50 Best Italian Restaurants near Lakewood Ranch

“4.9 Stars! Anything on the menu is good. I was there with a very large group. we all enjoyed our meals. the service was phenomenal. prices were reasonable.“

“We were there last evening for dinner. This location is much smaller than the one at UTC. Difficult to carry on a conversation even at a small table. Food was good and service was as well. Very busy and noisy for a Wednesday evening. We prefer a more intimate experience, as well as excellent food.“

“Michelangelo Pizzeria Cucina isn't just a restaurant; it's a heartfelt family. I feel so profoundly grateful to this incredible establishment for the love and kindness they showed my son, Finn, during his time with them. From the moment he started working there, he was welcomed with open arms by the owner, the manager, and the entire staff. They treated him like one of their own, fostering an environment filled with camaraderie and joy. Finn cherished every moment of his time at Michelangelo's, especially as he worked his way up to the “slices” position from bussing tables. At just 19 years old, he had been working since he was 16, and of all the places he joined, this was where he truly felt at home. Their generosity was boundless—they consistently provided us with free food on multiple occasions, and their warm-heartedness shone brightly during Finn’s Memorial Celebration at Bayside when they offered us free food to honor his memory. It was these selfless acts that made an indelible mark on our hearts, showcasing the kind of extraordinary people they are. I’ll never forget the evening of August 6th, just three days before Finn passed. I had the privilege of watching him work while enjoying dinner with my daughter. Sitting in the booth, I observed him taking orders, pulling pizzas in and out of the brick oven, and calling out orders with such grace. The way he juggled so many tasks with a smile on his face filled me with pride. I even managed to sneak in a few pictures, moments I will forever treasure. Thank you, Michelangelo Pizzeria Cucina, for being the supportive family Finn needed in a workplace. Your kindness, generosity, and community spirit have touched our lives deeply. We will always hold you close to our hearts. With heartfelt gratitude, Kyra, Luke and Family“

“We had a lovely dinner in the back room. It would have been too loud in the front room to carry on a conversation. My only disappointment was- a charge for bread in an Italian restaurant seemed very odd to me. Having relocated from NJ- bread was always served with an Italian meal.“

“We came here for the first time this week. Our waiter was incredible. The food is probably some of the best Italian that Sarasota has to offer. We will absolutely be back. Thank you so much for a wonderful date night!“

“Absolutely delicious!, Small, intimate, great service, and oh so delicious“

“Fantastic all around. Food is fresh and delightful. The staff are so kind and helpful. The cocktails are bright and refreshing. Highly recommend this to anyone, regardless of whether you’re local or visiting. Classico always comes through for us, and we’re sure they’ll come through for you.“

“The food at Sardinia is exquisite. The atmosphere is elegant and the owner is very warm and friendly. I highly recommend this restaurant. One of the best in Sarasota! Will be returning there with friends and family many times.“

“Went to dinner with family at the Carrabba’s on University. Teddy was our server and we was phenomenal. Service was prompt, he was attentive without hovering, and when we had a little mishap by way of a spilled glass of Sangria he took care of us immediately. Alex was our bartender and he’s got mad skills with a dirty martini. If you’re at this restaurant ask for these young men… You will not be disappointed!“

“Amazing wine, food and service!“

“Was a great evening with the wine Pairing yesterday. The wines were great and Tatorial was informative. The 5 Dinner courses were exceptional, can't wait for the next ? one.“

“We took grandma for her 97th birthday lunch. We could not have picked a better spot! From helping mom get inside with her walker to the outstanding service for a party of 9 to the fantastic food, we were so impressed. You can taste the love in every bite! They make their pasta and focaccia in-house and you can certainly taste the difference from dried bulk pasta. We tried a variety of options from soups, salads, pasta and stuffed focaccia sandwiches-all were so delicious. The restaurant is quaint and they made us feel like family that came in for a delicious home cooked meal. We will be back! This is my new favorite restaurant!“

“Thanks you . cibo davvero delizioso. il vitello è super tenero“

“This place was highly recommended by a friend. My expectations were completely exceeded. Small quaint place that feels like you rolled into a bistro right from a cobblestone path in Tuscany. One chef, one prep line, small kitchen that creates big bold flavors. Food reminded me of Nanas cooking from childhood. We never went without anything as the service matched the food. Hands down one of the best meals I’ve had in a long time. Thank you chef and wonderful staff for an amazing birthday meal.“

“Best chicken Marsala in town! It’s amazing, very flavorful and huge portions! Excellent!“

“Excellent place to relax! Great people, great food.“

“Best chicken Marsala in town! It’s amazing, very flavorful and huge portions! Excellent!“

“Lived here for 12 years and just discovered this place. Definitely the BEST Italian restaurant around. Everything tasted like my mother and noni had prepared it. Caesar salad was the real thing. Gnocchi truly melted in my mouth. Sauce was exceptional.“

“My total dinning experience was amazing. The only thing they should change is the music, it's an Italian Reztsurant it should be Italian music“

