Forlini's is always a great experience! Excellent true Italian cuisine! New Year's Eve dinner was fantastic! The Lamb was so tender and perfectly prepared. We had a table of 12 and all of us had excellent food. Drinks were delicious and perfectly made. Love the Espresso martini! This is a family owned restaurant and it shows in the personalized service, excellent food, and an atmosphere that makes you feel at home! Perfect for a romantic evening out or to gather with friends, Forlini's is the place to be! Definitely a place to return to again and again! What an excellent way to bring in the New Year, any special occasion or just a nice evening out! read more

Looking for a great Italian restaurant, good food, good service, casual relaxing atmosphere, this is the spot. Wasn't crowded but it was a Wednesday evening. Server said on weekends make a reservation. We are visiting from California, walked from our hotel. Quick service, and fresh ingredients. I had the sausage and peppers. Very good. Wife had a seafood pasta also very good. Extensive wine list. Nice bar area. All locals were there we could tell, yet we were treated as if we were locals. Not ignored. Fresh baked bread was delicious. Music was soft, place is clean. Great spot for a family or a romantic dinner. read more

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The food was mediocre at most and extremely overpriced for the quality. If I wanted this type of Italian food, I would've respectfully gone over to Olive Garden or made it at my house from scratch. As an Italian, this was almost disrespectful to my heritage... I remember four or five years ago, using fresh garlic, not much garlic powder, it made it grainy and disgusting. And again, four or five years ago, it was so much fresher, and the quality was so much better. The cherry on top for me was the Kraft Parmesan and the shrimp cocktail that look like it came from the grocery store that cost $18 for four them (it should've not even been more than $12) if your charging $18 appetizers and $32+ meals you can't bring processed Parmesan. However, the sausage and peppers were very, very good and salad that is what is all was worth in the meal. read more

We had to pay for the bread, the shrimp cocktail was 18 dollars for 4 shrimp of average size utterly ridiculous. The Shrimp soco was made with garlic powder and Parmesan cheese felt like the store bought processed kind. Never again. read more

If you have a zero rating, that's what I would give this place. My wife and I stopped in to inquire about gluten free options as not many Italian restaurants offer gf options although we've been to a few. We wanted to make sure there were options for her before we made a reservation. We went to the bar and asked the bartender who then called out the manager/owner Paul. My wife asked Paul about options and I've never met a restaurateur act so dismissive. He gave us a lame excuse as to why they don't serve gf pasta, how it goes to waste, they're too busy to make one or dishes with gf pasta, we've been in business 45 years (yippee!!) etc. We left, didn't make reservation and will never eat here! Rude! read more

The quality of the food does not match the prices they charge. The Caprese salad- tomatoes were not ripe and no seasoning. The chicken parm- it is not freshly breaded, breading is soggy and clearly pre-made. The spaghetti that came with it was overcooked. The carbonara uses bacon (it does state this), however for the price it should use better quality ingredients and guanciale. The service was slow but friendly . read more

I've never had to wright a review like this in my life. The best thing about this place was the bread. $18 dollars for a 4 piece shrimp cocktail? main dishes came, pasta came and had chunks of garlic powder. Genuinely can get a better meal at walmart grab and go. Do not recommend. read more

Made a reservation but totally not needed. Place was empty, even during spring break. Waited forever for bread. Food was good but really pricey. Waitress seemed annoyed. Would not recommend. read more

Great service and food! Luke and his team never disappoint, the sausage and peppers are a staple!

Staff was great , service was great but food was completely unremarkable. It didn't taste like it was made on site. It was fine, but not great. read more

Food was delicious and made to order...we loved getting to know the history and family..Accommodating and fun experience...wish we would have found this place our first night in town. read more

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The food was delicious and the service was excellent, our server was Brooke. She was always there when needed, from checking on us if we needed anything . I would highly recommend this place, just wish I knew about it a lot sooner. For sure to return. read more

Great ambiance, great food, great service. 4 people four different dinners, one better than the other Never would've thought of veal cutlet unbreaded, but it was especially good. Luke recommended a great bottle of wine that was reasonably priced. Overall 5stars ***** read more

