Caretta on the Gulf

Celebrated my birthday dinner at Caretta’s this year. I was taking away by the view of the ocean! The staff was amazing. I would definitely recommend this restaurant.

Wow! What a fantastic evening, thanks to the staff at Caretta on the Gulf. The drinks, food,( gluten free) ambience, service and views were all spectacular! Thank you for making our anniversary so special.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Horrid service, starting from when we walking through the doors. The hostess didn’t seem like she knew what she was doing, she stared at the computer, trying to figure out how it works for a solid 10 minutes while we were waiting to be seated. Once we were seated, it took about 20 minutes for our waiter to even approach us. When asking for our drinks, he even got the water order wrong. When we finally received our correct drinks, about 15 minutes later, we were able to place our order. It took about 20 minutes to get our appetizer, followed by another 45 to 50 minutes to receive our entrée. Everything was just slow, when it wasn’t even busy. Tables with bigger parties that came after us were paying their checks by the time we got our food. When we received our entrée vegetables were burnt and tasteless and the main course was subpar. First time in Clearwater, last time at this restaurant.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 1

We came to have a nice meal and watch the sunset from the balcony. We reserved a table, but they could not accommodate 5 at the tables outside, so we had to sit inside. That actually wasn’t that much of an issue and you will absolutely get a great view of the sunset, but still a bit disappointing.

Nice meal? Absolutely not. Caesar salad was very bland. NY Strip steak was small and not very good. My son got the “Petite Steak” from the kids meal and they really honored the “petite” part. It was basically a meat patty for a slider. My wife’s tenderloin was very roast like and pretty dry. My son’s pizza came out burnt.

At the end of the day we spent $250 for what I would consider $60 quality food.

Service was also not great. Had to ask 3 different servers that we were ready to order. Had to ask for bread 3 times. From the time we sat it was an hour and a half before we got our food. Again, not a huge issue, because we got to enjoy the views of the sunset during that timeframe.

If you want good food and that’s the priority, don’t go here. If you want a really good view of the sunset and don’t care about food quality or cost or service, then this is your place.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 2

Chicken was good. Outside crust of seared Snapper was great but the meat part was bland like overcoooked chicken. Roasted potatoes were awesome. Wine was excellent and reasonably priced . Service was incredible . Thank you Dane!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 5

The Sunday brunch is the BEST! Awesome service, great food. Wide variety of choices! Also, got room service as a birthday treat, delicious! Highly recommend! Also, fun live music on the weekends! Update: returned in Sept ,2025, GREAT food for eat in or take out, thanks Brian! Can't wait until next time! Treat yourself and try Carrettas!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We sat for 40 minutes waiting for someone to come over. There were only three other occupied tables. We both ordered chillean seabass. The fish was rotten the taste of amonia was absolutely horrible. I spit it in the napkin and apologizedto waiter for doing that but..... The manager, Carlos said he would take if off the bill but indifferent about. Serving fish that is that foul smelling and tasting is truly bad especially for place claiming to be high end. We paid for our 1 drink and left to nauseated to eat dinner anywhere else. If you are looking for a great experience Bon Appetit never disappoints. We just wanted to try another place for a change.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 1

Service: 1

Went here for our anniversary dinner and it was a fantastic! Every drink and course was so pretty and perfectly cooked. We sat outside on the deck with a perfect view of the sunset. If that was enough by itself, our server, Amanda, was exceptional- so kind and helpful as well as knowledgeable and attentive. Wouldn't hesitate to go back!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Outstanding high end dining experience. Our waiter, William, was so kind and professional, he made the entire visit one we won’t forget. We celebrated our 4 year anniversary here and everything was delicious. Sashimi appetizer was the freshest sushi I’ve had in a long time, pork belly was smoky and delicious, my wife’s filet was a perfect rare temp, and my lobster ravioli was amazing.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Our evening at Caretta on the Gulf was Perfection!!! We arrived just before sunset and were seated on the patio overlooking the white sand beach and experienced the gorgeous sun setting just as we were drinking our refreshing cocktails. Our server Juan Carlos greeted us with his warm smile and bright personality, took time to tell us more about the menu in detail. When I first arrived I went to the manager about my food allergies and he spoke directly with Juan Carlos who then spoke with the chef to come up with something safe for me to eat that would be very flavorful, together they recommended the Sea Bass. My dinner was excellent, but what stood out most was the attentiveness that Juan Carlos showed to each of us at the table. His professionalism, attention to detail and fun spirit truly made our evening. I highly recommend Carettas and Juan Carlos!!! Classy atmosphere, delicious food, stunning views and perfect service are all top notch!!! Thank you so very much Juan Carlos, we will see you again soon!!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The views were amazing and the staff very attentive. We ordered filet mignon. Not the best piece of meat and was overcooked.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 5

This restaurant is inside of the Sandpearl Resort / Opal Resort. Unless you've been here previously, its kind of confusing on where to go. The restaurant itself is very nice, though people were being quite loud. Dane was our server and he was great. He seemed like he had been in his profession for quite sometime. We ordered the NY Strip and Havarti potatoes. The potatoes were amazing but the steak was tuff and over cooked. For a $60 steak I expected much better. We had chocolate raspberry filled candies and they were delicious. We also received a chocolate lava cookie with ice cream for our anniversary, which was very nice of them. It was probably the best thing on their menu. It was absolutely delicious. Overall, their seafood was probably better than their grilled items. I wouldn't order the steak again.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 5

We both had salads adding salmon. Service excellent, drinks wonderful.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Come here once a week. My favorite restaurant in the area. From management to servers the service is top notch. Couple that with the best view in Clearwater beach you can never go wrong. Juan Carlos, Dane, Alex, Dalton and team are the absolute best. 🫡

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I had an absolutely outstanding experience at this restaurant. From start to finish, everything exceeded my expectations. The food was delicious, beautifully presented, and full of flavor. The atmosphere made it even more enjoyable.

A special thank you to our waiter, Sam, who went above and beyond to make sure everything was perfect. She was attentive, knowledgeable about the menu, and made us feel truly welcomed.

I also want to highlight the Food and Beverage Manager, whose professionalism and leadership were clearly reflected in the seamless service and overall dining experience. Their attention to detail and genuine hospitality really stood out.

This is definitely a place I’ll be recommending to friends and family, and I’m already looking forward to coming back!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5