This is where you bring family. That includes your besties. 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. read more

Wow wow wow. I haven't had Italian food like this in a long time. Café Gabbiano absolutely delivered. 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. read more

We were a party of six celebrating an 85th birthday and were grateful to be seated in a private room in the back, which worked perfectly for some hard-of-hearing members of our group. The service was attentive and friendly throughout the evening. The food was very good overall. Standouts included the garlicky bruschetta, the seafood linguini, and the grouper. A few dishes leaned a bit bland for our taste--specifically the eggplant parm, the salmon, and the Caesar salad--but nothing was poorly prepared. The wine list was a pleasant surprise: affordable and thoughtfully curated. Where else can you find a solid bottle of Merlot for $38? We would definitely return and look forward to exploring more of the menu next time. read more

Incredible food and service! First time seeing the changes to the building and it was beautiful. read more

Cafe Gabbiano - Lasagne Bolognese - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Very authentic Italian restaurant. Great food, lasagna bolognese was outstanding veal tortellini equally good. Water guy always on top of it. Our waiter was Derek. We both took his suggestions and we were not disappointed. HIGHLY recommend this place read more

Unique Italian dishes with a flair. Partial to this place. Been coming forever. Always well staffed that know their menu. Cozy intimate feel. You will like it. read more

Cafe Gabbiano - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

This place is amazing! The food and service are top shelf. We celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary! The place has been redone and beautiful. Perfect place for a wedding reception or just a nice dinner. read more

Cafe Gabbiano - Bourbon flight! - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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"Fabulous o"dinner for us 2 last Saturday.!!! Took us immediately without a resy (at 5:30pm). Pure luck, but super accommodating to seat us on deck. No, there is no water view despite being on Ocean Blvd.! Don't mind. It's all about the consistent QUALITY here. I had the special: Hawaiian swordfish. Yes, there is a difference from Atlantic. The wine list is extensive. The establishment has been expanded. The new room is Delightful for special occasions. Service good. I could go on-&- on..... read more

Went on Mother's Day with group of 8. The service was excellent. The food was even better. I highly recommend this place.

I went here with family to celebrate my birthday and their pastas were delicious! Made fresh daily and tasted just like it. I got the branzino which was decent. The dessert was fantastic and tasted great. read more

Cafe Gabbiano - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Had the Lobster Gnocci, was absolutely amazing and loved the consistency of the gnocci. Also d Bruschetta di Ischia and Fried Mozzarella. They were both so good! Definitely recommend for a romantic date night. read more

Cafe Gabbiano - Lobster Gnocchi - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

We have eaten here two nights now. Both were wonderful experiences. The staff was all wonderful. Both waiters, Lee and Chuppa were very friendly and very helpful. We had a appetizer at least once. Fan favorites were the Raviolo Carbonera and Mussels. We have a large group and a wide variety of main dishes were tried. Nobody was disappointed with any of them. We highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Such a cool vibe. Chicken parm was great. Pasta was good. My husband liked his spaghetti and meatballs. The bread was very good too. Would def come back again read more

Cafe Gabbiano - Chicken parm - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

What a gem of a place! This was our second visit to Cafe Gabbiano and the meal was fantastic! The first time we had a group of 15 and this time was just 3 of us. The service did not change with the group size at all! There were so many great choices on the menu from local seafood to classic Italian dishes! read more

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On the last night of my trip to Siesta Key village, I decided to come here for dinner. Made last minute reservations only to find out that I couldn't because my party of 1 was too small. I took a chance anyway and walked there as it was only a block away. I explained my situation and that I do not wish to sit at the bar if that can be helped. They were very accommodating and seated me at my own table. The bar tender, who also happened to be my waiter, came by quickly and grabbed my drink order and my appetizer order. I wanted the Burrata prepared with tomatoes and basil. It came out fantastic but wish there were a bit more balsamic reduction to it. Still really good though! For my entrée, I ordered the squid ink shrimp fra diavolo. I am a huge fan of squid ink pasta and this place did not disappoint. My dish was so delicious and had the right amount of spice to make me sweat a little but not be running out of there breathing fire. In other words, it was some of the most wonderful squid ink pasta. Of course, I couldn't leave without dessert. They had cannoli and I got cannoli. Yum. So delicious! I am generally judgey because I have had some great cannolis in my life but this one gets the seal of approvals. This place is definitely a place that requires a revisit the next time I find myself in Siesta Key! Service was excellent and so was the food. Overall, one of the best experiences during my little getaway. read more