Came in late on a Saturday night with some friends for dinner. Our server was fantastic but the food is subpar and overpriced. I ordered the chicken parm thinking it would be like any other Italian restaurant, it was 4 chicken tenders covered in cheese. Should have known this was a tourist trap since we were the only group in the building. read more

Forlini's Restaurant - Chicken parm (chicken fingers) - Italian Near Me - Clearwater Beach, Florida

food was mediocre at best, and terribly, terribly overpriced! Service was slow and poor. A $32 plate of lasagna did not even come with a small salad. Bread was minimal. read more

Great food for the beach. They are a bit local minded to customers, I suggest going at least twice. The owners and bar manger are nice once you get to know them. Had a bit of everything. Meatballs were great. read more

Wonderful restaurant and food. Specials are always good and everything is reasonably priced. Staff is always helpful and gives good recommendations! read more

The place was bad overall. The scallops had so much sand in them that I eventually gave up eating them. The pasta was lack luster and hardly had any flavor. I took the left overs home, attempted to reheat the pasta, and just threw it away. Everyone else's meal with mediocre at best. Even the bread and oil were terrible. The prices are outrageous for food that 100% tastes frozen. This place is definitely a tourist trap. Stay off the strip. read more

I had the short rib special which was as good as any I have ever had. My wife and I sat at the bar where we enjoyed lively conversation and Luke, the bartender, took great care of us. This is a family owned business and long time staple on Clearwater Beach. read more

I really wanted to love this place. Italian restaurant on the beach - could have been so perfect! The good - the staff were all very kind, welcoming and friendly. We went on Valentine's Day without a reservation and were graciously seated. The atmosphere is lovely and the restaurant is clean. The not so good - the food. I had the penne bolognese and it was in the bottom 25% of all similar dishes I've tried at Italian restaurants (and we visit many since I'm actually Italian). My husband had the Chicken Parmesan and the chicken tasted like it was previously frozen. Sadly, the best part of the meal was the bread and my husband's soda. Lots of potential here, but the food sadly falls very short. read more

Forlini's Restaurant - the outside of the restaurant - Italian Near Me - Clearwater Beach, Florida

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Food and service was great but the reason for 2 starts is then charging us extra $10 per plate for sharing, even though there is no mention of that on their menu. read more

Walked in at 5:09 this evening. The place was empty. Three employees standing at the bar prepping for the evening. We stood there several minutes and no one even greeted us at all. We were looking forward to trying this place. We walked out. read more

Negatives: Service was poor with a waiter who did not check on us at all; we sat 25 minutes at table without any bread service; food was average; overcooked mushy pasta and chicken parm was not good quality chicken; made with tenders. Positives: Good red sauce and friendly hostess but the rest of the dining experience is only 3 stars. read more

Love Love Love the Management, staff and food! Friendly and accommodating the moment you walk in, as opposed to next door neighboring business... IYKYK. Large delicious portions and made to order. If they dimmed the lights, put some candles on the tables put in some overstuffed booths and reconfigured the sound system, I would have scored it 5 stars. Thanks Forlinis! My new go to place for Italian! read more

Our family had a wonderful dining experience. Thank you Deana for the excellent service.

Went for dinner on a really crowded night in Clearwater. The restaurant was relatively empty and quiet. Our server was really nice and brought out fresh warm bread immediately after sitting down. We really enjoyed the sausage appetizer. Shrimp sobo, lasagna, and caprese were all pretty average but no complaints. Seems to me that this place use to be super busy but has lost popularity over the years. read more

Forlini's Restaurant - Shrimp Sobo - Italian Near Me - Clearwater Beach, Florida

Clearwater local here. Doubled their prices for Valentine's Day with no warning or notice. Scummy thing to do. Food was extremely average as well. Could've made a better meal for myself with $7 at Walmart. Would recommend many other places in Clearwater above Folini's. Definitely won't be eating here again. read more

Looks, feels, and tastes like a NY Italian restaurant. While my recollection of what we ate is limited by the passage of time (almost two months ago) I do remember that the 4 of us had several dishes that we all enjoyed. Also, the bar had my favorite brand of flavored vodka; Van Dyke's Espresso. read more

