Bijou Cafe

Editor's pick

1287 First St., Sarasota, FL 34236

(941) 366-8111 Reserve now

http://www.bijoucafe.net/

Categories: Restaurant

Cuisine: American upscale, Continental

Features: Date night, Outdoor seating, Party room, Upscale

Cost range: 20.01-100.0

Payment options: Credit cards accepted

Alcohol: Full bar

More in this neighborhood: Sarasota

The Bijou has been a local sparkling jewel since 1986, making everyone's Top 10 list and garnering lots of drippy adjectives from Zagat, Bon Appetit and Gourmet. It's what you'd call Continental-American fare, presided over by chef Jean-Pierre Knaggs and his wife, Shay. Located a couple of blocks from the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota in a 1920s gas station turned restaurant, the vibe is special-occasion or big-time-business dining. A fairly recent renovation (after a fire) has yielded a new bar, lounge, private room and outdoor dining courtyards. The wine list is unusual, with a fair number of South African wines (Knaggs is South African), and the menu contains dishes like velvety shrimp and crab bisque, crispy roast duck napped with orange-cognac sauce, or luscious crab cakes with Louisiana remoulade. All hail the creme brulee.