Canta Rana recently won the Golden Spoon Award in all of Southwest Florida by Florida Trend – a great honor given to a select number of restaurants. Additionally was recognized as a Top 10 Best Restaurant in Sarasota by the Herald Tribune.
Thanks to its Pre-Incas and Inca heritage and to Spanish, Basque, African, Chino Cantonese, Japanese and finally Italian, French and British immigration, Peruvian cuisine combines the flavors of four continents.
Canta Rana cooking combines our natural understanding of authentic Peruvian ingredients with our creative imagination. The distinct flavors and regional spices of Peru come through in every dish. We hope that Canta Rana becomes a pleasant unique place for people to enjoy and have a memorable dining experience.
"Food was presented in an elegant manner and the taste was fantastic. Service was outstanding. The mussels appetizer was delicious and can't be missed."
Dined on 03/27/2013
2007
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem
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"Our server was an extremely charming, terrific, eager young man. The appetizers were interesting in taste and presentation. The main courses were absolute duds. The Tacu Tacu Marino a la Diana was a mess. Too much rice and beans simply swimming in a thin, tasteless sauce. The fish was equally tasteless. The flank steak was chewy, charred, and accompanied by a ridiculous amount of lukewarm tomatoes and chunks of onions. At $160 including tip, not a cheap meal. Given that we were alone in the restaurant, the chef's indifference to the main courses was inexcusable. Not recommended."
Dined on 03/23/2013
2010
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"Wow! Read the reviews and used open table to get a table for 4. My husband I were visiting his parents in Sarasota and I thought it would be fun to try a new restaurant.
Every dish was great! we had creviche mixta which was promptly devoured. The pork and lamb dishes where excellent the sauces enhanced their flavors. The other two dishes we tried were seafood rice dishes. The fried rice dish would have fed 2 people w/o appetizer.
I enjoy every bite and I know my inlaws are planning to go back with friends, there lunch special looks like a good deal
And to top it all off there was live music, a very tasteful guitarist who sang some of his own songs and covers that just finished the entire experience."
Special Features: fit for foodies, romantic, neighborhood gem
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"An Exceptional experience!! I love Peruvian cuisine and have gone to other restaurants in town,but this restaurant is Outstanding!. I had the seafood tacu-tacu which was very fresh and a generous portion ,it felt like a party of flavours in my mouth. My wife also wanted tacu-tacu but the only tacu-tacu choice in the menu was with seafood and she is alergic to it. We asked the server the possibility of making the tacu-tacu with lomo saltado which is not in the menu. The server talked to the chef and they were nice to prepare this for my wife in a very busy night. (Well Done!!). We shared a dessert sampler which was fantastic!! I highly encourage everyone to come and try this hidden treasure."
Dined on 03/02/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic, great for lunch
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"This Restaurant is Awesome!!! The food, the service, the ambiance, the owners; a cute couple which makes you feel like family, in fact... better than family ; ) lol I Highly recommend it!!! The tacacho con cecina mmmmmm so gooood!!! Very bold smoky flavor combined with the onions OMG a die for!!! My friend had the a aji de gallina, terrific presentation in a handmade wood bowl!!! My server who is not Peruvian, guided me throughout the menu with not only a lot of knowledge, but with cravings also, lol She said: "I never tried peruvian cuisine but since I work here I'm a big Fan because it tastes so good and is prepared from scratch!!!""
Dined on 03/02/2013
2013
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, kid-friendly, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion, great for lunch, hot spot
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"My friend recommended this restaurant and I was a little hesitant since i had never tried Peruvian cuisine before. But, we had a pleasant surprise with the food because it was fresh and outstanding!!! My Lomo Saltaro was just perfect and my husband dish was shredded chicken which was awesome and well presented!!! The owners were very gracious and treated us as a part of the family. My server had a very good knowledge about the food and the wines which made it easy for my husband and I. The owners are very friendly and attentive!! Also, we already signed up for the culinary tour to Peru in September, I can 't wait ; )"
Dined on 03/02/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion, great for lunch
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"Canta Rana is a great find for anyone who isn't centric in their food tastes. Fusion cooking being what it is, you can expect a unique dinner served with great textures and flavors. You may even find a new favorite among their unique dishes. We absolutely adored the cerviche. We have been to Canta Rana three times now, and have tried different foods each time. Everything on the menu is superb. The owners visit every table and I know if something wasn't to your liking, they would bend over backwards to fix it. Great flavors, care in presentation, a eye on the service, Canta Rana is one of the best."
