50 Best Italian Restaurants in Sarasota

“Fantastic all around. Food is fresh and delightful. The staff are so kind and helpful. The cocktails are bright and refreshing. Highly recommend this to anyone, regardless of whether you’re local or visiting. Classico always comes through for us, and we’re sure they’ll come through for you.“

“Great food, service, and atmosphere!“

“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.“

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

“Had a yet again wonderful dinner experience there this past Saturday. The food was great, bested only by the wonderful service and welcoming atmosphere. I called them this morning in search of my credit card that I was frantically looking for. I believe it was the owner who answered, and even though they were closed at that time, volunteered himself to go the restaurant to see if my card was there. He called me within a half hour that it was there. He waited until I got there to give me the card. He was an absolute gem to do this of his own accord. I can’t thank him and his wonderful restaurant enough!“

“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!!“

“Simply said, PHENOMENAL! Emelio, Rosie and staff are fantastic! The food is sensational! I certainly think it’s one the best restaurants in Sarasota! Bravo!! Can’t wait to go back!“

“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!!!!“

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

“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.“

“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 ! ?‍♀️?“

“My husband found this place for us while we were vacationing in Sarasota. The food was incredible. My in laws got the lasagne, my husband got the Ragu, and I got the risotto special that had prosciutto and burrata. This was easily the best meal we had while in Sarasota. The service was great, and we really enjoyed the atmosphere. We were so full we couldn’t finish our meal, and we sadly did not have a microwave at our hotel! Thank you for a great experience and even better food!“

“Amazing wine, food and service!“

“This place was highly recommended by a friend. My expectations were completely exceeded. Small quaint place that feels like you rolled into a bistro right from a cobblestone path in Tuscany. One chef, one prep line, small kitchen that creates big bold flavors. Food reminded me of Nanas cooking from childhood. We never went without anything as the service matched the food. Hands down one of the best meals I’ve had in a long time. Thank you chef and wonderful staff for an amazing birthday meal.“

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

“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.“

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

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

“This is a rather small local Italian restaurant hidden at the back of a building in The Meadows. There are no signs visible from the street announcing the existence of the restaurant let alone one directing you to the entrance. You’ll need to rely on Google Maps to find the place. You definitely want to call for a reservation as the place is small.

Parking: There is a large common parking lot.“

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

“Our server Sam was the best! Great personality as with all your staff. The Bianca pizza is sooo delicious! We are Italian and from NJ. You are doing it right! Your entrees are also delicious! We will see you next Winter when we return. Linda & Tom Sellitto“

“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!“

“Always great food, great service, great atmosphere!! Love the Neopolitan pizza it's the best. Waterfront Dining!“

“Unique service. You enter and place your order at counter. Pay first. We ate in the Pizzeria. We ordered a large meatball and cheese large pizza and two ice teas. We had to help ourselves to plates, napkins and silverware on our own. The pizza was delivered to the table by a server. We had to ask for our beverages to be brought to us. I don’t know why I tipped on the bill if most of the service we did ourselves.“

“Being a New Yorker visiting Florida, we felt right at home. Pizza was tasty, cooked perfectly top and bottom, our waiter (Mike) and owner (Frank) both great people from beginning to end. We will return when we visit again in 2 months. In a couple hours I will be eating the 2 slices we didn’t finish. 🤣“

“Delicious meal, great atmosphere with live music, and very friendly knowledgeable staff.“

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

“Staff and food outstanding every time we come here. Nothing better than here.“

“Fantastic food and service!“

“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.“

“Excellent excellent excellent. I've tried most of their subs now. It's becoming a habit. The subs are a bit spendy but huge. Two meals easily, so I think their pricing is appropriate. I get to go, eat half one day and half the next. Keep up the good work Faicco's.“

“Food wasn't bad. Service was good. If you're looking for a more quiet place to dine, this would not be it. If you're looking for a place with more chatter and laughter, then I suppose this would be the place for you. In any case, though distracting, customers seemed to be having a good time. Bon appetite“

“The owner is from Brooklyn and very friendly and engaging. The menu is classic Italian. We had veal parmigiana and linguine alfredo that were both wonderful. The table next to us was gushing over the pizza. Given the owner’s NYC roots, that is no surprise. We had a smooth Montepulciano that made dinner perfect. Cozy and nicely decorated. Highly recommended.“

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

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

“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.“

“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!“

“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.“

“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 -“

“Such a wonderful dining experience. The food was delicious and being able to watch the chef prepare it was an added bonus. Love to support a small family run business. Everything was very classy.“

“Stupendous! Highlights were the My Father Remembered salad, fettuccine with clams, rum baba. One of the best meals I've had in recent memory!“

“Dropped in the other day, while in town for business. This has got to be the best NY style pizza I've ever had!!“

“Don’t go solo. I was seated in a corner used for extra chair storage away from the main part of Restaraunt. No one else at 2 tables. Plenty of empty tables in main part. Made me feel like I had BO oh well. Plenty of other places where they let you sit with everybody else.“

“Cannot believe I just discovered this sweet little Bistro! Located in the heart of downtown, you will find a great selection of wines and food for your pleasure! A great space to enjoy live music 🎶 and friendly conversations . The decor had a bit of a retro vibe, local art decorated walls making it feel cozy, warm, and welcoming! Theresa, the owner was super gracious by allowing me to try a taste of wine before I got a whole glass ! This is a must try in sarasota!“

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