Fresh ingredients, authentic Italian, and pasta/pizza made from flour from Italy that my wife (gluten intolerant) ate without any problems afterwards.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kara Rein
We recently relocated to Sarasota, and I have been on the hunt for a restaurant that does Carbonara the right way (no cream). This is the place. I’m so glad we finally found it. The arancini appetizer was incredible as well as my husband’s lasagna. We finished it off with a slice of limoncello cake. Everything was just amazing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Daniel King
I’m sure this is a great spot for some but we didn’t feel it was very good. Food was less than average. Cleanliness weak. Unenthusiastic service team.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 3
Melanie Gibson
Absolutely loved this place so Authentic , food was off the charts delicious! The staff ( family) are beautiful and tell a beautiful story about this quaint restaurant … we will be going back many many times . Thank you .
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Monica Stella
All the tables empty, and 4 tables available inside and they said they didn’t have any table available indoor. 96 f
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Matt Beno
FAMLIY OWNED Authentic real Italian food. All the pasta is hand made and so good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jules
Cannot say enough good things about this charming restaurant in a less trafficked area of Main Street Sarasota. I am transported back to Italy each time I visit!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Chuck Kanner
Food was ok. Not great. The snapper “special” was not special at all. May have been 3 ounces of fish and some pasta. The calamari was sad. Tiny pieces of frozen rings that were stale for $20. The best part about the restaurant is the wine and the sauces. If you are looking for expensive authentic Italian I think La Violetta is way better. Just don’t order the lobster. It’s amazing to live in paradise, on the gulf coast, and everywhere you go the seafood is frozen and horrible. This place was no exception and was not exceptional.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
MT
La Luca Ballerina is hands down one of the best Italian restaurants I’ve ever been to… truly a gem in Sarasota. My husband and I went for a date night, and from the moment we walked in, we felt like we were transported back to Italy.
The restaurant is family-owned, and that warmth comes through in both the atmosphere and the service. Our server, Paolo, was wonderful — friendly, attentive, and even recommended a wine imported from his own hometown in Italy, which made the night feel so personal. The space itself is charming, filled with family photos, Italian ceramics, and thoughtful details that make it cozy yet elevated.
The food was absolutely incredible. We started with house-baked focaccia with infused olive oils and bruschetta topped with imported mozzarella — you can immediately taste the difference in the freshness and quality. The lamb shank was fall-off-the-bone tender, the homemade gnocchi was like little pillows in rich Bolognese, and the lobster ravioli in velvety sauce was one of my favorite bites of the night. For dessert, the amaretto layer cake was light, perfectly balanced, and an amazing finish alongside a cappuccino.
Fresh Italian ingredients, a unique wine list, warm hospitality, and flawless execution make La Luca Ballerina a must-visit. We left already planning our next trip back!
I get takeout a lot from here. Their pizza is crispy, cheesy and delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Christina Ricchio
Worst experience of my life at a restaurant, cannot fathom how this place has over 2 stars. Service was terrible, all of the servers (and the owner) sat around doing absolutely nothing. We ordered the Cacio e Pepe for ourselves which was just ok and the kids pasta but asked to change the noodle. Little did we know they charged us for a full pasta. Then, when they finally did pay attention to us they asked if we wanted ice cream for the kids.. they charged us because we asked for different noodles. We unfortunately had to wait it out there because of the rain and basically had to beg someone to give us another drink. The icing on the cake was the $179 for 2 pastas and 4 glasses of wine. Thank God we asked to look at the actual bill. They charged us 4 bottles instead of glasses. We will never go back here.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Hailey Graber
Absolutely phenomenal! This restaurant is a true hidden gem, we’ve come back time and time again, and every single visit has been nothing short of exceptional. The food is consistently delicious and the service is amazing as well.
It’s a perfect quaint atmosphere for a relaxing, high-quality meal. If you’re looking for a spot with charm, incredible food, and great hospitality, we highly recommend. A 10/10 experience, every single time!
- Juley & Rich
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
RAF
Seated on time. Great food and service. Started with calamari which was well prepared. The focaccia was a nice addition. I had the veal saltimbocca and my wife had the eggplant parmigiana. Both were presented well and were perfectly cooked. Desert was the ricotta cheese cake. The restaurant was full to capacity.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Michael Scott Novilla
Owner Mario, from Roma, is about an authentic Italian restaurant owne as you can ge! My good buddy and I had an incredible experience, delicious, fresh food. Of course. Plenty of red wine. We definitely recommend La Mucca Ballerina ItalianRestaurant! 5/5 Bravo!!
