excellent food , service . Parking is a bit sketchy but a very enjoyable experience. My mussels and clams appetizer was cooked perfectly and the wine/ garlic/ fresh tomatoes were a great addition to the dish. read more

This was our 3rd visit, Sardinia, everything so delicious, along with great service, making this another Italian restaurant to add to our list of favorites. Still thinking about the wild mushroom appetzier in a crispy frico type parmesan basket. Had this for the first time and absolutely loved it. All four of us were very happy with our entrees, the features of the night: homemade gnocchi and the seafood pasta special, as well as the lasagna, and the homemade taglioni with sausage, spinach and olive oil. As a former restaurant owner, I can truly appreciate the labor of love that chef Dino puts forth each day, delivering freshly prepared, delicious food. Marcello's and Sardinia, our go to restaurants for a wonderful dining experience and delicious food that brings back memories! read more

Sardinia is an Italian restaurant with white tablecloths and excellent service. I counted 12 tables inside. For me, the place felt upscale, I'm always impressed with white tablecloths and glimmering glassware. We had never dined at Sardinia before, even though it had been around for over a decade. That changed last night. We dined with friends, and all were happy with how the evening went. The restaurant was not very busy, possibly an off night, as we could not get a reservation the day before. Reservations are recommended. Our dinner started with bread, mostly large crispy pieces that I found fun to eat. Within a few minutes my soup arrived, the Italian staple, Minestrone. A good but not a great start, the soup was thin with few ingredients. I thought maybe that was a regional difference but nope, should have been more robust. For my main course I had their Tagliolini freschi all'aglio, olio, salsiccia e spinaci. Fortunately, they included an English description, Homemade Tagliolini with sausage, olive oil and garlic. Now this was an excellent dish, both in appearance and flavor. The pieces of sausage carried the dish, the long pasta noodles in olive oil spot on. We finished up and were about to leave when we discovered it was raining. That was unexpected but in Florida, not that unexpected. Change of plans, let's have dessert. Everyone else had Caramel Panna Cotta, similar to a flan dish, and I went with their special gelato, for that night Chocolate Mocha. That was a great ending to the meal with large pieces of chocolate almost too big. Almost. We had a wonderful time. read more

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Out of the hundreds of reviews I've written over the years this is one of the hardest. Sardinia was one of our most favorite restaurants until last night's fiasco. I reserved a table two weeks earlier on Open Table. Because it's such a small place, this was a special occasion and I wanted the table we had last time, which I requested under special instructions on the reservation. Approximately three hours before our reservation I called to confirm - we wanted "the table by the window in the front room where the bar is." I was told they could handle our request. But when we got there we were seated in the main dining room at a small two-top. I asked about my request, confirmed just a few hours earlier and was told that it was a four-top and they had a full house. We went to sit down at the table they were giving us and hated it. It was too small and the main room gets incredibly noisy...just not fun for two people. I moved my chair to the side, so we'd at least be sitting next to each other and could talk, and was told that was not permitted because I'd be too close to the next table. Still we could have handled it all, had it not been for the arrogance of the staff member trying to seat us. Remember, I called to check on the table I wanted and was told we were all set. The happy ending to the story is that we were able to sneak into a late reservation at Roessler's, just up the road and had an outstanding dinner at one of the nicest tables in the restaurant with a staff that made us feel appreciated...a kind of trademark for Roessler's. We won't be going back to Sardinia for a long time, if ever - there are so many choices in the area with staff the listens, is supportive and is everything but arrogant. read more

Went to this place a little while back with my wife. Phenomenal experience. This place is top tier and a hidden gem. The atmosphere was straight from Italy and the service was great. Our waitress was so kind and helpful. The bread was so simple yet delicious - almost like and Italian cracker. And you must try the fish that they pack in the salt beforehand. Such a healthy meal and great place overall. 5/5, great date night or event place. read more

Had a wonderful dinner here tonight. The wine was a Tuscan red, luscious. Must not have had any preservatives. Started with the house salad for him and the Minestrone for me. A very different minestrone, no tomatoes, lots of flavor. The salad was fresh and crisp. He had the lasagna, had silky pasta, baked in a wood burning oven. No extra cheese needed, thank you. The linguine ai frutti de mare tasted of seafood but not fishy. Wonderful sauce. All pasta was made on sight. Ariana was Johnny on the spot, there when you needed, food service was well paced. Decór was clean with possibly Sardinian art. Effective. Our first visit, menu very different from any other Italian restaurant I've ever been. Will be back. Busy place, deservedly. read more

