50 Best Italian Restaurants near Lakewood Ranch

“Hubby had the cod, ff and coleslaw. The cod was perfectly breaded very lightly, the french fries yummy and we never got to the coleslaw (taking home leftovers). I had the shrimp scampi fettuccine, in butter sauce – Yum! The bread with the oil dip was wonderful. I highly recommend this place and wish they were much closer to where I live (SRQ airport-could replace Primos! I’m just suggesting).“

“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.“

“👍🏼always tasty and fast delivery“

“Outstanding. First time customer. Fabulous across the board. I’ll be back. Again .... outstanding.“

“My sisters and I recently ate brunch at Classico. The food was delicious, the presentation was lovely, and most important to note, our server Brody was awesome! How refreshing it was to have such a genuinely polite and pleasant server. He really added to our dining experience. If you dine at Classico, be sure to ask for Brody!“

“So delicious, everything is home made. It is a small intimate restaurant and the owners/chefs are so welcoming. The pasta is so delicious and the focaccia bread to the mussels appetizer to the lamb sauce over fettuccine was perfectly cooked and seasoned. The homemade mixture they serve with the bread is unlike anything we have ever had and it was their grandma’s recipe that made it extra special. I would suggest a reservation for this hidden gem!“

“Rocco and crew catered my Mom’s 80th Birthday party! Food was fabulous. All the guests agreed. Thank you again for everything. Next time we are in Sarasota we will be in for dinner.“

“Amazing wine, food and service!“

“Fabulous experience!! Great service and amazing food! Highly recommend!!!“

“Amazing atmosphere and food“

“I return for the spiedino de mare or the chicken trio - delicious“

“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!“

“Amazing food in downtown Sarasota.“

“Incredible, 5 stars all around!! The service was incredible!! Every appetizers, drink and meal was perfectly cooked and homemade. Restaurant was beautifully spaced out with romantic lamps on each table. Servers were attentive. Give them a visit!“

“Delicious meal! Service was great! Matthew our waiter was super!“

“We have become regulars here, the food is always fantastic, staff is great, Jess REALLY knows what she's doing with those pizzas. Just typing this has me craving a stella and a fig & pig pie. No loud music, nice, chill atmosphere. Trust me, just go, whatever you pick is gonna be great“

“While I gave this restaurant 4 stars we had some issues while there. Our server, from the get go, was hurried! It felt like he just didn't have time for us. We were with two other couples there for an anniversary celebration. We wanted to get a bottle of Proseco to share for the table. The server joked with us and said go for the champagne since we were celebrating. We agreed. He pointed out some lovely bottles of champagne some to the tune of $1000 and Over! That's not what we had in mind but we did want something special. I pointed out a bottle on the menu that was $95 and that's what I agreed to. He brought it to the table and we all enjoyed it. Onto the dinner menu which comes on a chalk board. He flew through everything on the menu so fast that we were all dizzy when he was done and then he left. When he came back we asked the questions we had about the menu and that seemed to bother him! Everyone's meals were excellent! The food was delish! We did get desserts to share. Two got the ice cream which they said was good. We got the pistachio cheese cake. Sadly, it was very dry and did not taste like pistachio. Then the bill came!! The server gave us the separate bill for the champagne alone.... $575😵😲 Not at all what we were expecting! Thank goodness we declined the second bottle he tried to get us to have. We did not say anything at the time because for one we were shocked but also because we drank it. Since then, that has just not sat right with me. A good server should have double checked that was what we wanted and that the price was correct. Sadly, we were there for a celebration and this ended up ruining our celebration. I'd love to go back and try other menu items as everything sounded so good. However, I am hesitant after this unfortunate experience.“

“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.“

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

“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!“

“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.“

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

“Our first visit to Mona Lisa Italian Restaurant will definately not be our last. Aaron greeted us and seated us and treated us well throughout the meal. The music was amazing. Italian opera was perfect to set the atmosphere. The artichoke and the mushroom starters were wonderful. The bread was yummy. The Caesar Salads were fresh and delicious. We ordered the mushroom ravioli, seafood risotto and shrimp scampi. All excellent. The wine pours were very generous. We had a great time and will definately be back and recommend this restaurant to all of our family and friends.“

