the Ringling Grillroom

Nice food, affordable prices, good service. And very convenient for museum visitors

So, initially I just came for the museum and the summer circus. Ended up getting a bite to eat here and all I can say is the food, atmosphere, and ambiance was impeccable for it to be located with a museum. Danielle the bartender / server was amazing, sweet, and knowledgeable. I was able to meet chef Leonardo who made THE MOST phenomenal tres leches. I would definitely go back!

Delicious. Superb ingredients, beautiful design. Great service

This lovely restaurant is nestled in the Ringling Museum and sits on a pond that looks out on beautiful gardens. The new management has really created a fantastic menu. We have eaten here multiple times recently and each time the food was superb. Today I had the lamb wrap and my husband the burger. Both excellent and tasty. Check the special menus for holidays. Valentines Day and Easter were special dinners. Service is consistently excellent. The locals are now discovering this gem so make a reservation if you want a table. Then enjoy the museum or a performance at the Asolo Theater. Best restaurant on North Side‼️‼️

great portion sizes and excellent service! perfect place for lunch if you're visiting the ringling museum. highly recommend ordering sharables for the table, like the G-room salad and calamari. the plating and garnishing was SO beautiful.

It was good and the food was delicious. The G burger was yummy and fish tacos were fantastic too. Desserts were good too. Make sure you get reservations!

The food is amazing!!! My dad and I had the New York Strip and fries with mushroom gravy and it was the best I have ever had. The steak was thick-cut, juicy, and cooked to perfection. The fries were immense!! I cannot overstate how big these fries were. See the pic. My brother had the salmon. The sauce that came with his was super delicious. My mushroom gravy was also delicious and paired perfectly with the steak and green beans. If you come to visit the Ringling Museum, do make a point to eat at the Grillroom in the main pavilion. Service was excellent and the atmosphere was lovely. We sat outside right by the fountain. It was a perfect day.

The wait was a little bit, but that's because we didn't have a reservation. Once seated our server Judge was very personable and knowledgeable about the food and drinks. Our food came out cooked and prepared excellent. I had the Grouper and my wife had the Shrimp and Scallops polenta. All very delicious.

Decided to stay here after visiting the Ringling museum. On a Saturday night not crowded, classy atmosphere but prices were right. My fish tacos were very tasty and a special BLT salmon was delicious. Glad we stayed!

Our server Carol was great. We'd never eaten before but we had hungry out of town visitors doing a visit with us to the buildings and grounds. They all had tacos and I had a burger. My burger was cooked just the way I like it - medium well and with an unexpected mushroom. We'll go here again when more guests want to go to visit. I would recommend a reservation, which we had, as the wait times were very long.

Visited this restaurant after a museum trip, and it turned out to be a great choice. We opted for the fish tacos and salmon, and the taste was superb. The freshness of the food really stood out. The staff was friendly, adding to the positive experience. It wasn't crowded, allowing for a relaxed meal. The prices were reasonable. Recommended!

Amazing decor, genuine and humble staff. Dion and Keirsten were beyond generous and extremely attentive to all the guest..for me customer service is a huge factor in how much I spend at an establishment. If it wasnt for the warmth of the hosts I wouldn't have stepped in.. both the staff members greeted me promptly and had a welcoming smile which made me want to sit in to enjoy more than just a drink. I absolutely loved the vegan options.i had the impossible burger with fries and vegan ranch. It was delicious..I highly recommend this place for anyone looking to escape the normal quick bite places and still be able to grab a quick bite with a nice view and the best staff ever. Thank you Dion and Kiersten, you truly are an asset to the Muse.

Eating at the Ringling Grillroom when visiting the museum is like the icing on the cake. There is a fresh selection of items on the menu with several vegetarian and gluten free options. Some of my favorites are the burrata and heirloom tomatoes, ahi tona poke, new style hummus and the shrimp and scallop polenta. There is also a full service bar. The service is excellent and the setting is just perfect. The grill is nestled on the west side of the visitor's center with a westward view of a lovely pond and the circus museum. You can dine indoors or outdoors.

My friend and I were at the Ringling museum and STARVING. We had considered just picking up a sandwich at the cafe, but decided to check out the restaurant. Definitely right choice we made! Brunch $16 for one starter, salad and one main course. For starters, we ordered the roasted almond butter hummus and Caesar's deviled eggs. Delicious and beautifully presented! Then we had griddle Burger and smoked chicken quesadilla. Fresh and delicious!! Nice atmosphere and excellent service. We had our food within 5 minutes. Roasted almond butter hummus was good but has way too many seeds.

