Oyster River Rooftop

Amazing night at Oyster River Rooftop! ✨ Started with the mussels — fresh and flavorful — and had the sea bass for dinner, perfectly cooked and beautifully plated. They surprised us with an unforgettable anniversary dessert and a rich espresso to end the night. The wine selection is fantastic, and the atmosphere is elegant yet cozy. Truly a memorable experience!

Read below for the full review. Follow me for more honest and detailed reviews. Click or Tap my profile picture and then click or tap follow. Restaurant: Oyster River Rooftop Located at the top of the Marriot 600 US-41 Palmetto, FL 34221 (941) 304-3514 Main Question: Is the food worth the price? Answer: Not even a little bit and BUYER BEWARE warnings inside this review. Wait Time: There was no wait time, but we almost did not get in because we did not have reservations. Food: Pros The lemons were good. There wasn't anything that I enjoyed about the meal that made it worth $350.00 for 2 people. Cons The steak was not cooked correctly being both over cooked on the edges and undercooked in the middle at the same time. This was supposed to be a Wagyu beef steak and we were charged the price for Wagyu. I showed the pictures to a connoisseur of beef and he tells me the restaurant was dishonest and what they served me and charged me for was not Wagyu beef. He showed me Wagyu beef and explained the difference and states without a doubt, I was not served Wagyu beef. The pate was extremely salty. The beef carpaccio was drenched in oil so much my guest made a comment to the server there was more oil on this beef carpaccio than what they found in Diddy's mansion. The bread came out burnt. Some of the dishes were so small, it made it impossible to enjoy. Some of the dishes were inedible. The dessert was big, beautiful in appearance, but so sweet that by the time half of it was completed, it was very difficult to try to eat the rest of it. Atmosphere: This was okay, but one side overlooks a construction area, the other side overlooks a parking lot. The water is nice to look at though. It was quiet. Cleanliness: Everything was very clean down to the floors in the bathroom. Service: The service was outstanding. We really liked our server. This is what would have saved this restaurant from a 1 star to a 2 star restaurant, at best, if it wasn't for the apparent dishonesty listed in this review. Price: It was $350.00 for 2 people to eat there and we do not drink alcohol. Recommended: No, I do not recommend this restaurant. If you want to pay for an overpriced meal that you can appreciate, go to the Ritz Carlton in downtown Sarasota. Comments: The manager and chef came to greet me. I informed them about my intention to write the review based on my experience, showed them my viewers and spoke with them. The chef requested I not write this review because they wanted to invite me back for a second chance. They stated they had untrained personnel at the time we were eating and they were changing the menus within a couple of weeks. They have my contact information and promised they would contact me back after Valentine's Day. It has been over 2 weeks since Valentines Day has passed without contact. I must surmise they only asked me to hold off so that I wouldn't write the review before Valentines Day and had no intention of contacting me back. Therefore, due to the dishonesty in both what appears to be in the steak I was served and in their offer, I have marked this down from what the rating of a 2 star review solely based on the server to a 1 star review and a cautionary BUYER BEWARE. Reading over the other reviews and responses, it appears they have used the "we've changed our menu line before in their responses", but I do commend them for not providing cookie cutter responses. Official response to a consumer: Hi Rob, We want to deeply apologize for this experience that you had at Oyster River. We are constantly trying to improve and make adjustments that cater to the needs of our guests and all of this feedback is important for us and the growth of the restaurant. We have since made some very positive changes with our menu and we hope that we can serve you again soon to have a more positive experience. Best Regards, The Management Team

I would give the service a 10. Charles at the bar was Outstanding! Great recommendations on cocktails and dinner. We will be back to this beautiful resort/hotel and of course Roof Top restaurant thanks to Charles at the bar at Oyster River Rooftop Restaurant!

We made reservations (and you need them) to even be on the roof top restaraunt level, even if you decide to just sit at the bar. The views are stunning from the rooftop area. The staff are wonderful and attentive. The food was another level! We had a salmon roll that was delicious...and I do NOT like raw fish. I even ate my husbands. We ordered the crab cake appetizer and it was placed at the top of our list. I could have eaten so many more. My husband ordered the mushroom risotto off the sides section and I ordered the sea bass. Everything was so good....beyond good. My only negative is that I left hungry after eating everything I ordered and it wasn't inexpensive. The martinis were just as amazing as the food. It Is very upscale and everything exceeded our expectations.