Dined on 02/16/2013
2008
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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"This is a great place!! I came for lunch with a group of friends and we were nicely surprised. This antique house has character inside, it is nicely decorated and everyone that work there are always with a smile. The menu offers different peruvian dishes not found anywere else in Sarasota. We were a group of 10 and this server was sharp!! He knew the food well and guided us in our selections. We shared Tostiches as an appetizer (Tostones with Ceviche) and bolitas de Yuca. I had the lomo saltado for lunch and the other dishes for my friends looked delicious and well presented on the plate. They had a nice wine list of south american, spanish, italian and california wines.I highly reccommend it!! We'll be back soon!!"
Dined on 02/01/2013
2012
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion, great for lunch, hot spot
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"Second visit. First time we thought the food was very good. This time just fair. The restaurant was empty (it was a week night). Hopefully, just an off night for the food."
Dined on 02/21/2013
2006
Special Features: neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion
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"Enjoyable dining experience. Nice to have music playing in the background not overpowering converastion. Food very traditional Peruvian. Service outstanding!"
Dined on 02/15/2013
2006
Special Features: good for groups, neighborhood gem
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"The restaurant is in an old house that doesn't look like much from the outside, but when you walk in, it's modern. Space is limited, loved the one man band. Small bar area that only serves beer and wine at moment. If you are sitting in the front room it's distracting because the main door to the restaurant is located there and your eye looks up each time the door opens and customers are standing waiting to be greeted. Overall it was a neat experience. I did say the service was fair because our waitress left the tasting wine on the table for me to pour into my glass other restaurants pour for you and ask if you like it. Also seemed like long amounts of time between when we saw her."
Dined on 02/09/2013
2012
Special Features: great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion
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"This restaurant's setting, on the north side of Fruitville in a one-time ranch home, is convenient to downtown, although with none of the downtown ambience. The dining room is small but not cramped. Decor is a bit amateurish. Sad to say, the food is a bit bland: no unusual combinations of spices, herbs, and strong flavors found at the best restaurants, including the best Peruvian spots. The service was enthusiastic and helpful."
Dined on 02/04/2013
2005
Special Features: neighborhood gem
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"This is a relatively new restaurant in Sarasota. The owners are a charming husband wife team, she's the chef and it is obvious they are proud of their place. Food is Peruvian and very tasty. My husband found his dish a bit heavy and the meat somewhat chewy butI loved my shrimp dish mixed with bananas and plantains. The adventurous eaters will love it!"
Dined on 02/03/2013
2003
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"Thia was fantastic evening. Awesome atmosphere, service and wine list all complimenting a marvelous cuisine! I am a bit of a coward with food so held my breath and hoped for the best when I learned we were eating Peruvian; boy was I being silly, what a marvelous and diverse cuisine! Being a vegetarian I had the veggie chaufa and my husband had some Ceviche which were both fantastic! What an interesting and varied menu, we hope to come back soon to do a bit more exploring! It was a fanastic romantic evening with great atmosphere (including some awesome relaxing acoustic music), great service & food.....oh don't forget the Flan, it is amazing!!"
Dined on 02/01/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic
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"This was our 2nd time here, we were anxious to return, and Canta Rana did not disappoint. The only disappointment was not being able dine in the lovely outdoor patio area, as it was not possible due to cold weather.
My wife went for the Ceviche Pescado....nice light fish (Corvina I think) with just the right amount of lime - the presentation with the fish, red onions, sweet potatoes and Canchita was a sight to behold and was absolutely delicious. I had the lamb roast (secco de cabritto) which was a delightful dish in a beer/cilantro based gravy. We paired this with a nice Spanish Garnacha wine and finshed with a flan to die for - great meal, good service all in a romantic setting with very nice acoustic music. Looking forward our 3rd tim"
Dined on 02/01/2013
2012
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic
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"Nice home converted to cozy restaurant. Outstanding food (try the lamb!), reasonable prices and friendly, professional service. Outdoor seating looks nice too but we did sit inside. Great new Sarasota restaurant!"
Dined on 01/26/2013
2010
Special Features: neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion
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"Interesting menu items not found on most restaurants, including a few Peruvian restaurants. But most importantly, having found the few things on the limited menu that one would enjoy, sit back and enjoy the quiet ambiance amidst great and hospital service. As for improving the menu, some lighter additions (e.g. salads) to the appetizer listings, and perhaps a few more wine varietals to that list. Another plus, plenty of available parking on location."
Dined on 01/23/2013
2009
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, romantic
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"We had a reservation but unfortunately when we arrived there were only seats n the bar or on an enclosed front porch (the weather was quite cold so the outdoor dining space could not be used). The owner and server were very nice--and did move us once a table in the main room opened up. We enjoyed the food--interesting and good. The lobster ceviche was fresh and tangy. And anything with plaintains is good as far as we were concerned. Modest wine list-not a lot of selections but what they offer is good and fairly priced."
Dined on 01/18/2013
2012
Special Features: fit for foodies
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Ratings-Only Reviews for Canta Rana Peruvian Fusion Cuisine