"The chicken Alfredo is too good" - my 10yo son Authentic, fresh food with the service to match! read more

Very Disappointing Experience -- Poor Planning and Communication We booked Cesare At The Beach Italian Restaurant in Clearwater for a wedding dinner on May 2, 2026, for a party of 20. We worked with manager/part-owner Ryan Pattie in advance to coordinate the dinner, including special printed menus featuring the specific dishes and wines we selected for our guests. Unfortunately, when we arrived, the restaurant staff was not aware of our reservation for 20 people. We were also informed that Ryan was not there. We tried calling Ryan on the cell phone number he had personally provided to us for any questions or issues related to the event, but he did not answer. While the staff was trying to figure out what had happened and attempting to reach Ryan, some of our guests went ahead and ordered bottles of wine. The staff did their best under the circumstances to accommodate our group and make the evening work. To their credit, they were helpful and made an effort to turn an awkward situation into a pleasant dinner. The food itself was good. What is most disappointing, however, is what happened afterward. We have made numerous attempts over the past nearly four months to contact Ryan Pattie, both by calling and texting his cell phone and by contacting the restaurant, simply to give him an opportunity to explain what happened or offer an apology. He has not returned our calls or messages. Mistakes happen, especially with large events, but failing to properly communicate with a wedding party that made arrangements in advance--and then completely ignoring repeated attempts to resolve the issue afterward--is unacceptable. The restaurant staff and kitchen deserve credit for doing their best that evening, but the lack of preparation, the failure to have the reservation properly communicated to the staff, and especially the complete lack of follow-up from Ryan Pattie left us extremely disappointed. Based on our experience, we would have a very difficult time recommending César's Italian Restaurant for an important event or special occasion where reliable planning and communication are essential. read more

This is a must try if you love great Italian food !!! They have a menu for all tastes !!! Fantastic lobster bisque soup !!! Escargot !!! And service that cannot be beat !!! Seafood is also very very good!!! You will not be disappointed!!! read more

Many Clearwater OGs have recommended Cesare's At The Beach. Doing a quick google research dive, you'll find the owners are directly from Italy...let's give it a try!! Upon entering, the ambiance is filled with Eros Ramazzotti playing. For those of you who don't know, he's probably the most recognized pop star voice of Italy...think like a Peter Cetera. You hear it, you know. Automatically a point for authenticity. Unfortunately, that's where the authenticity ended for me. We started the evening with a simple bruschetta. On presentation, it looks and tastes like a mini pizza from a middle school cafeteria. Then we got the ceasar salad to share. A generous serving, but tasted like it came out of one of those quick serve plastic bag salads. For entrees, my wife ordered the fettuccine bolognese. Nothing outstanding; I ordered the pollo piccata, which was quite good and saved the evening for me. Food service speed was disappointing. Our server and assistant server were appropriate. Drinks were always addressed without asking. My complaint was how long it took for our actual entrees to come out of the kitchen. It was close to 50 min. In fact, I know the table that was sat after us received their entrees before us. Que será será. Unfortunately, because we were overall so underwhelmed with the quality of the food, we did not get any desert. Cut our losses, and run. Additionally, the prices were higher than other comparable Italian establishments. This of course is because it is located "at the beach." They can do that because the tourists will pay. They will have their loyal patronage. Just not for me... read more

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We came in around 9.15om and was greeted warmly even though last order eas at 9.30pm. We didn't order any appetizers and ate the warm bread that was served. Both hubby and I tried their grouper dishes. I had the Grouper with Kalamata Olives (Mediterranean) and my hubby had the one with just Capers. Both were flavorful but I liked my better. The meal came with a side of pasta option. I chose the spaghetti with garlic and Olive Oil and my hubby has the penne with pink sauce - both were good but I would recommend the pink sauce. The grouper we had didn't seem to be as flakey or fresh tasting but the flavors from sauce helped. Our daughter ordered the kids fettuccine and boy their sauce was super rich, Service was friendly and fast. They didn't rush us at all even though we came in so late. Not much ambience but a great option in the area especially when you are staying at the JW Marriott Clearwater Beach - they are less than 5min away. read more

