The Most Delicious Anna Maria Island Restaurants You’ll Love
Imagine, for a moment, winding down the day to the sight of a Florida sunset, its reds and golds smearing the sky in a burnished rainbow. It’s about 80ºF and a succession of rolling waves are helping kick up the perfect sea breeze. There’s a frosty margarita in your hand and sand between your toes.
Fresh fish is sizzling on the restaurant’s grill. That whizzing sound signals that juicy citrus, pineapple, and mangoes are being blended into the freshest of fruit drinks. Garlic and melted butter are ready to pour onto piping hot blue crab.
Can you smell it? You will. Because this is the dinner scene, every night on Anna Maria Island. A laidback, friendly island where award-winning restaurants sauté, grill, bake, and prepare gourmet morsels as unique as our island’s character.
Oh, and have we mentioned? Our Anna Maria Island vacation rentals are so centrally located, you can walk (or trolley) to any restaurant on the island. So go on, order another glass of wine and enjoy!
Imagine, for a moment, winding down the day to the sight of a Florida sunset, its reds and golds smearing the sky in a burnished rainbow. It’s about 80ºF and a succession of rolling waves are helping kick up the perfect sea breeze. There’s a frosty margarita in your hand and sand between your toes.
Fresh fish is sizzling on the restaurant’s grill. That whizzing sound signals that juicy citrus and pineapple and mangoes are being blended into the freshest of fruit drinks. Garlic and melted butter are ready to pour onto piping hot blue crab.
Can you smell it? You will. Because this is the dinner scene, every night on Anna Maria Island. A laidback, friendly island where award-winning restaurants sauté, grill, bake and prepare gourmet morsels as unique as our island’s character.
Oh, and have we mentioned? Our Anna Maria Island condo rental is so centrally located, you can walk (or trolley) to any restaurant on the island. So go on, order another glass of wine. Enjoy!
The AMI Dining Experience
Only locally owned offerings – there are no McDonalds or Starbucks or Burger Kings in sight – dot our tiny paradise, where almost every restaurant offers gulf-front or bay-front seating and sunset (or sunrise!) views. Just think of it as your meal with a generous side of delightful scenery, of crashing waves and swooping pelicans and frolicking dolphins.
Though just seven miles long, Anna Maria Island manages to offer a varied smorgasbord of dining options. You’ll find restaurants, cafes, bistros and tiki bars featuring British, French, German, Italian, Asian, Spanish, and traditional south Florida menus to enjoy.
Of course, Anna Maria Island restaurants are best known, and rightly so, for their fresh seafood. Being right on the Gulf of Mexico, many restaurants have fresh fish daily, such as red snapper, blue crab, mullet, and grouper.
Let’s dive into our favorite restaurants by area on the island.
Bradenton Beach Restaurants
One of the things we love most about our Anna Maria Island condos are their location: Bradenton Beach. Ideally situated near the island’s south-center, we’re in close proximity to, well, everywhere. But even so, we love to frequent several of our closest eateries, from Bradenton Beach’s finest restaurants, pizza joints, and mom-and-pops.
The Beach House Restaurant
The Beach House Restaurant is perfect for families, with plenty of room for kids to play on the beach while you enjoy the sunset, a tropical drink, and fresh Florida seafood. Both locals and tourists alike enjoy the fine dining, which is served “Florida Style” from the inside dining room or the covered deck right on the white-sand beaches of the Gulf of Mexico.
Exceptional local artists perform at the Beach House, assuring that the fabulous seafood won’t be the only thing you’ll be talking about after you leave.
Oma’s Pizza
Walking further south of The Beach House you will have the choice of so many of Anna Maria Island’s award winning restaurants, including Oma’s Pizza, known for the best pizza and Italian food on Anna Maria Island. This Italian restaurant and pizzeria is sure to please everyone in your group.
Bridge Street Bistro
The Bridge Street Bistro offers spectacular views of the beach and Gulf of Mexico, but what we love most is the choice of dining in the more formal upstairs dining room, or the more casual, outdoor open atmosphere downstairs.
Anna Maria Oyster Bar on the Pier
Love fresh oysters? This is your spot! Enjoy the Anna Maria Oyster Bar located at the end of the newly built pier on Bridge Street. This seafood restaurant provides beautiful views of Florida’s Intra-Coastal Waterway and the Bradenton Beach Marina.
The Bridge Tender Inn & Dockside Bar
The Bridge Tender Inn provides spectacular water views, stretching to anchored boats and beautiful Sarasota Bay, and sweetens the pot with live music on the outdoor patio. This is a lively eatery that’s a lot of fun and of course, super delicious.
The Kokonut Hut
Just a few minutes’ walk north of our Anna Maria Island condo, you’ll also find this unique and picturesque beachfront tiki hut, the Kokonut Hut. The Kokonut Hut is a fabulous place to enjoy the natural beauty of Anna Maria Island: enjoy spectacular views of the Gulf of Mexico, or walk right up from the beach and enjoy cocktails and dinner while listening to live music.
Notable Mentions
Further north of our Anna Maria Island vacation rental condo, you’ll find a few other exquisite restaurants that are well worth mentioning:
- Sharky’s
- Mr. Bones Restaurant
- Gulf Drive Cafe
Holmes Beach Restaurants
Located in the center of Anna Maria Island is Holmes Beach. This is the largest community on AMI, larger than Bradenton Beach to the south and the City of Anna Maria on the north shore. Given that this area is home to the most residents, it’s no wonder there’s a lot of restaurants to choose from in Holmes Beach.
