This place was recommended so we thought we’d check it out with some friends. In summary, the food was OK. The noise level was a little high in the dining room. Wait staff very good. Ambiance fair.For appetizers, we ordered And shared the Rice ball, Bruschetta and the PEI muscles. The cheese ball was interesting but for the life of me I could not find any of the meat that said it had. The PEI mussels were undersized, and the white sauce had almost no flavor. Bruschetta pretty average.For main courses, we ordered the Amatriciana, the flounder, the Carbonara, and the grilled veal chop. Portions on all these were good and the presentation OK but not inspiring. The veal chop was a little raw around the bone. Flavors on all were OK.The tables in the main dining room are small and a little bit close as a result of noise level was a little high when the restaurant got crowded. There is a good wine selection, but no spirits.The highlight of the meal for me was the coconut cake for dessert. It was excellent with great flavor.Our server did a good job. She was cordial and attentive, but not overbearing. The food came out after a reasonable amount of time and was warm.With several glasses of wine our bill came out to $258 before tip which I felt was a bit on the pricey side.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Coconut Cake
It is a small place so not much room to be spread apart more by yourself. The food is very good though. The bread they give you is amazing as the pasta is also. I wish there would have been liquor to put in my coffee. They do have a very nice wine selection though. I would definitely return to try something different.
Fantastic
Is time wonderful experience. Tricia is an absolutely great host. She makes you feel like you're eating in her home. Food was out of this world; I had the Cacio E Pepe; it was to die for and my wife had the Sacchettini Pasta, wonderful. This is a must restaurant in Sarasota Florida.
SusanS
The food was amazing . I had the Flounder francese on spinach was so delicious . My husband had the spaghetti puttanesca and the homemade pasta was unbelievable . Try the coconut cake ! ❤️
The Flounder Francaise was outstanding-fresh, flavorful and perfectly cooked! The beggars purse pasta was perfectly cooked and the Eggplant Parmesan bites were surprisingly light and delicate. The chocolate caramel mousse dessert was also a good blend of not too sweet and salty. The restaurant is small, modern, has a lovely ambiance and is very personably run by Trish.
Sam DiBiase
Third time for dinner, won’t be back. First time, waited 35 minutes past reservation time; staff wouldn’t ask 6 top to leave even though they were finished & had their check. Second time was fine. Third time, two flounder meals were inedible (wasn’t flounder, tasted like catfish) & shrimp on another meal was rubbery. Halibut, @ $45, came out so plain, it looked like things were missing on the plate (no sauce, no garnish, no vegetables, etc). Owner offered free desert which was appreciated, but for fine dining at these price points, there are better options.
Eliote Durham
Eat. Here.Good for your taste buds, your spirit, and belly!Owens Fish Camp = casual, fun, delightful restaurant. My favorite .... The variety of choices on how to prepare your selection - I had blackened red snapper with a green tomato salsa and collard greens. All of this was to order.Have the dessert - it's worth it! Mississippi mud pie rich enough to split with friends but small enough to eat it all yourself. You decide.Extra special: be prepared to enjoy yourself in the courtyard while you wait for a table. Live music, drinks, and appetizers aplenty. This is a fun start to a delicious meal.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
NicoleK
Made a last minute reservation on a rainy Saturday night. So happy we did. The food was fantastic. Our bottle of wine (Nebbiolo) was a great value and a very nice wine list (no Josh here, sorry). The owner/host was very friendly and attentive and our server was knowledgeable and attentive in just the right amount. We had the artichoke appetizer, burrata, flounder franchise and penne bolognese. It was all excellent. We'll definitely come back next time we're in town.
Golfgirl
An excellent restaurant on Main in Sarasota. Welcomed warmly by the owner, Trisha. Waitstaff was friendly, informative and we were never rushed. Appetizer of eggplant Parmesan was delicious. Other app of artichoke oreganata was light and lemony. Our mains were just as delicious- flounder francese and flounder oreganata served over yummy sautéed spinach. Just the right sizes- room for a brownie with vanilla gelato. A warm, happy place to enjoy dinner with friends or a quiet dinner for two. Will be back- soon!
Dolly3
Delicious meals as always. My house salad as usual was fresh, pretty to look at and a great way way to start dinner. My go-to, the spicy shrimp over squid ink linguine was perfectly cooked and just the right portion size. My partner enjoyed his Amatriciana a frequent menu choice of his. We ALWAYS order a slice of Trish's cocoanut cake to split but last night we decided to try the chocolate cake....another sweet ending to an evening at Ama La Vita! Oh....and the coffee is great1
We loved the food and Tricia was warm and very accommodating. Service was very leisurely which was fine for us but if we had a time limit, it would have been a little slow. We'll go back!
stevenm
Very nice restaurant. Very helpful and friendly staff. However, My wife and I had chicken dishes. Both dishes were over cooked and tough. So tough that the knives used would not cut the chicken easily. Also, I was told they were out of non-alcoholic beer. Being diabetic, I cannot drink wine or alcohol. Water was the only alternative. Disappointed.
We brought our friends there out of a recommendation from our some and daughter in law. The food was excellent and so was the staff and wine!!! We thoroughly enjoyed it!!! We met the owner which is also very nice!!
James
Waitress OVER demanding...Their way ONLY....NOOOOO deviations AT ALL...if that's the case ...PUT NOTES ON MENU BOLDLY...Gives clients at least heads up...
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 2
Mark Mulone
Nice small restaurant with a great menu. Meals were good, not spectacular. We enjoyed the evening and most likely heading back for another try.
