We will be staying in a condo on Longboat Key next week. I am looking for recommendations for restaurants from casual good to fine dining with gd. atmosphere. We are adults with appreciation of good food and nice settings.Also - is there any type of public transportation ? We will be without the car for several days.
Thanks for your friendly advice !!!!

any responses ???? Can you also recommend a place for Sunday brunch ?

Thanks !

If you want to stay on LBK you have several good options. Among them:
1. Chart House on south end of LBK
2. Cafe on the Bay
3. Pattigeorges--right at the county line bet Sarasota and Manatee
4. Euphemia Haye
5. Harry's Continental Kitchen(a personal favorite of mine)
6. Mattison's Steakhouse
7. Mar Vista (north end of LBK--ultra casual but good seafood and nice views of Sarasota bay from the outside tables)
If you travel south to St. Armands you could go to the Crab & Fin or Tommy Bahamas. North of LBK on Bradenton Beach is one of the best restaurants on the w. coast (imho) the Beach Bistro as well as the Beach House (a sister restaurant to Mar Vista).
For Sunday brunch I think the Colony has about the best in the area.
Hope that helps

Few more suggestions:

LBK: casual dining - Dry Dock
St. Armands: casual dining - Cha Cha Coconuts
St.Armands:finer dining - Columbia, Cafe L'Europe

Take a taxi over to st armands. You can spend a few hours wandering around before and/or after a great meal. I've read all good suggestions here.

I just went back and read that you won't have a car. LBK is a fairly long (8-10 miles) and narrow island so you will almost certainly need to find some sort of transportation. Cabs are available but not readily as you would expect in a large city so you will need to call and arrange to be picked up and dropped off when you venture out. You might be wise to consider renting a car for your time there. It would make getting around much easier I would think.

I agree with sam. If it's going to be a few days, rent a car. I live in the area and to be honest, I've never even thought about public transportation around here.

Thanks to you all for great advice ! I made my list and we are ready to go and enjoy. It is our first time to LBK and your tips are well appreciated. By public transportation I was thinking of shuttles ( as I've read is avail. on Anna Maria Isl.) or trolleys (Sanibel). We will have a car except the last 2 days , and if need be, we'll rent a car for that time . It depends what is close by to our condo complex. We're in the middle of LBK and maybe have the luck to have some good choices in walking distance .
Thank you again.

Marking for trip at end of the month.

For Sunday brunch you can't been the Colony on Longboat. This is a very upscale buffet, not cheap, but worth every penny. The food is excellent and put out in small portions, quickly replentished so it is always freshly prepared. I'm not normally a big buffet fan, but this one is outstanding.