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Delicious! Staff were great. Only compliant was the strawberry basil martini (couldn't finish) read more

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We visit Gabbiano every time we come to Siesta Key. Food is fantastic and service top notch! Robbie and Julia made our evening so special! Pear salad is one of my favorite! Lobster ravioli, lasagna, eggplant and too many other entrees are consistently top notch. Do not miss. ​ read more

Small little place with nice ambiance! We went for thanksgiving dinner but we tried a couple of the main menu apps. Cheesy bread was good but not garlicky enough and the fried calamari was really tasty. Drinks were pricey but very good! The turkey dinner was nice could have used more stuffing and less rosemary in the potatoes. Was a nice place to spend a holiday meal with family. Would definitely try the regular menu sometime. read more

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Had a wonderful BD dinner there. Our server was excellent. Derek was his name. Food was fantastic .

Food is average at best . Price is way above average. Menu never changes and pasta does not taste fresh. It's the typical middle of the road over-processed tourist trap. Much better Italian in Saraaota read more

Our family visited for the first time last week. The restaurant was accommodating with 2 young children and had children's menus and food was great. I had the fish special with crab and my wife had the chicken mammalucia. Both were excellent and came with risotto and vegetable of the day in addition to the bread and olive oil and we got bruschetta as an appetizer which was excellent. read more

Cafe Gabbiano - Pollo Mamma Lucia - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Service was amazing and food matched expectations with appearance and price of the restaurant. Well worth the visit! 8.7/10 read more

We avoid the Key during "the season" but met friends for a fun evening and good food. We were seated in the refurbished room and it was so noisy conversation was difficult. The meals were underwhelming, not what we have experienced on past visits. We will return and hopefully things will improve. read more

Had a wonderful dinner at Cafe Gabbiano's while visiting the Siesta Key area for our family of four. We made a reservation ahead of time and were promptly sat when we arrived. Our waitress was so lovely- friendly and gave wonderful recommendations on food etc. My son even commented on her service saying she was so nice! Our whole experience was great from drinks to food. We had some appetizers with soup and salad as well as entrees. I loved my poached pear salad. It was fresh and just perfectly done and presented! They offer a variety of typical Italian fare like the pollo parmigiana which was delicious but also different dishes. My husband got a salmon special which he raved about how nicely they cooked the salmon and the flavors. Unfortunately, we were too full for dessert but it was a fabulous meal and I would highly recommend Cafe Gabbiano's if you happen to have the pleasure of being in the Siesta Key area! read more

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Service was bad, waiter uninformed, seating cramped, chicken parm had half unmelted sliced cheese on it, Spaghetti pomodoro had no flavor but even worse it was slimy. No one asked us how our meal was. Asked for bread three times before we got it. read more

The food here is so effing good. Words cannot express how I feel about the Truffle Rav, Lobster Rav, Eggplant Parm, and Linguine Pescatora. Wait, I can.... Magnificent! I haven't been to Italy, so I cannot comment on authenticity, but lord baby jesus, the food is incredible. Also, Chubby (self-described as the only Hungarian at Cafe Gabbiano) provided incredible service. We had one in our party with a cow's milk allergy, and he knew all the ingredients to guide her order. Think about that... Cow's milk allergy in an Italian restaurant... lol I am here in Siesta Key for four more days, and will eat here at least twice more. I don't even care about the other fare I might miss out on.... read more

Great Ambiance, Service. Food is excellent. Great daily Specials!! Will definitely came back read more

A go-to for us, we had a great meal and excellent service taking our adult kids and infant grandbaby there (she slept). Very accommodating in finding us a spot on the porch to tuck her safely away while we enjoyed dinner. read more

Cafe Gabbiano - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

First time trying this place and we left very satisfied. The food was very delicious , our server Chris was awesome . We are definitely coming back. The decor in the main seating was very unique. read more

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An absolute 10+ experience! My friend and I "love" trying new restaurants and wine pairing dinners! That is how we discovered this restaurant on Siesta Key! Last night was a Caymus and Truffle tasting! How bad can that be? NOT! An intimate tasting room for the dinner, shared seating so we made new friends quickly...Our Caymus rep, Nestor, was charming and informative...Service (thx Jessica) - and her sister..was exceptional...the food delicious - and all made to order....oh. and from scratch!! YES, even all the pasta!! WOW, I think I am in love, and I could go on singing their praises forever. I plan to return soon for a "regular" sit down dinner...I am confident it will not disappoint! Thanks Peter and Mark...Carol and my "newfound friends" (U know who you are) for a truly exceptional dining experience! read more