We had not been here for 5+ years since it is a bit of a drive. However, after enjoying an amazing linguine frutti di mare last night, it may become our new dinner place! With our 7:30pm reservation, most dinners were already eating when we arrived. Somehow we remembered service being abit slow and about the salads not having dressing on them. ( olive oil and balsamic vinegar are brought to the table for you to do the honors) Def. recommend reservations particularly for weekend nights since it is a small place. Despite there being only 1 primary server and a back waiter, service was still better than most places in the area. The order taking was a bit rushed but it worked out fine. Plenty of specials offered in addition to the main menu. Quite a few diners were enjoying the salt encrusted fish as well as the veal chop. The wine list is quite extensive for bottles, a chianti was recommended since I did not want to cross the triple digit threshold. It had a good balance and light for the summer. Salads are large enough to share with 2 people if so inclined. Hubby enjoyed his house salad and for me the spinach salad with walnuts and caramelized onions. He also enjoyed the mushrooms in a parmesan basket for his appetizer. We both opted for the frutti di mare and it had an impressive variety of seafood. In fact, it could have included more pasta- how often has that been stated ?! I ran out of pasta before having a small portion remaining that I brought home. Small bar- seats about 4 and then a couple of tables in the bar area too. We sat in the main dining room which is pretty and unpretentious. Parking lot is shared with the Thai restaurant next store so it can be a bit tight. We also did not finish the bottle of wine and brought that home too. ( hubby was driving and could not drink much :) ) Enjoy! read more

Sardinia - Private dining room - Wine Bars Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

The food at Sardinia is authentic and absolutely amazing! We had antipasto as an appetizer, the seafood linguine and gnocchi bolognese and finished with an affogato. Heavenly! read more

Sardinia - Gnocchi - very light not potato-based gnocchi. Very flavorful! - Wine Bars Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Excellent dinner! Started with Pecorino arrosto su pane carasau - Roasted Sardinian pecorino cheese over homemade carasau bread. The melted cheese is creamy deliciousness! A little history: I learned that the name pecorino is actually taken from the Italian word pecora, which means "sheep." Sardinia has been breeding sheep for 1000's of years and is home to nearly four million sheep, making the island one of the areas of the world with the highest density of sheep. For dinner: Linguine Alle Vongole E Bottarga This was "best of Sarasota" in my book! One of my favorite dishes and have ordered this same dish at multiple Italian restaurants in the area - this tops them all! What set it apart was the bottarga - something I had not heard of prior to this meal... loved it! What is Bottarga? It is made from flathead mullet in Sardinia, where it is called Sardinian butàriga. Its culinary properties may be compared to those of dry anchovies, although it is much more expensive. Often, it is served with olive oil or lemon juice as an appetizer accompanied by bread or crostini. It is also used in pasta dishes. The dining room is quaint and romantic, the servers are attentive and helpful. Great overall experience. Chef's Kiss! read more

Sardinia - Fresh pasta, ravioli w/cheese, the sauce was dusted with orange zest - an amazing flavor accompaniment - it was Excellent! - Wine Bars Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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4 stars for food. 2 stars for service. Happened two times in a row now. I'm thinking they need more help, although 2 servers, a greeter, and 2 food runners for the small place may be the usual. We actually had to call our server over to please take our wine order, then PLEASE take our food order! I was so hungry :(. Everyone's food was enjoyed. My pasta was gummy and sticky. Off the list for a while on Sardinia's read more

One of the most valuable things I've learned in this area is that the best restaurants are in the strip malls! The antipasto was a great starter for the table and the butter was phenomenal with the crispy Sardinian bread, which was almost reminiscent of a cracker. This place had the best homemade pasta I've had in ages. It was rich and wholesome and authentic. I got the tagliolini with fava beans, mint and pecorino cheese- it was incredible! As for dessert, I tried the chocolate mousse 10/10 and the pistachio gelato was the best I've EVER had! The three of us split a $47 bottle of italian white wine that was delightfully dry and fruity. The art inside was fabulous but it was so busy and loud it was hard for my friend's dad to hear us even with hearing aids. I recommend the table by the entrance if you want to avoid the noise. The waiter was great and staff was overall very attentive. I highly recommend for a nice dinner but these facts are good to keep in mind. read more

Quaint Italian restaurant with authentic cooking from the Old country Pros - Cioppino was amazing and super flavorful with fresh seafood. The service was very personal and friendly. Cons - house shrimp salad was bland. Squash pasta was uneventful. Cute place to check out for some good Cioppino. read more

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This is my favorite restaurant in Sarasota, a city filled with outstanding choices. It is the epitome of classic Italian done to perfection with great care. From the salads to the home made pasta, to the the meat and seafood entrees and the constantly well executed deserts, Sardinia does not miss a beat. All of this great fare is brought to you by a caring, attentive front of house. It's the kind of great restaurant you'd expect to find on the lower east side of Manhattan right here of of S Tamiami Trail. read more