“If you’re looking for true authentic New York style pizza, ingredients, and crust this is the place to get your pizza. I’ve lived in Florida for 35 years. My parents used to own a pizzeria when I was a child and there were a couple of good restaurants around back then where you could get authentic pizza here lately there are many places around town that claim to sell and make authentic New York style pizza and that’s not true. I’ve been through majority of those places and have not enjoyed the pizza whatsoever Today I was craving pizza and I googled some places near me. This restaurant came up. I took a look at their menu. I looked at pictures of their food, and I read the reviews. There were many negative reviews about the food. Those people must be out of their mind I ordered a specialty pizza all the way a white pizza and a Margherita pizza. This is true authentic Italian, New York style crust fresh ingredients, amazing food I called to tell them that we enjoyed their food and that we would be coming back. This is the only place I will order pizza from now. after all these years I finally found a pizzeria that me and my family actually enjoy eating pizza. I hope they stay in business and I hope more local people will support them because this is true authentic Italian cuisine, NY style pizza I’ve only had the pizza so I can only imagine what the rest of the dishes must taste like their ingredients are just fresh. Everything is amazing. The price is fair. The quantity is tremendous“

“Just slammed some Ziti and bread. never disappointed!!!! Thank you for treating us awesome and thank you for the amazing food!!!!“

“I used to love this place but it has changed. The garlic knots were fantastic but the ziti was cooked noodles with I think canned tomato sauce with no cheese and not baked. The waitress was friendly but the kitchen staff just seemed to mingle about. Plenty of parking and easy handicapped accessible. Price was more than what the food was worth.“

“Go support this small family restaurant! It's in the Meadows but it's open to the public. My family is Italian and I can say the food here is great. They know HOW to cook the dishes correctly when so many restaurants don't. It comes out piping hot and they make pasta by hand. The prices are fair. Don't miss this little gem. #supportlocal“

“The homemade sausage is excellent! The caponata was a little mushy. Overall, not a bad meal.“

“My husband and I had a delicious dinner and superb service by Julie our server. We always look forward to our dining experience at Caragiulos.“

“Most autenthic italian restaurant in town!“

“Excellent Pizza! Fast and friendly service! Our family really enjoyed dining out at Rico’sPizzeria!“

“Very friendly staff, especially Hannah. She is always smiling and is very efficient. You can tell she loves her job by the way she treats her guests! Piesanos is one of our go to restaurant's for that reason and not to mention the great tasting food!“

“Great food, and the service was exceptional, best lasagna I’ve had in a long time“

“Food wasn't bad. Service was good. If you're looking for a more quiet place to dine, this would not be it. If you're looking for a place with more chatter and laughter, then I suppose this would be the place for you. In any case, though distracting, customers seemed to be having a good time. Bon appetite“

“Fantastic food and service!“

“Very nice. Food and drinks were excellent and service was wonderful. We will be back.“

“The pizza was amazing. So much cheese!!“

“My husband and I ate at Ferraro's on January 28th at 5:15pm. Our waitress was Ronnie. She was a good waitress but we would have liked her to smile. She acted like she really did not want to be there. On the other hand, Emma came over to our table to check to see if we had gotten all our food and if we needed anything else. She had a super personality and I personally asked if she was an assistant manager. She said no. She went over to several tables to check to see if they were happy with everything. Emma made our night. We are glad that you have a person like this who enjoys work working here. Our compliments to Emma!!!! Food was delicious as usual.“

“We ordered Pizza and it was delicious!! The service was great!! Sophia made us feel welcome and was very pleasant. She must have visited our table 6 or 7 times making sure we were doing ok.“

“I cannot wait to dine here again. Incredible menu, quality delicious food and ingredients. There were so many items I wanted to try, but everything we had was excellent. I had homemade ravioli stuffed with ricotta and spinach in a vodka sauce, my husband had sautéed parmigiana encrusted grouper. We also shared homemade stuffed mushrooms, stuffed with sausage and goat cheese. Great wines by the glass and great service. The hostesses were exceptional as well, they gave as a quick tour inside to see if we preferred indoor or outdoor seating. Definitely a new fave! This restaurant also has one of the most beautiful patios in all of Sarasota! Such a gem spot.“

“We love wood fired pizza and Atmosphere delivers in every way! This small friendly spot on Beneva has the best wood fired pizza we have ever tasted in FL -“

“Great place best veal piccata in all of Florida. Service was great food excellent on make sure you get the lemon cello cake it is to die for. We will be back for sure just wish it were closer to Port Charlotte.“

“Great atmosphere and delicious food! Very family friendly as our 7 year old had a blast! Well worth the price and hope to return again soon!“

“Attardi's is the best pizza place in Sarasota, and I'm Italian and am picky. And, for you West Virginia's who miss your state's famous "pepperoni rolls" - Attardi's has them, and they're as good or better than any you can get in the Mountaineer state. George the owner/chef has amazing attention to detail, cooks everything perfectly with the finest ingredients. He's a perfectionist (you can tell by watching him). This place is a gem. Just Fyi.“

“1000% recommend the Baked Feta Cheese & Roasted Tomatoes with Shishito Peppers - wonderful tapa! Cute restaurant, great wine list and most nights have live music. Spread the word!!!“

“Stupendous! Highlights were the My Father Remembered salad, fettuccine with clams, rum baba. One of the best meals I've had in recent memory!“

“Food was prepped quickly and was delicious. Grace was fantastic!“

“Everything was absolutely amazing!! Excellent service, food was delicious!! Hands down a must! We will definitely be back!!“

“Beautiful and delicious! The owners are wonderful and friendly. Ask for anything they can make anything you want the Italian authentic style.“

“Great pizza buffet all u can eat always going home stuffed lol!!!“

“Staff was amazing 🤩 Customer service is number one!!!!“

“Best pizza I've ever had.“