This place was recommended so we thought we’d check it out with some friends. In summary, the food was OK. The noise level was a little high in the dining room. Wait staff very good. Ambiance fair.For appetizers, we ordered And shared the Rice ball, Bruschetta and the PEI muscles. The cheese ball was interesting but for the life of me I could not find any of the meat that said it had. The PEI mussels were undersized, and the white sauce had almost no flavor. Bruschetta pretty average.For main courses, we ordered the Amatriciana, the flounder, the Carbonara, and the grilled veal chop. Portions on all these were good and the presentation OK but not inspiring. The veal chop was a little raw around the bone. Flavors on all were OK.The tables in the main dining room are small and a little bit close as a result of noise level was a little high when the restaurant got crowded. There is a good wine selection, but no spirits.The highlight of the meal for me was the coconut cake for dessert. It was excellent with great flavor.Our server did a good job. She was cordial and attentive, but not overbearing. The food came out after a reasonable amount of time and was warm.With several glasses of wine our bill came out to $258 before tip which I felt was a bit on the pricey side.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Coconut Cake
It is a small place so not much room to be spread apart more by yourself. The food is very good though. The bread they give you is amazing as the pasta is also. I wish there would have been liquor to put in my coffee. They do have a very nice wine selection though. I would definitely return to try something different.
Is time wonderful experience. Tricia is an absolutely great host. She makes you feel like you're eating in her home. Food was out of this world; I had the Cacio E Pepe; it was to die for and my wife had the Sacchettini Pasta, wonderful. This is a must restaurant in Sarasota Florida.
The food was amazing . I had the Flounder francese on spinach was so delicious . My husband had the spaghetti puttanesca and the homemade pasta was unbelievable . Try the coconut cake ! ❤️
The Flounder Francaise was outstanding-fresh, flavorful and perfectly cooked! The beggars purse pasta was perfectly cooked and the Eggplant Parmesan bites were surprisingly light and delicate. The chocolate caramel mousse dessert was also a good blend of not too sweet and salty. The restaurant is small, modern, has a lovely ambiance and is very personably run by Trish.
Third time for dinner, won’t be back. First time, waited 35 minutes past reservation time; staff wouldn’t ask 6 top to leave even though they were finished & had their check. Second time was fine. Third time, two flounder meals were inedible (wasn’t flounder, tasted like catfish) & shrimp on another meal was rubbery. Halibut, @ $45, came out so plain, it looked like things were missing on the plate (no sauce, no garnish, no vegetables, etc). Owner offered free desert which was appreciated, but for fine dining at these price points, there are better options.
Eat. Here.Good for your taste buds, your spirit, and belly!Owens Fish Camp = casual, fun, delightful restaurant. My favorite .... The variety of choices on how to prepare your selection - I had blackened red snapper with a green tomato salsa and collard greens. All of this was to order.Have the dessert - it's worth it! Mississippi mud pie rich enough to split with friends but small enough to eat it all yourself. You decide.Extra special: be prepared to enjoy yourself in the courtyard while you wait for a table. Live music, drinks, and appetizers aplenty. This is a fun start to a delicious meal.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Made a last minute reservation on a rainy Saturday night. So happy we did. The food was fantastic. Our bottle of wine (Nebbiolo) was a great value and a very nice wine list (no Josh here, sorry). The owner/host was very friendly and attentive and our server was knowledgeable and attentive in just the right amount. We had the artichoke appetizer, burrata, flounder franchise and penne bolognese. It was all excellent. We'll definitely come back next time we're in town.
An excellent restaurant on Main in Sarasota. Welcomed warmly by the owner, Trisha. Waitstaff was friendly, informative and we were never rushed. Appetizer of eggplant Parmesan was delicious. Other app of artichoke oreganata was light and lemony. Our mains were just as delicious- flounder francese and flounder oreganata served over yummy sautéed spinach. Just the right sizes- room for a brownie with vanilla gelato. A warm, happy place to enjoy dinner with friends or a quiet dinner for two. Will be back- soon!
Delicious meals as always. My house salad as usual was fresh, pretty to look at and a great way way to start dinner. My go-to, the spicy shrimp over squid ink linguine was perfectly cooked and just the right portion size. My partner enjoyed his Amatriciana a frequent menu choice of his. We ALWAYS order a slice of Trish's cocoanut cake to split but last night we decided to try the chocolate cake....another sweet ending to an evening at Ama La Vita! Oh....and the coffee is great1
Restaurantji Recommends
We loved the food and Tricia was warm and very accommodating. Service was very leisurely which was fine for us but if we had a time limit, it would have been a little slow. We'll go back!
Very nice restaurant. Very helpful and friendly staff. However, My wife and I had chicken dishes. Both dishes were over cooked and tough. So tough that the knives used would not cut the chicken easily. Also, I was told they were out of non-alcoholic beer. Being diabetic, I cannot drink wine or alcohol. Water was the only alternative. Disappointed.
We brought our friends there out of a recommendation from our some and daughter in law. The food was excellent and so was the staff and wine!!! We thoroughly enjoyed it!!! We met the owner which is also very nice!!
Waitress OVER demanding...Their way ONLY....NOOOOO deviations AT ALL...if that's the case ...PUT NOTES ON MENU BOLDLY...Gives clients at least heads up...
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 2
Nice small restaurant with a great menu. Meals were good, not spectacular. We enjoyed the evening and most likely heading back for another try.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Scallops