Pictured: Riverhouse Waterfront Restaurant, courtesy of @RiverhouseFL

Where the Bay, or Gulf, views are as delicious as the dishes—The Sarasota-Manatee Originals (SMO) has got you covered for the best places to park it, or dock it, for a great meal on the water. If down in Venice, head to The Crow's Nest on the Venice Beach Pier for sparkling sunsets, great happy hour specials and prime seafood fare. Nextled off the main drag of Longboat Key, find the iconic Mara Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub, where boats come in hungry from hanging out at the sandbars all day to tie up for an outdoor meal and cocktail in the sand. And over in Siesta Key, the romantic date night spot of Ophelia's By The Bay, swoons diners inside as well as on the patio with the same breaktaking bayside views. If you're in the Bradenton area, you're in luck, because Pier 22 is nestled right in the marina of Manatee River, boasting water views in addition to elevated surf-and-turf options. Over in Nokomis, Pop's Sunset Grill is never a snooze, with live outdoor music every day, a laid-back beachy atmosphere and classic handheld foods. Riverhouse Waterfront Restaurant in Palmetto offers uninterrupted views with their multilevel dining floors, as well as an upscale-casual food and drink menu, while The Waterfront Restaurant in Anna Maria features global seafood dishes along with a beer-&-wine bar situated across the way from the historic Anna Maria City Pier.

Grab that shacket (light jacket in the style of a button-down shirt) and catch an early sunset paired with a Florida winter breeze at these local, waterfront dining destinations.

The Sarasota-Manatee Originals network promotes and sustains over 60 independent area restaurants and provides diners with a comprehensive resource of some of the finest locally-owned keepsakes throughout Florida’s Suncoast. Remember to “Eat Like A Local” and check out eatlikealocal.com or @941originals socials for restaurant updates, promotional deals and upcoming events.

Pictured: Riverhouse Waterfront Restaurant, courtesy of @RiverhouseFL

For a full list of 941 Originals Members Restaurants, click here