This was a great find on our first night in Sarasota. We typically look for good Italian first, and with many restaurants with Mediterranean cuisine to chose from in the area this was the one that stood out.The restaurant is on a little side street where the buildings reminded me a Old Town Key West. Sit outside and enjoy your meal even more. The staff couldn’t have been more welcoming and attentive. My Chicken Cacciatore was top-notch with fall off the bone meat melted in my mouth. The pasta was cooked perfectly and ragu reminded me of grandma’s. Enjoy a relaxing evening at the Bodhi Tree Cafe and you won’t be disappointed. Grazie mille!
cassandra s
I couldn't say enough amazing things about this restaurant! There were 6 of us at dinner and all together we tried 4 different dishes for dinner and 4 for desserts. Our entire group of foodies all agreed that everyone's dish was superb. You know when you don't want to give up your own dish, but also want someone else's, that it is good food. As someone that rates Italian food lowest on my food preference list, I would gladly have dinner here anytime! The food was flavorful, well cooked, and good overall portion sizes. I laughed at the 1 star review that mentioned Publix sauce and Betty crocker because I can easily name at least 10 other restaurants in Sarasota that meet that description but Bodhi Tree is not one of them! ? The only thing to mention is to know where to park when you go, which is across the street in the pay lot unless there is open street parking, because you don't want accidentally park in neighbor's spots. The owner was very quick to recogniz any errors made and alerted us so cars could be moved though.
billrE5896KV
This is our favorite restaurant in Sarasota. The service is impeccable and the chef goes out of his way to accommodate my dietary needs. We are always bringing different friends along with us to dine here and they always leave impressed. As a tansplanted New Yorker we have eaten at many fine restaurants and Bohdi Tree foods ranks right up there with them. An extra bonus is the beautiful setting when dining outdoors .
Andi L.
Such a cute place beautiful porch in the jungle, wonderful waitstaff, fresh, delicious food. I loved everything about it, the sauces were delicious and fresh. The menu was innovative. I cannot wait to go back!
712jeffw
We came because of the high reviews but food, atmosphere & service we would have been disappointed at at half the price. $26 for pasta with marinara sauce that wasn’t as good as jars from Publix. The chicken Marsala was pretty good but the $12 chocolate cake wasn’t even Betty Crocker on a bad day. The limited Wine list didn’t even identify the vintners rather gave generic varietals so after it arrived I looked it up and was $12 retail / bottle of wine we paid $48 in a cheap glass without even a stem. The decor would have been appropriate for a Indian restaurant rather than Italian so perhaps they took over a failed Indian business? Very few people in restaurant in height of season so I’m glad to see others weren’t hoodwinked like we were. To top it off the waitress gave quite a speech and to the diners at the the nearby table and asked them to provide a 5 star review so explains why the reviews were so high. $150 for 2 without even a tablecloth so fine dine dining prices for diner food and ambiance. I rarely ever write reviews but felt compelled to after our poor experience.
Kristen McElroy
We had the bolognese, pesto, chicken with artichokes and pasta with clams… each dish was better than the next!!!! We loved the ambiance and atmosphere at the restaurant we felt like we were eating a home cooked meal! We brought our 4 month son and he also had an amazing time :)Isabella and Robert were so attentive and gave us excellent service they made sure we had everything we needed!!! We are definitely coming back again!!
Jeff V
Had dinner sitting outside. Quiet and relaxing. Staff was excellent. The menu felt a little limited, but the the food was great.
serano deleon
Chef Oscar is a master at blending and creating unique flavors.The Mediterranean/Italian dishes are unlike any I have tasted. He is passionate about his work and that is shown by the exceptional quality & consistency he produces. A true Epicurean experience! The Bodhi Tree Cafe is a Classic American Entrepreneurial Business. Chef Oscars wife Carolina and children work there and they are equally as passionate about service & quality as he is!
C. P.
Absolutely amazing. The best Italian food we have had in years. Eggplant parmigiana, tortiglioni, and bodhi salad were exceptional. The food was prepared with such care that the long wait was absolutely worth it.
Mark Francis
Wonderful jewel downtown. The food is amazing and individually prepared fresh for you. It’s family owned and we enjoyed the conversation with Carolina, one of the owners. You won’t be disappointed.
Outstanding Italian cuisine in a charming intimate environment. Wide variety of pasta and seafood dishes. We enjoyed an outstanding spinach salad with goat cheese walnuts & fruit. Caring and personal service is key. You will not be disappointed. A few hidden parking spots available behind this hidden gem.
Coletta Musick
A small group of friends and I attended the 3rd Friday event at Towles Court Artist Colony. I arranged for reservations and they worked very hard to set us up just the way we wanted with several changes. The food was excellent. The serving staff was attentive and personable.
Dklo3
My husband and I just had a fabulous quiet dinner at Bodhi Tree . Our meal was wonderful as was the service . I would highly recommend it . Our Bodhi salad , pasta with clams , and chicken cacciatore were wonderful . We brought tiramisu home for dessert and I am looking forward to savoring it as well .
Lily A
The food and service was absolutely spectacular in addition to the ambiance. I highly recommend this place. One of Sarasota secrets that need to no longer be. Make sure you make a reservation. In addition to this family-owned business the owner has beautiful jewelry displayed inside;what talent with food and beautiful jewelry.
Adam Thaw
Bodhi tree is an excellent place to eat. Have had dinner here numerous time and the service and food every time have been perfect. The eggplant parm and linguine with white clam sauce is the best I’ve ever had. I highly recommend eating here.