Fresh ingredients, authentic Italian, and pasta/pizza made from flour from Italy that my wife (gluten intolerant) ate without any problems afterwards.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We recently relocated to Sarasota, and I have been on the hunt for a restaurant that does Carbonara the right way (no cream). This is the place. I’m so glad we finally found it. The arancini appetizer was incredible as well as my husband’s lasagna. We finished it off with a slice of limoncello cake. Everything was just amazing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I’m sure this is a great spot for some but we didn’t feel it was very good. Food was less than average. Cleanliness weak. Unenthusiastic service team.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 3
Absolutely loved this place so Authentic , food was off the charts delicious!
The staff ( family) are beautiful and tell a beautiful story about this quaint restaurant … we will be going back many many times .
Thank you .
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
All the tables empty, and 4 tables available inside and they said they didn’t have any table available indoor. 96 f
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
FAMLIY OWNED Authentic real Italian food.
All the pasta is hand made and so good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cannot say enough good things about this charming restaurant in a less trafficked area of Main Street Sarasota. I am transported back to Italy each time I visit!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food was ok. Not great. The snapper “special” was not special at all. May have been 3 ounces of fish and some pasta. The calamari was sad. Tiny pieces of frozen rings that were stale for $20. The best part about the restaurant is the wine and the sauces. If you are looking for expensive authentic Italian I think La Violetta is way better. Just don’t order the lobster. It’s amazing to live in paradise, on the gulf coast, and everywhere you go the seafood is frozen and horrible. This place was no exception and was not exceptional.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
La Luca Ballerina is hands down one of the best Italian restaurants I’ve ever been to… truly a gem in Sarasota. My husband and I went for a date night, and from the moment we walked in, we felt like we were transported back to Italy.
The restaurant is family-owned, and that warmth comes through in both the atmosphere and the service. Our server, Paolo, was wonderful — friendly, attentive, and even recommended a wine imported from his own hometown in Italy, which made the night feel so personal. The space itself is charming, filled with family photos, Italian ceramics, and thoughtful details that make it cozy yet elevated.
The food was absolutely incredible. We started with house-baked focaccia with infused olive oils and bruschetta topped with imported mozzarella — you can immediately taste the difference in the freshness and quality. The lamb shank was fall-off-the-bone tender, the homemade gnocchi was like little pillows in rich Bolognese, and the lobster ravioli in velvety sauce was one of my favorite bites of the night. For dessert, the amaretto layer cake was light, perfectly balanced, and an amazing finish alongside a cappuccino.
Fresh Italian ingredients, a unique wine list, warm hospitality, and flawless execution make La Luca Ballerina a must-visit. We left already planning our next trip back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Best authentic Italian in downtown SRQ
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
I get takeout a lot from here. Their pizza is crispy, cheesy and delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Worst experience of my life at a restaurant, cannot fathom how this place has over 2 stars. Service was terrible, all of the servers (and the owner) sat around doing absolutely nothing. We ordered the Cacio e Pepe for ourselves which was just ok and the kids pasta but asked to change the noodle. Little did we know they charged us for a full pasta. Then, when they finally did pay attention to us they asked if we wanted ice cream for the kids.. they charged us because we asked for different noodles. We unfortunately had to wait it out there because of the rain and basically had to beg someone to give us another drink. The icing on the cake was the $179 for 2 pastas and 4 glasses of wine. Thank God we asked to look at the actual bill. They charged us 4 bottles instead of glasses. We will never go back here.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Absolutely phenomenal! This restaurant is a true hidden gem, we’ve come back time and time again, and every single visit has been nothing short of exceptional. The food is consistently delicious and the service is amazing as well.
It’s a perfect quaint atmosphere for a relaxing, high-quality meal. If you’re looking for a spot with charm, incredible food, and great hospitality, we highly recommend. A 10/10 experience, every single time!
- Juley & Rich
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Seated on time. Great food and service. Started with calamari which was well prepared. The focaccia was a nice addition. I had the veal saltimbocca and my wife had the eggplant parmigiana. Both were presented well and were perfectly cooked. Desert was the ricotta cheese cake. The restaurant was full to capacity.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Owner Mario, from Roma, is about an authentic Italian restaurant owne as you can ge! My good buddy and I had an incredible experience, delicious, fresh food. Of course. Plenty of red wine. We definitely recommend La Mucca Ballerina ItalianRestaurant! 5/5 Bravo!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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