Hot Romance on Anna Maria Island

Romance is a dish served very hot at the Beach Bistro!  Located in Holmes Beach, its setting is absolutely stunning.

Looking out toward the Gulf with floor to ceiling windows, there isn't anything much more romantic than watching the sunset across the water, whilst enjoying a meal, but the Beach Bistro is a truly fine dining establishment, complementing its stunning location with beautiful food, fantastic service as you’d expect, but also a really extensive wine list with local wines as well as from all over the world with prices to suit any pocket! I also, absolutely love the valet parking, not just for a car I might add but also for your bike! I felt very ‘celebrity’, although it was a little amusing, watching the smartly suited valet, cycle off on my bike as I went inside! My husband and I have been here a few times, mostly on our own, but also on occasion with friends, and it works well for both!

Beach Bistro is in a stunning location on Anna Maria Island - right on the seafront!

So whilst we have really enjoyed a very lovely and romantic evening here (I am sure had we have not been married my husband might have gotten caught up in the atmosphere and actually proposed!), enjoying food such as Terra Ceia Bay Little Neck Clams, Scallops pan roasted in their famous famous Bouillabaisse broth and finished with sweet cream and a soupcon of curry, Bistro braised duckling confit, Herb-rubbed, pan-seared and oven-roasted rack of lamb, Finished with a port, rosemary demi-glace and for desert Chocolate Truffle Terrine, or Praline Alexandra and of course an amazing (prize winning), Key Lime Pie, alongside a couple of bottles of very expensive Malbech, we have also had more relaxed evenings sitting at the bar making new friends, and enjoying a bit of wine sampling with the very knowledgeable bar tender! Or again in the restaurant, in the company of our wonderful friends, drinking our way through numerous bottles of some of the finest wine on the island (but perhaps not as expensive!).

Beach Bistro on Anna Maria Island serves exquisite meals as well as a romantic atmosphere

The Beach Bistro has many awards to its name including the top Zagat rating in food and service on the Gulf Coast of Florida. And is an eight-time recipient of Florida Trend Magazine’s Golden Spoon Award and has been enthroned in the Golden Spoon “Hall of Fame.” Its wine list regularly receives the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for offering one of the best wine lists in the world and it consistently receives the highest Zagat rating for food and service in the state of Florida. It is included in Zagat’s Top Restaurants in America and is lauded by the guide for ‘the best food on the Gulf Coast…as good as any in New York or Paris! Pretty high accolades for a cosy, little restaurant on Anna Maria Island.

Beach Bistro is owned by Sean Murphy who also owns Eat Here, his second restaurant, located in Anna Maria City. Located close to Mainsail Marina and next to Island Fitness, it is another great restaurant, though this offering though is probably a little more relaxed, but again with a really lovely menu, and great wine. There were also a few wines set out for a bit of wine tasting when we were there too! Always happy to oblige! We ate a fantastic meal here, including pan-seared scallops with a raspberry coulis, an unusual combination you might think, but wow, did it work! And their Tacos are delicious too! Eat Here is definitely worth a visit too!

Being on Anna Maria Island, in the gorgeous Florida sunshine, surrounded by the beautiful Gulf seas and the exquisite white sand, and with its incredible and infamous island sunsets, it’s not difficult to immerse yourself in romance! There are lots of great restaurants here, in beautiful locations, such as The Waterfront overlooking City Pier and the Sign of the Mermaid, with delicious, almost home style cooking (and amazing deserts), set in a slightly old and rickety looking, but beautiful building. You will never be disappointed with the food at any of the restaurants here.

The Waterfront on Anna Maria Island is right on the beach with delicious home style cooking

With all this on this little island, it’s therefore easy to understand why Anna Maria is so popular for weddings, there are over 1,000 here each year, making Anna Maria the most popular beach wedding destination in Florida. And the island caters very well for it. The Sandbar restaurant for example offer great wedding packages, you can get married on the beach and host your reception in their Wedding Pavilion, all organised by your dedicated wedding co-ordinator.  But its also really easy to do it yourself and the Anna Maria Chamber of Commerce have a wedding directory that lists all the wedding services available to you, including everything from event organisers, to churches, reception venues, car services, catering, cakes, guest accommodation etc. There is so much available here.

The Sandbar on Anna Maria Island is great for a casual drink by the sea as well as weddings

Its backdrop is fantastic for weddings or anniversaries, or just spending quality time with your other half, whatever the occasion. A walk at sunrise along Bean Point, hiring a tandem bike with which to explore the island, or even taking a catamaran trip around Tampa Bay at sunset are all wonderfully romantic things to do.

Enjoy the romantic sunrises and sunsets on Anna Maria Island

But I think though, the most romantic evenings I have ever spent on Anna Maria Island, was when we stayed at Limefish, the Pineapplefish property on the beach. A really cute, beach chic single storey home, its location is second to none. Situated directly on the beach at Holmes Beach, Limefish has a huge deck area, and on many occasions, we stayed home, cooked a favorite meal, opened a bottle of wine, and enjoyed each others company in our own home, enjoying our own private viewing of the Anna Maria sunset over the Gulf. It really doesn’t get much more romantic than that, I can promise you! We also on a few occasions, took a blanket, our meal and a bottle of wine, and sat on the beach to get an even closer view! There was no one there!  It was beautifully warm and it was just wonderful. An Anna Maria Island sunset never gets boring!

Enjoy a private dinner at Limefish on Anna Maria Island

If we had have wanted to make it something very, very special, we could have hired the services of AJ Latteri, an amazing event organizer and caterer on the island. Her and her team from The Loft5, have catered many private dinners at Limefish for any number of guests. Her styling will make the decks look like an outdoors high-end restaurant and her food is absolutely sublime, incredibly creative and just delicious. This is a great idea particularly for a wedding rehearsal dinner, a family get together (a BBQ is a great idea), or a private dining experience for a honeymooning couple, or anniversary celebration, some of the many reasons people stay at Limefish for!

Whether looking to propose, actually getting married or just wanting to spend some quality time together, Anna Maria is without question, the perfect place and with wonderful restaurants with incredible locations, spectacular views, miles of exquisite white sand and food to get you into a romantic mood, you are guaranteed a holiday romance, with each other and the island itself!