“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!“

“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.“

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

“We had Valentino’s cater our son’s wedding and the food was absolutely amazing!! Everything TASTED YUMMY!! We ordered three different salads, garlic knots, brucette, caprese salad,crazy chicken Alfredo, meat lasagna, eggplant parm. Ziti, meatballs, sausage, chicken parm and Mediterranean chicken. Everyone raved about the food! The women who delivered it was so friendly and did an amazing job. They even supplied the serving utensils.“

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

“I was visiting my mother from NJ and she wanted to try this place because she heard the pizza was good. Their pizza is, by far, the best I've ever had in Florida. If they were back up in NJ, this would definitely be my go-to pie. If you want a great pizza and you’re in the area of Verona Pizza, don't bother looking anywhere else. They are the real deal.“

“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 in Lakewood Ranch and craving New York–New Jersey style pizza, you have to try Valentino Pizzeria Trattoria. 🍕 I’m from Long Island, so trust me when I say I know good pizza — and theirs is!. I just realized they were originally established in New Jersey, and honestly it all makes sense zzzThe red sauce, the crust… it tastes like home. Their whole menu is amazing, — the chicken piccata, the chicken parm, literally every entrée is done right. You can tell they put pride and professionalism into everything they make. If you haven’t been, go support this awesome local spot. You won’t regret it! 🙌🇮🇹🍝“

“Most autenthic italian restaurant in town!“

“Absolutely delicious food, and amazing drinks to go along with the best atmosphere and the best part… the service. Bethany was phenomenal, we can’t wait to go back!!!“

“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.“

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

“Small Italian restaurant. Pizzas and entrees are all amazing. I've eaten in and done take out, always great. Nanna's Longhots- with sautéed hot peppers and crisp potato slices is so flavorful. The meatball appetizer with ricotta and crostini is suitable for a small individual meal. My favorite dish is the Benny's Penne with sausage, mushroom, spinach and creamy marmalade sauce- be prepared to want to lick the plate clean!“

“As a NY Pizza enthusiast (read: snob), the pie here definitely hit the spot!! Perfect balance of cheese to sauce as well as the perfectly crispy crust. Pizza was hot and delicious and the topping were generous. Will definitely be back next trip!“

“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.“

“Best pizza I've ever had.“

“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 -“

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

“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!“

“Great place for wine and live music lovers!“

“The food was exactly what keeps people coming back. Everything we ordered was fresh, flavorful, and generously portioned. It’s great comfort food at a fair price, and it’s hard to go wrong with the menu.

The service was also friendly and attentive throughout our visit.

The only downside is the atmosphere. The restaurant was quite loud and crowded, making it difficult to have a relaxed conversation. It lacks the cozy, authentic Italian ambiance you might expect and feels more like a busy chain restaurant than a place to enjoy a leisurely dinner.

If you’re looking for good food and great service, Olive Garden delivers. Just don’t come expecting a quiet or intimate dining experience.“

“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 hosted a 40-guest private event at Cafe Amici, and it was a fantastic experience from start to finish. The food was amazing, everything ran smoothly, and the staff was friendly, professional, and efficient throughout the night. I had to leave a bit early, and the staff was kind enough to neatly place my decorations together so I could easily pack them up the next day, which I truly appreciated. We couldn’t have asked for a better venue or team to host our event. Highly recommend Cafe Amici for any private party or special occasion“

“Food is very good, especially their subs, actually the best sub i have ever had here in sarasota. i also love their frozen raviolis, Pastosa brand, which are imo the best frozen raviolis you can buy. their prepared foods are really good also. as for the actual market, like specialty items, not bad , but when your comparing it to mazzaros in st. petes, its just 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.“

“Outstanding pizza every time!!! Love the addition of fresh basil included in the box!!“

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