the tuna and watermelon. Oh and almost forgot about the mussels — they were awful — teeny-​teeny tiny and they were not fresh at all. I believe they tried to mask that by drowning them in butter.
At least, it was not busy when we went and my husband liked his beer, that was about all.

Food was meh regardless of the fancy presentation — reminded me of any food chain restaurant food. Crab soup was sooper rich and heavy — it was tasty but more like a rich cream than a soup — Fish tacos were sooper small like miniature and for the price it was not worth it. I probably would not come back to this spot — Overpriced for what you get in comparison to other food finds in this area.

Such a nice change of pace. The cottage is a hidden gem in the Siesta Key Village tucked in between The Hub and Aaron’s Fish Camp. We came here two nights in a row we liked it so much.
The first night we stumbled upon this place looking for some apps. We were watching the playoffs and this place was kinda empty with a bunch of TVs so we were in! We had the best bartender, Dillon. He recommended a few menu items and boy was he right!
Per his suggestion, we ordered the lobster bisque and the tuna tar tar tacos. We were so happy with both. My bf claims that the lobster bisque was the best he’s ever had, and I can’t think of a better one I’ve ever had either. The tuna tar tar tacos were also very good. Instead of taco shells, they were in crispy wonton shells. So good!
We decided to take my parents the following night. We all had a cup of lobster bisque to start. I ordered the Walu, my mom and bf got the skirt steak and my dad got the filet. Everything rocked! We ordered our own bisques because a lot of reviewers said the entrees were small. Honestly they didn’t fill up the whole plate, but there was more than enough food. We left over stuffed.
I am impressed with the food and really appreciated the good service by the bartender. Check this place out. A great spot in the Village! We’ll be back for sure. Other menu items that people are talking about and that I plan on trying are the ceviche, the Walu app, and the short ribs.

Great place! Live music in the back and the food was very tasty, albeit a little on the expensive side. We ordered multiple orders of the short ribs, ceviche, shrimp rolls, tuna tar tar tacos, lobster bisque. All fresh ingredients and lovely presentation.
I’m docking one star because I didn’t like our server. She was rude. She made a mistake and brought out a wrong dish, no big deal to us, but she was personally offended when we pointed it out and then blamed us for the confusion. Not cool. Aside from that minor unpleasantness, the food came out fast and was delicious and the atmosphere is fun and laid back. Would recommend and likely to return (hoping that young lady was just having a bad night, still no excuse for her rotten attitude).

The Cottage ‘s tapas dishes were just fair. The salads (our party had all) were forgettable .
Presentation was good and the waitstaff very accommodating.

This place is a hidden gem! We have been coming to Sarasota for 4 years and just now found this place. My husband, 2 boys and I had wonderful meals. My boys had the short ribs, I had the skirt steak with plantains (out of this world) and my husband had the crab cakes. Wait staff super too!!! Can’t wait to go back!

During my vacation in Sieska Key, I was looking for a fun local place to get some oysters. Love the way the outside of The Cottage looked and it had outside seating. The waitress greeted me on the spot and was very friendly. I liked how they offered a lot of different specialty drinks. I had the Watermelon Jalapeño margarita. Definitely recommend trying it if you like spicy, surprisingly good!!! The oysters were amazing!

The Cottage was an awesome and unexpected find for us! Eating here was a fantastic experience.
We intended to eat at another restaurant down the street restaurant, but when we got there, found a note on the door saying the chef was gone for a 1-​month training somewhere. So our group did what all rational, hangry people do: panic and start running down the streets for a new place to eat.
We walked by a few places that didn’t look as appealing to us, but then came across ‘The Cottage’ (da da dum…). From the get go I could feel that this place was special. It had the sort of chill vibe that speaks from one soul to another. The lights were dim and a seductive tropical beat made its way from the back, pulling me in whether I was ready or not.
Our group of 6 was seated in the back in a bungalow type bench area (really cool). There were tropical plants surrounding it and in the far corner, two musicians played light, upbeat arrangements of popular music on the drums and violin.
We ordered a variety of food, all of which was prepared quickly and with professionally. The flavors were blended well, and the mixed drinks were fantastic. One thing that did surprise me is how expensive the food was. Tapas are $ 9-​$ 12 each, mixed drinks were around $ 11 each, and the entries averaged in the $ 20s. It did feel like you were paying more for the atmosphere because the food did feel overpriced for what you received.
Food pricing aside, it’s a fantastic experience, and I would go back again.

