Branzini Seaside Bistro — Restaurant in Saint Pete Beach

Went there for dinner and from the get go we were not impressed. There was a greeter at the door that did not greet us as guests. We informed him that we had a reservation and we needed a table for four indoors. He showed us to a table that was sandwiched between two other tables and we had to actually squeeze into our seats. Menus were not presented to us until about ten minutes later when the waitress informed us that they were short staff as one of the staff went home sick. We initially accepted this excuse for the slow service and went on to order our food. I ordered the Lobster Ravioli and the fish soup. The fish soup was very good, but when my entree arrived it was the Lobster Risotto not the ravioli. I sent it back and had to wait for my entree. Another person in our party ordered the ribeye steak medium rare, but when it was served it came well done and the entire outside of the steak looked gray. She sent hers back and when it returned it was raw (barely touched the grill) so she sent it back a second time. When she got it back it was the same steak and it was still raw and a discussion was held with the wait staff as to what is raw and medium rare when they informed us that their regular chef needed a night off. The person who ordered the steak then just cancelled her order and they did remove it from the bill. The server then proceeded to argue with her about how the steak was cooked, when it was clearly raw. She was very argumentative and condescending. But another problem with that order is that the menu said it came with a salad and there was no salad to be found on any of the three plates. When asked about it, the server said it’s not a salad, but a sauce, which made no sense because the menu listed a separate salad in addition to the sauce. Another person ordered the Branzini filet with seafood risotto. The filet was okay, but the risotto was severely over salted. All through this meal and the problems that arose, the manager was no where to be seen. He left all of the issues to the wait staff who were obviously frustrated with the short staff they had. One would think that the manager would have taken up some of the slack that night and at least visited our table to apologize for their shortcomings. This coward of a manager never made his presence know to us. At the end of the meal I was presented with the bill and they did not charge us for the steak, but they charged me for the lobster risotto not the ravioli I had. The waitress instead of correcting the bill took the charge off and I did not have to pay for either. I felt that the problems that occurred were not the fault of the wait staff, but the were left to feel the brunt of our frustration. I left a fair tip for them, but I will not be making a return visit to this establishment. The food was so-so and the management of the restaurant was not customer friendly. If I had my say the manger should be let go for not addressing any of these issues. And one more thing, this whole fiasco took nearly 2.25 hours from being seated to leaving. All-in-all a terrible experience, which was incredibly disappointing. We actually met the owner when we were in town last November for our sons wedding. He gave us a tour of the progress and we promised we would return the next time we were in town. We really enjoyed meeting him in November, but sadly our experience last night was a major...

I was really looking forward to this restaurant, the menu looked delicious, unfortunately I left disappointed. Let's start with the good stuff – the staff was awesome. Super friendly vibes all around. But then, the food happened.

First, we ordered the octopus appetizer. I was pretty hungry so waiting 25 minutes for the food was annoying, but it tasted great. I don't think it was worth the price, but it was yummy. Next, our main courses which took another 25 minutes and arrived all at different times with about 10 minutes in between the first and last dish. The Lobster Ravioli, which sounded like a dream and turned out to be a bit of a nightmare was cold in the middle. I was expecting a burst of lobster goodness, but instead cold mush which I had to have reheated. And the Risotto? Don't even get me started, it was undercooked and dry. Where's the creamy goodness that makes risotto amazing? Nowhere to be found, unfortunately. To add to the dish's failure, it was topped with an overcooked lobster tail. And the Branzino Filet? It looked beautiful but then the bones. I didn't expect I'd be dealing with fish bones, and it made it very difficult to eat. Why filet the fish if you leave a bunch of bones?

Adding to the mix, the ambiance wasn't quite right. The music was cranked up a bit too loud, and the side doors were wide open, letting in the cold. We had to wear our winter jackets throughout the entire meal. Not exactly the cozy dinner setting I had in mind.

In conclusion, Branzini left me with mixed feelings. While the staff's friendliness created a positive beginning, the culinary execution and ambiance fell short of our expectations. Fixing these issues in the kitchen and the dining room could elevate the experience, turning it into the restaurant we hoped it would be. I don't think we will be back but here's hoping they...

I've been following Branzini's since the grand opening on January 4, 2024, and have watched as the management and team have really found their stride.

All I can say is, the seafood in particular the best Mediterranean cuisine I've enjoyed on this side of the Atlantic in a long time. The proportions of EVOO, garlic, herbs, and unfiltered joy that go into their signature Branzini dish are simply mind- and palate-expanding.

They really need to lean into his particularly culinary strength of their menu. The pasta dishes are excellent, but their craft with seafood is really something you have to experience. It will make you WANT to travel to the Mediterranean, if you've never yet had an opportunity to experience that. If you have, it will bring back fond memories.

The wine selections are outstanding (I'm a big fan of Brunellos and of course they offer one of the best, right from Italy) and the atmosphere around the bar reminds me of Cheers ("everybody knows your name").

This speaks very highly of management, which personally puts their heart and soul into turning their team, their menu, and their clientele into a cohesive, family-like collective.

Pay no attention to the few bad reviews. Frankly, when you read that the owner personally compensated for a (rare) bad experience by 100% discounting the tab, and STILL they give a 1 review (even though they admit they loved the food), you're dealing with an ungrateful person whose opinion you can safely disregard. I was astonished to read some of these reviews, and can only SMDH.

This place has huge upside potential. Come help fully realize it by bringing your good vibes, and you'll find that they are more than met (and raised) by the dedicated staff and the sublime seafood experience that Branzini's...