2 Anna Maria Island Restaurants with Class and Comfort

If you are looking for some fantastic Anna Maria dining, you got two top options: Beach Bistro and Eat Here Anna Maria.

Don’t get us wrong! There are so many places to enjoy when you stay at one of our Anna Maria Island rentals, from a myriad of budget-friendly restaurants by Pine Avenue to waterfront restaurants where you can soak your feet in the sand while you dine.

So when you stay at one of our Anna Maria Island beachfront rentals, you have all sorts of excellent places to eat. But in our experience, we see Beach Bistro and Eat Here as two companion Anna Maria Island restaurants, representing the full range of the island’s high-quality and unique character.

Beach Bistro

Beach Bistro is classy and elegant, yet welcoming and cool. It has doses of Old Florida mixed with contemporary beauty, giving you perhaps the most thorough look at high-quality waterfront dining in a small Florida island.

In other words, it’s a dazzling place to eat and just a short drive from our Anna Maria Island vacation rentals.

Beach Bistro sits right on the gulf. Here you can watch as the sunset settles over the horizon. But this is really, and surprisingly, only the beginning. The bistro has stood as a cultural centerpiece for about 32 years.

Since the beginning, the leaders focused on fresh ingredients and acclaimed sources, including but not limited to American Ranchlands Domestic Lamb, Prime American Beef, and Maple Leaf Farms Duckling.

The menu begins (and for some, ends) with what is described as the carpe diem. This is a phrase celebrating present indulgence and living life at the moment, ideas perfect for a waterfront eatery on a Florida island. Menu highlights here include the Scallop Pan Roast, soaked in a brilliant Bouillabaisse broth, the Winter Beet Salad, with splashes of lemon walnut vinaigrette, and the Short Rib Bourguignon, unabashed succulent Prime American beef.

The menu encompasses snack-type beach dining, like Artisanal Cheeses and the Beached Shrimp Cocktail, as well as bar-type lunch options, including the Real Grouper Sandwich, the Shrimp “Po Boy”, and local Oyster Mushrooms on Farro.

For a seafood restaurant, Beach Bistro has always managed to accommodate vegetarians and vegans. It truly is an impressive showcase of what an inventive chef and passion can deliver in the right circumstances. If you want a late-night, we suggest taking a local cab to the restaurant from our nearby Anna Maria accommodations.

Eat Here Anna Maria

The Eat Here eatery is simplicity personified- a big helping of casual Florida fare, with an abundance of local ingredients, fresh dishes, and cool decor wrapped up in a cozy ambiance.

What Eat Here lacks in indulgent elegance it makes up for in a warm and cozy atmosphere. The restaurant gets to the point, even offering easy take-out to our neighboring Anna Maria Island beachfront rentals. You can get all the classic American staples, like a wide selection of cheeseburgers, pasta, meatloaf, and more.

Other highlights include the classic Caesar salad, the lobster and shrimp tacos, the veggie wood stone pizza, the heart attack hot dog, an all-beef hot dog, bacon-wrapped, and deep-fried (for vacationers who really want to let loose!) and St. Louis cut island-style ribs.

It’s fascinating that such an eatery can include everything from bacon-wrapped hot dogs to an ambitious fire-roasted veggie platter. There’s also vegan quinoa and fair trade coffee from Papua, New Guinea.

You can stay at the community seating in the center of the dining room or head outside for some lovely shaded seating. There are also many different craft beers and wine to choose from.

This is a dinner-only restaurant. It is open for dinner 7 nights a week, starting at 5:00 p.m. and closing at 10 p.m.

Eat Here dips into all areas of American dining, making sure that every patron has something to love. From vegans to meat lovers, everyone is serviced.