Great place to celebrate our anniversary. Great views and good from beginning to end. And the Oyster Pearl cocktail is amazing.

Had dinner with my parents this evening! Our server, James was knowledgeable and attentive. The food was delicious and prepared just as requested. Dessert was phenomenal 🥰 The views are priceless!

A new restaurant on the gulf coast is one to certainly be recognized for its exemplary menu, service, and atmosphere. We had an outstanding 5-course culinary masterpiece! First we enjoyed delicious handmade special request cocktails that were absolutely generous and each perfect. I am a connoisseur of the classic martini and they have a perfect one! I remember being in Paris a few months ago and how I longed for a martini served to this perfection with blue cheese olives amd all! They say there’s no place like home, thanks to the new Oyster River rooftop restaurant I agree and can confirm this!! Next we had an opening appetizer a tuna tartar that was incredible; wrapped inside of a delicate wafer thin fresh and very delicious cucumber slice. Followed by Oysters Rockefeller that has definitely engrained their name Oyster River - they earned it in this dish alone. As an additional endorsement, we had their seafood tower With lobster, shrimp, clams, and amazingly fresh oysters. All that up with a Isar salad served with fried oysters that were also delicious. Finally, the main course which was a Wagyu tomahawk steak (intended for two but was perfect for four, with all the courses and side dishes) medium rare, prepared to absolute perfection and personally cut at the table by the Chef; who truthfully left us in awe of all of his unlimited talent!! A wonderful wine selection, several nice smokey beautifully prepared old-fashions, and a couple of expresso martini is with a splash of chocolate to accompany, an outstanding Keylime pie, which was served so eloquently along with a couple of their desserts! Needless to say, this was an amazing evening and culinary perfection and the staff from the parking lot attendance to the first floor, hostess Sarah at the restaurant entrance and our weight staff and chef make this an unforgettable evening and hopefully, you’ve read this review and are making plsns to create your own magical evening of culinary perfection!! The restaurant is small, very intimate with amazing views, and and an outdoor seating area that is welcoming and comfortable as well.

Came here with some coworkers with very sophisticated palates. Oyster river did not disappoint. We orders surf and turf both the prawns and lobster tail, the sea bass, and seafood linguine along with apps and salads. All the plates were fantastic. The service was top notch and atmosphere albeit a small restaurant was pleasant with a nice view.

DO NOT DINE HERE. I made dinner reservations at this place over a week in advance for my mother's 80th birthday. Reservation was for 5 people, which we increased to 8 during the week as more family members came into town. Restaurant called and left us a voicemail the day before that 8 was no problem for 6:30pm on 5/24. When our party showed up at 6:30pm and went upstairs they informed us that they called us roughly 45 mins prior to the reservation to confirm. To CONFIRM?? Who does this? We had people fly in from PA and TX, as well as others who drove over from Sanford, FL and as we were all getting ready and commuting to the restaurant they called to CONFIRM? Then proceeded to give our table away, almost certainly to friends of the manager most likely. To top it off, they tried to blame it on computer/system problems. So our choices (with several guest 80+ years old) were to A) sit outside in 85+ degree heat or B) sit at a hightop table. Neither option was acceptable. Then the hostess (MacKenzie or whatever her infantile name was) muffled an obscentity when I walked away, which a relative in my party overheard. Then when he confronted the manager about this, the hostess LIED and denied saying it. This is the face of how this restaurant operates, which is a DIRECT reflection of Ryan Hennigan (front office manager) and Greg Ciaccio (hotel manager). They should be ashamed of this facility and the manager/hostess of Oyster River Rooftop. Staff basically didn't think a party of 8 would show up, gave our table away then offered us NO alternatives and to top it all off, was extremely RUDE and HOSTILE to my entire party. Completely unacceptable when there are SO MANY better options in the area, trust me. Two of my mom's favorite places in the area are Mattison's Riverwalk Grille near Manatee Hospital and Michael John's Restaurant on SR64 in Bradenton. BOTH are way better than this Marriott and their staff. DO NOT WASTE YOUR $$ or TIME at this establishment. Google the MANY terrible reviews they have and weigh them heavily before choosing this place. My mother wanted to go here so I basically gave them a chance. My mistake, won't happen again. My party basically stopped at Detwiler's on the way home, purchased some ribeye and NY strip sirloin steaks, shrimp, scallops and crabcakes, then fired up the Blackstone 36" griddle and had an AMAZING meal for probably less than HALF of what we would have OVERPAID at this Marriott restaurant. And the best part of all? My first cousin and I did all the Blackstone cooking and required NO tip. :) Truly pathetic business operation and all run by Aimbridge Hospitality, who obviously cares more about turning quick tables vs. quality customer service and treating people with respect. If you want to be treated right, AVOID this place. If you want to be treated like you're at Applebees, then you could try them.

