Wink Wink Food and Drink

This place is too much fun! From the people watching, to food, and the wacky vending machine! It's definitely a place we will visit again

This place is so awesome! It's on the side of the Sarasota Modern hotel, which is an amazing experience on it's own! But my fiancé and I have been wanting to come here for a while now. The "lounge" area aka Wink Wink has a seperate entrance. We sat at the bar, even though the tables inside and out on the patio with couch seating looked very comfy and good for larger parties of people. The Bartenders are great, and the drinks are REALLY good! Try any of their craft Cocktails that are ALL amazing!! Just watch how much you're ordering to drink, unless money's no issue for you, because it adds up very quick! But they're SO worth it! The food was the bomb! My fiancé and I got the brisket Bao Buns and chicken Bao Buns, respectively, and shared the Brussel sprouts sans bacon (I'm a vegetarian). Wink Wink will DEFINITELY now be one of our favorite places to visit. We can't wait to have a Staycation and stay at the Sarasota Modern hotel so we can get the FULL experience of this beautiful place!

Hidden gem in the Rosemary!! Don't let the "hotel bar stereotype" fool ya. Great vibe with a good mix of local regulars and guests staying at the hotel. Some creative food items and nice selection of liquors. The staff is always friendly and knowledgeable. Jack is amazing!

I recently dined at Wink Wink at The Modern hotel in the Rosemary District.! I went to celebrate one of my girlfriends’ birthday and had an amazing experience, thanks to the wonderful service provided by our waitress Natalie. From the moment we sat down, she was attentive, friendly, and genuinely cared about ensuring we had a great time. Her knowledge of the menu and recommendations were spot on, and she checked on us just the right amount without being intrusive. It’s rare to find such warmth in service, and it truly elevated the entire dining experience. I would highly recommend Wink Wink and try to get Natalie as your waitress, for anyone looking for not just great food, but also top-notch hospitality. I had been there before for lunch and she assisted us taking pictures of the whole group without even asking her and she wasn’t even our waitress at that time but that’s how we remembered her. Her personality is amazing!! Oh! and valet parking is complimentary if you are going to the restaurant.

We stayed at the modern for 4 days and used wink wink just about every day. The drinks are fantastic, the selection is large and the bartenders are excellent. Christina is absolutely fantastic. The pricing was the only downside to it, but it is Sarasota and a hotel bar so it’s understandable. Their food is also amazing and they have good quality oysters.

This place was so amazing! I went this weekend for my friends bachelorette trip & the vibes were perfect. Plus there’s a vending machine with mystery gifts in it. It’s like Christmas came early opening your package. Super affordable too ($5-$15) for the machine ! HIGHLY recommend

This place is so magical and Angelic. Sarah and Jules and Natalie and jack and the manager Kaitlyn really made the experience other worldly. I will remember the wink wink for the rest of my life. Love them long time. Cant wait to come visit on our next trip to Florida

We had an awesome experience dining here on a Saturday night. Our party of 8 was seated outside and we loved the kitschy vibe of the hotel and restaurant. 3 of us eat plant based and were thrilled with the menu choices. The chef came out to announce the specials and said he’d be a happy to accommodate any special requests. Our server, Cera, was super helpful and friendly. Very professional service. We can’t wait to go back!!

My partner and I were visiting Sarasota to see family and had the night off as my aunt volunteered to watch our kids. It was our one date night on vacation and we wanted to make the most of it. We only had a couple of hours and wanted somewhere with a restaurant and good drinks at a bar to hang out after. I discovered wink wink when searching for great cocktails and a gluten free menu and am so glad I did! Hotel bars usually aren’t my thing but I loved the vibe when I saw the pictures and it did NOT disappoint. We loved the drinks (my partner had THREE of persephone’s revenge) and food and atmosphere but even better were the people. Moe and Jason at the front gave great recommendations and made us feel we chose right from the first step inside. It was EXACTLY what we needed and we ended up staying for a few hours, cracking up at the vending machines, swapping stories with Lulu at the bar, admiring Moe’s style and kept coming back to Jason’s hospitality. Thank you wink for one of our best date nights in a while!

