50 Best Italian Restaurants near Siesta Key

“First off, this place is amazing! It’s definitely a small hole in the wall shop but the pizza and atmosphere did not disappoint! Had the spaghetti and meatballs also, very delicious and can’t forgot garlic knots! Will definitely be back!!! Price is great“

“Everything was absolutely amazing!! Excellent service, food was delicious!! Hands down a must! We will definitely be back!!“

“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!!“

“We were there last evening for dinner. This location is much smaller than the one at UTC. Difficult to carry on a conversation even at a small table. Food was good and service was as well. Very busy and noisy for a Wednesday evening. We prefer a more intimate experience, as well as excellent food.“

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

“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!!!!“

“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.“

“Went to dinner with family at the Carrabba’s on University. Teddy was our server and we was phenomenal. Service was prompt, he was attentive without hovering, and when we had a little mishap by way of a spilled glass of Sangria he took care of us immediately. Alex was our bartender and he’s got mad skills with a dirty martini. If you’re at this restaurant ask for these young men… You will not be disappointed!“

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

“Great good, great service!“

“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!“

“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.“

“Amazing wine, food and service!“

“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!“

“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.“

“Food excellent , a must try..!“

“Most autenthic italian restaurant in town!“

“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! 🙌🇮🇹🍝“

“When in Sarasota ... it's worth the time to make the beautiful drive up Longboat Key for the wonderful ambience, food , and service at this hidden gem. Juan warmly and proudly walked us through our menu selections...which did not disappoint. We'll be sure to make that trip again.“

“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!“

“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.“

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

“Went here for the first time last night with some friends. Friendly staff, great food and service was phenomenal!!! I had the lasagna and was fantastic. Made from scratch ingredients....homemade bread, made from scratch cream of broccoli soup. wings are out of this world! It is a hidden gem! We will definitely go back!!!“

“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“

“We had our first dinner at Bella Vino tonight. Eggplant Rollatini with spaghetti, salad and homemade bread. Excellent. We will be back.“

“Authentic Buffalo Style pizza. Homemade crust and sauce is to die for. Definitely our go to place for pizza from now on. ❤️🍕“

“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“

“Such a wonderful and serene location.“

“It's breakfast by day and Italian dinner by night. We had breakfast here for three out of the five nights we stayed here and had dinner one night. And dined at CW Prime and places on the island.\n\nFine, attentive service by DAWN who served us for breakfast. Great coffee that gave us that morning boast for the day. We opted for the Great buffet, plenty of great choices, fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, sausages, crispy bacon, breads and bagels and cereal for the kiddies, fresh waffles and an egg station which was manned by AARON who made me three fried eggs, sunny side up, no flipping and no cover every morning !!! So perfect and the way I love my eggs!!! TY!!!🍳🍳🍳🥓🥓🥓🧇🧇🧇\n\nFor dinner, one evening, we had ANDREW who was on top of his game, knowledgable about the menu and specials, answered all of our questions about the entrees and the way the chef preps the dishes.\n\nA bottle of Amarone Tommasi started our night for my wife and I. Our friends had a Prosecco Rose, and a few JW Black for my buddy. For our apps we all shared the rice balls, meatballs, and the Burrata. All three were just delightful, full of rich flavor, seasoned perfectly, and hitting the spot. We ate up all the focaccia bread and dipped it in the sauces!!!\n\nFor our main entrees, my wife had the Chicken Milanese, I had a spaghetti with bolognese sauce, our friends had the corn and ricotta Agnolotti with shrimps and my buddy had the Squid Ink Pasta.\n\nAll four entrees were absolutely Delish, flavorful, fresh made in house pasta, and hitting our palates with satisfying results!!!\nPaired it with our wine and we were very\n happy!!!\n\nOverall, great food, this is the only place in the resort for sit down breakfast, and Italian dinner, superb service from Dawn and Andrew. \n\nWe will be back!!!🍽️🍽️🍽️🍷🍷🍷🍝🍝🍝🥓🥓🥓🧇🧇🧇🍳🍳🍳“

“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!“

“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.“