Dining here was excellent experience with all the elements being superb- from the entrees to the decor (stylishly modern) and the setting- nestled in the Ringling Art Museum campus. We had the Chicken Milanese with Crispy Panko Chicken, Arugula, Over-Dried Tomato, Parmigiano Reggiano, Lemonette, Whipped Ricotta, Extra Virgin Olive Oil. While a little more done than I prefer it was still delightful! Also the Steamed Trigger Fish- Bamboo Steamed, Lemongrass, Hong Kong Sauce, Spinach, Artichokes, Parselied Basmati Rice. Another surprisingly tasty entree! (See photos) Dessert was the Warm Chocolate Cake with Molten chocolate cake, fresh whipped cream, powdered sugar. Sorry no photo of the dessert because we ate it so fast!

We tried the heirloom tomato and it was one of the best salad dishes I’ve ever had. Fresh, tasty, flavorful… just delicious. Service was a bit cold at first. But overall we liked it. And it’s a great addition to this beautiful museum.

Excellent dining option with amazing service. I had the trigger fish and my wife had the chicken panini. Would recommend eating here even if you aren't visiting the museum.

We were lucky to find this hidden gym! You can visit even if not touring the museum. Everyone ask for Bob!! The food was amazing and the turtle pond entertaining. The food is wonderful!

The food was amazing!! The salmon was sumptuous and juicy, deserved to be in the favorites category, glad I made the right decision to get it; decided to order dessert too so I got the crème brûlée and it was just the right amount of sweet.

Convenient after a long drive to the museum. The view was great and the waitress was friendly. Everything we had was great. I had the bahn mí wrap, and my partner had calamari. Drinks were nice and strong.

A wonderful surprise within the museum! The quality matches the historic and still relevant experience at this multi-faceted location. Food was interesting and well prepared, not over priced. More then just a " circus museum" for sure! I'll be back soon.

They were booked for the day and were able to get 10 of us in for lunch on my birthday. Bloody Marys and 10 meals came out fresh and delicious.

We met friends for dinner prior to the performance across the street at Asolo. Excellent food and great service. We will go back again.

Our dining experience at the Ringling Grillroom, now under new management, was excellent. Stephanie, the new manager, was exceptionally helpful, and our server, Judge, was wonderful. We’ll definitely be dining there again.

This place is a hidden gem. I never expected a great restaurant at a Museum. We sat at the bar and Jill was our bartender/server. She is very attentive and makes the experience better. The Salmon BLT is fantastic and they have a daily flatbread from the Chef. I was not disappointed. I got a Ringling Membership so you get 15% off the food. FYI you don't need to pay the Museum entrance fee to enjoy the Grillroom.

Wonderful lunch. Quality. Nice and relaxing. Very quality. Our server was great too! Whatever you’re doing, keep it up.

Jennifer was such an amazing ambassador for the grill team! She saw the distress I was in with a toddler and immediately calmed the situation with stickers!!!! We were immediately transported into this tranquil space with a zesty Bloody Mary for my partner, and a nice glass of elixir for me! She highly recommended all of my top picks however the salmon blt stole my heart! I plan to grab one to go!!!! The children’s grilled cheese sandwich was thoughtful, whole grain bread and quality cheddar cheese. The main salad with toasted pumpkin seeds, sunflower seed and the herbaceous vinaigrette!!!! Amazing!!!! I’m not a huge salad girlie but let me tell you!!!! It went so well with the salmon blt! The lemon aioli was tangy and delicious! The bacon was crisp! The lettuce and tomato was fresh and the blackened seasoning gave the sandwich the perfect edge of flavor and balanced so well with the buttery brioche! Literally best lunch in Sarasota thus far!!!! Thank you!!! Thank you!!!

The Grillroom was the perfect epicurean complement to my joyful Ringling experience. The food is creative, accessible and darn delicious. Service matters and Judge was friendly, efficient and helpful. Also, l could tell the entire staff worked as a team. They were alert and made eye contact just in case they were needed. I was a solo diner so I really appreciated this kind of service excellence. I will come back and I highly recommend you include this in your Ringling plans or if in the neighborhood. Make a reservation and enjoy the experience!

We really enjoyed having dinner after the museum. The fish tacos, ahi tuna salad, local beer and crème brûlée were all delicious! Service was attentive and highly professional. The view from the terrace was very lovely at sunset. Highly recommended! 🤩

One of the BEST burgers. The truffle burger was beyond delicious, juicy tender burger. My companion had the shrimp tacos and said they were excellent. You get to choose your side- no upcharge and great options. The G salad had nuts, feta and a magical dressing that was so light yet tasty on tender greens.

