Winter Restaurant Watch: BrickTop's Is Coming to UTC, and Where to Book Holiday Dinners in Sarasota and Venice

The Sarasota and Venice dining scene is ending the year on a high note. The biggest news is that Nashville-based BrickTop's is coming to University Town Center, while a few of the openings I have been tracking are moving closer to reality. December is also the month everyone asks where to book a holiday table, so I have rounded up my favorite spots for festive dinners on the Gulf Coast. Here is your winter restaurant watch.

The Big News: BrickTop's Is Coming to UTC

The headline for the coming year is BrickTop's, the Nashville-based contemporary American restaurant group, which is planning its first Tampa Bay area location at 55 North Cattlemen Road in the West District at University Town Center. The Herald-Tribune and Business Observer have both reported a spring 2027 target, while the restaurant group's own site lists summer 2027, so the exact timing is still firming up. Either way, it is a notable get for the area: the group has a dozen locations across several states and a following for its chef-driven American menu, craft cocktails, and polished but relaxed rooms. If you love a great burger and an elevated but unpretentious night out, put BrickTop's on your list for 2027.

What Else Is on the Way

The pipeline into 2027 is exciting. Balos, the acclaimed Mediterranean restaurant from Washington, D.C., is slated to make its Florida debut in downtown Sarasota at The Edge, the new condo at Cocoanut Avenue and Fruitville Road, with an opening planned for spring 2027. Pinchers, the Gulf seafood favorite, has been targeting a fall opening in the former Tommy Bahama space on St. Armands Circle, so by the time you read this it may well be the busiest new table on the Circle. And Venice keeps adding: the developing Venice Crossing center on Laurel Road has Walmart and Home Depot approved with restaurants under review, and The Breakfast Company has announced a Venice location. I covered the full fall slate in my earlier restaurant watch, and the momentum has not slowed.

Where I'd Book a Holiday Table This December

December is the busiest dining month of the year, and the best waterfront and special-occasion tables book well ahead. My holiday shortlist: for a Venice sunset dinner, the Crow's Nest above the marina and Fins at Sharky's right on the beach, with Pop's Sunset Grill in Nokomis for a more casual deck seat on the Intracoastal. In Sarasota, the two-story Marina Jack on the bayfront is a favorite for its view, Owen's Fish Camp in Burns Court delivers that cozy old Florida cottage warmth, and on St. Armands Circle, Café L'Europe is the elegant choice. For the fanciest table of the year, book The Bijou Café downtown or the intimate new supper club Masō, and if you want something truly special, the ten-seat omakase room at Yūgen at UTC is an experience, with reservations essential.

How I Can Help

I track openings, closings, and the neighborhood rhythms across Sarasota, Nokomis, and Venice because my clients always ask, and because where you live is about more than the house. If you are relocating and want a community that puts you close to the dining and lifestyle you love, I would love to help you find it. Send me a note and tell me what kind of evenings you like, and I will point you to the right neighborhoods and the right tables. Thanks so much, and I hope your holidays are full of good meals on the Gulf Coast.