This was a great find on our first night in Sarasota. We typically look for good Italian first, and with many restaurants with Mediterranean cuisine to chose from in the area this was the one that stood out.The restaurant is on a little side street where the buildings reminded me a Old Town Key West. Sit outside and enjoy your meal even more. The staff couldn’t have been more welcoming and attentive. My Chicken Cacciatore was top-notch with fall off the bone meat melted in my mouth. The pasta was cooked perfectly and ragu reminded me of grandma’s. Enjoy a relaxing evening at the Bodhi Tree Cafe and you won’t be disappointed. Grazie mille!
I couldn't say enough amazing things about this restaurant! There were 6 of us at dinner and all together we tried 4 different dishes for dinner and 4 for desserts. Our entire group of foodies all agreed that everyone's dish was superb. You know when you don't want to give up your own dish, but also want someone else's, that it is good food. As someone that rates Italian food lowest on my food preference list, I would gladly have dinner here anytime! The food was flavorful, well cooked, and good overall portion sizes. I laughed at the 1 star review that mentioned Publix sauce and Betty crocker because I can easily name at least 10 other restaurants in Sarasota that meet that description but Bodhi Tree is not one of them! ? The only thing to mention is to know where to park when you go, which is across the street in the pay lot unless there is open street parking, because you don't want accidentally park in neighbor's spots. The owner was very quick to recogniz any errors made and alerted us so cars could be moved though.
This is our favorite restaurant in Sarasota. The service is impeccable and the chef goes out of his way to accommodate my dietary needs. We are always bringing different friends along with us to dine here and they always leave impressed. As a tansplanted New Yorker we have eaten at many fine restaurants and Bohdi Tree foods ranks right up there with them. An extra bonus is the beautiful setting when dining outdoors .
Such a cute place beautiful porch in the jungle, wonderful waitstaff, fresh, delicious food. I loved everything about it, the sauces were delicious and fresh. The menu was innovative. I cannot wait to go back!
We came because of the high reviews but food, atmosphere & service we would have been disappointed at at half the price. $26 for pasta with marinara sauce that wasn’t as good as jars from Publix. The chicken Marsala was pretty good but the $12 chocolate cake wasn’t even Betty Crocker on a bad day. The limited Wine list didn’t even identify the vintners rather gave generic varietals so after it arrived I looked it up and was $12 retail / bottle of wine we paid $48 in a cheap glass without even a stem. The decor would have been appropriate for a Indian restaurant rather than Italian so perhaps they took over a failed Indian business? Very few people in restaurant in height of season so I’m glad to see others weren’t hoodwinked like we were. To top it off the waitress gave quite a speech and to the diners at the the nearby table and asked them to provide a 5 star review so explains why the reviews were so high. $150 for 2 without even a tablecloth so fine dine dining prices for diner food and ambiance. I rarely ever write reviews but felt compelled to after our poor experience.
We had the bolognese, pesto, chicken with artichokes and pasta with clams… each dish was better than the next!!!! We loved the ambiance and atmosphere at the restaurant we felt like we were eating a home cooked meal! We brought our 4 month son and he also had an amazing time :)Isabella and Robert were so attentive and gave us excellent service they made sure we had everything we needed!!! We are definitely coming back again!!
Had dinner sitting outside. Quiet and relaxing. Staff was excellent. The menu felt a little limited, but the the food was great.
Chef Oscar is a master at blending and creating unique flavors.The Mediterranean/Italian dishes are unlike any I have tasted. He is passionate about his work and that is shown by the exceptional quality & consistency he produces. A true Epicurean experience! The Bodhi Tree Cafe is a Classic American Entrepreneurial Business. Chef Oscars wife Carolina and children work there and they are equally as passionate about service & quality as he is!
Absolutely amazing. The best Italian food we have had in years. Eggplant parmigiana, tortiglioni, and bodhi salad were exceptional. The food was prepared with such care that the long wait was absolutely worth it.
Wonderful jewel downtown. The food is amazing and individually prepared fresh for you. It’s family owned and we enjoyed the conversation with Carolina, one of the owners. You won’t be disappointed.
Restaurantji Recommends
Outstanding Italian cuisine in a charming intimate environment. Wide variety of pasta and seafood dishes. We enjoyed an outstanding spinach salad with goat cheese walnuts & fruit. Caring and personal service is key. You will not be disappointed. A few hidden parking spots available behind this hidden gem.
A small group of friends and I attended the 3rd Friday event at Towles Court Artist Colony. I arranged for reservations and they worked very hard to set us up just the way we wanted with several changes. The food was excellent. The serving staff was attentive and personable.
My husband and I just had a fabulous quiet dinner at Bodhi Tree . Our meal was wonderful as was the service . I would highly recommend it . Our Bodhi salad , pasta with clams , and chicken cacciatore were wonderful . We brought tiramisu home for dessert and I am looking forward to savoring it as well .
The food and service was absolutely spectacular in addition to the ambiance. I highly recommend this place. One of Sarasota secrets that need to no longer be. Make sure you make a reservation. In addition to this family-owned business the owner has beautiful jewelry displayed inside;what talent with food and beautiful jewelry.
Bodhi tree is an excellent place to eat. Have had dinner here numerous time and the service and food every time have been perfect. The eggplant parm and linguine with white clam sauce is the best I’ve ever had. I highly recommend eating here.