50 Best Italian Restaurants near Longboat Key

“Absolutely loved this restaurant! The pizza was fresh, flavorful and perfectly cooked with the best crispy crust! But the real surprise was the Caesar salad, probably one of the best I’ve had at a restaurant. Fresh romaine, delicious dressing, and perfectly seasoned. Great food, nice atmosphere, and friendly staff. Highly recommend!“

“I had the cheesesteak sub a few days ago and it was killer!! Being from Jersey, it’s difficult to find a good one around here. It was a huge sandwich and prepared perfectly. I would have taken a picture but I wolfed it down before I thought of it. I’ll be back… next time I’m getting gelato!“

“10/10 recommend. We came Sunday for the brunch and it was AMAZING! Everything tasted great, and the restaurant is absolutely beautiful. Our waiter Dejan, made our experience even better, he treated us and our baby like royalty. Great, great service. What a great experience today“

“Such a wonderful and serene location.“

“Amazing staff and Excellent Dinner !“

“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!“

“This Carrabba's is absolutely fantastic! Excellent 👌🏻 food and service (thanks, Kylla!)... I really enjoyed the Chicken Marsala and sauteed spinach with garlic 🧄. The homemade bread 🍞 is so fresh and delicious 😋 This is my very favorite restaurant of all time! 🤌🏻😘 Chef's kiss!“

“Amazing atmosphere and food“

“In reference to our dinner last evening April 18, 2026. The seating for our table of 7, was very tight seating. The Mrs. and I had the Bolognese, hers was gluten free, both of us had a terrible night sleeping with many bathroom issues. Additionally, I was surprise to see on top of the $200. cash tip I provided, there was an additional tip of over $100.00 added to the check. The waitress that was extremely nice, did not make me aware that there was a tip already added to the check, resulting in a tip of over $300. which in my opinion is a little overboard.“

“Amazing food in downtown Sarasota.“

“I made reservations for my friend's birthday and 2 other guests were joining us. Unfortunately the reservation went to another Tiramisu in another city. Therefore, no reservations showed when our party arrived. The host was icey, lacked empathy or understanding. He was extremely demeaning and haughty. Finally sat us at a table next to the kitchen which was appreciated. Our waiter was stellar and made everything feel friendly again. The food was outstanding......every course. Im a local for 48 years but the host made me feel like an idiot. Never smiled (not to anyone else arriving later). Maybe not the best first impression to offer your patrons.“

“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.“

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

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

“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“

“What a GREAT find! Small Italian place with 8 tables and the Chef cooking for the room.

Everything was great! Had the Escargo fra diavolo, table-side Caesar salad for 2. Entrees were the lobster fra diavolo and jumbo shrimp/lobster over cream sauce.

An hour ride but worth the trip. Looking forward to our next visit.

Grazie mille Chef!“

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

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

“What a wonderful restaurant! I’ve been coming here for years and have never once been disappointed. Every visit feels like walking into a friend’s home—warm, welcoming, and full of AMAZING FOOD. Everything is always fresh and absolutely DELICIOUS! 👏👏 The authentic Italian dishes are incredible, and I’m so thankful that they always accommodate my dietary restrictions. It truly makes me feel genuinely cared for—they already know my needs and always have a plan in place. It means SO MUCH to feel that kind of attention and thoughtfulness. Thank you for making every experience so special. I truly LOVE this place! 💜💜“

“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!“

“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.“

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

“The food really wasn't that great, but the service was and the atmosphere was pleasant as well. The manager was also pretty awesome. The best part was that we didn't meet the manager because of a complaint we met the manager because he was offering outstanding customer service to help his team. RESPECT!“

“Came in for dinner a while back for their special Osso Bucco ,this was a limited special,but the special was already sold out. Ordered their chicken alfredo. My wife and I have been back several times. Best keep secret in town. You will be more than pleased.“

“Wow - Ortygia has moved forward to a fun and interactive cooking classes, specialty parties, wine dinners and more . Without the restaurant anymore there is so much happening - for low this page and make a reservation- you won’t be sorry. I have been 3 times for series 1,2,and 3 cooking classes - enjoying wonderful filling vegetarian dinners that everyone will love - and you take the recipes home. Wine flows freely, delicious food and great conversation abounds and then you eat - enjoying the Italian scents and savoring the goodness of fresh ingredients. A definite go to on my list and looking forward to making many delicious meals.“

“nice lil spot that holds late night entertainment. The staff was polite and accommodating. The music was great and we had a good time. next time will try the food.“

“Jose provided excellent service on multiple occasions and Jared, at the bar was amazing as well… food is AMAZING!!“

“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!“

“Excellent food! Excellent service ! Recommend 100%“

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

“Growing up living right down the street we’ve always loved Verona’s, even now that my kids are older(2 adults!) it’s a must visit for them Everytime we are in town. It’s not a trip home unless we get some Verona’s! As always, the food was delicious and service that makes you just feel at home!“

“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 pizza was amazing. So much cheese!!“

“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.“

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

“Had a fantastic experience at Olive Garden! The food was delicious, fresh, and exactly what we were hoping for—but what really made the night stand out was our waiter, Jeorge. He was incredibly kind, attentive, and genuinely made us feel welcome from start to finish.

His service went above and beyond, and it truly elevated our entire dining experience. We’ll definitely be back—and hoping to have Jeorge again!“

“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“

“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.“

“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.“

“Always excellent pizza! Order some! You won’t be disappointed!“

“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.“

“Pizza was fantastic! Serves was amazing and friendly! Highly recommend! We will be back!“

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

“Great place for wine and live music lovers!“

“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!“

“EVERYTHING! MY FAVORITE RESTAURANT!“