Popular downtown restaurant reopen featuring new fall menu

SARASOTA — The annual fall hiatus of one local restaurant has officially ended. 

Located in Downtown Sarasota on First Street, Sage Restaurant is open to the public after it’s usual month-long closing. Alongside the restaurant reopening, its popular fourth floor rooftop bar also has reopened after being closed for over a year due to COVID-19. 

“Our rooftop has been a huge draw since we first opened Sage in 2019,” says Sharon Carole, owner of Sage, in a press release. “Many of our guests will start upstairs on the roof to order a cocktail before their dinner reservation, but we also see many people that come in specifically for the rooftop experience and view.”

The rooftop area features a full bar, a lounging area and views of the downtown area. Executive chef and Sage co-owner Christopher Covelli debuted a new fall menu for the restaurant that features smoked scallops with green garbanzo hummus and crispy shallots, and roasted half duck with red miso, port wine reduction and baby bok choy.

The Realm Restaurant Group, which operates downtown Sarasota’s Sage Restaurant, purchased downtown staple Bijou Café earlier this year. The statement says the plans to reopen the cafe after renovations will be announced later this month.