Let's start with the positive aspects of this restaurant, the service is good. Now the food, was atrocious, we ordered the taco tower, the chips were stale and fried too long, the steak was literally the worst piece of meat I've ever eaten. I spit it out into the napkin. The chicken was essentially boiled without seasoning. The oysters tasted fishy, thankfully they were cooked. The seafood sampler had a scoop of what tasted like canned tuna with mayo. I know this is a newer restaurant, but was informed by our waiter they have been open for a year. How are they still open? The taco tower, was a new addition to the menu, could be renamed tower of terror in that nothing was edible. Hard to believe the worst steak I've had in my life was the steak included in that tower.

Oyster River is a must do! Amazing views, great ambiance, friendly service, and delicious food. Nice selection of creative cocktails and wine. I was with a party of 5 and everyone loved it!. We were presented a complimentary amuse Bouche of a lobster hush puppy with Venezuelan tartar sauce. Nice little chunks of lobster in it. We started with the Octopus and Mussels.Both so tender and flavorful. The lobster bisque had HUGE chunks of lobster. Entrees we ordered included the Chilean sea bass, Wagyu, and Scallops. All amazing! We did not have room for dessert so will have to pace ourselves next time. While this is in the stylish Marriott Palmetto Resort, this is not your typical hotel restaurant. It is a destination in and of itself!

From the moment you walk into this rooftop restaurant you can enjoy panoramic views! You're immediately greeted with exceptional service that lasts till the end of your delightful meal! Make sure to ask for Charles, charming and professional service! He offered great recommendations too!

Ambience nice Food pricy and quality so so & portion small Service good That dessert portion is so much bigger than the main course and the salad. Lol

I hesitated to come based on reviews, but it was raining.....I'm so glad I came. Nice view & Chic ambience! They started with an amazing shrimp amuse bouche in a fabulous sauce which could easily be a fantastic appetizer. The Grilled Octopus was tender and grilled to perfection, which is not easy to accomplish. The sauce on it was delicious and it came on a bed of multicolor smashed small potatoes. The Oyster fish sandwich had a generous portion of fresh flaky mahi mahi on a brioche bun with a great house sauce and house potato chips - really delicious. The oyster Rockefeller appetizer was spot on....OMG.....must try! Lastly, our server Tania was very helpful and a pleasure.

James our server was ok. I understand they just opened when we were there and the A/C stopped working. They sat us in the sun and did not have blinds for the windows so we had to move. All my food was cold, the Oysters Rockefeller and the lobster/clam linguine. I did not send my food back even though it was cold. I have had way better oysters Rockefeller. The pasta dish is no way worth $67.00. My husbands filet was over cooked and they had to make him another one.

The restaurant has a wonderful view and the setting and ambiance are great. The hostess, servers and manager ( Sara) were all very attentive and helpful in selections. The food was delicious. The entrees are aka La carte and side dishes are large enough to share for 2-3 persons. I had the sea bass, the sauce and fish were delicious. This is the second time I've had this dish here and it was as good as I remembered. We went with family and all shared some dishes. We started with the crab cakes for apps. Then for dinner, the chicken dish my wife had was very flavorful and my son's wagu steak and lobster was top notch! I noticed the menu is evolving. They added some handheld items that are more economical ( a fish sandwich and a wagu burger) which we did not try as we were there to celebrate and splurge a bit. My daughter in law loved her vegetarian dishes. She had the eggplant croquette ( she said it was delicious) and the burrata, which I tried and greatly enjoyed! For dessert we shared the crème brûlée ricotta cheese cake like dish. It was very yummy. Also their deconstructed key lime pie! A favorite of mine and the portion is fairly large. Overall it was a 5/5 on atmosphere, service and flavors. We will definitely drive the 25 mins to Palmetto to eat here every time we come to stay on Anna Maria Island.

