Saturday Beer Tasting (4/29) Only $1! Tequila 101: Taste Premium Tequilas for Only $20 Next Wednesday (5/3)! Kumeu River Wine Dinner Next Tuesday (5/2), Mother's Day Brunch (5/14) and Champagne Dinner (5/17)! Barolo Vertical - Killer Deal by the Case! New French Wine Scholar Program Begins May 13 Sign Up Now! Powerful and Balanced 94-Point Malbec! 2nd Annual Wine Auction This Sunday (4/30) in Santa Monica! Upcoming Wine House Classes - UPDATED April 22 Favorite Producer Chablis from the "Superb" "Must Have, Must Drink" 2014 Vintage! Fantastic Northern Rhone Drinks like Cote Rotie for Under $30! Old Vine Garnacha From Favorite Producer Is Back Under $12! Winery Dinner - The Kiwis That "Trounced" the French in Blind Tasting - Don't Miss Out!Southwest Florida has plenty of drinking destinations, but only a select few hug our world-famous shorelines of powdery white sand or sit on a pier that puts you right on top of the water. In alphabetical order, our list of the Top 10 beach bars in Sarasota and Manatee counties. 

You'll also want to check out our list of Top 10 Dockside Bars in Sarasota-Manatee. The restaurant at the end of the 105-year-old Anna Maria City Pier puts diners right on the water, either behind glass or in the breezeway. Our favorite option, though, is ordering brews, inclduing a nice craft beer selection, from the adjacent concession stand while listening to the likes of singer-guitarist Howie Banfield, a pier performer and islander for over two decades 200 Gulf Drive N., Bradenton Beach; A hub of indoor and outdoor activity, people pack the BeacHhouse for lunch, dinner, drinks, weddings and, most famously, spectacular sunset watching. Haven’t been in a while? The 20-year-old restaurant recently completed seven months of renovations including an expansive bar featuring large windows allowing for better views of the freshly re-nourished beach and Gulf of Mexico. Of course, you can always eat and drink al fresco for the ultimate, toes-in-the-sand experience. 900 Gulf Drive N., Bradenton Beach;

What began as a little café frequented mostly by locals has grown into one of the largest, full-menu and full-bar attractions on Anna Maria Island. The new centerpiece of the Gulf Drive Café is the Kokonut Hut, a massive open-air structure adorned with flat-screen TVs that puts you right on the sand without having to worry about getting blasted by the sun or missing the big game. Outdoor tables take you even closer to the water.best wine bar angel 700 Ben Franklin Drive, Sarasota; best wine bar greenwich Even if you’re not one of the fortunate guests at the Lido Beach Resort, you can still enjoy first-rate treatment at its tiki bar, which is situated within view of a wide stretch of white sand on Lido Key. best wine bar cambridge ma

The drink menu features a long list of tropical cocktails including mojitos that come in flavors such as raspberry, mango and watermelon. The tiki bar also serves sandwiches, salads and appetizers to complement the umbrella drinks and beachfront setting. 1234 Ben Franklin Drive, Sarasota; Tucked behind the members-only Ritz-Carlton Beach Club, which has operated the Sarasota landmark since 2001, the Lido Key Tiki Bar is a bastion of Old Florida amidst the hotel and condo towers. A favorite among Lido locals for decades, the open-air bar right on the beach serves beer, wine and mixed drinks in a relaxed, rustic setting. Bereft of parking, this hidden gem is best reached by boat or on foot. 5 Bayfront Drive, Sarasota; Located within walking distance of downtown’s arts and entertainment district, O’Leary’s occupies a fantastic swath of shoreline along Sarasota Bay. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, it’s a fashionable spot for enjoying frozen drinks and burgers in a Key West-style setting.

