When you're hungry for quality but not quantity, savor a myriad of morsels at our award-winning restaurants. Sampling hors d'oeuvres, antipasti or tapas is a playground for the palate and easy on the purse in any language. Classic or trendy, indoors or out, here, good things really do come in small packages.

Perched above Euphemia Haye restaurant on Longboat Key, the Hayeloft is a charming hideaway. Though best known for its delectable desserts in an eclectic, artsy atmosphere, it also presents light dinner fare like soups, salads, appetizers and gourmet pizzas.

Mid-key, Pattigeorge's dishes up coastal cuisine from around the world. Its small plates menu contains many Asian-fusion delicacies such as tuna tartar wonton tacos and hoisin glazed BBQ ribs.

Nearby, the aptly named Monkey Room at The Colony Beach & Tennis Resort showcases live birds, a clever, monkey motif and a panoramic Gulf view along with creative island-influenced cuisine.

People-watching comes naturally on St.

Selva Grill specializes in ceviche and other light bites

Armands Circle, where most restaurants spill onto the streets. Café L'Europe, Hemingway's and Columbia share only a Circle address; their menus are distinctively unique.

Crab & Fin specializes in finfish, shellfish and caviar from around the world. The Oyster Tasting is a must for lovers of the chilled bivalve, and might include Vancouver Fanny Bays, Washington Skookums and Washington Belons. Oysters depend upon harvest and season.Caspian caviar selections stand alone or serve as a tasty topping on smoked salmon pizza. The piano outside is a permanent fixture; dine al fresco for live music with your meal.

Downtown Sarasota is peppered with renowned restaurants and cafés too numerous to mention; some specialize in light bites; others offer them as an addition or alternative to a traditional multi-course meal. Sangria Tapas Bar serves up Spanish regional styles in a fun, convivial setting. It offers marinated skewered meats, fish, shellfish, potatoes, sausage and cured ham enhanced by ingredients such as olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, cheeses, olives and peppers. Wines from Spain, music as spirited as the colorful décor and stellar service will surely leave you hungry for more.

Cru Bistro & Wine Bar specializes in wine from around the world. And its dining menu lists nine "starters" and nine "small plates" that can be supersized to create full entrées. Guests can select from escargot in puff pastry, crab stuffed shrimp and mesquite rubbed pork tenderloin, among other options.

Horse Feathers Grill & Lounge caters to the professional crowd in search of upscale bites, such as California-style flatbread pizza and cornmeal crusted calamari.

Great grills, as in Hillview, with its varied cultural cuisines; Selva, a Peruvian restaurant specializing in ceviche; and Mattison's City Grille, with a separate tapas menu and lively outdoor dining,

Try a whole course devoted to sampling fruits of the sea photo by: Crab & Fin

are all in pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods. Mediterraneo is as well; the chic trattoria presents endless antipasti, a plethora of pizzas and other Northern Italian food.

For all things Asian, try Pacific Rim, where you can sink your chopsticks into authentic Thai and Japanese cuisine.

Farther south find Fleming's Prime Steak House & Wine Bar and Ruth's Chris Steakhouse; both offer starters as succulent as their tender filets. Dining room reservations are highly recommended, but for a spontaneous soirée, pop into the lounge at Ruth's Chris for a cocktail and anything at all from the menu. All of the items are handmade and most are from Ruth's original recipes.

Fancying raw fish? The Sushi Raw Bar & Grille, also in South Sarasota, is known for its select sushi. Further South in Nokomis, find Pelican Alley, whose something-for-everyone menu - a blend of Old Florida and New England favorites - now includes the recent addition of a sushi bar. Whatever your pleasure, it will be heightened by a walk on the beach after lunch or dinner.

At Osprey's cozy Café 1660, appetizers and personal pizzas share the menu with dinner entrees.

Venice is home to the Crow's Nest Marina Restaurant, where family fun meets fine dining in a casual sports atmosphere. This exceptional eatery also boasts an award-winning wine cellar and a calendar of events so jam-packed that the restaurant publishes a newsletter.

For Caribbean fare with a Southern twist, cruise down to Farlow's on the Water in Englewood, which recently garnered a number of Englewood Readers Choice Awards including Best Live Entertainment, Best Outdoor Dining, Most Fun and Best Bartender.

If you go:
Café 1660, 1660 S. Tamiami Trl., Osprey
941-918-2610

Café Amici, 1371 Main St., Sarasota
941-951-6896

Café L'Europe, 431 St. Armands Cir., Sarasota
941-388-4415
www.cafeleurope.net

Columbia Restaurant, 411 St. Armands Cir., Sarasota
941-388-3987
www.columbiarestaurant.com

Crab & Fin, 420 St. Armands Cir., Sarasota
941-388-3964

Crow's Nest Marina Restaurant, 1968 Tarpon Center Dr., Venice
941-484-9551
www.crowsnest-venice.com

Cru Bistro & Wine Bar, 1377 Main St., Sarasota
941-951-6272
www.crubistro.com

Euphemia Haye Restaurant & HayeLoft, 5540 Gulf of Mexico Dr., Longboat Key
941-383-3633
www.euphemiahaye.com

Farlow's on the Water, 2080 S. McCall Rd., Englewood
941-474-5343
www.farlowsonthewater.com

Fleming's Prime Steak House & Wine Bar, 2001 Siesta Dr., Sarasota
941-358-9463
www.flemingssteakhouse.com

Hemingway's Restaurant, 325 John Ringling Blvd., Sarasota
941-388-3948

Hillview Grill, 1920 Hillview St., Sarasota
941-952-0045
www.hillviewgrill.com

Horse Feathers Grill & Lounge, 1923 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota
941-955-9179

Marina Jack, Two Marina Plaza, Sarasota
941-365-4232
www.marinajacks.com

Mattison's City Grille, One N. Lemon Ave., Sarasota
941-330-0440
www.mattisons.com

Mediterraneo, 1970 Main St., Sarasota
941-365-4122
www.mediterraneorest.com

The Monkey Room, The Colony Beach & Tennis Resort, 1620 Gulf of Mexico Dr., Longboat Key
941-383-6464
www.colonybeachresort.com

Pacific Rim, 1859 Hillview St., Sarasota
941-330-8017 or 941-330-0218

Pattigeorge's, 4120 Gulf of Mexico Dr., Longboat Key
941-383-5111
www.pattigeorges.com

Pelican Alley, 1009 Albee Rd., W. Nokomis
941-485-1893
www.pelicanalley.com

Ruth's Chris Steak House, 6700 S. Tamiami Trl., Sarasota
941-924-9442
www.ruthschris.com

Sangria, 1532 Main St., Sarasota
941-366-8686
www.sangriatapasbar.com

Selva Grill, 1345 Main St., Sarasota
941-362-4427
www.selvagrill.com

Sushi Raw Bar & Grille, 4854 S. Tamiami Trl., Sarasota
941-924-0393