It's hard to describe the perfect feeling of contentment I get after eating at Oyster River. Their service is very specialty and high end. This was the perfect place for a family meal but would also be perfect for a girls night out. Their staff is so helpful with questions, their menu is evolving and always 10/10. I especially loved that it was vegetarian friendly and their desserts are amazing.

Finally, fine dining in Palmetto North of the River. Wagyu carpaccio was amazing, wagyu filet was so tender and seasoned well, King Prawns cooked just right. Loved the risotto. Great service by Tania our server. Carrot cake at the downstairs bar after dinner upstairs was ok, I've had much better, but that was the low. A great experience! We will be back for certain. Views are really nice, hotel is nicely appointed. Clearly the best fine dining in the area and I've tried all of them.

This place.... Is an absolute hidden gem. We went expecting a normal hotel bar experience but were delighted to find a new favorite! The whole thing feels like visiting family who genuinely love a culinary adventure. Beautiful location with tasteful decorations and amazing views , mixed with probably the happiest servers and staff I've ever met makes for an absolute treat. Our hostess, servers -heck, even the management were attentive and bright-eyed/bushy tailed and happy to help and answer any questions. Our server was James and he was an amazing server (though I'm not sure server covers it- he was a culinary guide, comedian , host and friendly face all on top of server. Total rockstar!) The food was delicate, flavor rich, carefully prepared and on par with some of the highest rated restaurants I've ever been to. This spot will be award winning in no time so get your reservations in now! We will 110% be returning time and time again and I hope it never changes.

Defiantly High End!!! Does not cater to the middle class. Way too pricey and all side orders extra! Not in the least kid friendly menu, so don't bother taking your kids there for dinner. The sun came blazing through the windows and no shades to get the sun out of your eyes. Didn't waste any money on bathrooms either. One stall per gender. Yes, the food was good but, if you're a big eater, good luck! Portions were very small. Would I go back? No!!! Thank you

We arrived at 745 pm on a Friday night. We have been staying at the hotel for six weeks for work and decided to give it a try. We were rudely told to "wait in the hallway and don't get mad." We both thought that was a weird response from the short blonde girl. A second blonde came out and said they couldn't seat us because they are at capacity because of a 25 person party. Looking in we saw half the tables were completely empty of patrons and there were only two people seated at the bar. Why build a rooftop restaurant with a small kitchen that can't handle the amount of patrons that they have seats for. Absolutely ridiculous!! Won't recommend this place and won't eat here.

Absolutely a fabulous experience from start to finish. Easy to see the difference from the rest of the hotel. Beautiful view. Food 10/10. Service 10/10. Wish it was open for breakfast and lunch. I'd never leave the 8th floor.

An overall great experience from start to finish. We checked in with Stephanie who escorted us to the elevator and gave some great recommendations. Our server, Tania and her assistant Gabriel were awesome. We started with the King Prawns and Oysters Rockefeller were superb. For the mains we went with the Wagyu Ribeye and the Poulet a la Oscar. The presentation and flavor Both exceeded our expectations. Half way through dinner, the Chef, Anthony Castro, came out to check on us and was super friendly and sincere. A little pricey but the food quality and service is worth it. A perfect sunset view. We will definitely go back.

Ambiance, service and presentation were top notch and well above a 5 but unfortunately, the food was barely a 1. The filet was a great cut but other than that, the rest of the food was bland and had zero flavor. The prawns were muddy and soggy. The potatoes had no flavor, the pasta was so much work to get it prepared, it lost its appeal;( We were super disappointed being that we were really looking forward to and willing to pay for a high end spot north of the river. Hopefully they can make some adjustments being that they are new.

The food was absolutely amazing! The view, and service, absolutely outstanding! If you're in the area, and hadn't had the experience, I highly recommend!

Came here with some coworkers with very sophisticated palates. Oyster river did not disappoint. We orders surf and turf both the prawns and lobster tail, the sea bass, and seafood linguine along with apps and salads. All the plates were fantastic. The service was top notch and atmosphere albeit a small restaurant was pleasant with a nice view.