We stayed at The Modern this month and frequented Wink Wink often for breakfast, dinner and evening cocktails. We had the best time and such amazing service from the staff that we wanted to make sure to give them a great review. Vinny and Jack were wonderful on bar (the best cocktails in sarasota), knowledgeable and friendly. Erin gave us the best service, making us feel right at home; she was so friendly and attentive. We will definitely be back next year and hope to see these guys!

Just amazing food, drinks and outstanding service! Six of us had dinner at Wink Wink in the Sarasota Modern on 2/3/2024. We had made reservations as the restaurant was booked. We were immediately greeted by our wait staff and offered cocktails and appetizers. The drinks were awesome and we enjoyed brussel sprouts, bison ribs and deviled eggs. All were tremendous! The entrees included to die for meatloaf, scallops, tuna and steak perfectly prepared. The evening was finished with incredible deserts and 6 very impressed guests. A must dinner reservation for a perfect experience. Enjoy👍

Sarah (hope I spelled that right) was our server on NYE 2023. We couldn’t be more pleased with our meal selections. The recommendations were spot on. The Brussels sprout appetizer was delicious & I really enjoyed my tuna entree. The cocktails were also superb. The atmosphere was fun with friendly service. It was a happy little accident that we found this place for our holiday trip. I would definitely go here again because there is a lot on the menu that I would like to try.

Cute outdoor space near the pool. Waitress was super friendly and helpful. I had the tourist trap which she recommended and it was delicious. A piece of black and grouper on a bit of rice with edamame and a mango sauce. It was delicious.

We recently enjoyed dessert and espresso cocktails at Wink Wink. The deconstructed cheesecake creation was great for sharing. Their espresso martini and Coo Coo cocktail were delicious. The outdoor seating is especially lovely at night. The greenery and overhead string lights make for a charming atmosphere. There was ample street parking and valet is also available. We’ll be back for dinner or a drink very soon.

Went to the Wink Wink for our 21st wedding anniversary. We had never been. It was excellent! If you have not gone and are thinking of going...go! The cocktails are real (if you enjoy cocktails you know what i mean) and well done. The service was friendly, very personable, and efficient. From the hostess to our server Ethan, they took pride in the restaurant and their work. The atmosphere really sets this place apart from anywhere else- so fun and relaxing at the same time. And the food was creative and delicious! We will be back for sure and so should you.

I met a lovely lady Alexandria at the pool bar yesterday, great drinks, friendly, extremely knowledgeable , she was the nicest person to me after having a hard day , can’t wait til next trip I make out here looking forward to her drinks and seeing her again!

I usually don’t give reviews because I always think they get lost in cyber space. But today I felt different, I had such good service from the time I walked in to the time I walked out. I thought it was worth leaving a review. Walking in I encountered Mo/Moe the manager and the host Nivea, those two gals smiled at me as I walked through the threshold, they answered all of my questions (I have crazy food allergies) they were patient with me. I went to the bar I ordered a light beer chatted with Lulu who is a doll! And Jack who I ended up talking to about the Titans(Oh Boy). Then I scoped out the pool and stumbled upon a bar there , spoke with Bryce who is a mix master with the drinks, his suggestions for drinks-DO IT!! Then I came back in, winked at Mo/Moe ordered something light from Jackson who was attentive! The food runner (I forgot her name, Raven black hair) was a super sweet cutie pie. The food was delicious and I savored every single bite (that’s rare for me) I SHALL return! Wink Wink is my new HOME!!

We went here as the 4th and final stop of our bao bun crawl. This was our second time here in a week or so. I got the chicken bao bun and it was perfect. It was flavorful and had enough veggies but the chicken was still the star. I recommend trying it with the remoulade served with the crab cakes. Overall great experience. Everything I ate was good and at the holidays they decorate it and it's awesome.

Walking by, and spontaneously stepped into WINK WINK MODERN LOUNGE, as was kinda lost in the pleasant interesting neighborhood. Amazing service, welcome, and thirst-quenching creative non-alcohol juice drink from server at the bar. Fascinating tour of the attached hotel, Sarasota Modern which turns out is a Marriott, one of my faves. Pool, jacuzzi and a cold-plunge tucked away preciously. Nice friendly staff running the place.

