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.“

“So delicious, everything is home made. It is a small intimate restaurant and the owners/chefs are so welcoming. The pasta is so delicious and the focaccia bread to the mussels appetizer to the lamb sauce over fettuccine was perfectly cooked and seasoned. The homemade mixture they serve with the bread is unlike anything we have ever had and it was their grandma’s recipe that made it extra special. I would suggest a reservation for this hidden gem!“

“My husband and I just had the most delicious dinner at Nikki Greek in Golf Gate! Everything was bursting with fresh, vibrant flavors—truly close to authentic Greek cooking. Fresh ingredients were purely delicious. The presentation was beautiful, and every bite was absolutely wonderful. We loved it! Opa!!!“

“Hidden Gem. The owners were very welcoming and the food was fantastic.“

“Amazing wine, food and service!“

“Always a great evening, The service is amazing and the food was delicious“

“We have ate here twice now & every time we do it’s just amazing. The food is excellent & the service is good. I love how intimate the restaurant feels. The table side Caesar salad is so good & the spumoni for dessert is one of the best desserts I’ve ever had. I also really like how the menu is on a chalkboard, as it adds to the intimate feel of the restaurant. Thank you Marcello. We will be back!“

“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!“

“Rocco and crew catered my Mom’s 80th Birthday party! Food was fabulous. All the guests agreed. Thank you again for everything. Next time we are in Sarasota we will be in for dinner.“

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

“We’ve had several excellent meals at Sara’s kitchen. Homey atmosphere, delicious food and you always feel like family. This past weekend we had a large party and closed the restaurant on a Saturday night. It was unbelievable. Fantastic food, excellent service, beautiful decorations. Please give this fabulous gem a try. You won’t be disappointed.“

“We had our first visit to Maestrale last Sunday, March 1st. Our group of 7 was exceptionally pleased with our meals (we've never seen our 3 1/2 year old granddaughter eat so much!), the attentiveness and the ease of scheduling the reservation. Our meals were all amazing and it was the first of many visits as we expect to enjoy many more meals at Maestrale. We can't wait to go back!“

“Our first visit to Mona Lisa Italian Restaurant will definately not be our last. Aaron greeted us and seated us and treated us well throughout the meal. The music was amazing. Italian opera was perfect to set the atmosphere. The artichoke and the mushroom starters were wonderful. The bread was yummy. The Caesar Salads were fresh and delicious. We ordered the mushroom ravioli, seafood risotto and shrimp scampi. All excellent. The wine pours were very generous. We had a great time and will definately be back and recommend this restaurant to all of our family and friends.“

“Amazing atmosphere and food“

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

“Very attentive service, great outdoor seating, tasty menu with so many good options to pick from. Grouper catch of the day (blackened per server recommendation) added the scallop enhancement and sweet potato fries was phenomenal with a refreshing cucumber spritz mocktail“

“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 food in downtown Sarasota.“

“I don’t leave reviews unless I don’t like something, so please Excuse my language but GOLLY! This food is a 9.9999999/10
I have the meatballs as an app and the ravioli Romani and holy Vatican please bless this place cause god damn!
Meatballs were so tender it felt like I was eating my Italian grandmothers cooking.
My food was served hot, with love, and if I didn’t live over 1000 miles away I’d be here weekly.
From a Pittsburgher much love, holy hell this place was phenomenal.“

“Delicious meal! Service was great! Matthew our waiter was super!“

“I went for my anniversary dinner, and the food was delicious. Unfortunately, the waitress kind of ruined my experience. I'm not sure she even noticed I was there. She only spoke to my husband and then forgot the expensive bottle of water, and brought me tap water. When she finally noticed me at the table she seemed very surprised. But still acted as though I was not there and somehow made, ma'am, a derogatory term. My husband loved all the attention and will probably be back. I however, will not because I did not enjoy my dining experience. However, I will get food to go. Because it was good.“

“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.“

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

“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.“

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

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

“As a NY Pizza enthusiast (read: snob), the pie here definitely hit the spot!! Perfect balance of cheese to sauce as well as the perfectly crispy crust. Pizza was hot and delicious and the topping were generous. Will definitely be back next trip!“

“Most autenthic italian restaurant in town!“

“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.“

“If you’re in Lakewood Ranch and craving New York–New Jersey style pizza, you have to try Valentino Pizzeria Trattoria. 🍕 I’m from Long Island, so trust me when I say I know good pizza — and theirs is!. I just realized they were originally established in New Jersey, and honestly it all makes sense zzzThe red sauce, the crust… it tastes like home. Their whole menu is amazing, — the chicken piccata, the chicken parm, literally every entrée is done right. You can tell they put pride and professionalism into everything they make. If you haven’t been, go support this awesome local spot. You won’t regret it! 🙌🇮🇹🍝“

“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!“

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

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

“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.“

“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 -“

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

“The food was exactly what keeps people coming back. Everything we ordered was fresh, flavorful, and generously portioned. It’s great comfort food at a fair price, and it’s hard to go wrong with the menu.

The service was also friendly and attentive throughout our visit.

The only downside is the atmosphere. The restaurant was quite loud and crowded, making it difficult to have a relaxed conversation. It lacks the cozy, authentic Italian ambiance you might expect and feels more like a busy chain restaurant than a place to enjoy a leisurely dinner.

If you’re looking for good food and great service, Olive Garden delivers. Just don’t come expecting a quiet or intimate dining experience.“

“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.“

“Great place for wine and live music lovers!“

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

“We hosted a 40-guest private event at Cafe Amici, and it was a fantastic experience from start to finish. The food was amazing, everything ran smoothly, and the staff was friendly, professional, and efficient throughout the night. I had to leave a bit early, and the staff was kind enough to neatly place my decorations together so I could easily pack them up the next day, which I truly appreciated. We couldn’t have asked for a better venue or team to host our event. Highly recommend Cafe Amici for any private party or special occasion“

“Outstanding pizza every time!!! Love the addition of fresh basil included in the box!!“

“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.“

“Food is very good, especially their subs, actually the best sub i have ever had here in sarasota. i also love their frozen raviolis, Pastosa brand, which are imo the best frozen raviolis you can buy. their prepared foods are really good also. as for the actual market, like specialty items, not bad , but when your comparing it to mazzaros in st. petes, its just ok.“

“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.“

“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 😊“

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