Indigenous Restaurant

We received a gift certificate at Christmas for a meal here at this restaurant. It is located hardly in a neighborhood setting. There is paid parking across the street at three dollars per hour. Later on we heard the server mentioned to other guests that you can park on the street, but you have to be careful about being towed. It is a cute, cabin-looking restaurant. we received a nice greeting and were escorted to the wine cabin. Interesting design where we were located as a nice private intimate area. Alexandra was a server and zoo was delightful during our meal. We had several people had sent to us, and they were all very professional and welcoming. It is a small menu, which is great because I am often leery of menus with large numbers of entrées. They can’t possibly recruit any of them

Indigenous is a Sarasota staple for a reason—their commitment to sustainable seafood and seasonal ingredients is impressive. Started with the Parmesan beignets, which were easily the highlight of the night; I could have eaten a dozen. The black garlic Caesar was good, though it lacked that traditional anchovy punch I was expecting. For mains, the arctic char and halibut were both very well-executed and fresh, though they didn't quite reach that "lick the bowl clean" level of flavor. The atmosphere on the patio is wonderful and very quaint, though the service was a bit spotty during our visit, as the staff seemed a little distracted. Overall, a lovely spot for high-quality seafood, even if the service didn't quite match the caliber of the food this time. Will definitely be back and recomme

While seafood is chefs specialty, the burger with a side of his house-made pickled vegetables is exceptional! The pickles were so good they were gone too soon and my request for a few more was granted. The whole place has the feel of an old Florida cottage but if you can sit in the bar - it’s choice. Small, intimate and add the great service…there are no losers.

My wife and I did a date night here and really enjoyed ourselves. The staff was great and the food was top notch. The atmosphere is unique, the restaurant is in a converted house, so it has a fun charm about it. The menu is very limited, but that's a good thing in my opinion. Instead of having 50 - 100 mediocre things, they have like 15 perfect things. Some picky eaters might have trouble finding something, but if you are adventurous and willing to try new things, you won't be disappointed.

It was our first time in Sarasota, and we had an absolutely wonderful evening. The food was delicious, the service was excellent, and everything felt just right. If you’re in Sarasota, I definitely recommend Secret gem. truly worth the visit.