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Cest La Vie, Sarasota, FL

Cest La Vie

4.7
4.7
151 Reviews
$30 and under
French
1553 Main St, Sarasota, FL 34236

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 3 times today

About this restaurant

  • Charming
  • Great for outdoor dining
  • Good for special occasions
C'est la Vie Downtown! Authentic French Bistrot. Serving Classic French cuisine in a rustic provençal atmosphere. Only downtown location is doing dinner.
We also offer a spacious outdoor dinning garden terrace with a beautiful shady oak tree and illuminating string lights.
Our Artisan bakery and the quality of our pastries will have you feeling like you are in the heart of Paris.
Opened since 1997 by Christophe and Geraldine Coutelle, we collected over the years many awards from Best French Restaurant to Best french bakery. Located on Main street - Downtown Sarasota.
Come and join us for a delightful evening.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    French
  • Hours of operation
    Mon, Tue 7:30 am–6:00 pm Wed, Thu 7:30 am–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 7:30 am–9:30 pm Sun 8:30 am–9:00 pm Dinner Wed, Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–9:30 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Olivier Orion
  • Neighborhood
    Sarasota
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Beer, Cafe, Corkage Fee, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Wine

What 151 people are saying

Cest La Vie reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.7Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Tampa / Central Florida West

    Great for outdoor dining

  • Sarasota / Bradenton

    Best Value

  • Sarasota / Bradenton

    Great for brunch

  • Sarasota / Bradenton

    Great for fine wines

  • Sarasota / Bradenton

    Great for outdoor dining

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Cest La Vie offers an "authentic trip to Paris" with "nuanced, delicious food" and "excellent service." Diners rave about the "delicious escargot and mussels" and the "best lamb shank" ever. Experience a "feel good atmosphere" and charming outdoor setting on Sarasota's Main Street. Highly recommended for French cuisine lovers.

151 Reviews
  1. Bob VIP

    Chicago9 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 5, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Like we were on a trip to Paris. Authentic, attractive decor. Nuanced, delicious food. Scallops with crab topping served with a finely blended, savory seafood cream sauce were special.

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  2. Helen

    Washington DC1 review

    5.0

    Dined on March 30, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We ate at both locations many times and each time was as good as the first. Great service, very pleasant staff. Feel good atmosphere!

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  3. OpenTable Diner

    Greater Boston1 review

    5.0

    Dined on March 22, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great food. Delicious escargot and mussels. Anis was a very friendly and attentive waitress.

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  4. Micki VIP

    Chicago18 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 21, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The restaurant is so charming, as was our server. Caesar salad and mussels were delicious. Paninis were excellent. We will return.

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  5. RoseS

    New York City6 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on March 21, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Great little restaurant downtown. Food was delicious.

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  6. thomas

    Louisville8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 16, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Wonderful French cuisine. Excellent service. Bon appetiti!

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  7. David

    New York City202 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always a great experience dining at this restaurant. Prices are in the market range for restaurants on main street in Sarasota.

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  8. mike

    Philadelphia12 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Have tried both lunch and dinner at C’est La Vue and each visit was a pleasure. Delightful ambiance, great food, excellent service and good value. Definitely check them out, you won’t be disappointed.

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  9. Gary VIP

    Tampa52 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 13, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food. Great service. Enjoyed very much! Highly recommend!

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  10. susan

    Greater Boston8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 2, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    So glad we found this gem while vacationing in Sarasota. Went on a Saturday night and only made the reservation that afternoon. We were given the choice of outside or in, and chose outside. It was a beautiful March evening for us Bostonians and the scene on the street was lively. Cool cars cruising Main St and lots of people strolling the sidewalk. Shared escargots with baguette. I ordered traditional buckwheat crepe with cheese, leeks, and tomato - came with crisp salad. A chilled glass of chardonnay (good pour) was perfect. Husband had lamb shank came with lentils - very healthy portions. He said it was probably the best lamb shank he ever had. They have a french bakery onsite and we bought almond croissants for Sunday morning breakfast - they were delicious!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Cest La Vie is rated 4.7 stars by 151 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Tampa / Central Florida West
  4. Sarasota / Bradenton
  5. Sarasota

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 3 times today
Google Map for Cest La Vie

1553 Main St, Sarasota, FL 34236

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Sarasota
  • Hours of operation
    Mon, Tue 7:30 am–6:00 pm Wed, Thu 7:30 am–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 7:30 am–9:30 pm Sun 8:30 am–9:00 pm Dinner Wed, Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–9:30 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    French
  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Olivier Orion
  • Additional
    Beer, Cafe, Corkage Fee, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Wine
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