Indigenous Restaurant

This place is incredible. It feels homey and the food is as good as it gets. We love the pork belly, and how local the menu is.

Visited this restaurant on Saturday evening. Reservations for 8 pm and seated at 8 pm. One star already.
The menu is limited but with specials I had a difficult decision to make with the 2 fish specials. I chose the cobia served with fingerling potatoes and slaw. WOW… loved it and brought some home for lunch the next day.
Larry had the short ribs served with a risotto. Delicious. very flavorful.
We started our dinner with a cucumber and papaya salad and mushroom bisque. The bisque was «wonderful» my husband said. If you do not eat meat, ask about the base for soups. That one had a beef base.
Did NOT need dessert but had 2 cappuccinos and shared ginger sesame ice cream.
Service was excellent. You ask if I will be back? You are kidding? First chance I get. Even has some lighter choices for a quick meal…

You don’t get better than this restaurant. I live in NYC though I spend a lot of time in Sarasota and this place could easily take on any of the best places in NYC. I’ve been here numerous times and without exception, it’s always been a wonderful experience from all angles — food, ambiance, service. Yes it’s pricey, but you definitely get what you pay for in this case.

In Sarasota for a training and decided to try something local. I decided to try the wild mushroom bisque, cauliflower chili and maple bourbon pot de crème. All excellent choices and highly recommended.
The service is excellent as is the atmosphere. A great choice for date night or evening out with friends.

Outstanding local restaurant and one that is worthy of special occasions. Have been there a half dozen times and never even remotely disappointed. Excellent wine selections by the glass. Had some beignets on a recent visit and they were sensational. Good fresh fish inspiringly prepared. Highly recommended!

Excellent food from a creative chef!
We will be back many times

This place is excellent. Great service, local food, knowledgeable servers, unique dishes (cucumber, squash and papaya salad) — entrees were a little rich, but delicious, local and fresh (Sturgeon from, Mote aquarium — local shrimp from Gulf of Mexico). We loved the seafood and the salads — appetizers were great (Mushrooms. Bisque, kale salad)

Guaranteed dining pleasure
In Nov 2015 our party of three dined at Indigenous, which is rated as one of Sarasota, Florida’s finest restaurants, and as always, it did not disappoint. We all started with delicious mushroom bisque, then chose the cobia dish (light and tasty) and the rudder fish (a stronger, spicier preparation). The dessert of choice was the maple crème brulee, which was fantastic. The price for three soups, three entrees, one dessert and one drink came to $ 117.00, including tax (but not tip). To book a table more easily, it helps to be willing to dine late.

Like the vibe, service and the food.
Can’t complain about the service. Been here a few times with the spouse and always left happy. Can’t think of anything negative here — for what it is it’s great

Food is excellent! Creative and well prepared! However… the air circulation in the main dining room is stifling when the kitchen is cranked up. Note: reserve a table outside if the weather is nice. Also, the music selection was inappropriate for fine dining… more suited to the bus boy than the customers. Hostess could have been a little more friendly. She acted like the customers were a pain in the ass.
A real shame, because this restaurant could be so perfect on every level.

It’s just so perfect. I could write a long review… but why? It’s all good. I’ve had many things off the menu, and it’s awesome. There’s a lot of hit and miss in Sarasota, but this one is spot on. The Chef nails every dish we’ve had, and I’d pay to take home a box of those cheese wafers they put on the table. Get a table with Chris as your waiter. He takes this seriously, has an amazing personality and is a professional.

UGH. Dinner was great and I enjoyed the atmosphere but I had to write a review to steer others clear of the «Fish Oil Caramel» Dessert. The waiter assured me that it was a special that the chef loves to surprise people with. Well, he surprised us with the absolute most disgusting dessert I have had in 44 years. Almost made me sick at the table and was equally revolting to my fiancé. Avoid at all costs. Makes me sick just thinking about it again. Now that this review is over, I’m going to do my best to forget about it– but it will be difficult.

Okay so this place is perfect. You can dress anyway you want and the food is fabulous. Not good for a large group but better for couples for foursomes.
inside a small Sarasota bungalow with tables outside for those okay with the heat. we chose inside and the only complaint is that it was a tiny bit dark.
I chose the vegetarian dish special with mushrooms quinoa and truffle oil. ate every speck and it was fab. my husband had a fish dish which always changes. he too agreed on how perfectly the fish was grilled. he also had a salad with spiral cut zuchinni which was perfectly dressed with a light dressing. we ordered a bottle of the Prisoner. fab wine and finished with choc icecream with pretzles covered in choc. nice.
call ahead for reservations for sure. last seating is 8;30 and they clear out of there after that. they might turn tables over once which is really refreshing and organized.
wait staff spot on and well trained. they are lucky to wear shorts and short sleeved shirts which is another nice approach to being different.
all in all… you gotta try this little gem. wish we had them in my area.