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Relaxing weekend on Clearwater Beach Florida! Of course, we had to have dinner at our favorite Italian Restaurant Cesare At The Beach. The owner, Ryan Pattie, is amazing. Niko and the rest of the team always takes such great care of us! The Pollo Cesare Augusto, which is pounded chicken breast, breaded, topped with eggplant, mozzarella, mushrooms and a delicious pink sauce, is the best Italian dish we have ever had! Watching to sunset while enjoying delicious food! read more

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The food was absolutely amazing, the chicken parm practically melts in your mouth it is so tender you don't even need a knife to cut it. All of the servers were extremely friendly and were always topping off drinks, the food came out extremely quickly. If I could rate it higher than 5 stars I would. read more

Cesare's At The Beach - The chicken parm - Italian Near Me - Clearwater, Florida

First time here ( (10/16/25), can't believe it . It's a hidden gem. We started with the bruschetta little different than the norm . It was tasty, warm and fresh. I had the Pollo Piccata ( chicken) with a side of spaghetti with garlic/ evvo. My. Table mates had the pollo Parmigiana with a side of linguine, Agnolotti (ravioli) with a Alfredo Sauce, Pasta Trio ( 3 different types of pasta/ sauces) and Spaghetti alla Carbonara with chicken. All meals were awesome , hot tasty and delicious. Price comparable to beach, upscale restaurants but very affordable. Fun fact Cesare's has been there approximately 10 plus years, it is locally sourced... again yaaa. KUDOS to James our waiter( made us very welcome), Manager for squeezing us in at the last minute , Chef for giving us a very memorable meal and of course the OWNER. Keep up the amazing hospitality. Definitely recommend this restaurant. read more

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Amazing Italian food! We loved the calamari and then everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meals. We had the mushroom pasta, the chicken Parmesan, and fruti di mare. The host and waiter were so friendly and welcoming. I can promise you that this will be the best Italian meal that you can get in the area...this is coming from a girl who grew up eating on Wooster St. in New Haven to Federal Hill in RI. read more

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Simply perfect! This was our second visit to Clear Water and to Cesare's (came back because of Cesare's). Our waiter, Nick, was top notch. We had the Pollo Siciliana and Veal Parmigiana- both excellent! read more

Cesare's At The Beach - Veal Parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Clearwater, Florida

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This place is remarkable on it's own merits, not withstanding that it's in a tourist location. A few local friends discovered it a couple of weeks ago and we all descended on it last week. It was so good I immediately made a reservation again for 2 days later. The basics - recipes and original owners from Italy, limited open hours, well established management/cooks/servers/etc. This place has been around for a long time and is likely to be around a lot longer. Quality is through the roof. I've tasted at least 6 of their dishes and the hits just don't quit. The lasagna and lemon dessert are particular highlights but whether you're going with a basic pasta or something more exotic just know you're getting what is EASILY in the top 5 of Italian establishments within 2 hours. My bar for Italian is high as I can make a mean set of dishes, it's not like pizza where I'm happy with even average fare, and this place effortlessly excels. The atmosphere is small, attentive, with just enough noise but not too much where it's perfect for a couple's night out or a small group. They also have a delightful patio. I genuinely can't recommend this place enough. Just crushes everything in the region, particularly at it's very affordable price point. I've paid 4x more for Italian dishes from places that aren't even half as good, and I thought those we well priced based on the quality. This place isn't just hitting out of it's league, it's practically playing a different game entirely. I have no notes for this place. It's perfection and I expect it'll be a regular part of my rotation for years to come. read more

Service from our waiter was outstanding. Knew the menu very well and was extremely attentive. We all ordered Mussels and Bruschetta to start plus their complimentary bread. I ordered the Pollo Cesar Augusto which was fantastic with linguine w/ pink sauce. My husband ordered the Veal Piccata- the sauce with lemon was very fresh. My only complaint is that most of the non alcoholic drinks are heavily overpriced. $5 for Lemonade, Iced Teas, coffee and espressos. Wasn't worth it in my opinion. read more

Cesare's At The Beach - Pollo Cesare Augusto - Italian Near Me - Clearwater, Florida

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This restaurant is very good. This is our fourth time. Food and service are always top notch.

