Sarasota’s newest hotel offers more than just a great place to stay near the beach — it houses a restaurant that even us locals should want to visit.
Cirque St. Armands Beachside recently opened on Lido Key, replacing the old Holiday Inn at 233 Benjamin Franklin Drive.
It’s the latest from the Delray Beach-based Opal Collection hotel group, which owns numerous Florida destinations including the nearby Lido Beach Resort, as well as The Resort at Longboat Key Club and Zota Beach Resort on Longboat Key.
Cirque is a seven-story hotel featuring 135 guest rooms with an “art deco meets the Big Top aesthetic,” according to a press release. It’s located right across the road from Lido Beach.
Cirque also features a signature restaurant that will serve the lobby bar lounge and pool bar as well.
It’s a place I plan to visit as soon as we fully depart tourist season.
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What is the name of the restaurant at the new Cirque St. Armands Beachside hotel on Lido Key?
Ringside is the signature restaurant at Cirque St. Armands Beachside on Lido Key in Sarasota.
Ringside is the name of the signature restaurant at the new Cirque St. Armands Beachside hotel on Lido Key. It’s open daily, serving breakfast (7-11 a.m.), lunch (11 a.m.-5 p.m.), and dinner (5-10 p.m.)
A “wall of floor-to-ceiling windows reveal panoramic views of the beach, billboard-size murals showcase trapeze artists doing daredevil acts, and five private booths peek out from behind sumptuous velvet drapery,” according to the restaurant’s website.
What kind of food does Ringside serve?
Cowboy bone-in ribeye at Ringside, the signature restaurant at Cirque St. Armands Beachside on Lido Key in Sarasota.
“The food and beverage theme is just as thrilling as the circus heritage,” said Milos Davidovic, regional general manager for the hotel, in a statement. “Ringside, the hotel’s signature restaurant, is going to be one of the most unique and exciting new places to dine in Sarasota for its unexpected, picture-worthy drinks, décor, and dishes.”
The menu is described as “a delicate balancing act of bold flavors and Gulf seafood favorites,” with signature dishes including char-grilled octopus, pan-seared Scottish salmon served over a bed of sweet potato and hazelnut hash, and dry-aged ribeye served with parmesan potato gratin and garlic-wild mushroom ragout.
Char-grilled octopus at Ringside, the signature restaurant at Cirque St. Armands Beachside on Lido Key in Sarasota.
What kind of drinks does Ringside serve?
The Blueberry Fog — a blend of blueberry vodka, pressed blueberries, and lemon — is a signature cocktail at Ringside, the main restaurant at Cirque St. Armands Beachside on Lido Key in Sarasota.
The cocktail menu, which can also be found (along with light bites) in Midway, the lobby lounge, and Ringmaster, the pool bar (to open later in spring), offers guests an assortment of creative concoctions, with everything made to order.
“We’re talking hand-shaken, plenty of muddling, and the use of fun equipment like dehydrators for garnishes, cream whippers for creating foamy and flavorful toppers, and even smokers,” reads the website.
“For a real show, we suggest ordering the Blueberry Fog, a blend of blueberry vodka, pressed blueberries and lemon, and St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur topped with ‘sea foam’ (it’s made from egg whites, blueberry purée, and more St-Germain),” the website continues. “Or try the Cold Rush, a spin on a whiskey sour with honey syrup and bee pollen in place of sugar and made from Basil Hayden bourbon.”
Yes, I definitely foresee a cocktail at Ringside, paired with the char-grilled octopus and then followed by the Scottish salmon or dry-aged ribeye. Actually, I’ll likely be trying all three — and perhaps another item or two, such as the Florida Gulf grouper entrée (fingers crossed it’s fresh) or maybe the gnocchi Provençale — because, really, who doesn’t love a good serving of crispy potato pasta?
If you go
The exterior of the The Cirque St. Armands Beachside, a boutique hotel inspired by John Ringling and Sarasota’s circus history. The hotel is now open at 233 Benjamin Franklin Drive.
Ringside restaurant is located at Cirque St. Armands Beachside, 233 Benjamin Franklin Drive, Sarasota. For more information or to make a reservation, call 941-388-5555 or visit opalcollection.com.
Wade Tatangelo is Ticket Editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and Florida Regional Dining and Entertainment Editor for the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and X. He can be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: New Sarasota restaurant serves bold flavors, Gulf seafood by the beach
