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.“

“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!“

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

“We visited Bella Vida Italian Kitchen (501 N. Geneva Rd., Sarasota, FL 34232 – 941-365-5555) and were absolutely blown away. The pasta carbonara came highly recommended, and it did not disappoint in fact, it was the best carbonara we’ve ever had, even compared to dishes we’ve enjoyed while traveling in Italy. The osso bucco was incredible as well, with portions so generous that they happily boxed up the leftovers for us. For dessert, the cannoli was truly to die for, and the coffee was perfection. Every single part of the meal exceeded our expectations.We were so impressed that we’ve decided to use this restaurant to cater our wedding. Rocco, the owner, sat with us and personally greeted us, along with the wonderful servers. The whole place has an authentic, welcoming family vibe, and everyone goes above and beyond to make sure you’re happy. The restaurant is spotless honestly the cleanest restaurant in Sarasota and even the bathrooms are immaculate. Everything about Bella Vida was above and beyond anything we’ve experienced in Sarasota. We can’t recommend it enough!“

“Amazing wine, food and service!“

“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!!!“

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

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

“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!“

“Great good, great service!“

“If you want authentic Italian, this is a must go to restaurant. The atmosphere is amazing going in and very romantic. The food was delicious and would definitely do there again. It's a little pricey, but it's worth it. They do a great job pairing wine with your meal. Highly recommend.“

“Love Pazzo. We have dinner here multiple times. We have sat inside and on their lovely patio which is reminiscent of a Piazza in Italy. The food is reasonable, and yummy always. Service is great, with the owner typically there and greeting guests which is nice. The only negative I would share is that they do not use fresh grated Parmesan which is just plain cutting $$. It is nice to have fresh grated Parmesan offered and sprinkled on Italian dishes versus being given a glass shaker jar with cheap cheese. It's actually the only Italian restaurant we go to that does this. Hopefully, they'll change to real Parmesan served as fresh grated at request.“

“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.“

“With only eight tables and reservations in constant demand, we somehow managed to secure a weekend spot by calling more than a month in advance. I was genuinely grateful just to be there. They seated us at a little two top tucked into the corner by the window. Normally I am not a fan of two-seaters because they can feel like an afterthought. But this one felt intentional. From our spot we could see the whole intimate dining room and watch the chef cooking away. It felt cozy, not cramped.

We started with a bottle of white and two appetizers that set the tone immediately. The tuna tartare was bright and fresh, perfectly balanced. The sausage over spinach and broccoli was warm and rustic and full of flavor. Simple ingredients done really, really well.

I especially love that they wheel the menus over on chalkboards instead of handing you a printed menu. Our server Gus was great and carefully explained each item. You can tell the chef works with whatever is best that day. That detail alone says a lot.

My husband, who is very picky about pasta, ordered the lobster pappardelle in red sauce with a little kick. He was thrilled. I had the shrimp and lobster pappardelle in a sauce that I honestly cannot even describe properly. It was just incredible. Rich but balanced. Every bite made me pause.

Everything was marvelous. I have not enjoyed a meal that much since Florence. And finding that kind of experience here in Florida felt like a little gift.“

“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!“

“We are from Tampa and came to Sarasota just for a couple of days to celebrate Valentine’s. Andrei!!! the waitress was awesome, he knew the menu and was able to recommend different alternatives, food was delicious and service was great, definitely coming back. My husband and I did not have a reservation but we were able to wait for a table at the bar which was also good 😊“

“Hey Fresta's Fresta's
Happy 1st anniversary! I'll take the whole meau and try it all! Meatballs, garlic bread ball, cheese balls and for dessert a baseball cake ball if you have that! I also will like to take couple of swings of those buffalo wings hopefully it gives me a Grand slam smash Burger home run. although it's spring training! I need that real philly taste. To drive it back to Clearwater at Phillies philly spring training camp! I am dying for that taste of that real philly special cheese steak Italian style and that real Italian stallion sandwich that's light out and it knock your shore right off your feet! Omg! Don't forget that philly cheese as well with any kinda pasta that melts in your mouth and down your stomach that you will good hmmm. That was very tasty. That Florida doesn't even have and they cannot even make it correctly that other Florida Italian restaurants and made up philly steak places cannot even make. Pretty tried going back and forward going home to Philadelphia to get these types of delicious Italian food even philly cheese steak. Forget about it about Arizona Italian food. then back to Florida. No other Italian real taste. Finally there is a real Italian restaurant. In westnorth of Florida. Can't wait to get a taste of Fresta's that everyone in Bradenton area is talking about the Philly! philly! Style. 😋 God knows hopefully this real Italian restaurant grow across the state of Florida. See y'all“

“? 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.“

“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.“

“Always great service, great food at great prices. Always enough to take home. Love this place!“

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

“Food excellent , a must try..!“

“First time here… had a wonderful evening with wonderful Italian food. We have a little 1.5 year old son and the staff and owner couldn’t have been more friendly and expressed to us not to worry about anything with our son being a little grumpy, and told us to just enjoy the evening and the food. Shrimp risotto, linguini, chicken parm, all so tasty and wonderful. Highly recommend. We will be back. Best service we’ve had in a while.“

“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!“

“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! 🙌🇮🇹🍝“

“Jose provided excellent service on multiple occasions and Jared, at the bar was amazing as well… food is AMAZING!!“

“nice lil spot that holds late night entertainment. The staff was polite and accommodating. The music was great and we had a good time. next time will try the food.“

“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!!!“

“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!“

“It's always a winner at La Norma's. The generous portion of appetizers and salads are delicious and the Salmon Piccata is amazing! Love the varietal wine selection. The Hostess is lovely and our server, Juan, is so knowledgeable and personable.“

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

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

“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.“

“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! 🙌🇮🇹🍝“

“10/10 recommend. We came Sunday for the brunch and it was AMAZING! Everything tasted great, and the restaurant is absolutely beautiful. Our waiter Dejan, made our experience even better, he treated us and our baby like royalty. Great, great service. What a great experience today“

“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 pizza was amazing. So much cheese!!“

“Great food, service, and atmosphere!“

“Such a wonderful and serene location.“

“Had a fantastic experience at Olive Garden! The food was delicious, fresh, and exactly what we were hoping for—but what really made the night stand out was our waiter, Jeorge. He was incredibly kind, attentive, and genuinely made us feel welcome from start to finish.

His service went above and beyond, and it truly elevated our entire dining experience. We’ll definitely be back—and hoping to have Jeorge again!“