The food and the service was excellent, Nice little place with great ambiance. I would definitely recommend going for dinner

I wanted to love this place. I really did. I actually was hopeful walking in and hearing Eros Ramazzotti on the overhead music. But the food simply fell short. The bread was average. The ceasar salad was below average. The bruschetta was basically mini pizza. And the fettuccine all bolognese was on par with Olive Garden (and I should never think of the words Olive Garden in an authentic Italian restaurant). I have no complaints about the service or ambience. But to pay these prices for subpar Italian - we won't be returning. read more

Cesare's At The Beach - Fettuccine Alla Bolognese - Italian Near Me - Clearwater, Florida

We walked down without a reservation and were greeted by Ryan so kindly and he found us a great table and shared the history of the restaurant. The food was made from scratch and delicious! read more

Cesare's At The Beach - Fettuccine Alfredo with Shrimp added - Italian Near Me - Clearwater, Florida

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Service was sub-par and felt a bit rude. My wife and mother in law could barely eat their lobster ravioli. My wine was fine, but you can't really screw that up. The mushroom pasta was also fine. Definition of "mid." read more

We spent the day in Clearwater, and we were completely famished. We have heard of this place but but never tried it. I was a little worried at first. We did not realize they did not open at 5pm, and when we originally arrived it was 4:45pm. They asked us to come back at 5pm, which is completely understandable since that was our bad. The problem, though, was that they did not actually unlock or open the doors until about 5:14pm. I wouldn't have minded except they told us to come back at 5pm. It probably would have been a little bit better of an experience if they let us know they were running a little late. Upon walking in the restaurant, I was immediately put off my the most disgusting dirty ceiling vent I have ever seen in my life. This part had me questioning my dinner choice for sure. However, once we were seated, we got great service by a very professional waitstaff. We were brought menus, gave our drink order, and asked for fresh bread. We were told that the bread was not ready yet, and it would be brought out once it was done. That's fine, but again, it has to do with the timeliness. At this point, we are about 35-40 minutes past their alleged opening time. I had the Pollo Cesare Augusto, and it was absolutely delicious. It is honestly the main reason I am giving this place 4 stars. It was phenomenal. The pink sauce was great. The portion was huge. I would eat this meal again and again. The cappuccino was absolutely meh and tasted mostly of heavy whole milk. It wasn't light and frothy like I would expect. Skip the cappuccino if you visit! read more

Cesare's At The Beach - Pollo Cesare Augusto - Italian Near Me - Clearwater, Florida

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This is one of my favourite restaurants in the area, and one of my top favourite Italian restaurants ever. They make the pasta fresh in-house every day. The service is amazing and we have been impressed every time. read more

Nice old school Italian food. Good service reasonable prices. Nice location also. Bolognese fettuccine was great

We learned that Cesare's is celebrating 20 years of operation! It's a small space, but it is packed with tables and still easy enough to move around. There is both indoor and outdoor seating, and a never-ending line of patrons. Be sure to make a reservation--we did and we were seated immediately. I came in with a friend. We were looking for a more upscale place to eat a nice dinner on Clearwater Beach on our third evening here. Our server (Anthony) was delightful!! He matched our admittedly over-the-top energy and was very informative and helpful as we thought our way through our order. This was a nice experience, but the flavor wasn't quite there for me. We ordered two entrees to split and it was more than enough food! However, the best thing on plate for me was the potatoes. I was too full to order dessert but had an eye on the crème brûlée and the tiramisu. Next time, I'd come back for desserts and drinks! read more

