50 Best Italian Restaurants in Sarasota

“We had a family gathering catered by Dolce Italia and everything was absolutely amazing! We had trays of the Trenne Dolce Italia with sausage, an eggplant dish and homemade pasta with meatballs, which was absolutely delicious. The Mista salad was beautiful, fresh and the perfect compliment to the meal. The process was easy thanks to Matthew’s suggestions and the food was hot, packaged well and ready to be served.“

“the food was absolutely delicious 😋 and the staff!!! Magnifico!!!“

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

“We came here for the first time this week. Our waiter was incredible. The food is probably some of the best Italian that Sarasota has to offer. We will absolutely be back. Thank you so much for a wonderful date night!“

“Excellent!!! the hostess was so friendly. the waitress very attentive . I highly recommend it !! I just moved from Texas . I'm so happy !!“

“Excellent Italian cuisine. Service and food were outstanding. Highly recommended!!“

“Food is fresh and delicious. Very friendly atmosphere. Wine selection is wonderful and menu options are great. And you have to try their homemade desserts! Amazing! Congratulations Chef Leo!!!!“

“? this place.. great service from Joseph our bartender.. absolutely yummy HH ? and appetizers were awesome ? will be definitely be visiting again soon ! ?‍♀️?“

“Andrei! Was an absolutely fantastic waiter. So attentive too! The food was delicious from the French fries and salad to the pizza and pasta. A great experience! A special birthday donut with candles was delivered to our table as well. Highly recommend! Andrei made it more enjoyable too.“

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

“We hosted a neighborhood holiday dinner for 42 guests, and everything was fantastic. Laura and Veronica were a pleasure to work with—professional, efficient, and incredibly accommodating. The food was delicious, and they truly went the extra mile to make sure all our guests were taken care of. Highly recommend this restaurant for special events!“

“Great good, great service!“

“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.“

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

“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.“

“My husband and I are big-time foodies and travel to Michelin star restaurants all over the world. We really had no expectations prior to our dinner tonight, but it turned out to be such a pleasant surprise! Food was fantastic, great outdoor courtyard, and really good service! Such a pleasant surprise!“

“Amazing wine, food and service!“

“Food excellent , a must try..!“

“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!“

“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.“

“Most autenthic italian restaurant in town!“

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

“This place is incredible! I felt like I was in Italy as far as food and atmosphere goes. Hands down best pizza I’ve ever had and all the pasta is homemade. The place was full of Italians, true Italians which is always a good sign. Highly recommend!“

“Great food, took a lil while but worth the wait. We dined in and it was pleasant and they had a bunch of comfy booths free. They have a pretty extensive menu. Waiters/waitresses were kind and friendly. Dude behind the counter was quick to notice new customers and offer help.“

“Wow! Just Wow! My husband surprised me with reservations at Marcello's & it was phenomenal!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Marcello’s Restaurant – Sarasota
This was, without question, the best meal I’ve had in Sarasota — possibly anywhere. From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere felt warm and intimate, like being welcomed into someone’s home in Italy. Every detail was thoughtful and elegant without being pretentious.

The food was nothing short of extraordinary. Each dish tasted as if it was made with love and passion — fresh ingredients, layered flavors, and perfect presentation. The homemade pasta was beyond perfection, the sauces rich and balanced, and the desserts absolutely heavenly.

And the tomahawk steak?! Stop it! Beyond the best I’ve ever had — in my life. Perfectly cooked, melt-in-your-mouth tender, and bursting with flavor. Truly unforgettable.

A special mention to Jeff, our waiter, whose service was exceptional. He was attentive without ever being intrusive — knowledgeable, kind, and genuinely passionate about the food and wine. His recommendations were spot-on and elevated our entire evening.

Marcello’s isn’t just a restaurant — it’s an experience. The kind that fills your heart as much as your plate. For me, it was an Italian girl’s dream (Incorvaia is my maiden name :) ) - authentic, romantic, and absolutely unforgettable.

Making reservations for our next trip to Marcello's. Can't wait to go back!“

“Just slammed some Ziti and bread. never disappointed!!!! Thank you for treating us awesome and thank you for the amazing food!!!!“

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

“Go support this small family restaurant! It's in the Meadows but it's open to the public. My family is Italian and I can say the food here is great. They know HOW to cook the dishes correctly when so many restaurants don't. It comes out piping hot and they make pasta by hand. The prices are fair. Don't miss this little gem. #supportlocal“

“My husband and I had a delicious dinner and superb service by Julie our server. We always look forward to our dining experience at Caragiulos.“

“Best chicken Marsala in town! It’s amazing, very flavorful and huge portions! Excellent!“

“Great food, and the service was exceptional, best lasagna I’ve had in a long time“

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

“The food we had was excellent, and we enjoyed talking with the owner who said he has been in business for 21 years. Its important to support small restaurant businesses especially when they serve authentic Italian cuisine and desserts made with fresh ingredients and pride.“

“Fantastic food and service!“

“The pizza was amazing. So much cheese!!“

“Nice monday night we had with our waiter Josh. Taking the time to explain the menu and promotions elevated our experience for a quick Monday night dinner. Offering complimentary refills of salad, breadsticks and bottomless pasta made us feel welcome. Thank you for the great evening“

“Great food, service, and atmosphere!“

“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.“

“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.“

“Best pizza in Sarasota hands down..will be getting again tomorrow with friends!“

“Great atmosphere and delicious food! Very family friendly as our 7 year old had a blast! Well worth the price and hope to return again soon!“

“We love wood fired pizza and Atmosphere delivers in every way! This small friendly spot on Beneva has the best wood fired pizza we have ever tasted in FL -“

“1000% recommend the Baked Feta Cheese & Roasted Tomatoes with Shishito Peppers - wonderful tapa! Cute restaurant, great wine list and most nights have live music. Spread the word!!!“

“Great food, atmosphere and let’s not forget about the amazing chicken parm 🤤“

“Very welcoming as soon as u walk in, friendly staff, quant and cozi. I got the bruschetta, very good!!! Then a large sized garden salad which was good, then the capellini with maranara sauce and sausage and all wonderful!! I didnt feel rushed and my food came out as I finished one meal and not all at once, the pasta was not watery like most places and sausage was so good!! Not to mention the background music was great 😊“

“Great vibe, friendly staff, tremendous pizza! I look forward to eating here again.“

“Best pizza hands down ! Real New York style pizza ! Amazing“

“Food was prepped quickly and was delicious. Grace was fantastic!“