There's only one drawback. The noise inside But the food is great! I've had linguine and seafood and tagliolini spinach and sausage and both dishes were awesome. Also had Panna cotta for dessert and mushroom in Parmesan basket (appetizer ) Pasta made on site ... Professional and attentive waitstaff They answer the phone after 4 pm Big menu selection - beef, veal, fish, seafood and big appetizer choices Excellent - we'll be back read more

Small and cozy romantic with an authentic Sardinian cuisine. Stanley Tucci featured Sardinia in one of his episodes. The menu is not typical Italian as we know yet so delicately delicious. He mentioned how unique the bread in particular is being baked in a brick oven as in ancient times. My husband and I couldn't stop eating it with the flavor lingering long after the first bite! The only downside is it does tend to be a bit noisy since the restaurant is small. Yet it is one of my favorite spots for any special occasion. Thank you chef Dino! read more

Four of us had dinner recently, everything from appetizers to entree and dessert. All entrees were bland and tasteless, the fish was soft and mushy. I was offered something else but declined due to the other guests were already partway through their meal. I hardly ate any of it, and was still charged $44.95, everyone was surprised at that. I emailed the owner last week before deciding to write this review, he never replied. read more

Your taste for Italian food has most likely been shaped by northern Italian cuisine. Don't compare this food to your typical Italian restaurant. This is Sardinia, and Sardinia is a large Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea, situated just over 100 miles off the coast of mainland Italy. That being said, Sardinia Sarasota has much more of a Mediterranean flavor than you would expect. Some of their authenticity comes from their imported wood-burning oven. The other key ingredient to their amazing food and flavors is the fact that they source farm fresh and locally grown food. If the meat or fish isn't up to their high standards, it definitely won't be on your dinner menu. Antipasto, my appetizer, was made up of salami, marinated Italian olives and artichokes served with a portion of fresh mozzarella cheese. The main course was one of their signature dishes, the ember roasted veal chop served over a bed of roasted potatoes. The veal was flavorful and cooked to perfection. No sauces were necessary. You just take in the wonderful flavor of the meat and its juices. I had a chance to taste of my daughters homemade linguine in tomato sauce. It was phenomenal, one of the best I've ever had. Not only will your experience be overlaid with Sardinian charm, you'll definitely appreciate this dose of high-quality food prepared in an authentic Sardinian kitchen. Buon appetito! read more

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I was with here with family, a group of 5, and we ordered appetizers and took two ish hours to get to us, after our appetizers it took another 30 minutes for the food to get here, in total of 2-3 hours of waiting for our food, the waiters were very polite, but the sea bass was bland. read more

We had Ariana as our server. Consummate professional even though they were very busy. I have known of this restaurant for years. I knew that it was a small place, but I did not expect it to be so attractive with White table cause and the warm decor. In a small bar with four seats in the entry room and a dining room and even a small private room. We ate the Savour Sarasota menu - the legume soup, Sardinian gnocchi and chicken Milanese were fabulous. read more

Intimate Italian in south Sarasota...this is a review for just before Covid19 in mid-March. +. Ambiance was intimate, white cloth full service. Tiny DR decorated typical of Italian restos (in Italy). At the entrance, there's a tiny bar as well. Diners during our visit, seemed to be neighborhood older and wealthier peeps who dress up in Florida. Business formal to biz casual vibe. =. Food was mixed. Dishes looked better than they tasted. Their wild mushroom and parmesan basket was good, chicken Milanese was underwhelming and their striploin tagliata was okay. Only thing we loved was their Sardinian flat bread. - Price was higher and little value for mediocre mains. =. Service was slow and perhaps understaffed for a full service resto. Our waiter was fine but nothing to write home about. Over all, Sarasota is not a town for mediocre Italian restos. Sardinia isn't worth a revisit. MY RATINGS - - - Inhumane - - Disgusted - Don't bother = Missed the Mark + Good ++ Better +++ EDIBLE...WHERE have you been all my LiFe! read more

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Quaint and comfortable place but a little noisy. The food was OK but not great. The pasta was homemade (I make my own too) but was chewy and the sauce (linguine with clams) was lacking. IMO, it needed more garlic and crushed red pepper. Freshly made pasta? Maybe the recipe is not being followed? Service was good but I'll try some more places before I decide to go again. read more

Excellent ! Don't overlook this one . A true gem . Quality food and exceptional service!

