Alma de España, the Spanish tapas and wood-fired grill restaurant, opens Sunday, Nov. 1, in the downtown Sarasota cottage where Indigenous served diners for 15 years.

Chef and owner Elier Rodriguez is relocating from 1830 S. Osprey Ave. in Southside Village to 239 S. Links Ave. in the historic Towles Court neighborhood. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported the Nov. 1 opening date, citing a social media post by the restaurant. The Herald-Tribune described Rodriguez as a chef who previously worked at Michelin-starred establishments.

Rodriguez first told the Herald-Tribune about the planned move in a September report. The restaurant's website lists the Links Avenue address and a Nov. 1 grand opening.

Rodriguez has not publicly stated a reason for leaving Southside Village after about a year. Alma de España opened in August 2025.

A well-traveled chef

Rodriguez and his wife, Claudia Rodriguez, co-own the restaurant. According to an SRQ Magazine profile, Rodriguez first learned to cook from his grandmother in Cuba. She was originally from Tenerife in Spain's Canary Islands.

He attended culinary school in Atlanta, then cooked at Julian Serrano's Picasso inside the Bellagio in Las Vegas, helped open Le Grande Boucherie in Miami and worked at restaurants in Washington, D.C., and California, according to SRQ Magazine. His time at Loquita in Santa Barbara, Calif., shaped the concept behind Alma de España: inventive Spanish tapas made with fine-dining technique.

Filling a storied space

The cottage at 239 S. Links Ave. carries weight in Sarasota's dining history. Indigenous, the seafood restaurant led by chef and co-owner Steve Phelps, opened there in 2011 and closed Sept. 15, according to Sarasota Magazine. Phelps was twice named a James Beard Awards semifinalist for Best Chef: South.

Indigenous announced the closing on social media, saying the team was "ready for a change" and giving no further reason, Sarasota Magazine reported. Three days later, Rodriguez told the Herald-Tribune he planned to move in.

No source has announced changes to Alma de España's concept, hours or menu for the new space. The restaurant still describes itself as a Spanish tapas and wood-fired grill.

The Nov. 1 opening means the cottage will have sat empty for roughly 47 days between restaurants.