50 Best Italian Restaurants near Longboat Key

“Everything from the food, to the service, to the atmosphere were fantastic!“

“This place is a find!!!! Located in a strip mall it's easy to miss it but wow! GREAT food and service. Felt like I was in a small restaurant in Italy. We had the Bianca pizza. It was one of the best pizzas I've had. Next time I'll try one of their pasta dishes ; they all looked wonderful. We went there our last night on vacation. Would have definitely gone back had we discovered La Norma earlier !!!“

“Such a wonderful and serene location.“

“This was one of the Highlights of our whole trip! From the second we walked in until we left we were met by the Owners who are absolutely Amazing! They were so nice and I've never had such a wonderful dinner experience not to mention the most Amazing food I have ever had! We wish we could've eaten here every single day! I dont know what was more amazing, the owners or the food! If I could give 100 stars I would!“

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

“Food was amazing. Got us in right away. Great service. Would recommend to any of my friends. 🥰“

“What a gem! Beautiful decor, excellent food and exceptional service. Our waitress Angel was top notch - she's very knowledgeable on both the menu and wine pairings. We went with everything she suggested and were not disappointed. Highly recommend!“

“Wow! What a great experience we had at Carrabba’s tonight. Everything from seating us( we changed from a table to a booth after being seated and they were so nice about it) to the end of our meal was exceptional. Every staff member was so professional, yet very friendly . Training must be really grand here. I asked one of the workers how they had so many great workers, and she said that she loved the vibes at Carrabbas’a. We did too. Best pork chop I have had in a long time and the mashed potatoes were amazing. We each had enough for two meals, but no room for dessert. We will be back to this well oiled machine very soon!“

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

“Just finished a lovely dinner with family at this special place. Everyone loved the food. Fresh and flavorful. The meatball appetitizer was delicious, from the salad to the dessert we enjoyed it all. The best Italian suisine has to offer. Highly recommend you take a trip to Palmetto, just over the bridge, to this lovely old home and enjoy what tastes like home cooking.“

“Been looking for a good pizza ? place and I found the best pizza ? place ever I give it 10 stars if you are looking for a great place for pizza please try this pizza“

“Andrei! Was an absolutely fantastic waiter. So attentive too! The food was delicious from the French fries and salad to the pizza and pasta. A great experience! A special birthday donut with candles was delivered to our table as well. Highly recommend! Andrei made it more enjoyable too.“

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

“Loved this place! Thank you for taking care of us!“

“Amazingly fresh and delicious food, an adorable, cozy atmosphere, and wonderful, personable owners, including Oliver. 🐾 Can’t wait to return!“

“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.“

“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.“

“Really enjoyed our meal tonight. Came in after we have lost some of our favorite Italian locations. Food was excellent! great portions and quality. we will be back!“

“Amazing wine, food and service!“

“Excellent food! Excellent service ! Recommend 100%“

“Absolutely our favorite restaurant! The owners, staff all make you feel at home. The service, food, wine, music and atmosphere is perfect. Scarpino’s is definitely are GO To Spot, whether by ourselves or hosting company. Be sure to check it out! Ciao, Ciao!“

“Food so good menu changes weekly“

“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.“

“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!“

“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.“

“Went there with my wife as a dinner date and the food was amazing. We both agreed that we will be going back there in the future“

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

“Wow! Just Wow! My husband surprised me with reservations at Marcello's & it was phenomenal!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Marcello’s Restaurant – Sarasota
This was, without question, the best meal I’ve had in Sarasota — possibly anywhere. From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere felt warm and intimate, like being welcomed into someone’s home in Italy. Every detail was thoughtful and elegant without being pretentious.

The food was nothing short of extraordinary. Each dish tasted as if it was made with love and passion — fresh ingredients, layered flavors, and perfect presentation. The homemade pasta was beyond perfection, the sauces rich and balanced, and the desserts absolutely heavenly.

And the tomahawk steak?! Stop it! Beyond the best I’ve ever had — in my life. Perfectly cooked, melt-in-your-mouth tender, and bursting with flavor. Truly unforgettable.

A special mention to Jeff, our waiter, whose service was exceptional. He was attentive without ever being intrusive — knowledgeable, kind, and genuinely passionate about the food and wine. His recommendations were spot-on and elevated our entire evening.

