Best Contemporary Italian Restaurants in Sarasota

Authentic and fabulous with amazing atmosphere and service! How people go to bar Italia instead of here is beyond my comprehension. Please, come and give this magnificent place a try. You will not be disappointed by the quality of the food the service, the drinks and the wine list. 

I brought my in-laws last night to Amore and it proved to be the highlight of their visit to Sarasota,! They had Caesar salad in tasty edible baskets and then a pasta dish with lobster. I had excellent ravioli, and we topped off the meal with espresso and tiramisu. For all three of us, the most enjoyable part of the evening was listening to Eddie Tobin play the piano, sing, and tell stories. Plan a visit to Amore and you’ll have a fun evening also!

Ash is great. I've only been this one time and I'm unlikely to return for a full meal as it's expensive, but I wish I could return again and again. I was there last night and woke up today thinking about the artichokes. I loved the razor clam pasta and the scallops. Others in my party raved about the beef tartare and the cassarecce. The Jimmy Nardello peppers turned out to be shishito instead, but we were comped the peppers since they weren't the ones we ordered. They were great, but I would really have loved to have Jimmy Nardello. The asparagus were yummy. Only the anchovy toast was underwhelming. The waiter recommended the focaccia with the pasta and that was a good call. I don't usually order a cocktail, but I had a great one last night. My partner, who always orders cocktails, thought that the price was high for what I got. The polenta cake was OK, but we all enthusiastically dug our spoons into the carmamelia. That was a great surprise. One note about service -- we were celebrating two birthdays and Ash celebrated the birthdays by putting candles in our desserts. I wish they had offered some prosecco or a free dessert or something. Why ask if we are celebrating if it's only going to entail a couple of candles? Also, about the noise level. We were on the patio two tables from the street. The noise level was generally fine, but large trucks and small, noisy cars drove by with some frequency. The quality and composition of the food was enough to overcome any deficiencies.

Delightful and authentic Italian restaurant with outstanding food and once you walk through the front door you would think you were in Italy intimate dining area. You are greeted with friendly smiles and superb service. All four meals, appetizers and dessert was top notch.

Food and service were great! Ava is consistent! Pasta was amazing! Old Fashion was delicious. Highly recommend the bread service. Its special!