What a treat! We are staying at the hotel and Sarah the manger was able to get us in while we had guests join us for the evening. We had a little one with us so we sat outside since there was more room for a kid to be entertained. It was a treat to sit on the balcony while the sun set and enjoyed that it was a bit quieter as well so we could enjoy our conversation. Service - Charles took care of us and he was great! We had a vegan and a 9 year old with us so our orders were going to be a little "off menu". He had no problem working with the chef to make both of their meals unforgettable! He checked in and always made sure the drinks were flowing, even our 9 year old had a mock tail which made her feel like she could cheers along to all the great moments we shared! Dylan was also very attentive and made sure we always had water which was much appreciated! Food - the chef knocked it out of the park. If you are a Vegan you are in luck because the chef has an excellent background in creating some off menu memorable food experiences for you! For the appetizer it was a tomato gazpacho prepared for our vegan eater. While the rest of us enjoyed both the Raw and Rockefeller oysters - both types were fresh and deliciously prepared. Next were the main courses, our 9 year old requested the Mac n cheese but kid version so no crab or lobster - "the chef made the best Mac" was the quote of her night! Fish was also requested and they prepared the sea bass without the sauce which was also one of her "favorite meals in her life!" Our Vegan was next up and had a mix of fresh roasted vegetables incredibly seasoned on a charred bed of cauliflower - the flavor was well balanced and our vegan ate every last bite! We also enjoyed the surf n turf with perfectly cooked wagyu steak filet and a crispy (on the outside) lump crab cake. Finally the stuffed chicken with crab was incredibly flavorful. For shareable sides we had the mushroom risotto and Brussels. We'd skip the risotto next time and opt for the grilled asparagus that came with the chicken dish! Dessert was another joy! Our Vegan enjoyed avocado ice cream and a fresh fruit platter that was enjoyed by our whole table! Our 9 year old was bold and tried the caramelized mango pudding and truly enjoyed every last bite - she was overjoyed with the "cute little bowl filled with mango's" made out of sugar. We also tried key lime - it was so beautifully plated and tasted just like a key lime pie - tart and limey the toasted meringue and macadamia crumbs made the dish very fun and unique. All in all we had an amazing night, the care and kindness from all of the staff was felt throughout the evening. This is not a restaurant for a cheap/mid range meal, it is at the top of the hotel and although the attire may be resort casual the price is certainly on the higher end. We understood this since we were staying at the hotel - we felt that the food, presentation and service more than met the cost and we were comfortable with that expectation. We would absolutely dine here again and our 9 year old rates it a 5 out 5 !

The ambiance is great except the chairs at the tables are so high 3 out of the 4 of us could not touch the floor. Therefore numb legs and feet. Very uncomfortable. The service was impeccable. Food: the prawns were so big they were tough. The oysters Rockefeller were very good. The fish dish was okay. The steaks were very tender but not very flavorful. The brussel sprouts and the au gratin potatoes were tasty but undercooked. The desserts were very large and exceptionally sweet. Add three wines and a tip and you are out $360! For 2 of us. The others had a bill a little less The price would not be an issue but we expect food quality to be exceptional.

So myself and co-workers have been staying at the Marriott Palmetto for several weeks as were are working in the area. One of my co-workers and myself had not tried the rooftop restaurant yet, so last night we decided to give it a try. Upon arriving, there was no one at the hostess stand on the 8th floor, so we walked into the restaurant and a short blonde girl came up to us and told us to just hang out a minute and don't get mad. (a little odd) She then told us they could not accomodate us, due to the kitchen "being at capacity" because they had 25 people eating out on the balcony. Though inside, at least half the tables were empty and only a couple people sitting at the bar (which had 10 seats). Why build a "fancy" rooftop restaurant when you can not handle it at capacity.... or even half capacity in this case?? And reading the other reviews, it sounds like we didn't miss much, as most are saying the food was small portioned and overpriced for the quality. You can tell the difference between the real reviews and "paid" reviews with high quality photos of all the dishes. On a good note: The downstairs hostess on the first floor was always very sweet and pleasant to talk to. We passed by her many times on our way to the elevators.