50 Best Italian Restaurants near Longboat Key

“Everything we had was delicious! Can't wait to go back!“

“Decided to go here on a Wednesday evening and there weren't many people there. Usually a red flag but we are in off season and their prices aren't super consistent with having a ton of people. Anyway.
Service was excellent and had a great conversation while getting excellent food service.
Food quality was incredible as there was incredible depth to the food. The portion size isn't what I'm used to at most Italian restaurants. They were far smaller than usual. However. I preferred the smaller plates and focus on quality. This is one of the hidden gems on the key. Please, especially if you prefer a home cooked, reasonably portioned Italian food.... Do it. I will be ordering takeout (at least) and should provide an updated review if anything changes.

Please, if you're out here reading this, give it a shot.“

“Beautiful place to moor, friendly helpful staff, convenient to everything, easy access to fuel, pump out and docking, on a mission heading to Keywest otherwise I would love to stay there for three months“

“The food is amazing! Authentic Italian cuisine with incredible flavor and presentation. The owners are wonderful and so kind. They gave us such an incredible experience at their lovely place.“

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

“Great experience. Wonderful food, enthusiastic staff. All of us enjoyed our meals and the ambiance. What fun!“

“Wow!! What a fantastic busser you have here. Very friendly and made our evening even better. So much energy. His name is James wow james great Job. I may have to steal him away to work at my restaurant lol.

Parking: Parking was easy“

“Highly recommend! Food was fantastic, and the staff were excellent. Can’t wait for my return visit, and if you’re in the area, you better eat here!“

“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.“

“I always love eating at Ragu. Each time I’m there I discover something new and interesting on the menu. Service is wonderful and the chef is great! Highly recommend this wonderful restaurant!“

“Authentic Italian food. 10/10 recommend. You will not be disappointed!“

“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.“

“Food so good menu changes weekly“

“Charming little Italian cafe. Dog friendly!!“

“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“

“FAVs never disappoints. Great food all around. The bread and meatballs are amazing. Portions are large and you will not walk away hungry. Highly recommend.“

“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.“

“My husband found this place for us while we were vacationing in Sarasota. The food was incredible. My in laws got the lasagne, my husband got the Ragu, and I got the risotto special that had prosciutto and burrata. This was easily the best meal we had while in Sarasota. The service was great, and we really enjoyed the atmosphere. We were so full we couldn’t finish our meal, and we sadly did not have a microwave at our hotel! Thank you for a great experience and even better food!“

“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.“

“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.“

“Amazing wine, food and service!“

“First time back with the new owners and chef...the interior was a shock from what it used to look like...LOVE IT GREAT JOB...now the food...we were at the bar with our FAVE bartender "Marci"...as usual she welcomed us back in with open arms and still remembered our cocktails of choice. AMAZING... We are talking over 6-7 months age. New martini glasses...yahoo...new dishes...new everything...the food was excellent!...Started with calamari which had the blend of tenacles which I love...cooked perfectly not overcooked ...crispy but not rubbery...(would order it again in a heartbeat) then the chicken Piccata from the "bar" menu...perfectly cooked pasta...spaghetti was done al dente (and NOT broken into pieces...hate that) and chicken was hot and again. perfectly seasoned...this chef knows how to cook. Now the pi'eces de re'sistance would be to get these on the dessert menu...Italian SFOGLIATELLA...ask to warm them up...and WOW!!...but for now Scarpinos is back on our local favorite place...we WILL be regulars again...Chef Martin keep it up and our favorite bartender Marci...“

“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.“

“Wonderful atmosphere and wonderful service“

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

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

“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“

“Highly recommend delicious authentic italian. Would definitely return on our next visit to AMI.“

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

“The staff here is INCREDIBLE. I came here after searching and failing in finding a place to eat that can accommodate my allergies. The staff not only welcomed my party but made my order special just to assure me that I would be safe. The food here is delicious and the staff is fantastic. Such a great experience! Thank you ☺️“

“was there today.Wonderful service. want to thank you both. The food ,meat balls,Bread,(what i had ) and canolis were Amazing. you let us see how you made the filling . Thank you so much for your Conversation,and lession on how you did things.Looking forward to our next Visit.the Carrelli Ladys😊“

“Fantastic food and service!“

“Great food, service, and atmosphere!“

“We were seated and our server came over and asked us what we wanted. No explanation to assist us with the menu as we had never been before, food arrived and he only checked on us once for the bill, no offers of drink refills, unlimited pasta etc. Would not go back again.“

“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.“

“You only have one chance to make a good first impression on a new customer and Eleni’s did not disappoint!! Friendly, courteous, and helpful was so refreshing. The pizza was great — loved the cheese! I’d go back again just for the great customer service. Good job, Eleni’s Pizza Works! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽“

“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.“

“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.“

“Breakfast is always a favorite and the Rueben! We get here once a week if not more. This is now a favorite of my folks too! They prefer breakfast and hubby is a smash burger fan! Great servers and friendly too!“

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

“We did a day tripper from Fort Myers Beach and tried the lasagna and hands down it's the best I've ever had. This is truly a local hidden jem as everything was superb! We will be back on a month or so our next day trip to Siesta Key!“

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

“The food and service were awesome. Will be going back and would recommend everyone tries it out. Family owned and operated. They have a vegan menu menu as well as GF options. A well rounded restaurant. They have dine in and take out.“

“Cannot believe I just discovered this sweet little Bistro! Located in the heart of downtown, you will find a great selection of wines and food for your pleasure! A great space to enjoy live music 🎶 and friendly conversations . The decor had a bit of a retro vibe, local art decorated walls making it feel cozy, warm, and welcoming! Theresa, the owner was super gracious by allowing me to try a taste of wine before I got a whole glass ! This is a must try in sarasota!“

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