Ate on the patio which was nice. The bar and dining area didn’t open until 3. The decor in the bar was very cool looking. Had a blackened grouper sandwich - yummy.

Jersey is the best. She was able to make the most refreshing and crisp margarita I’ve had in a minute. As someone who grew up in Sarasota, this is very hard to find. Stop by asap!

Jersey is AMAZING! Came down by myself the first couple of days of my stay and she made me feel so comfortable! Can't wait to have another great pool day with her!

One of my favorite places in Sarasota. I live local but always enjoy visiting. JERSEY is the best. A great night. I recommend to hotel visitors to local residents.

We love Toni at the bar. She's makes a great drink and is so fun. 11/28 - Went for the pop-up bar and it was fantastic. Really got me in the holiday spirit! 11/30 - OK...so I went again...because the decorations for the holidays are just so beautiful...and because the staff is so nice!

Loved this place! Food was delicious. Creative and exceptional entrees. I loved the vegetarian offerings. Service was top notch with a warm and inviting atmosphere. I loved the old Florida atmosphere and that outdoor as well as indoor dining was offer. Hats off to the staff for creating such an excellent dining experience. Will definitely return often.

Wink wink has such an eclectic fun vibe with tasty/different food items to match. We really enjoyed all of the food we tried -like the green papaya salad, shishito peppers, fried fish, poke bowl, chicken boa buns & kale salad. The service was friendly but not super attentive & we waited quite awhile for our entrees. The place wasn’t very busy at all. So just be aware that you may wait some time. Overall, it was a good experience & we enjoyed the environment, friendly service & food.

This is a hotel restaurant/bar, lounge. That is important because it has a different vibe than a local venue. Based on the description and pictures I thought would be sexy and cool, it was actually kitschy and camp. The decor is nice with an homage wall to old Florida tourism from the 1960s. The rest is an eclectic ensemble of cool from the 1960s and 70s. The service was decent but not cool and sexy. The staff seemed like hotel employees from a Holiday Inn rather than a modern lounge. The food however, was phenomenal. It was fusion done right, not just for the sake of blending cuisines. The portions were of a decent size and it was all flavorful and filling.

Cute place. Interesting food options, great presentations and tasty beverages and food! Only thing odd was there was NO one else inside the restaurant... and few people at the bar and several in outdoor patio. It was 7ish on a Wednesday, but still- Lovely place, nice vibe.

Pretty good spot. Definitely has a “hotel lounge” vibe but the food was exceptional, particularly for a hotel restaurant. I recommend the brussels sprouts appetizer, the grouper and the scallops. Decent service at the bar too.

Wink Wink Food & Drink delivers a fun, modern take on comfort food with a touch of tropical flair. The ambiance is vibrant and playful, making it a great spot for a casual yet stylish night out. The cocktail menu stands out with creative, well-balanced drinks that pair perfectly with the inventive dishes

Such a cute Christmas pop-up! The service was absolutely fabulous, and the decorations were next-level...so festive and thoughtfully done. You could really tell how much effort went into creating the atmosphere, and I loved the themed bar concept. I do wish there were a few more non-alcoholic drink options, but what was available was really good and still felt special. Overall, it was a great experience, and we would absolutely come back again next year. So much fun and perfectly done for the holidays!

Had a nice little dinner for two in the outside area. Food was solid. Service was nice and personable. Live music was enjoyable although maybe a pinch too loud for table conversation. Pricing was typical of downtown with entertainment. So I think its worth a checkout if you are close by. Valet service is included because parking is not the easiest.

Excellent service and atmosphere makes up for limited but decent menu. Nice outdoor dining area with heaters. We sat inside, and at the time, there were some younger folks inside (under 40) who were a bit loud, so we took the quietest and largest table. Food was very good. There is a gag gift vending machine inside close to the bar that offers some very unique items. Go for the vending machine alone--- but end up staying and enjoy the friendly service & good food. We ended up meeting three delightful younger performers who are performing @ FST and enjoyed their company so much that we will definitely see them by February.