O’Leary’s also regularly hosts guys and gals with guitars performing all the Jimmy Buffett and other beach songs you know by heart. I have spotted numerous dolphins, a manatee, tarpon, shark and a loggerhead sea turtle about the size of a Prius in recent years while seated at the downstairs bar of this iconic restaurant that has been around for more than six decades. Soak up the amazing vistas, which also include the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, while sipping an ice-cold beer and noshing on fresh seafood items such as the delicious grouper Reuben sandwich. 100 Spring Ave, Anna Maria; Part of the Chiles Restaurant Group that includes the BeachHouse and Mar Vista Dockside on Longboat Key, The Sandbar boasts a gorgeous mix of indoor tables offering pristine waterfront views, seating right on the sand and banquet areas nestled in the shade of the trees that line the beach. For beverages, go with one of the restaurant’s “Crop to Cocktail Drinks,” which use produce from Chiles’ farms to create libations such as a garden-fresh bloody mary and jalapeno-juiced margarita.

1600 Harbor Drive S., Venice; , Sharky’s On the Pier is where patrons rinse off the sand before taking a seat under a ceiling fan to munch on, say, mahi-mahi tacos or slurp up snow cones infused with liquor while gazing at the Gulf of Mexico from above the beach. For fans of fine dining, the Venice favorite recently expanded with the more upscale Fins at Sharky’s. 111 South Bay Blvd., Anna Maria; Separated from the beach by narrow South Bay Boulevard, this beloved island restaurant features covered, outdoor tables that overlook the Gulf of Mexico and the Anna Maria City Pier. Enjoy the view while sipping the bar’s many superb craft cocktails and eating ahi sliders the size of baseballs. In addition to creative cocktails, The Waterfront also has an impressive wine list and craft beer selection, making it the ideal place for post-sunbathing leisure. Here it is: LA's Coney Island, Woodstock vs. Myrtle Beach, a carnival and an American microcosm, home to billionaires, bombshells, hustlers, and drifters.

On the boardwalk, Venice bustles all day (and gets dicey at night). Along Abbot Kinney, Venice is a cozy bohemia, with ample eateries, bars, and boutiques. And with Lincoln Boulevard right there, you don't have to venture far to get that pesky smog check. Venice is an artist colony striving to survive amid the juxtaposition of million-dollar homes and drug houses, walk streets and canals. For those with some disposable income, head to funky Abbot Kinney for great shops and restaurants. Joe's French-California cuisine is one of the best fusion spots in LA, while wine and tunes go hand-in-hand at See more. >The Other Room's exposed-brick wine bar. See also, The Tasting Kitchen and Gjelina. Venice Beach is okay for surfing, if you can dodge the swarm of dirty needles, but don't confine your voyeurism to Venice Walk--Washington Boulevard has more memorable characters. • More Info & Map It's Funny Because It's True Spanish Feast, NYC Style Back in the 1920s Abbott Kinney envisioned a Venice, CA

quite like its Italian counterpart. Didn't quite pan out but there are still a few canal remnants left threading through town and some of the best are off of Washington Boulevard just above its intersection with Ocean Park. in terms of mindset and--if you're there in the morning--climate) with canals that are still navigable (if your boat be small), blue winged ducks and gorgeous, colorful flowers and very Gehry-esque homes lining the canal. bike in the parking lot leading out to the pier and pedal the whole way from the edges of Marina del Rey through the Venice Beach Boardwalk to Santa Monica--from yuppies (somebody help me here, what's a modern day yuppy?) to hippies to retirees and tourists. Then stop in at The Terrace for a mildly upscale meal of the best French toast: fat slices, thick in egg batter with just a slight taste of vanilla. Claims to be the only restaurant on the beach serving a complete meal until 1 am and it's open for Thanksgiving which I'm

sure is what the Pilgrims had in mind all along. This must be the one Howard Shultz is talking about--you know, the Starbucks with the warm communal atmosphere, that third place where you want to go between home and work. Yep, I think I've found it… not that I drink coffee. However, I do go in here after buying my white hot chocolate at Cows End up the way and get a cup of Joe for a friend before meeting said friend for fried egg sandwiches at Thomas Hamburgers next door. So, I can comment--and quite favorably--on the warm communal atmosphere and friendly customer service to be found at this small, drive through-lessIn fact, I think this place along with the aforementioned Cows End and Thomas Hamburgers make this stretch of Washington Boulevard the perfect trifecta of breakfast drink and food. Burgers and Police Banter This side of Washington Boulevard is a veritable Mecca for cheap breakfast eats. End (no apostrophe, must be multiple cows' rumps, although that would have an