It's our first "go-to pizza restaurant" when we travel from West Virginia to Sarasota every year at…read moreHalloween time! Waiter was super friendly & had family from WV which was a bonus! Pizza crust is thin, but soft - very delish, many topping options, & all food reasonably priced! Good array of beers to choose from the bar including my hubby's Chardonnay! Alast, we dined the last night they were open at their original location - they're moving to a new location down the street! See ya next year...

Dined here numerous times, made sure we had reservations for both nights in town for the holiday…read moreweekend. Each night overdelivered with attentive, friendly service, superb meals for our entire party, and bread we couldn't wait to sink our teeth into (multiple baskets consumed quickly, perfect for dipping in our vodka and marina sauces). The chicken parm was its usual tasty dish and I thoroughly enjoyed the rigatoni a la vodka. Side salads were a perfect compliment and who can't resist cannolis for dessert?!?? Can't wait to return when we are back in town!

Food was terrible, owner was more interested in being a singer than actually cooking…read more I don't know what part of Italy she is from, but it's not like any Italian food I've ever experienced in my lifetime The chicken was mushy and they use way too much salt

We had a great dinner last night at La Dolce Vita. It is a small place, I didn't think to count…read morethe tables inside but there is maybe a dozen, and a few more outside. Small and busy, I would recommend getting a reservation. I checked out their menu earlier in the day and was very much looking forward to trying their Pappardelle, Funghi e Salsiccia, a sausage and mushroom pasta dish with a creamy panna sauce. I was not disappointed. In fact, I found my food absolutely delicious. I loved the mushrooms, the sausage, and the sauce really tied it all together. Service was fine, maybe just a little slow at the end getting the bill, but we were in no hurry. Very helpful, one person in our group had some dietary restrictions which were accommodated.

The location has plenty of seating options both indoor in the bar area, wine room or dining room…read moresurrounded by windows. Outdoor seating offers both al fresco à la humidity or under a lovely lanai with fans. The meals generally include mixed vegetables and roasted potatoes; however the menu doesn't say that nor did our server. Only the all pasta dishes come with pasta. There is no side of pasta offered either. This was disappointing because we were in the mood for pasta. After overcoming this, the dishes we chose were all delicious. Our guest said the sole of fish and sauce was great. The branzino at $49 we were told was boney but tasty. The lobster raviolis were cooked perfectly and topped with 2 pieces of grilled shrimp. The chicken scaloppini was tender and the white wine sauce was light and smooth. Overall the meal was good. Our server was distracted and sloppy. Considering it was not at all busy and there was sufficient staff, our server looked overwhelmed. Water glasses were left unfilled and drinks were spilled when served. We had to ask for extra napkins to clean the stem of our glasses. Glad we tried it, but with so many Italian options in this area, I think we will leave this spot for the visitors.

What a find! We decided to have dinner here & due to the wind, we sat at the bar to have dinner…read more Discovered that they have a fantastic HH every day! My house vodka martini was great & only $6! We shared ate almost entirely off the HH menu - bruschetta, caesar salad, bolognese, & the pasta with mushroom sauce. Pasta is homemade & you can get it off the HH menu! We even got a bread basket served to us! We indulged in profiteroles for dessert. The bartender was wonderful. The interior looks very nice. Outside they have plenty of tables. Would definitely go back to this place.

This is where you bring family. That includes your besties…read more Even when we have reservations I don't mind waiting. The food & service, are that good. The atmosphere makes you feel like you're surrounded by family. The bathroom is clean! Thank you to everyone at Cafe Gabbiano, Especially the Chef's, and the entire kitchen staff.

Wow wow wow. I haven't had Italian food like this in a long time. Café Gabbiano absolutely…read moredelivered. We didn't take any pictures (which should tell you how fast we dove in), but here's the breakdown: 3 lobster ravioli (including me) 1 truffle ravioli 1 clams and linguine 1 chicken parm And I'm not exaggerating when I say we didn't speak to each other until our plates were cleared. Total silence. Just pure focus. I'm not usually a truffle fan, but when I tried my wife's truffle ravioli, I immediately understood the hype. It wasn't incredible rich (helped me not feel like I needed to be wheeled out afterwards), balanced, and packed with flavor without being overpowering. I genuinely wanted to trade plates. My lobster ravioli was perfect. Not overly heavy, not drowning in sauce just loaded with flavor and cooked exactly right. I would highly recommend this dish to anyone going. The clams and linguine and the chicken parm both got rave reviews from the table too. No weak links anywhere. Our server was kind, attentive, and quick without rushing us. She made the experience even better and handled a busy night like a pro. Pro tip: Make a reservation. We booked on OpenTable and were seated right away on what looked like a packed night. Also, if you park next door like we did pay the meter. Trust me. We learned that lesson the hard way on this trip. If you're in Siesta Key and craving authentic, high-quality Italian, Café Gabbiano is a must. We'll definitely be back.

Classico is one of our favorites. Always consistently great dishes and service. Also, they always…read morehave oysters on the half shell.