Marcello’s isn’t just a restaurant — it’s an experience. The kind that fills your heart as much as your plate. For me, it was an Italian girl’s dream (Incorvaia is my maiden name :) ) - authentic, romantic, and absolutely unforgettable.

Making reservations for our next trip to Marcello's. Can't wait to go back!“

“Delicious food. Pizza 🍕 is so good. Friendly service.“

“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.“

“Great atmosphere Amazing drinks! They’re open now! After hurricane Milton! The best Mule I’ve ever had“

“Amazing dinner! Pizza. Italian sub. Philly steak and dessert. 5/5. Perfection“

“The overall service use to be amazing at this Olive Garden. We have come here several times over the years and this is the worst front staff I’ve ever experienced. I checked in and was told it would be a 15 minute wait and told them that I had people coming but instead of seating us after 25 minutes passed I came up to ask the pregnant hostess if they were waiting for my party or something because we’ve been waiting and she was like oh yeah yeah we are without so much as looking at me or apologizing for the wait. There were several of them up there that were just laughing and joking around unprofessionally and the pregnant hostess was eating up there talking with the other ladies at the podium while they ignored us. She disappeared completely for several minutes and after 30 minutes I asked a girl who showed up if we were going to be seated because my party was waiting. She said she would check because she just got there. She went to find the pregnant hostess and told her we were waiting 30 minutes and my daughter overheard her denying it. I’m just not used to that at any restaurant. If you tell me 15 minutes and it’s not busy in there then we have better be seated whether we are waiting for people to arrive or not. It put me in such a terrible mood that I wanted to leave but thankfully our waiter came right away and was amazing. He was very attentive and kind and I felt he deserved a good tip. What made me write this review was when we left there were a gaggle of women at the front with the pregnant hostess and we all noticed that they just stared at us and didn’t say the usual thank you have a good night. No one bothered to politely open the door like they have always done for us in the past. You just knew that they we’re talking bad about you. If this is what this Olive Garden restaurant is turning into then I have to stop coming. I don’t know what’s up with those women but this is their place of work not a place to gossip and bullshit about their life or talk shit about their paying customers who are there to be treated with some measure of respect and kindness when they are out with their family for dinner. I hope a manager sees this review and addresses this issue of plain rudeness. We are also not white and so obviously white people were being treated better and seated immediately. By the way, our pregnant hostess was black but for some reason thinks it’s ok to be rude to us. If this ever happens to us again, a complaint will definitely be filed to your corporate management or the BBB. I will not tolerate this behavior in front of my family.“

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

“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“

“Great food, service, and atmosphere!“

“Fantastic food and service!“

“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.“

“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.“

“This was great pizza and wings, very nice place all the staff was friendly and great we will be 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.“

“Everything was excellent. First time trying your place and we will be back.“

“The food is great and you get a lot! Niki, Ashleigh, Linda, Debbie and Hakan are super servers. A very friendly place. Only one thing…bring back the ICEBERG lettuce for the salads!“

“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!!!“

“Delicious Pizza 🍕. Will definitely come back. Great prices and friendly staff“

“Don't have an attitude? the host or Hostess will happily give you one. I would buy this restaurant just to fire them. Local? they'll treat you like a tourist which you would think they would be good to because they are the suckers they are dying to get in. " Hi how long for 2 people"? an hour to an hour and a half out of season.... no "I'm sorry, the wait is over an hour" nope you get "Fair enough" when you say you don't want to wait that long. no reservations yet some dude with a party of 4 just walked right in and was seated.... over rated is an understatement. AVOID ...NOT WORTH IT. Possibly the most overrated restaurant in an area of bad restaurants“

“What a great little place. Very friendly staff… Lucas was so sweet with my 4 year old & it’s obvious they are like that with all kids when u see the wall of “art” they have hung up that are colored by children. The bread before the meal was a nice touch & even had warm oil which was very good. I can’t speak for much of the food since all we got was one pizza but it was good. Cooked to perfection. I’d prefer a little more fresh basil & fresher tomatoes on the margarita pizza but my son enjoyed his half very much which was just cheese haha. I believe the owner came out & spoke to us which is always nice to see. The live entertainment musician even came over & chatted with us. Everyone we interacted with was so so sweet & friendly. We will definitely be back!“