First time dining in. I've done pizza take out a few years ago. I think it's headed a bit downhill…read more We ordered calamari and it was not great. Pretty overcooked and chewy. The charcuterie was better but tough to mess this up. I had the Quattro pizza. It was super soft and really not that great, super floppy and just ok. The soup was meh. Friends had pasta and said it was pretty good. We had a group that hasn't seen each other in over a year. Being a server is hard but you have to understand when to break in and when not too. Ours was nice but always seemed to be interrupting a story. I get it, but this is an art. I just don't see us going back, there are so many better places.

Napule is an independent Italian restaurant featuring top quality ingredients and delicious…read moreentrees. I have been dining Napule for a while, and the service has always been top notch. The dining areas are on the main floor with also an outdoor patio and a small upstairs area. What I love about this restaurant is you can see the cooks making your entrees. This is really appealing when you view your pizza in their wood fire oven. We tried their meatball appetizer which was a chef special, and you see from my picture there were three meatballs in a tasty red sauce topped with mozzarella and a fresh basil leaf. It was a great addition to our meal. I also recommend the Semplice salad and grilled salmon which is a good size portion with arugula and lettuce topped with carrots, radicchio and layered with shaved Parmesan cheese. Don't expect dressing as they serve olive oil and balsamic vinegar at your table. Another favorite dish is the cod filet sautéed with capers, onions, and olives which is served with potatoes and broccoli. If you're in the Sarasota area and want a clean and delicious Italian dinner Napule is a great choice.

Walking into La Violetta from a small office parking lot feels like stepping into Rome. It's warm,…read moreintimate, and genuinely feels family-owned. The Italian staff (speaking Italian and carrying themselves in that effortless European way) make the experience feel authentic, not staged. The interconnected dining rooms are beautifully designed -- a refreshing change from the typical one-room Sarasota setup. The food was outstanding from start to finish. Complimentary frittata to begin, delicious bread with olive tapenade (would've loved it slightly more toasted, but minor detail). The carbonara on fried bread with guanciale was a WOW dish -- crispy, rich, unforgettable. The duck lasagna special was mind-blowing with clearly homemade pasta, and the short rib with polenta was fall-off-the-bone tender (a touch more sear would've made it perfect). Panna cotta to finish? Incredible. Old Fashioned was a bit sweet for me, but the martini and Sangiovese were spot on. We will absolutely be back. A true escape to Italy right here in Sarasota.

Atmosphere - The restaurant has a quiet elegance. There is a small bar (8 spots?) as you enter the…read morerestaurant that looks very inviting. Service - beginning with the bartenders to our server, we were provided prompt and attentive service. Food - I had the tagliatelle Ragout. The entree was served hot and pasta was cooked perfectly. The Wagu was plentiful, tender and very tasty. Overall - this is not your basic Italian cuisine. The menu is varied and offers many interesting options. Although the prices are a little higher than most (the appetizer menu is overpriced in my opinion and experience), the restaurant delivers a high quality experience

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!

Sooo Caragiulo's Italian American was on my list for our Sarasota visit and I'm glad we went. I…read morelove some good Italian food, and they did not disappoint. The restaurant had that classic Italian vibe, but the real star was the food. Everything was flavorful without feeling too heavy, and we left happy and full. If you're in the area, definitely add this spot to your list. What was ordered: Lasagna Al Forno = light yet filling

We came back for lunch this time and ate inside. There weren't many occupied tables so we…read morereceived great service. Lots of good items to choose for lunch and I settled on a meatball parmesan. It was very large and had ample sauce and cheese. Good choice! Would have liked some chips or fries on the side.

Atmosphere - located in a shopping center, the restaurant has a comfortable feel. There are a…read morecombination of booths and tables. There are some TVs and a bar. Service - I have dined here a couple of times before and I was not impressed with the service in those instances. In fact, I was not thrilled about eating here again. However, it was a convenient stop at the time. In this instance our server did a fine job. Food - I ordered the half sandwich and cup of soup menu selection. The soup was the Cheese Tortellini and the half sandwich Chicken Parmesan. The soup was served hot and tasted very good. The sandwich was disappointing. Rather than a breaded and lightly fried chicken cutlet, it was a heavily breaded and overly fried chicken fingers. As a result, the chicken was very chewy and stringy. Overall - for my part, this recent visit was strike three

Cafe Epicure remains one of my favorite restaurants in Sarasota. It consistently performs at a high…read morelevel, has tasty fresh Italian food, and a staff that is friendly and professional. Their pizza has an amazing crisp thin crust and is cooked (almost always) to perfection in their wood fired oven. My friends were very happy with their pasta dishes, and I thought the chicken Milanese with arugula and tomato salad was excellent. We also enjoyed the selection of meats and cheeses were ordered. You can dine in or outside seating too. The vibe is fresh and modern Mediterranean. It can get very busy and very noisy. There's a parking garage directly across the street.

