Cafe Sorrento — Restaurant in Saint Petersburg

If heaven has a bakery, it probably smells like Sorrento Sweets and I’m fairly certain their angels are just back there hand-rolling cannoli shells and pulling espresso shots.

I came in thinking I’d be “responsible” and only ordered a mini cannoli. That was my first mistake. Watching them fill it fresh, right in front of me, was like watching a Michelangelo painting come to life, but with ricotta cream instead of marble. I should’ve gone full Mega Cannoli, because now the mini feels like the trailer when I needed the whole movie.

Their coffee? Made fresh right in front of you too, none of that sad carafe stuff that’s been crying on a hot plate for six hours. I got mine with a shot of toasted marshmallow syrup (yes, that’s a real thing on their flavor board, not something I hallucinated from sugar overload). My taste buds threw a parade and handed out biscotti to the crowd.

And the menu? Absolute chaos in the best way possible. Croissant sammies stuffed with things like gouda, tomato, and balsamic glaze, because apparently sandwiches can have a PhD now. The Turkey Gouda ciabatta looked so stacked it could probably pay rent downtown. Don’t even get me started on the Veggie Sorrento croissant, it’s basically a farmer’s market doing yoga on bread.

Moral of the story: I’ll be back, and next time I’m not settling for a mini. I’m going full Mega Cannoli...

This place replaced an amazing coffee bar where the baristas were like bartenders and the owner was always there interacting with customers. It was like the corner bar with coffee regulars. The pandemic hit them hard just like any other place and of course the property owners weren’t interested in negotiating. If they could find a more corporatized concept devoid of all personality or substance (you know the thing that used to make St. Pete, St. Pete) that could pay them a higher rent that would be just peachy. But I digress...back to the actual review. The espresso is ok, nice crema and mouthfeel, acidity a little higher than I prefer. The sfogliatelle (the reason I came here) is ok. Layers are a little heavy and not as crisp as they should/could be, probably because it’s been baked offsite, refrigerated and brought to the store as opposed to being baked onsite, which will likely make it soggy. Nice decor, some decent coffee menu options I’d still like to try, and ok options for an Italian bakery concept. The lay out is nice but it overall feels impersonal, staff is nice enough but just there to do their job with no investment in the place. If you have no comparison to the business that occupied this spot before, you’ll be just fine with it. St. Pete is changing for better or worse. Give this place a try, you’ll...

Came here today because Milton took out our power and this place had WiFi. I’m so glad we came! I originally stopped three other places that didn’t have plugs or WiFi then I landed here and the experience was great. The chairs were so comfy! The coffee was great and the desserts were really good. Normally bakeries with such a lovely display are prettier than they are tasty but these desserts were even better than they looked. I had the Alpine cheesecake and it was delicious! I’m from NY I’m very picky so you can trust my opinion :p The hot drinks were great too and they even had courtesy water for such a hot day. Nice and cool inside. Cant wait to come back and try their sandwiches! Lots of veggie options for vegans and vegetarians in addiction to meat. It’s a perfect little cafe. The staff were very friendly too. They also had real straws and actual silverware lol. I...