26 Best Italian Restaurants near Sanibel

“Our beach wedding was torrential downpour rained out 😭. Robin to the rescue! She pulled it all together and we were able to gather everyone and do our vows in the loft where our reception was scheduled to be!!! It was perfect and the food and service was amazing! Everyone had a great time! Thank you so much to Robin and the entire staff!“

“Recommended by friends. Hidden treasure! We had an amazing dinner tonight with huge portions of authentic Italian food. Great service. So much personality in this restaurant. Highly recommend .... we will be back!“

“We always go here when we are in town. We absolutely loved our service tonight with James, our server. In addition to his amazing service and great personality, we truly enjoy the atmosphere and how friendly everyone is. This is such a well ran restaurant…forever our favorite Italian food here! ❤️“

“Beautiful presentation and even more amazing food! What a wonderful little hidden spot at Tarpon Marina! We will always go again! Love, Love, Love!!!“

“Lisa was so great! Awesome food and good atmosphere.“

“Where do I begin... This establishment came highly recommended, and did not disappoint! Tajh was our server, greeted us immediately with a friendly smile, was very attentive, and knew the menu like the back of her hand. We sat at the bar, where you can see the food being prepared in the open kitchen concept. We started with an appetizer of calamari ~ grilled, not fried ~ complimented with mandolin vegetables and an amazing sauce. Then, we shared two of the entree's on the daily special menu: Braised short rib with calamarata pasta - it fell off the bone and melted in your mouth and mushroom ravioli with a brown butter sauce. Both dishes were bursting with flavor. Midway through dining, Chef Corricelli approached us to ask how our food was. He is clearly a passionate culinary expert. We finished with a delicious tiramisu for dessert - we were so full, but managed to finish every bite! We will be back, and highly recommend Osteria Celli!“

“I held my baby shower in the Venice Room and cannot recommend it enough. Babs, my assigned event coordinator was fantastic. She communicated with me every step of the way and when it came to decorations and room preparation, I did not have to worry about a thing. What could be a potentially stressful event was nothing short of a wonderful and enjoyable experience. All of the staff assisting with the event, and that we encountered in the general restaurant were kind, professional and courteous. Thank you so much to Babs, the staff, and the kitchen for such an enjoyable and memorable event!“

“Fantastic dining experience!“

“Food was amazing!!! First time here the pasta dishes are very well served. The pizza was on point with some of the best and crispiest crust I've had here in Lee County. On the service was second to none. The young lady who attended to us (Brooklyn) who was attentive polite and very knowledgeable about the menu. This place is ahead in jail. I will certainly be back. Thanks for the great food and fun keep doing what you guys do!“

“I can't say enough about this restaurant. The food was amazing. The atmosphere and love was beyond what you would expect. I can't wait to go back. I want to try every single dish on the menu. I read the review about the vodka sauce and the recovering alcoholic. Why the f....k would you even consider ordering that dish in the first place??? You are playing games with yourself. Really, you cried at the table?? The owners are hard working people. There are erasers on pencils for a reason. Or maybe you don't know what an eraser is. I would have thrown your a** out wah wah wah!! And the other idiot with the chicken wings, you don't come to an Italian restaurant and ask for chicken wings. Go to Kentucky Fried chicken you arsh hole! Anyway I loved the gnocchi with cream sauce, which is what I had. I needed to sample the gravy, (yes we Italians can it gravy), so I had a meatball too! Totally recommend! Jill the owner is the sweetest person you will ever meet. Make a reservation it fills up real fast!“

“Food and service was fantastic! Cannot wait to come back!!“

“Dining at Diana and Antonio’s restaurant truly feels like being transported straight to Italy. Knowing that they are from Florence makes perfect sense, because every detail — from the warmth of the hospitality to the authenticity of the flavors — reflects the heart and soul of real Italian dining. This isn’t just a meal, it’s an experience.

The eggplant Parmesan deserves special mention — it is genuinely one of the best versions I have ever had. Perfectly layered, thinly sliced, and full of rich, comforting flavor. Everything Antonio creates in the kitchen is amazing, crafted with the kind of care and passion you only find in true Italian cooking.