Knowing that they were affiliated with 'Mediterraneo', I…read morehad very high hopes for a satisfying Italian meal. Service was excellent! From the second we stepped into the restaurant and saw the host to our outstanding server. She helped us with the menu, bussed and watered the table as needed and was a gracious host. The decor was clean, uncluttered and very welcoming. It fit perfectly with the theme of the restaurant. Now the food, a HUGE disappointment!! When I decide to go to an Italian restaurant, I expect: Hearty Deep Flavors, Portions similar to what you would receive in an Italian home and everything cooked to perfection as they prepare it all the time. Well, the food our party of 6 received was incredibly disappointing. I ordered my 'standby' meal that I actually rate an Italian restaurant by and judge if I would recommend and return; The 'ol time favorite-Chicken Parmigiana. I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFE HAD A CHICKEN PARMIGIANA WHERE THE CHICKEN WAS POUNDED OUT THIS THIN!!!!! Seriously, they pounded the hell out of it and was seriously the thickness of a piece of cardboard. It was hot, it was covered in a thin layer of very thin red sauce and topped with perfectly melted cheese. But the Chicken portion size shows a level of greed showing how little can be spent on the chicken and how flat and wide you can make it. Not very impressed with the thin sauce either. I genuinely felt ripped off! They use the same cardboard thick chicken breast for their Chicken Milanese, and the unlucky recipient of that meal was as disappointed as me. Another guest in our party ordered the Salmon. NOT a big piece and according to him, VERY bland and very overcooked. That's 3 of the 6 of us and the other 3 were very underwhelmed. Not 1 person in our group said that they were going to either recommend or return. Come on guys, don't be an Italian restaurant if you're NOT going to serve food that your Italian grandmother would serve you! Nothing served was even picture worthy! Back to 'Tiramisu' in Bradenton for REAL Italian food!!!

Cafe Barbosso is one of my go-to comfort food spots and has never let me down. The restaurant is…read morespacious, has a great bar area, plenty of indoor seating, and also has a nice outdoor patio. One of the coolest things about the restaurant is that there's an artist painting canvases live while the restaurant is open. Between that and the walls covered in artwork from local artists, the whole place has a fun, creative vibe. The food is consistently excellent, but let's talk about the real MVP: the spaghetti and meatballs. I know, I know- it doesn't sound like the most exciting thing on the menu. Here's the kicker: I've literally never ordered spaghetti and meatballs anywhere else in my life. Ever. I don't even really like that dish very much- unless it's from Cafe Barbosso. The only reason I tried it there was because so many people raved about it, and now I'm the one doing the raving. I've ordered a handful of other dishes, but somehow I always come crawling back to the spaghetti. The pasta is cooked perfectly, but the sauce is the true showstopper. I'd happily eat it with a spoon if society allowed it. The portions are generous enough that dinner usually turns into tomorrow's lunch, which feels like a bonus meal. Every entree comes with fresh bread and mixed oil, and the staff are always friendly and attentive. I've never had a bad experience with the food, service, or atmosphere. Menu prices are pretty standard, but given the portion sizes, I'd say they're a pretty decent bargain. Reservations are a smart idea because this place gets busy. You might have a wait without one, but honestly, it's worth it. If you're looking for fantastic Italian food in a welcoming atmosphere, Cafe Barbosa absolutely deserves a spot on your list.

Avoid. Incredibly overpriced and disappointing…read more This was my second visit this month, and unfortunately, it was my last. I returned hoping for a better experience, but I was left completely disappointed. On my first visit, I tried the highly recommended meatballs and wasn't impressed. This time, the bartender, Kaiser, recommended the Eggplant Parmesan--but it tasted just like any other generic version. For $28, you get a small 3-to-4-inch square that felt pre-made days ago. It was tossed in the pizza oven, leaving the outside hot but the inside completely lukewarm. My total bill came to $75 including tip, for two $6 beers, a small $16 salad, and the eggplant-- extravagantly overpriced for the quality. I've heard Chef Joe is no longer there, which might explain the steep decline. I'm giving 2 stars only because the ambiance is nice and Kaiser provided great service. I won't be back.

Last night my wife and I went to Marcello's for our 4 year wedding anniversary. We were excited to…read morereceive the same attention when we went the first time with our parents. Since we told the waitress that we weren't drinking wine his mood changed. The first time we went with our parents the server explain really nicely the menu. This time the server just put the board in front of us and said choose what you want. No explanation. My wife and I were disappointed because the table next to us with the same waitress got a very different experience. The waitress explained each dish very nicely. But because we were young and didn't have a wine. We got a different type of service. The food was great but we got out disappointed that we were treated that way. I am writing this because I do not want this to happen to a young couple that is going for a special occasion and they are treated this way.

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

we came with dear dear friends when we were visiting them. This was a fun festive place to come…read more Bread selection was great!!!! Greek salad, and the fried pecorino was delicious!!! Wide noodles with Bolognese was spot on!!! Service was wonderful! It can get pretty loud in there, they do have outdoor options when it's not too humid, etc. Well done!

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!​