Cool ambiance and was craving Italian. We got a cool booth by the window, perfect for sunset. It took our server, Bobbi, about 25 minutes until she came over. She didn't apologize or anything. Food was average. read more

Forlini's Restaurant - Chicken parm - Italian Near Me - Clearwater Beach, Florida

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Awesome ambiance, food, and service. We there for a company dinner after meetings all week. Clearwater Beach, FL has a hidden gem Great Italian food with an upscale atmosphere. Must take the time and enjoy the food. read more

I order veal piccata. The veal was tasteless and it was severed with fried potatoes, not pasta. My wife had spaghetti and meatballs which were ok. The Italian dressing was a big disappointment as well. For the price, it was a huge disappointment. I recommend selecting a different restaurant. read more

Steak was raw, potatoes were hard, cold little home fries. Two little pieces of hard cold broccoli. Dont waste your time or money!!

We have walked by Forlini's on every previous trip to Clearwater Beach, and we wish we had learned of it sooner. We called for a reservation on a Friday and they were able to accommodate a party of 4. They do not take online reservations. The place is well known to regulars. We had two of the specials - veal chop parmigiana and the chicken saltimbocca. Everything was delicious. The hot rolls out of the oven were amazing. The waiter was personable and was so nice to get to know. We enjoyed Forlini's very much. read more

Wow. We have been to Clearwater Beach a number of times and walked past this place without ever trying it. Our loss. The food and the service were fantastic. I had a filet veal chop served Parmesan style and it was delicious. The chicken saltimbocca was a different preparation which was also great. The chicken Parm was good as was the shrimp dish my son ate. The server was fantastic giving us places we should visit during our stay. I will definitely go back and highly recommend this place. What a treat. read more

Great service and fantastic family Italian food! Also several fish related dishes. Plus. Bread/rolls are amazing!

Unfortunately I don't have much positive to say. My husband orders chicken parmigiana with meatballs. I asked for breaded chicken cutlet like you get in chicken parmigiana with no cheese or sauce, just olive oil and garlic on the pasta. Steve the waiter looked at me like I had three heads. He brought me a plain broiled chicken on the pasta. I asked for the chicken cutlet like you use in parmigiana and he said they can't do that and just brought me the plain pasta again. Didn't ask if he could get me anything else just no. I've never been to an Italian restaurant that can not serve me a chicken cutlet with out the cheese and sauce unless it's all pre-made which is another reason to avoid. To top it off he charged $27 for the plain pasta. I don't mind paying for good food and service but this was neither. The wine was good and my husband said the meatballs were ok (although the sauce was like soup). That's it. read more

Diner was perfect . The bread was not just warm but Hot out of the oven . We Ordered lasagna and pasta carbonara both were delicious . The pasta tasted homemade , sauce and flavor perfect . Wine was good as well and priced fair . Waiter a tad slow refilling water. Would definitely go back next time craving Itialian . read more

Forlini's Restaurant - Outside - Italian Near Me - Clearwater Beach, Florida

Sweet baby Jesus this place is amazing. My BF and I discovered this place in 2020 and my family and I were back in town and went tonight. It was absolutely delicious! It's all authentic and homemade. I highly suggest this on your bucket list. My hubs and I had the special which was shrimp and scallops in a homemade vodka cream sauce with capers and fresh tomatoes, chefs kiss. My son had the chicken parm and his GF had the spaghetti carbonara. read more

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We had a fantastic experience for dinner. Peter was our server, gave us the history of the restaurant and the family who both owns and still works in the place. We had 4 different meals and loved every one of them was superb. Service was impeccable for the entire experience. We would go back every time we are in town. I have no idea how there are several negative reviews about the service or food. read more

Absolute best Italian restaurant in Clearwater Beach. Family run, friendly service. Oh, and the carbonara, it is soooo good. I LOVE Forlini's! Never had a bad meal. Everything has always been EXCELLENT. Every single time I have been there. Classy, upscale. You will not be disappointed. read more

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