Cesare's At The Beach - quaint little waiting area - Italian Near Me - Clearwater, Florida

We had an amazing meal from the time we walked in the door. We were greeted and explained the entire menu. Our server was also very attentive and checked on us many times. We had chicken piccata and pasta trio. Delicious! This place was packed. It was a Saturday night at 6:00. Reservations are a must. This is off season at the beach. I can't imagine spring break. We will definitely be back. BYW if you haven't been here in a while they have a full bar. All top shelf liquors. read more

The food was fantastic, 5 star worthy and portions are huge and definitely shareable (coming from a 250lb man lol). Service was attentive and impressive with their attention to detail. Ambience was nice, definitely not a fancy fancy restaurant but perfect for after a nice beach day and some genuinely authentic quality food. read more

The best food and service that i have had anywhere. Cesar's never disappoints. We go here when we want to take guest and family to the best Italian food on Clearwater Beach. read more

Cesare's At The Beach - Italian Near Me - Clearwater, Florida

Started out with ordering a drink which was a bottle of Pino Grigio. Had to order a bottle because they no longer have by glass per the drink menu. Waiter came back and said they did not have it cold, and would I like to wait awhile. Said I would wait, he came back in about a half hour and poured a glass for tasting and it was warm. Sent it back. Paying $60 for a warm bottle is not acceptable. When making my reservation I stated that this was for a reunion and could they do something extra. The gentleman stated that they would surprise my guest with a cannoli after dinner. Well it never happened. The restaurant is so crowded with so many tables, you can hardly move. I ordered the veal, and it was fair, definitely not how it used to be. I wanted angel hair pasta as a side; however I could not get it ever though it comes with other dishes on the menu. I've been coming here for over 10 years and I see that it is really going down and they are all about money. The issue with the wine is not acceptable, and an embarrassment for me in front of my visiting guest. They could and should have compensated me in some way, however a manager was nowhere to be seen. What was to be a beautiful reunion was spoiled because this establishment is more concerned about money vs. customer satisfaction. I will never return as it is now a tourist trap. They could care less about satisfying loyal clientele. This was my go-to place for authentic Italian food, however now it's a faded memory of quality food and exquisite customer service! read more

My wife and I tried Caesars last Saturday evening and we enjoyed the atmosphere. The host and service staff were very attentive. I hope the owner and the kitchen reads this but the scallops in my wife's dinner still had the muscles attached, big no-no if you like seafood. The meatball appetizer was just ground beef with no taste, which was very disappointing. My Chicken Parm was fair but the tomato sauce was watery with no taste. I know it's hard running a restaurant business, but I hope Cesare's takes my critique as a way to better their product. I wish good luck and continued success to the Cesare's staff! read more

I was there with a large party. I can honestly say that every dish was a 10/10. Fritto misto? So fresh. Scallops were fire. The chicken cesare augusto was so delicious. The vodka sauce was having me lick my plate. This place is a gem. Great service in a beautiful location. Come hungry. OMG so good read more

Cesare's At The Beach - Italian Near Me - Clearwater, Florida

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I don't know what happened here but the service was with an arrogance! We had two toddlers with us and asked for bread. He said we couldn't get any bread without ordering our entrees. So, I ordered mine and it took forever to come out. I said it's okay if it comes out fast because the kids wanted the bread. We ordered bruschetta, caprese, Caesar salad for appetizers. They were good but nothing super special. I was shocked at all of the amazing reviews, but this just missed the mark for me. We got several vegetarian entrees and shared it. When the bill arrived, there were many sharing plate fees which we were not told about. It was on the menu as I go back and read, but just mention it to us. We got ice cream, cannoli, and tiramisu. They were good. Would I ever come back, probably not but it always felt like we were bothering our server. You shouldn't feel that way with 8 people. read more

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Trust Yelp! I did and ended up here. The service by Anthony was outstanding and the food was delicious. Truly. The bread and dip sauce was so good. I enjoyed a mozzarella caprese appetizer. Next was Pollo Cesare Augusta entree with an in-house made cannoli to end. Sensational They have indoor and patio seating. I will most definitely come back. read more

Cesare's At The Beach - Anthony the best waiter in Florida! - Italian Near Me - Clearwater, Florida

The food was good but it took them almost an hour to bring it out after it was ordered.