The food was excellent and our waiter Robbie was the absolute best!! He made our friend's birthday extra special!!! read more

Cafe Gabbiano - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Dinner tonight was amazing. After being greeted by the staff at the front door, we were seated right on time. The restaurant was well laid out and not overly crowded or loud. Alexandra took care of us well, knew the menu and made some great recommendations. The food was excellent, we had the pasta, grouper special and the Osso Buco special, followed by the Tiramisu dessert. We will be back! read more

First it is very pretty inside lots wines to look at. But..Too expensive! What a joke the buffalo mozzarella with the tomatoes and arugula $20. 3 SMALL slices of buffalo mozzarella what a joke! The truffle ravioli was very HARD worse than Al dente this was undercooked. The Milanese was ok, nothing special, the risotto was cold. We were not offered any grated cheese for the food but the table across from us was, very strange. Tiramisu was fine. I rather go next door to island tap house for a ton of food for a cheaper price. We are locals and live here full time but I think they thought we were tourists bc we were young. I guess don't judge a book by the cover! read more

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Made a reservation for my family for Monday night. Reservation is strongly suggested. And if they offer you the table next to the check in desk outside, you do not have to take it. Still not sure why there is a table right next to the check in desk right at the entrance stairs. If you like a greeter role that table is perfect :) The server was very nice and informative. The decor inside is very cozy the comforting. The menu is full of great options abc best part is many options including lasagna do not have pork. All home made Pasta. So delightful. The lasagna special tomatoes sauce. Everything was excellent. Tortellini squid ink spaghetti with shrimp diavolo was insane. Reasonable size dishes for the price. This is a must as far as Italian food. Every dish perfected. Service excellent. Timing of food service is perfect. We plan to visit every time we are in town. read more

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This is the best place to eat . Food is amazing. Server Chris was absoultatly amazing and so kind and always checked on us great guy and great place to eat ! read more

Cafe Gabbiano - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Update: Thank you, Marc, for reaching out. We can't wait to return in 2026! Disappointed with our annual visit. During our time there, we felt a bit neglected by our server. He didn't check on us much and was a bit cold in his approach. No chatting, no friendliness, no recommendations - just here's your check and gone. We also felt extremely rushed by the gentleman cleaning tables. We were obviously still eating - with lots of food still on our plates - when he approached our table asking if he could take our plates. The food didn't taste as good as usual. My pasta tasted weird and my husband didn't like what he was somewhat pushed into ordering. We held our small wedding reception at Cafe Gabbiano several years ago. Since then, we have returned to SKB and Cafe Gabbiano to celebrate our special day. Every year I make a note in our reservations that we are celebrating our wedding anniversary. This year, no one mentioned anything - but a big fuss was made over a table near us that was celebrating a birthday. We left feeling quite disappointed. read more

Favorite restaurant we went to during a trip this past weekend. Still dreaming of the bread and wishing I could grab some right now. I got the veal piccata, mussels and calamari. Completed the meal with a large portion of tiramisu. So good!! The restaurant is cozy and does have a romantic vibe to it. Staff was engaging, warm and friendly. Would 100 percent recommend and ready to come back as soon as we make another trip. Don't sleep on this restaurant. read more

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If you're looking for really good Italian or seafood on the island this is the spot ! We went with a huge party and had great service. A few of us ordered the chef special which is always great and packed full of flavor and usually a little interesting and more upscale. The prices fit the location and the quality and elaborate food served. The restaurant is like rustic Italian vibes and feels very upscale but also cozy. Would totally go back again. I think it's such a nice date night spot too! read more

Cafe Gabbiano - Bruschetta di Ischia Bruschetta di Ischia Blue Cheese Prosciutto - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Service was impeccable. Weather was good so we decided to sit outside which was lovely. Only item to note is that the view is of the parking lot. Food was really good. Nothing innovative but a solid meal was had by both myself and my companion. read more

The restaurant is very cute. You feel like you're in Italy. The service was excellent. Someone stopped at the table many times and we waited for nothing. The food is excellent. I'm 1/2 Italian with grandparents from Italy and food was very impressive!!! Due to have a limited menu for Christmas the 3 of us chicken parm and homemade rigatoni. Excellent!!!! Thank you!! read more