This place is AMAZING!!! The ambiance is SO romantic and beautiful and calming. The food is to DIE FOR. The mushroom bisque is orgasmically delicious. The parmesan beignets are light as air and the combination of cheese with pears is perfect. I am so glad that the chef is including «trash»
Fish (=sustainable) in his menu. The Greater Amberjack with the truffle sauce was sooo good and the short ribs were fork tender amazing. Thank you, thank you Indigenous for this wondeful food!

‘Hook to fork’ special of fresh snapper with remoulade, cherry tomatoes, & frisée over fingerling potatoes was delicious (& gluten free!) My husband and I usually order different dishes so we can taste each others’ meals, but this sounded so good we both ordered & loved it. Sat outside towards the bar area at a high top table with stools, which turned out to be quite nice, secluded & quiet for the 2 of us. Make reservations, though… we came on a Wednesday night around 6:30 & almost couldn’t get seated. As long as there’s room, you can order from the full dinner menu at the bar.

I recently attended this restaurant for the first time from a local recommendation. I am so glad I took a risk and went off the beaten path to give this place a try. I have to agree with a previous review that this is what fine dining is all about. Exceptional food, presentation, service that is well versed and a comfortable, intriguing atmosphere.
Coming from the service industry I place a high value in the service I receive and directly impacts my view and experience on the restaurant. The server was on point the entire time. Now keep in mind this place is relaxed so don’t expect the server to be all over your table constantly. They are absolutely there when needed but are not overbearing. Refreshing. Our server was extremely knowledgeable about the restaurant, food, wine and overall culture of the area. Five stars right there.
We started with the Ceviche and ordered the two specials. The Ceviche consisted of Cobia and Red Snapper and was served in a cute mason jar. The flavors were light and citrus, a perfect starter to what we were about to experience. The specials were out of this world. The fish was perfectly cooked and extremely fresh. Its compliments were perfect pairings and consisted of many flavors that were pleasant and intriguing. The chef here means business and you can tell the passion and detail he puts into each dish. Did I mention the presentation?! It was like we were at a five star resort and the VIP’s of the evening. Compliments to the chef on everything. I also enjoyed a beautiful Sauvignon Blanc from France that was a nice compliment to each course.
This is the perfect hidden place to have a quiet, relaxing nice and enjoy the gems of Sarasota.

Great place! Nice atmosphere!
Food is carefully prepared and with lots of love towards the ingredients.

Delicious! Great service! Romantic and cozy setting. Food options are limited but they are fantastic choices that all look delicious. I had the burger and it was mouth-​watering awesomeness. My boyfriend had the fish special and it was very very tasty. The menu changes a couple of times per year which is exciting! What an amazing find– perfect for date night! We will be back.

It wasn’t the worst experience but it certainly wasn’t memorable in a good way.
Parking was weird and uncoordinated. I’m not sure they even have a parking lot.
They’re more than off the beaten path — they’re far from everything.
The menu had 7 things on it. Hand to God, I’ve never seen anything like it. It was awkward. I asked if there was another menu I missed and the server acted as if I insulted the chef.
There was almost no service. It wasn’t that it was slow or bad. It was just non-​existent. Order, drop off food, and back with the check 20 mins later.
Look, maybe it just isn’t for me. I’m a laid back guy trying to enjoy a formal dinner and good fare without all the pretense. I actually enjoy formality but only when a place does it right.
Boo on this place unless you enjoy this sort of awkward and different experience.

Make your way to Indigenous! I’ve been wanting to try this restuarant for a while but whenever I would call for reservations they were booked. So on a whim I called this evening & the sweet & friendly hostess penciled me in.
I had a difficult time figuring where to park when I arrive but this it the cutest & most romantic restuarant I’ve been to in the Bradenton/​Sarasota area.
As soon as I walked up I was greeted by name & seated on the patio per my request. I order the mushroom bisque & Parmesan beignets and let me tell you that these are THE BEST two things thy I’ve eaten here in FL thus far.
I have about a half dozen (maybe more) bug bites but it was totally worth it. Every bit of food was worth every bug bite… LOL! The servers were pleasant and knowledgable. The music they played was smooth and relaxing.
I can’t wait for my next visit. To date this is my favorite restuarant in the area!