Diana’s gracious presence and welcoming spirit make you feel like a guest in their home rather than a customer in a restaurant. If you’ve ever dreamed of dining in Italy — this is the closest you can get without getting on a plane. A true gem! 🇮🇹🍷“

“My husband & I throughly enjoyed our time this evening!! Joanie & Paige were awesome!!. The food was excellent!! Thank you so much for a very nice experience Joine & Paige!!“

“We had a wonderful dinner here last night. The meatballs, lasagna and lobster ravioli were all 12/10! Cocktails were all perfectly balanced as well. Service was top tier and the vibe was great for a nice night out. I highly recommend this place!“

“We are Sicilian decent wanted to try for my birthday. We ordered a Marguerita pie , eggplant parm, two seafood dishes and some soup. Staff was very nice and attentive. I liked that the food was not salty at all and you can add your own. My parents are hard to impress but my father loved it. He said “this is real pizza”. Set your expectations, this is not a brick oven pizzeria in Sicily. It’s a humble place in Florida , very clean and simple , reminds me of Nona’s food. Ohh the cannolis were 😚 yummy !! Crispy shell. I would go back just to have them !! You won’t be disappointed!!“

“We just ate there recently, and the food was delicious! The service was great, too. We thoroughly enjoyed it & will go back soon! Best Italian food around!“

“baked ziti, excellent white pizza, excellent those garlic rolls.... incredible 🖤 Our new GO TO“

“Loved everything . Food was really good loved the angle hair and sausage, it was a lot of food for being the smaller size. Our waitress Rachael was too much fun, she was ready joke with us as much as we did with her. A big shout out to Arlene who also was extra special and a really cheerful helper. Be nice to the whole staff, they work like crazy to take care of the crowds and get the food out quickly. I don’t think we as customers understand how stressful a job like that can be. Get your Oder ready, Enjoy your visit and delicious food😎“

“Excellent meatballs, Cabernet, and service. Spaghetti was good, too.“

“Excellent food. The most authentic Italian food recipes. I highly recommend. It's our favorite restaurant.“

“Amazing food and top notch service!“

“Me and one of the owners of a company I work with stopped in randomly, I ordered the chicago beef sub and he ordered he chicken philly. Food came out in 5 minutes we ate every bite! I love places like this, if you’re in Fort Myers by Gladiolus Dr stop in to this place you will not be disappointed.“

“Just a couple tables available to sit at , but the pizza was delicious deep dish pepperoni and bacon. We enjoyed our dinner.“

“Love this place.. it’s definitely my neighborhood go to. We especially love Brook!! She’s like family to us, she is professional, curious, and has a wonderful customer satisfaction rating.. the place was updated tasteful and didn’t skip a beat as the transition was flawless! Very proud to shout out praises!!!“

“Although the Island View restaurant just recently reopened to customers, it has not fully opened its rooftop bar area but will be open very soon. That being said, the restaurant portion that is open is beyond comparison with its spectacular views and top notch service.
We ordered the chicken wings (jerk style) as an appetizer and the Fish and Chips and a Pepperoni Pizza.
Everything was very flavorful and made correctly.
The menu ranges from pizza to steamed oysters to various other options.
Our waitress, Karmen went out of her way to make our dining experience even more enjoyable with friendly chat and was very knowledgeable about any questions we had about the menu or any local information that we had questions about.
Overall it was a great experience and we enjoyed our visit.
I would encourage anyone to visit the 6th floor of the Lani Kai and try the Island View restaurant. I can’t wait to return and see how they are doing when the other portion of the rooftop restaurant opens.
Edit: I believe the entire rooftop of the Island View restaurant is open as of 11/21/2025.“

“Mushroom Risotto with truffle oil. Iron Cast Beef Filet Medallions. Cioppino Excellent! Servers were excellent!! Shout out to Manager Sarah. very accommodating. Thank You!!!!!“