Our first time here but it won't be our last. The food is amazing. The pasta is all homemade. The Italian sausage in my dish was divine. The whole dish was complex and simple at the same time as it is an aglio e olio. I felt that the food was under priced so please checkout this place before they realize what a gem they have. read more

Sardinia - Tagliolini Freschi All Aglio, Olio, Salsiccia E Spinaci - Wine Bars Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Hidden gem. The service was outstanding and the ambiance was warm and cozy. Excellent selection of wines. Food was excellent. We had a wild mushroom appetizer, an octopus appetizer, prosciutto and antipasto. We also had as an entree veal chop, lasagna, veal ravioli and Sardinian gnocchi. Delicious. Will definitely come back. read more

What was a wonderful dinner was overshadowed by a server who was not happy with his tip, and let it be known. What happened to a gratuity being discretionary versus mandatory? We felt we left a reasonable gratuity; the server apparently did not and had the audacity to call us out on it upon leaving the restaurant. Needless to say, won't be returning. Too bad, both for us and the owner/chef of the restaurant read more

Authentic Sardinian dishes! Great options if you're vegan too. Wine list is extensive. Lovely atmosphere. Chef came out a greeted us, always a great thing! read more

Our 1st visit here was great. The food was great, and the service was great. The restaurant is also very clean looking, and the wine selection is great. The 2nd visit, however, was a disappointment. Although the food was still good, it was overshadowed by the fact that the service sucked! I mean, we tried to be patient, but they just came to check on us once. The food was slow as well. It's really a shame that one bad service can ruin an experience for people. I don't know if we will ever go back. read more

Atmosphere was nice and noise level comfortable. The waiter set a very negative tone for the evening when our friend had questions about the salad. He literally bullied our friend when he asked if they had Blue/Gorgonzola cheese they could add. He rolled his eyes and said with attitude "we don't have that here!" We ordered salads anyway and the salad dressing was terrible, tasted like water and the salad bleh. Mini rolls in bread basket were hard and seemed stale. 2 of the four of us liked our entrees but nothing special. We won't be back. read more

Reservation at 7:15 it's 9:40 and we are leaving. 30 minutes to get water. Food unexceptional. Rotini and seafood awful. Fettuccine and mushrooms unimpressive. Noise of motor cycles zooming up and down annoying. Just don't bother. read more

I love EVERYTHING about this place.. the service, the fact that the chef comes out to check on everyone, the FOOD, the wine selection.. I ate everything. The fish cannot be missed. Make sure you ask the specials. I do wish they had a service to roll you to your car after you've given in for dessert - which also should not be missed. A MUST. read more

Excellent service and food!!! Fun and cozy atmosphere. Interesting art on the walls. A great place for an anniversary dinner! Loved the flatbread they serve - couldn't get enough!! The mushroom appetizer was good but it could have used a bit of a flavor boost - perhaps more garlic? There was a fairly extensive selection of mainly Italian wines (lots of regions I was not familiar with) with some other regions/countries to choose from. The wine prices seemed to be on the high side to very high side - my only real mark against. The steak special was very well prepared and excellent but there was a bit too much asparagus and not enough mushroom for me (completely on me as a personal preference as that is what the special was). The frutti di mare was also excellent! Both entrees were reasonably sized and we took some of the di mare home with us. They have a very nice private wine cellar room for larger parties that looks like it would be fun to try in the future with a bigger group. read more

I've been to Sardinia. This place is the real deal. The food is an exact replica of the amazing island. The chef knows what he/she is doing. So authentically Italian ! The pasta was amazing. I will def be back. Thanks for recreating the beauty of the cuisine. read more

Good ambiance. Authentic staff. Interesting menu choices. Let's make this quick. Just order Culurgiones con ripieno di formaggio e arancia al pomodoro for your appetizer and entree. And then one more for dessert it was that good. The rest of the food is just fine. But that stuff I said before was ridiculously amazing. Ciao. read more

Just had an anniversary dinner at Sardinia...everything was fabulous. Food was fresh, delicious and ample size portions. The service was friendly and attentive. I'd say it's one of the best Italian restaurants in Sarasota. We'll be back! read more

Sardinia - Menu - Wine Bars Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

VERY noisy. Small portions. Do not order Savor Sarasota menu. Service people worked extremely hard. Do not order a glass of the house Pinot Grigio gave me a headache. read more

A favorite! Excellent dinner, always a good experience for truly delicious Sardinian/Italian dinner!

Really good Italian food, with good service as well! I highly recommend ecommend this restaurant

Left home early because we anticipated heavy traffic. You never know in season. On a Saturday evening we breezed arriving at 4:30 for 5:00PM reservation. Sardinia is notorious for flipping tables at 7:00PM so arriving late is mistake. We could have sat in the parking lot, but we walked in. After numerous trip to Italy we expected Italian hospitality. WRONG! The staff in the front of the restaurant were obnoxious. Forced our way to table only to met with more hostility. So we left with our open bottle of over priced wine. As luck would have it we rolled into a first class Italian restaurant where the staff is first class and food great, La Violetta for a five star meal. read more

Upscale elevated Italian food. Simply the best. I'm always shocked by any bad reviews- typically people that are Olive Gardeners.... read more

Last night we celebrated my husband's birthday at Sardinia. it was a perfect evening. The food was well prepared, fresh and delicious! Our server, Ariadna, went out of her way to make sure everything was A plus. Such a memorable night. I highly recommend this restaurant, you will love it. read more