Food Scene
Bodrum is in downtown Venice, in an alley just across from Burgundy Square restaurant which we also like. Bow drum has Turkish and Greek food so you can have a Gyro for lunch or something more exotic for dinner. You can sit outside or inside
Wonderful for lunch or breakfast. The restaurant is tiny and the food is great. Good place to stop while strolling Venice Avenue.
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Upper Crust Cafe & Bakery
213 W Venice AveWonderful for lunch or breakfast. The restaurant is tiny and the food is great. Good place to stop while strolling Venice Avenue.
Very casual. You can eat outside just off the beach or get an indoor table with a view of the Gulf and the famous Sharkey’s Pier. Stroll down the pier If you have to wait for a table, or after dinner to watch the sun set.
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Sharky’s On The Pier
1600 Harbor Dr SVery casual. You can eat outside just off the beach or get an indoor table with a view of the Gulf and the famous Sharkey’s Pier. Stroll down the pier If you have to wait for a table, or after dinner to watch the sun set.
Water views and great food. Upscale menu, nice for special occasions. This is not in downtown Venice… It’s a few miles further away on a marina.
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Crow's Nest Restaurant & Marina
1968 Tarpon Center DrWater views and great food. Upscale menu, nice for special occasions. This is not in downtown Venice… It’s a few miles further away on a marina.
Very casual atmosphere in downtown Venice - Free parking on the street or in a large municipal parking lot. The menu provides something for everyone. We love the lobster rolls (the owner is from Maine and seafood is delivered several times a week). Indoor and outdoor tables.
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Burgundy Square Cafe
227 Miami Ave WVery casual atmosphere in downtown Venice - Free parking on the street or in a large municipal parking lot. The menu provides something for everyone. We love the lobster rolls (the owner is from Maine and seafood is delivered several times a week). Indoor and outdoor tables.
We like to order on-line and get our BBQ as takeout and bring it home - or sit at a picnic table at Service Club Park (beach) to watch the sun set.
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Gold Rush BBQ
661 S Tamiami TrailWe like to order on-line and get our BBQ as takeout and bring it home - or sit at a picnic table at Service Club Park (beach) to watch the sun set.
One street away from the hustle and bustle of Venice Avenue, Abby’s on Miami offers a varied traditional menu with indoor and outdoor seating. There is a free parking lot a few yards beyond the restaurant, on-street parking, or park a block away in another public lot.
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ABBY'S on Miami
220 Miami Ave WOne street away from the hustle and bustle of Venice Avenue, Abby’s on Miami offers a varied traditional menu with indoor and outdoor seating. There is a free parking lot a few yards beyond the restaurant, on-street parking, or park a block away in another public lot.
Parks & Nature
This is just over the bridge, and it has a nice boardwalk with picnic tables that lead to the beach. You can see Sharkey’s Pier from here. There are restrooms and showers to wash off the sand. The name “Service Club” is misleading - it’s a beach!
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Service Club Park
1190 Harbor Dr SThis is just over the bridge, and it has a nice boardwalk with picnic tables that lead to the beach. You can see Sharkey’s Pier from here. There are restrooms and showers to wash off the sand. The name “Service Club” is misleading - it’s a beach!
Less than a mile from our house, Shamrock Park has basketball courts, tennis courts, a playground, and the nature center offers workshops. We love the walking trails that lead down to the waterway. You can walk or ride bikes for miles from this park.
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Shamrock Park & Nature Center
3900 Shamrock DrLess than a mile from our house, Shamrock Park has basketball courts, tennis courts, a playground, and the nature center offers workshops. We love the walking trails that lead down to the waterway. You can walk or ride bikes for miles from this park.
Spectacular museum with gorgeous grounds. There are buildings that house circus exhibits and other buildings with extensive collections of oil paintings. You can pay extra for a ticket to tour the Ringling family home right there on Sarasota Bay.
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The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
5401 Bay Shore RdSpectacular museum with gorgeous grounds. There are buildings that house circus exhibits and other buildings with extensive collections of oil paintings. You can pay extra for a ticket to tour the Ringling family home right there on Sarasota Bay.
This is a plant lovers paradise with tropical gardens set along the shore of Sarasota Bay. Koi ponds, a butterfly garden, and other peaceful spots make this a great place to spend the day.
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Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
1534 Mound StThis is a plant lovers paradise with tropical gardens set along the shore of Sarasota Bay. Koi ponds, a butterfly garden, and other peaceful spots make this a great place to spend the day.
This beach is closest to downtown Venice, and offers the most conveniences including a snack bar, changing rooms, and restrooms. There are two fairly small parking lots (free) - so if you get there late you may have to drop your stuff and park in the public lot just up the street a bit )also free).
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Venice Beach
101 The Esplanade SThis beach is closest to downtown Venice, and offers the most conveniences including a snack bar, changing rooms, and restrooms. There are two fairly small parking lots (free) - so if you get there late you may have to drop your stuff and park in the public lot just up the street a bit )also free).
Audubon Rookery Parking
Shopping
Downtown Venice is full of shops, clothing boutiques, and restaurants. My favorite gift shop is Venice Stationers. Stores close around 6 PM so the night scene is primarily food. There’s several good ice cream shops that may be open till 8 PM
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Historic Downtown Venice, FL
101 W Venice AveDowntown Venice is full of shops, clothing boutiques, and restaurants. My favorite gift shop is Venice Stationers. Stores close around 6 PM so the night scene is primarily food. There’s several good ice cream shops that may be open till 8 PM
Essentials
Detwiler’s is a family-owned farm market with Amish roots - best known for fresh produce at reasonable prices. They also have high quality fish, meat, and baked goods.
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Detwiler's Farm Market
1250 US-41 BYPDetwiler’s is a family-owned farm market with Amish roots - best known for fresh produce at reasonable prices. They also have high quality fish, meat, and baked goods.
Aldi is close by, and has great prices. It’s small, so you probably won’t find everything you’re looking for - but you will leave with some unexpected bargains! Insert a quarter for a shopping cart and get the quarter back when you return it - or, more often than not, an exiting shopper will just give you their cart. Pay if forward!
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ALDI
1681 S Tamiami TrailAldi is close by, and has great prices. It’s small, so you probably won’t find everything you’re looking for - but you will leave with some unexpected bargains! Insert a quarter for a shopping cart and get the quarter back when you return it - or, more often than not, an exiting shopper will just give you their cart. Pay if forward!
Publix is the go-to grocery store in the area. In addition to normal grocery items, they have lots of prepared foods and a deli where you can have sandwiches made for picnics (the deli is busy at lunchtime).
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Publix
13435 S McCall RdPublix is the go-to grocery store in the area. In addition to normal grocery items, they have lots of prepared foods and a deli where you can have sandwiches made for picnics (the deli is busy at lunchtime).
Family Fun
Busch Gardens
10165 McKinley DrCoolToday Park
18800 W Villages PkwyMLB spring training games are played here.
Less than a mile from our house - wonderful walking/biking paths - the major paved pathway runs alongside the Venetian Waterway.
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Shamrock Park & Nature Center
3900 Shamrock DrLess than a mile from our house - wonderful walking/biking paths - the major paved pathway runs alongside the Venetian Waterway.