Great atmosphere and super friendly staff. The meat loaf and the tourist trap were very much appreciated by our group. Unfortunately the burger was not up too par with the other dishes hence the 4 stars. A mere over cooked patties and hardly any sauce served with a mountain of fries. That does not take away a very nice evening. We are still highly recommending this restaurant.

Grabbed lunch here and was underwhelmed. The cushion on the chair at the bar where my husband sat was soaking wet from a/c condensation dripping on it and when we told the bartender she shrugged it off as a known issue. Not a great start to our meal since my husband’s pants were soaking wet from it and seems like a preventable issue. Aside from that, bartenders weren’t too welcoming or personable. Food was mediocre and lacking flavor and texture. Bao buns were alright but had a pretty muted flavor and the dough could have been fluffier. Wagyu bowl was very mushy, definitely needed something crunchy to give it texture. Overall, it was lacking and service could have been better.

The good: Host and Server were very friendly. Decor was also eclectic but not so much so that it takes away from the experience. It was clearly put together with some degree of attention as to avoid being kitschy The bad: unfortunately, the food did not live up to the 4.5 star reviews for me. Shrimp tempura was tasty, but came in a tiny portion on a skewer with only about 4 shrimps. Brussels sprouts were probably the best thing we had but they are extremely easy to make at home so I wouldn’t go out of my way for them. Food took almost an hour to come out and it took our waitress about 20 min to find out after we ordered that two of the salads we ordered were no longer available. I’d come back here for drinks but $20 for a cocktail in Sarasota is just insane.

Food was really good! Everything else was subpar at best. The hostess was friendly, but she sat us inside when we requested patio seating, specifically to celebrate our anniversary. After not being checked on by a server, we moved to the bar. Service was a bit better but still lacking, far from what you would expect from a place like this. Manager was friendly, but was not hands on. We waited for the bartender and manager to finish a discussion about the football game, while we waited for our check that we asked for, with dirty dishes in front of us. Really disappointed. Thankfully the food was tasty.

I found this place in open table after attending an event at the ringling. Parking for non hotel staying guests was not clear. There are signs to turn down a street for parking but nothing clearly posted except for a valet lot. I apparently came in the side entrance despite it having a menu outside with a neon sign. The bartender was very unwelcoming and directed me to a host stand where at the moment no one was there. Who I assume was the manger was very dismissive and an unwelcoming tone and let me sit wherever I want. I was quickly greeted by a friendly server at least. Brussels sprouts were worm but all the toppings were cold and killed the dish. Meatloaf felt like it was heated by Chef Mic. Lavender cocktail was meh.

Oh. My. God. That may have been the worst meal of my entire life. Don’t let the 4.5-star review or the perfectly filtered OpenTable photos fool you. Let’s start from the top. The drinks? Meh. Barely passable. We ordered the crab cakes and Brussels sprouts to start, and I’m pretty sure I now have internal regrets and possibly a parasite internship program setting up shop in my colon. The Brussels? Let’s just say they tasted like someone hated them before they hit the plate. At this point, hope was fading fast… then came the entrees. I ordered the fried chicken. My friend got the NY strip. All I can say is: NO. Just… no. Possibly the most offensive meal I’ve ever had the displeasure of paying for. Honestly, the only redeeming things in that building were our sweet server, Juliana, and the vending machine near the bathroom. The bill? Over $200 with tip. And frankly, I feel like they should have paid me to eat that disaster. I left everything on my plate and then accidentally left the rest in the bathroom stall. Someone please retrieve it before it mutates into a new pandemic. Save yourself. Stay away. Eat literally anywhere else.

The server was nice. The hummus app, mocktail/cocktails were good, and so were the fries but the rest of the food is horrible, completely inedible. I sent my original dish back and ordered a vegan quinoa salad thinking there was no way to mess up a salad. The quinoa was extremely hard, it felt like I was chewing on tiny pieces of rock and the daiya cheese tasted rancid. The rice from the poke bowl ( my original dish) was very bland, no seasoning. The entire plate was bland! And everything was way over priced. The place has potential since it's very cute and chic but the recipes need to be seriously revised.