Really enjoyed this spot. For one, I was visiting Sarasota and it's one of the ONLY restaurants…read morethat are open late. I was so happy that they were open until midnight because I needed a reservation for after 10PM. They accommodated my reservation for 2 at 10:30PM and everything was great. Our server, Zach, was knowledgeable and attentive. He made sure we were taken care of and was on it. The portions here are very good. The bread is nice and crisp to start. The appetizer mussels were a LARGE portion, but luckily I didn't mind taking them home as leftovers. They were incredibly delicious and fresh. The tuna dish was tasty with a nice kick. The chef's social ravioli was really good, not something I'd typically order but it was worth it. The music here was a good volume and the vibes were nice. They had a really nice piano, would've loved to have someone playing on this night, that would've really set the standard here. Overall, a very nice restaurant. If I'm ever back in the area I'd certainly return.

First off we talked last minute for a party of 8 that turned into a 9. We were greeted warmly with…read moreenthusiasm! The food was amazing and for a party of 9 we were all served rather quickly.The appetizers were on point! Great wine list had bottles and by the glass. Chef Marco made many trips to the table himself to check on us and Olga our server was full of smiles and laughs! We had a amazing dinner and a totally great time! Can't wait to go back!

Delicious. Italian Lasagna was fantastic and highly recommended. The atmosphere was perfect for…read moresmall groups and the personal attention provided was fantastic.

I can't believe I have lived in Sarasota as long as I have and only now found this gem of a…read morerestaurant. My wife and I had the most enchanting evening and simply can't wait to return. First impression, plenty of street parking directly in front and as we entered we noticed a truly beautiful outdoor patio, nicely landscaped, centered around a beautiful outdoor stone fireplace. When the weather cools we will look forward to enjoying that. As it was a bit warm outside we chose an indoor table. The interior is beautifully done with elaborately detailed tray ceilings, soft colors, soft lighting, a really lovely bar, and a quiet luxury throughout. We were greeted by the host Bob, who we later learned is a partner/owner, and we were seated immediately. Our waitress Holly was fun, engaging, attentive and eager to please without ever being overly present throughout the night. She set the tone by announcing that all wine was $10 off per bottle and all signature cocktails were $10 each. We were informed these values are expected to be offered at all times during low season (not just a happy hour). We found the wine and cocktail pricing to be extremely reasonable even without this extra offer. Holly also volunteered that the kitchen would happily split any appetizer onto two plates and we were also welcome to order just a half salad or half Caesar salad if only one of us wanted one. For the waitperson to offer this without even being asked, we felt the spirit of hospitality was off to a great start as it was obvious the restaurant is prioritizing customer happiness above all else. The menu, which you can review on their website, was full of enticements that had us vowing to return so that we could sample more and more offerings. We settled on a half house salad (excellent), a pasta fagioli (unforgettably good) one of their signature dishes, "Chicken Our Way", and Rigatoni Bolgnaise. The chicken dish was simply out of this world, very lightly breaded and beautifully glazed with a wonderful sauce. The table next to us, having driven up all the way from Northport, politely demanded to know what the dish was as the aroma graced their table. The Rigatoni Bolognaise was as fantastic as any dish we had while travelling through Italy; the bolognaise sauce was unquestionably made from scratch in-house and was as delicious and as authentic as it comes. As we were dining, a woman entered who had the essence of an owner; she went from staff member to staff member, and from table to table, checking on every employee and every customer to ask how things were going. When she stopped at our table, she introduced herself as Beverly, the host's partner. She stayed with us for quite some time showing a genuine and personal interest in us. We were not just a customer to her; we were clearly a new and valued acquaintance. This level of Mom-and-Pop personal service is very hard to find today in Sarasota--and it makes all the difference in the world. We can't wait to go back to see Bob, Beverly and Holly again as they truly made us feel like family. And we can't wait to try more of their enticing dishes. You simply MUST sample this restaurant and see for yourself. I fear though that if too many people discover it, the restaurant may grow and change. I hope that doesn't happen, because it is perfect right now, in this moment, exactly the way it is.

Offer of free dessert drove us back here; not really, just wanted to hit the restaurant before…read moreheading North for the Summer. Pazzo was not crowded and Deliah took good care of us. My chicken Milanese was breaded chicken with arugula and tomatoes plus Parmesan cheese on top( very good) My carrot cake was moist and tasty. Overall, a nice dinner experience. My wife had the sea food pasta and enjoyed her entree as well. Generous portions and good flavorful food make this Italian restaurant a very good value.

Wonderful food and service. When you see other Italians eating at an Italian restaurant - you know…read moreyou are in the right place!

Excellent restaurant! Our second visit even better than our first…read more Bruschetta was delicious and artistically displayed. Slight tendency for tomatoes to fall off but really good, Lasagna very tasty. The winner was the shellfish and pasta. We will all likely order that next time. Good house wines. Split tiramisu for dessert. Super light and flavorful. Alfredo took very good care of us. We will return!

Marcello never disappoints... .. there were 8 of us &…read moreeveryone very satisfied! Gus was our server & was great! Like the quaintness of the resturant!

I love this place, thanks susan and nick for taking me. Great prices and great owner! Bravo for…read moresuperb italian experience.

Service was amazing. Waiter on top of things and food came quickly and was hot! My only gripe…read moreis it's a bit noisy but that seems to be everywhere lately Would definitely return

How this place has stayed open for so many years beats me…read more There are SO MANY other Italian restaurants in the Sarasota area that don't charge $30 for a plate of pasta! On top of that the owner (or owners ) don't even greet you with a smile or even say "good evening". It's as if they were doing you a favor to spend $150. for dinner. The food: "non amoral, non sappora" Non me piache!​