Very good food and service. It's very loud and noisy when the restaurant is packed, but I still recommend giving it a try.

We just had an amazing dinner. Immediately felt welcome. Menu was great; was hard to decide what to order. I asked if my selection could be done, not only fra diavolo, but very very spicy. Our server, Andrea, who was fantastic, said of course. It was excellent! In addition to our entrees, the bread, dipping oil and Caesar salad were all great. We were originally going to go to an Italian restaurant on North Beach, but, at the last minute, changed our minds and went to Cesare's. We are so glad that we did. read more

Great authentic Italian food best in clean water area. The severs are nice. The atmosphere is also very nice.

This is a fantastic Italian restaurant! If you love homemade pasta this is your place! If you love flavorful sauce this is your place. If you love a large diverse menu this is your place. If you love FANTASTiC service this is your place. Highly recommend this if you are craving Italian while visiting Clearwater Beach Florida! read more

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Great service by James! Delicious food, and lots of it! Nice spot on the patio. Exactly what we were looking for! read more

Cesare's At The Beach - Patio view of Sand Key causeway - Italian Near Me - Clearwater, Florida

Food was good. Service was not good hence a three instead of four star rating. Drinks were just okay. We waited forever for our entrees and no one checked on us or came and said things were slow, did we need anything. Just acknowledging it would have made a difference, We raised no flags but were disappointed as we were on vacation and frustrated. Not sure we would go back. read more

Service was great. We will occasionally choose a restaurant to try several dishes. So glad we chose Cesare's. We tried the Alfredo with chicken, Veal Sinatra, Pollo Cesare Augusto and Lasagna. The Veal Sinatra and Pollo Cesare comes with a side of pasta & sauce(you get to choose). We chose a side of penne & side of spaghetti. Both with bolognese sauce. They were Huge. 4 people can share one side. EVERYTHING was Delicious! We will definitely be back when we are in town again. read more

Cesare's At The Beach - The penne & spaghetti are sides. They're Huge! - Italian Near Me - Clearwater, Florida

I wasn't expecting much, mainly because of the location. So many of the restaurants in the area are only so-so. However, I was pleasantly surprised at the food and service. The size of the restaurant is definitely small, and table settings could have come from a burger joint; paper napkins, plastic woven placemats. The night we were there, there was 3 groups of 5 or more people and they were all elbow to elbow, and the tables all along the windows were blocked in by the larger parties. Even trying to leave, we had to wait an extra 10 minutes just so that one of the tables finished and left, before that nobody would let us through. However, the food .. oh the food !! The quality was stellar, the taste was impeccable and the portions were huge. We had a fantastic young girl as our sever and she was a ray of sunshine. She was very aware of the timing of the meal and made sure our glasses were always full. I would definitely recommend to friends & family. However, I would tell them to request the outdoor patio, instead of being stuck inside. read more

Had a 7:00pm reservation. At 7:10 was told we were next to be seated. At 7:20 we were told our table was being cleared off. At 7:30 we were told people were slow finishing their meals. We left disappointed soon thereafter. Maybe next time, but probably not. read more

Bruschetta- 8 Lobster Ravioli- 7 Pasta - 7 Sat outside had one fan slightly blowing in our direction, then host came and moved it to blowing toward the majority of guests who already had fans in that area so Waiter was helpful with the menu read more

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