Whether it's casual fare or fine dining you favor, you'll find plenty of palate-pleasing possibilities on Longboat, Lido, St. Armands, Siesta and Casey Keys. Our palm-fringed paradise is peppered with original, award-winning restaurants that serve up everything from crab cakes to caviar. Check out what's cooking on the keys.

Low-Key to Luxe on Longboat
Find fresh seafood and laid-back waterfront dining at Dry Dock Waterfront Grill. A favorite of locals, this eatery is known for its grouper, but also crab cakes, center-cut steaks, shrimp and char-grilled burgers. Nautical gear, maps and charts line

Enjoy breathtaking views at The Sand Dollar Rooftop Restaurant

the walls; sailboats, canoes and kayaks hang from the ceilings. It's a delightful dining experience outdoors or in.

Any occasion becomes a special one at Euphemia Haye. Romantics, epicures, wine and music lovers will discover fine dining at this charming hideaway. Linen-topped tables and fresh flowers accompany exotic treats such as Hummus Bi Tahina, veal sweetbreads or Columbia River salmon. Perched above the restaurant, the HayeLoft is known for its delectable desserts in an eclectic, artsy atmosphere with lighter dinner fare like soups, salads, appetizers and gourmet pizzas. Make reservations for a multi-course meal at Euphemia Haye, or walk up on a whim to the HayeLoft.

Buffets, New American on Lido
Nothing says island dining like seafood. Make it a buffet at The Sand Dollar Rooftop Restaurant, and you've got a tropical bonanza of great food and breathtaking Gulf views. Presented Friday and Saturday nights in season, it's a flavorful bounty of mussels, crab, oysters, shrimp and fish, along with alligator, chicken and juicy prime rib. Fresh steamed veggies, salad and delectable desserts complete this epicurean extravaganza. The Sand Dollar also serves up a sumptuous Sunday breakfast buffet, and breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.

Find New American Cuisine and more sensational views at Christopher's on Lido. The cozy cocktail lounge overlooks Lido Beach, and a romantic dining room presents a panorama of city lights reflected in the bay. Artfully presented entrees range from rack of lamb to Coral Reef Bouillabaisse. Specials change nightly.

Euro-epicurean

"Come as you are" to The Broken Egg

on St. Armands
You don't need the luck of the Irish to have a great time at Lynches Pub & Grub. The friendly neighborhood enclave serves "food and fun daily." Imported lagers, stouts and ales pair well with authentic Irish stew, cottage pie and corned beef and cabbage, but if you'd prefer wine or cocktails with your Belfast burger, then bottoms up!

Café L'Europe is quintessential fine dining in an elegantly warm atmosphere. An impressive collection of artwork adorns the dining room walls, while outdoor dining presents people-watching in style. Enjoy classics like the Brandied Duckling Café L'Europe, on the menu since 1973, or seasonally changing savory surprises such as Shrimp Pernod or Tapas for Two.

Casual Eats on Siesta
Come as you are, order breakfast or lunch and dine inside or out at The Broken Egg, an island tradition for more than 20 years. With huge portions of everything from benedicts and homemade pancakes to a shrimp Caesar wrap and oriental duck salad, you won't leave hungry.

Stay as you are at the kick-back casual Siesta Key Oyster Bar. A daily happy hour from 3 - 6 p.m., live entertainment and late night menus guarantee something is always going on. Grouper sandwiches, clams, wings, shrimp, calamari, steak and, of course, oysters make up some of the menu choices, also served indoors or out.

Fresh Seafood on Casey
Pop's Sunset Grille welcomes diners by land or by sea. The rustic, waterfront restaurant features a fresh catch daily, fried seafood baskets, salads, burgers, a mixed seafood grill, crab cakes and more.

Find more "Old Florida" at the Casey Key Fish House, another favorite of hungry seafarers. Try the grouper, snapper or mahi, grilled, blackened or fried. The almond encrusted snapper always gets rave reviews. Like Pop's, friendly service, fresh seafood and spectacular sunsets are their specialties.

Dinner With A View
"Feast for the senses" doesn't begin to describe the dining experience aboard the brand new Marina Jack II. Here, haute cuisine is rivaled only by Sarasota's stunning skyline, and every table has a water view. The luxuriously appointed yacht offers fine lunch and dinner buffets while gliding past gorgeous Bird, Lido and Siesta Keys.

If you go:

Broken Egg, 140 Avenida Madera, Siesta Key, 941-346-2750, www.thebrokenegg.com
Café L'Europe, 431 St. Armands Circle, Sarasota, 941-388-4415, www.cafeleurope.net
Casey Key Fish House, 801 Blackburn Point Rd., Osprey, 941-966-1901
Christopher's on Lido, 700 Ben Franklin Dr., Sarasota, 941-388-5608, www.lidobeachresort.com/dining.htm
Dry Dock Waterfront Grill, 412 Gulf of Mexico Dr., Longboat Key, 941-383-0102
Euphemia Haye Restaurant and Haye Loft, 5540 Gulf of Mexico Dr., Longboat Key, 941-383-3633, www.euphemiahaye.com
Lynches Pub & Grub, 19B N. Blvd. Of the Presidents, Sarasota, 941-388-5550, www.lynchespubandgrub.com
Marina Jack II, Marina Jack, Two Marina Plaza, Sarasota, 941-365-4232, www.marinajacks.com/dinner_boat.htm
Pop's Sunset Grill, 112 Circuit Rd., Nokomis, 941-488-3177
The Sand Dollar Rooftop Restaurant, 233 Ben Franklin Dr., Sarasota, 941-388-5555
Siesta Key Oyster Bar, 5238 Ocean Blvd., Siesta Key, 941-346-5443, www.skob.com