Buona Ristorante — Restaurant in Saint Pete Beach

Boy where do I even start? I will say first and foremost the service at Buona was phenomenal as they were very accommodating on multiple instances. We were there Sunday evening, they were fairly busy. We got a table after about 15-20 minutes? Not bad at all. Even then, they apologized that we had to wait so long. For us it was not a big deal.

The home made bread was just the beginning of a great night of eating. It’s served warm and toasty. They give you a sesame roll and a focaccia with a side of olive based pesto dip. 5/5

We ordered one appetizer, garlic Parmesan wings. The waitress misheard us and brought out garlic cheese bread at first. She ended up giving it to us on the house while still bringing out the garlic parm wings. They were both delicious. I will have to say that the garlic parm wings are an ABSOLUTE MUST for an appetizer here. They’re crunchy and packed with garlic parm flavor, AMAZING. So many restaurants fail to cook wings properly and they come out soggy. The wings here are not jumbo sized, they’re on the smaller size, but it’s fine since it’s just an appetizer and the flavor and texture really made up for the size. Let’s just say these wings had great personality. 5/5

For entrees I got the cacio e Pepe with a side of meatballs. Meatballs are definitely some of the better meatballs I’ve had here in StPete/Tampa. The meatballs bathed in their delicious marinara sauce. They’re fairly big in size and pack great taste. Cacio e Pepe was delicious. Noodles were cooked just right, and the light white sauce was perfect, not too salty not too bland. 5/5

Pizza was great as well. Not too doughy, crunchy thin crust. Flavors were on point especially with the sauce. It’s all in their marinara sauce! It’s definitely on the sweeter side, but not overwhelmingly sweet. 5/5

My girlfriend had requested for a Buffalo chicken calzone since it wasn’t on the menu. Ultimately, they were once again able to accommodate and they came through with a hearty and delicious Buffalo chicken calzone. My girlfriend loved it. Everyone around the table thoroughly enjoyed their food. Not a single complaint.

As for dessert we were given homemade tiramisu on the house because they forgot to add a topping to one of our pizzas, again it wasn’t a huge deal, but they insisted on a compensated dessert. The tiramisu was Creamy, not too sweet, very rich and light. You won’t regret it 5/5

I typically don’t write extensive reviews like this, but everything was amazing. Eat local. We’ll definitely be back. 10/5!

Just a disclaimer: not all accommodations will be able to be fulfilled all the time whether it’s here or any restaurant. This was just staff seeing what they could do on the whim, and they ultimately pulled through. It won’t be like this every night as they can be totally slammed. Just keep...

Buona Ristorante truly exceeded our expectations and delivered an exceptional Italian dining experience that we'll cherish forever. Visiting from the bustling city of Chicago, we were in search of a restaurant that would truly capture the essence of Italian cuisine, and Buona Ristorante did just that.

From the moment we stepped through the door, the ambiance was warm and inviting, setting the stage for a memorable meal. The attentive staff made us feel right at home, and their knowledge of the menu was impressive.

Now, let's talk about the star of the show - the vodka ravioli. Words can hardly do justice to this dish. The pillowy ravioli, filled with a creamy vodka sauce, were a symphony of flavors that danced on my palate with each bite. It's no exaggeration to say that it was the best Italian dish I've ever had. Every morsel was a celebration of taste and texture.

What truly stood out was that not only did I enjoy my meal, but all four of my kids also found dishes they adored. The restaurant's versatility in catering to both adults and children's palates was impressive. It's not always easy to find a place where the whole family can be satisfied, but Buona Ristorante made it happen effortlessly.

It's often said that Chicago is a city known for its incredible food scene, but Buona Ristorante managed to outshine anything we've tried back home. The attention to detail, the quality of ingredients, and the impeccable execution of every dish were nothing short of remarkable.

In conclusion, our visit to Buona Ristorante was a culinary journey we won't forget. If you're in the area or planning a visit, I highly recommend making a reservation and indulging in the gastronomic delights they have to offer. Your taste buds will thank you, and you'll leave with memories of an exceptional dining experience that will linger long after your...

This review is not about the food because we didn’t even eat there after the distasteful experience we had. We had a reservation for a 70th birthday for 10 guests. I dropped off a cake in the morning before heading to our hotel so that it was already there ahead of time. They weren’t open for another 15 minutes so I knocked on the door and a worker took it from me with no problem. A few hours later I realized I hadn’t specified the cake needed to be refrigerated so I called to let them know. The woman that answered said yes it’s refrigerated, but I wanted to let you know we charge $5 per person to bring in the cake since we sell dessert and it takes up room for storage. I asked so we will be charged $50 just to bring our own cake?? Yes. We could have cut it and served it ourselves. I could understand a small cake cutting fee, but $50?! We immediately decided we would find another restaurant that wanted our business. I went and picked our cake back up and then the same woman said she wanted to let me know the birthday person gets a free dessert. Not the point. Then, I asked the worker at the front ( maybe the host) to cross our name off the list and we’d be going somewhere that wasn’t charging us $50 to bring our own cake. His response was “ I understand…but you know, we also have to clean the dishes and stuff.” What an absurd comment. That is absolutely shameful. We were going to be spending hundreds of dollars as a party of 10 and they’re worried about cleaning a few small dishes. I could have just brought paper plates then. We found another lovely Italian restaurant 2 miles away that didn’t charge us a penny for bringing in our own cake. We happily gave them our $700 and enjoyed a delicious meal. The food may be wonderful at Buona, but the hospitality is lacking and I wouldn’t give that place a dollar after...