Ate here on a Monday, bout 1pm and a party of four, while doing the museums and mansion tours. Was pleasantly surprised with the nice menu. A lot of good options, like salads, sandwiches, desserts. Only negative id say is that coke zero was only option - no diet coke. A bit bizarre. Our server David was top notch tho - loved that guy

Very nice restaurant, not noisy, the food was good, the papardelle was not long as usually should be but it was of good quality, overall it is an excellent choice in the airport area. The Créme Brûlée was also good. The wrap and sandwich also great.

Lovely little grill just inside the museum gates. Sitting outside has a good view of the lily pond. Fast and friendly service, make reservations if it's around a holiday like mother's day. I recommend the salmon BLT if you're not too hungry. The Grapefruit Ricky is a tasty and fresh cocktail

Sitting outside on the shaded patio is nice. We had a salad and the fish tacos, both very tasty, though I wished the fish tacos to be warm. Service was friendly and prompt. The bread pudding is delicious, fluffy with crunch.

Good food located in the main entrance of the Ringling Museum. Stopped in for lunch, they have both indoor and outdoor seating. Nice Lunch menu shared the squash dumplings and calamari appetizers and had the chicken sandwich and salt block tomato salad for lunch. They have a full bar too...

Beautiful grounds, many rooms filled with great paintings and sculptures. A few rooms being remodeled so they were closed off. We had member of our Party in a wheelchair. And all the staff made sure we could get around to see most exhibits.

This is a stunning imaginative destination restaurant in our beautiful Sarasota. Yes folks it’s on the Ringling museum grounds another good reason to go there.The food parings are simple but creative.They excite the palate and are visually delighting. Food quality good.Presentation outstanding.Service Good.Decor comfortable,aesthetically pleasing and outstanding.Pricing reasonable.Parking plentiful but can involve a trek.

Originally, I would’ve given this restaurant 4 stars. The atmosphere was nice, service was just a tad bit slow, and our server was initially pretty friendly. I ordered the Chicken Milanese, and it was alright. My friends enjoyed their food though. However, as we were paying (split bills), my friend selects no tip because she didn’t bring any extra cash with her. Our server, Dawn, has the AUDACITY to not only question why she didn’t tip, (my friend doesn’t owe her any explanation to begin with), but then proceeds to say “You shouldn’t go to restaurants if you can’t afford to tip.” The whole table was in absolute shock. That is extremely unprofessional, and inconsiderate given the fact that we are young students. I still ended up tipping because I usually do when I go out to eat, but this establishment will never get another dollar out of me.

The wait at lunctime was incredibly long since the place isn't that big, and unfortunately it wasn't really worth the wait. The food was really overpriced, especially considering how rough it was. The eighteen dollar taco plate came with only two tiny tacos, the burger was literally charred and burnt on the outside but near raw on the inside (turn the grill heat down its not that difficult I worked in a restaurant) and the ravioli they brought us was not only the wrong order but tasted like it was plopped on a plate then microwaved before being brought out to us. The green beans were good though. Overall a disappointment although the server was very kind about the mixup and brought out a new meal. It is conveniently located in the museum which is enormous (there's multiple) so it made a nice break between looking at everything.

Today, January 21st, my classmates and I were on a school field trip where we chose to eat at the Ringling Grillroom. Everything started off well as we were served drinks by our waiter Dawn. One of my classmates stepped away from the table and Dawn, proceeded to say “Do you want to wait for THAT PERSON to return before you order?” We all blew this interaction off and ordered our food. While we were waiting we tried to flag down our waitress but we were blatantly ignored and laughed at by Dawn when she clearly made eye contact with us while being very close to our table. Other servers had to fill our drinks for us. After we ate our food with little interaction from Dawn we got ready to pay. We decided two of our friends would pay the tip for the whole group. I was first to give my payment to Dawn and when I hit the no tip option she went off on me and proceeded to tell me “If you can’t afford to tip you shouldn’t eat here” in a nasty tone. She insinuated that I was poor. If she had just waited a few more seconds she would’ve realized she was being tipped. She proceeded to say”TIP” in an aggressive tone to my classmates. They said they felt like they were being pressured to tip even though they no longer wanted to. I asked to speak to the manager and instead talked to another member of your operation. I do hope the manager was alerted of her behavior.