Hurricane Hanks
Holmes Beach is home to many of Anna Maria Island’s great restaurants, including Hurricane Hanks, serving some of the best seafood and Caesar salad in the area. Hurricane Hanks is a no-frills sort of restaurant that is known simply for their beer-battered fried fish and grouper sandwich.
Skinny’s Place vs. Duffy’s Tavern
Without a doubt, the biggest food rivalry on Anna Maria Island is the ongoing burger rivalry between Skinny’s Place, located directly across from the Manatee Public Beach, and Duffy’s Tavern, located just a little further north.
The truth is they are both wickedly good burgers – thick, juicy and unforgettable. (Do yourself a favor: try both!)
Beach Bistro
The most acclaimed restaurant on Anna Maria Island is, of course, Beach Bistro. For more than 26 years, Beach Bistro has been Anna Maria Island’s most romantic fine-dining destination.
Located on the Gulf of Mexico waterfront, the restaurant’s scenic backdrop and spectacular sunsets make it the perfect place to celebrate special occasions or simply relax after a long day.
Notable Mentions
With plenty more great restaurants in Holmes Beach, it’s worth mentioning that you should also give these spots a try:
- The Feast
- Fins Bar
- Anna Maria Island Beach Cafe
- Old Hamburg Schnitzelhaus
- The Ugly Grouper
North Anna Maria Restaurants
Further north on Anna Maria Island, you’ll enter into the City of Anna Maria. This area is the most sparsely populated area of the island but also regarded as the most beautiful, with famous Bean Point the shining gem.
Although known for its nature, the City of Anna Maria also boasts some very unique Old Florida restaurants, whose flavors you won’t find elsewhere.
The Sandbar Restaurant
Amidst tough competition, the most popular restaurant on Anna Maria Island is the world-famous Sandbar Restaurant. The Sandbar is situated on a large expanse of powder-white sand beach, and offers nearly unimaginable views of the Gulf of Mexico.
We think it’s the best spot on Anna Maria Island to watch the sunset and, later, the stars that set the entire night’s sky ablaze.
Fun fact: The Sandbar was chosen by brides as the Best of the Best for Ceremony and Reception Site on the West Coast of Florida by the knot’s “Best of Weddings” issue for 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011, and was chosen Best Reception Site on the West Coast of Florida for 2007. According to magazine representatives, no other company in the region has received this award more than once.
The Waterfront Restaurant
Just a short distance from the Sandbar, you’ll find the Waterfront Restaurant, providing indoor and outdoor seating with beautiful views of Florida’s Intracoastal Waterway.
Pier Restaurants
Anna Maria City Pier Grill
Directly across from the Waterfront Restaurant is the Anna Maria City Pier Grill, located at the end of a pier and home to some of the best lobster bisque this side of New Orleans. While soup might not be top of your list when at the beach, we highly recommend you give this one a try.
While at the pier, the kids can cast a line while Mom and Dad enjoy a cold brew, and a spectacular view of the nearby Sunshine Skyway bridge, which spans Tampa Bay and connects St. Petersburg with Terra Ceia. At 29,040 ft., it’s the world’s longest bridge with a cable-stayed main span, and is truly a sight to see. Dolphins can also be spotted frolicking around the pylons, which is fun to watch and well worth the stop.
Rod & Reel Pier Restaurant
Just north of the City Pier Restaurant, you’ll find what locals call the best restaurant on Anna Maria Island: Situated at the end of a 100-foot pier and jetting out into the water is the Rod & Reel Restaurant.
While walking across the pier, you’ll encounter locals and tourists alike, young and old casting their lines into the water and more than happy to strike up a conversation. The restaurant has a cozy bar downstairs, and both indoor and outdoor tables to give you the feeling of sitting in the middle of Florida’s Intracoastal Waterway, enjoying some of the best food on Anna Maria Island.
What is so appealing about dining on Anna Maria Island is that a car is not necessary. If it’s too far to walk, you can take the free trolley to any restaurant on Anna Maria Island. Best of all, the trolley stops right in front of our condo.
Notable Mention
A few other popular restaurants in the City of Anna Maria are:
- Ginny and Jane E’s Cafe
- Slim’s Place
- The Donut Experiment
Other Area Restaurants
St. Armand’s Circle
No trip to Anna Maria Island is complete without visiting St. Armand’s Circle, famous for its dining and shopping. This area is south of the island and will require a bit of a drive, although not far.
You’ll enjoy a scenic drive south along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico before arriving at St. Armand’s Circle, with over 130 shops and restaurants that offer both indoor and outdoor dining, including our favorite, the Columbia Restaurant. St. Armand’s Circle has often been compared to Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.
St. Armand’s Circle is only a short walk from Lido Beach, and has shopping and dining options that appeal to all ages. It is especially popular with children (and adults with a sweet tooth), thanks to a prevalence of ice cream shops. You can watch fresh fudge and candy being made there while enjoying a fresh-baked waffle cone, filled to the brim with homemade ice cream. Stroll around the circle and enjoy the marble statues and the world-famous Circus Ring of Fame, where plaques are awarded each year in a ceremony to honor circus greats from around the world.
On the mainland, you’ll find many unique restaurants, as well. Just across the bridge is the distinctive fishing village of Cortez, home to Cortez Kitchen and Star Fish Market, where you can purchase fresh fish, book a fishing charter or hop on a dolphin tour.
When you rent our luxurious Anna Maria Island vacation rentals condo you will receive our Insider Guide, including a personalized list of all our favorite restaurants to eat at on Anna Maria Island and the mainland.