Love it! All fresh ingredients! Local favorite and I can see why! Mark excellent server! Grouper sandwich for me skirt steak for Jeff! Appetizer to die for (not die but long for) Tuna Yum
From beginning to end I have to say Mark is overall the best server of all time. Nothing extremely special, managers dream server.

I’m definitely a fan of The Cottage on the Key. After a long day at Siesta Key beach, we ended up at The Cottage. I can’t lie, we were supposed to go to the Daquiri Bar but the rain was coming and we decided to go to The Cottage instead. I’m glad we did!!! We were able to sit right on the patio and watch the rain — pretty relaxing actually!
Our waitress, Huong, was seriously amazing right from the start. She was so incredibly outgoing and friendly, sharing about her travel experiences and recommending various drinks to us! Luckily we were there during happy hour and I tried the mixed berry drink — SO good with the muddled blueberries. My cousin got the strawberry basil drink while the other got the jalapeño margarita. We all thoroughly enjoyed our drinks. The next round consisted of a watermelon margarita and a few moscow mules. Huong was attentive to when we needed more drinks and checked back often. Awesome service!!!
We didn’t try any of the food this time around but everything that passed by our table looked amazing. They were also doing a bit of a photo shoot of some of their new dishes so yes, the food looked great! I hope to visit The Cottage again to try some food. In the meantime, I will remember all of the tasty drinks fondly! Thanks Huong for your great service and good luck with your adventures!

Wow such a wonderful first experience at the Cottage. We sat outside on a Saturday night and loved it. Lots of good people watching and they had live music going. The area the restaurant is located in is very hip and trendy.
The food was amazing. We ordered the muscles and loved the dish. The muscles were huge and so fresh. The sauce was so infused with white wine and lime juice it was to die for! We ordered more bread to soak up all the yumminess. Next we had the Walu which was sashimi presented on a block of Himalayan salt with seaweed and caviar. So unique and delicious! Last we shared the tempura shrimp which was fresh and good but not as memorable compared to the other two dishes. We really loved this place and will be back when we return to the area!

My brother in law friend recommended this place and I’m so happy he did!
It’s in the Siesta Key Village. There’s also valet which I highly recommend because parking can be a pain there.
If you’re coming with a big group come before 7:30pm just in case because they don’t take call reservations.
My family and I would all get different appetizers and try them all. They were delicious!
Don’t get me started on the main meals. I highly recommend the Mahi sandwich and the pasta.
Everything was so good here that I wish they had this restaurant in Miami.

The Cottage is a Siesta Keys gem. Today was my third time eating here and it is consistently divine. «Never judge a book by its cover» couldn’t be a more accurate statement. From the outside its a shack and casual beach like atmosphere however the food is culinary excellence. It is by far one of the best restaurants I’ve been at globally. We had a party of 10 visiting from different states and everyone was raving about how great the food was. The chef adds a Peruvian touch of excellence.
I highly recommend the following items…
1) mussels
2) lobster roll
3) lobster bisque (a bit heavy but none the less delicious).
4) truffle seafood pasta
5) skirt steak (mmmmm)
6) Ceviche (if you appreciate seafood with a Peruvian touch)
7) Tuna tacos
8) oysters (fresh!)
*clearly with a happy belly

Well, we dined here because Unilocal says it’s 4.5 stars. I unfortunately must disagree. The restaurant has a nice patio, the interior décor is nice, the staff are friendly, and the price of the food is reasonable… but the food was a let down.
Multiple reviews mentioned how amazing their ceviche was, so I tried it. The fish and shrimp were fresh, but the mussels were kinda disgusting. My brother in law thought maybe they just didn’t clean it out well enough. But regardless, it was the second most rancid tasting mussels I’ve ever had in my life. (The most rancid tasting mussels ever in my life were frozen pre-​packaged mussels I bought on sale for 50% off from a supermarket in Ohio.)
I also had their crab sliders, which tasted fresh, but wasn’t particularly flavorful. I also could not discern whether the crab meat were freshly pulled or if they came from a can.
My wife got the fried grouper sandwich, which was good. On hindsight I should have ordered that.
I do have to give them credit for doing food a little differently, like the fried kernels of corn as a side dish. But overall, the flavor profile of this restaurant isn’t quite in line with my preferences.
Also, despite some other reviewers calling the food at this restaurant «chef driven», their macaroni and cheese kid’s meal is literally Kraft mac & cheese straight out of the box. And they charge something like $ 7 for it. Come on.
Overall, if you’re looking for fresh seafood in Siesta Key, the Siesta Key Oyster Bar down the street is my preference.

Skirt Steak
Wundervoll. Unbeschreiblich toll. Super Service und noch besseres Essen.