Beso

Beso On yet another rainy Florida night, my husband and I, along with two other couples, headed to Beso in downtown Sarasota. We’ve been several times, but couldn’t wait to introduce our friends to one of our favorite tapas spots. If you’ve never had tapas before, it’s the perfect way to eat…you get to try a little bit of everything without committing to one giant entrée. We were seated immediately, and I was reminded why I love this place. The restaurant feels open and inviting with bohemian décor and romantic lighting, never cramped or noisy. Then our server, Alara, introduced herself. Cue the table-wide, “Ooooh… we love your name!” She told us it’s Turkish for “water fairy,” and a table full of fantasy-loving women immediately decided she was our favorite person. She was funny and incredibly knowledgeable. If it’s your first visit, trust your server’s recommendations. The menu can be intimidating if you’re unfamiliar with Spanish cuisine, and dishes arrive as they’re ready, making it a fun, shareable experience. Our favorite bites? Queso de Cabra, Alcachofas Fritas, Patatas Bravas (which we mostly ordered because it’s fun to say), Carrillada de Ternera, Picanha, Almejas de Iberia with the most incredible wine sauce, and the Pinchos Morunos lamb skewers. The only dish that missed the mark for us was the Gambas al Ajillo, the shrimp were a little chewy and the garlic overpowered everything else. The Sangria Robesto was the unanimous winner of the night, and when the rain somehow got even worse, we did the only reasonable thing… ordered another pitcher and several orders of churros. They have the slightest citrus twist, and I’m convinced Alara sprinkled a little water fairy magic on them. We left completely stuffed, appropriately over-served on sangria, and with our abs hurting from laughing. Our friends absolutely loved Beso, and it reminded us why we keep coming back. Fantastic food. Wonderful atmosphere. Outstanding service. If you go, do yourself a favor and ask for our favorite water fairy, Alara. 🧚

If I could, I would give Beso six stars. The entire staff was so friendly and welcoming. My server was helpful and knowledgeable about the menu. She was prompt with drink refills. All the food was phenomenal. Seriously outstanding. The decor, dining room, bar area, and music were all elegant and relaxed at the same time. I can't wait to dine here again.

We celebrated my wife’s birthday here last night. It was her first time coming to this place. They seated us in a semi private room, which was perfect. There were 12 of us and this was wonderful team of people taking care of us. Our server Reyna (sp) exceptional. They served us sangria. I am not a fan of the drink but they do have a good session of tequila drinks. We had a mix of vegetarian and people who did not eat pork or beef and one with nut allergies, but we were well accommodated. Overall, the food was wonderful. People raved about the potatoes. I thought they were great also plus the beef was very tasty. We had two paella platters. One was vegetarian and the other was the traditional seafood version. People let the vegetarian version very much however, traditional seafood one was not to our liking. The prawns were dry and tasteless and the rice had a bitter flavor. But it was a great success overall. Parking was very difficult since it is downtown. We parked in the garage.