Bavaro's Pizza Napoletana & Pastaria
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First time here and we’ve been wanting to try this place. Upon arrival we were warmly greeted and seated at a table on the porch. There was live music by a solo guitarist on the porch that added a nice background. It was a bit loud, but we were able to carry on a conversation. Table and stemware here are all glass and we had cloth napkins. The table itself was a little bit small, and if there was four of us rather than three, it would’ve been a little crowded. The restaurant is Situated in a historic remodeled two story house in downtown Sarasota. It’s separated into three areas. Upstairs dining, downstairs inside dining and indoor/ outdoor bar and a Spacious covered outdoor space with great ambiance. The open kitchen on the ground floor adds a nice touch and provides a lot of activity as meals are prepared and shuttled to tables. Our server, Doug did a great job throughout the meal. He was attentive, but not overbearing. We were never rushed during our meal. We started with two glasses of Pinot Grigio and a glass of Montepulciano along with the ANGELA’S RICOTTA MEATBALLS appetizer which had nice size warm meatballs, and an excellent taste. Wine portions were good and the glasses as they were served in were very nice. The menu here is fairly limited, but they do have a selection of 5-6 each of appetizers, pastas, pizzas and mains. For dinners we ordered the ravioli Al formaggio, osso bucco (my favorite) and an off menu item of spaghetti & clams. The food was a little delayed in coming out, and unfortunately, it was barely warm. Across the board we all liked the ravioli. The spaghetti and clams which, for some reason also included shrimp was also very good. The Osso Boco which came with polenta however, was barely edible. Osso Bucco should come out nice and tender. This one was tough sinewy with no shank bone. I didn’t mention that to the waiter and he did take it off the bill. Overall, we liked this restaurant ambiance and we had good service. The food was average the exception of the Osso Buco which was bad. We probably should’ve stuck a pizza which is more of their specialty rather than traditional Italian dishes. We will eat here again
Chris A
00
Not impressed with this place, and would not recommend it. The food: My pasta, the rigatoni al funghi, was very flavorless. The garlic bread appetizer’s crust was fantastic, but there wasn’t much flavor to it outside of that. My husband’s shrimp ravioli was good, but it only came with 5 shrimp, which was a bit low considering it was $9 extra. Service/extras: Our waitress asked us if we wanted drinks and, upon saying no, asked us if we wanted a bottle of water for the table. I assumed this would be free, given that we just turned down drinks and water at sit-down restaurants is always free. However, after she opened the bottle, my husband looked around and realized the other tables had different-looking water containers and we realized we would likely be charged for our water. Our waitress neglected to tell us that the bottle of water cost extra, and we’re disappointed and kinda mad that $8 water was the default option, especially since the waitress wasn’t transparent about what she offered us. $8!!! For 1L of water!!! Absolutely absurd. Furthermore, getting cheese on the garlic bread cost $3 extra, which is insane. Finally, it took about 3 minutes of us standing at the front desk for someone to welcome us in and help us, even after at least 2 hosts made eye contact with me (but refused to say anything)!! SO cold and unwelcoming!! I’m also convinced they forgot about us on the waitlist. We were told 25 minutes and that we’d get a text when the table was ready. At 33 minutes, we went back in to check, and we were sitting at the top of the list, and the host checking the list didn’t even see us on it at first! Who knows how long we were needlessly sitting in our cars with empty stomachs?! Atmosphere: although pretty, it was extremely noisy, and there’s only 1 bench to wait for your table at- and it’s out in the cold with no heat lamp nearby. Again, not welcoming at all.
Jackie C
00
I would recommend Bavaros to friends and family! The pizza was very good! Authentic flavor and texture of a truly Italian pizza. The flavors were balanced and elevated on every dish. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meals and the quality of the food/ingredients was exceptional. We were disappointed with two aspects of the meal however. The first item that we ordered off the menu was the garlic bread with cheese and when it arrived we began to break into it. Quickly discovered that some of the crust was very raw in some places as photographed. We don't like to complain but we let the waitress know and she did not really believe us. She also did not offer to comp it which seemed odd. Serving raw dough is not good for a pizza specialized restaurant. We were skeptical about our meals as well but all of the dough came out perfectly cooked on our pizzas. Other than that, we were disappointed only because we booked indoors and nobody notified us that there was no disabled access up stairs and the upstairs was closed due to low staffing. We did let the online booking platform know that my mom was disabled and had a walker but nobody called us to notify us or even talk to us at the door about it. They just assumed that we were going to sit outside! Overall I would rate this restaurant a solid 8 out of 10. Follow us @appetiteandadventure941
Megan Griffiths
00
January 2024, early evening. Photos are of top floor area. People who worked there were nice. Cocktails and pizza were fantastic! Atmosphere is cozy and comfortable with tables spaced out perfectly. Dress up or dress down, either way you’re good. There’s outdoor, covered seating too. The pizza is Italian style, which means it’s a little softer than those who like to eat with their hands would like, but I didnt find it overly greasy. The flavor is exceptional and their website says they make a lot of food in house and get ingredients from Italy (not sure which ingredients besides tomatoes). A lot of the low star reviews give this place a hard time for its “sogginess” but that’s what this kind of pizza is (tho tbh I wouldn’t use that term) and its best to eat with a fork and knife. Additionally, the prices are more than fair (approx $18-$20 a large pizza). My only frustration is parking. Not sure if I’m missing something about that, but luckily we came at a time where we could park in the government parking lot next door. Other times I haven’t been as lucky. I was born and raised in CT, known for its pizza (I’ve had a lot of New Haven pizza) and personally I think Bavaro’s exceeds those places, in my humble opinion.
Jolie P
00
Exceptional Dining Experience at Bavaro’s. I don’t know how we have been missing this amazing place. Right in downtown Sarasota. Great location with their own parking. From the moment we walked in we knew we were going to have a wonderful experience and we sure did. The service was great. Our server David was attentive without being intrusive, making sure we had everything we needed. He gave us few recommendations which we loved. We ordered the delicious chicken wings (wow that sauce you can just lick your fingers), also Burrata, charcuterie board, salad and out of this world wood-fired pizza, perfectly cooked. OMG, one item from the menu was more delicious than the other. I can’t wait to go back for more, specially more wings YUM! We totally forgot to take pictures of the amazing pizza. Italian food at its best in a fantastic ambiance and service.
Nella T
00
I’ve visited Bavaro’s twice and was underwhelmed by the food both times. The atmosphere is nice and cozy both inside and outside on the patio. The service is pleasant and attentive. The small plates of garlic bread, wings, and meatballs are tasty. For those reasons I would consider visiting for drinks and make a meal of several small plates because the entrees have not been desirable. My first visit I tried the house specialty, Penne alla Vodka. It was served lukewarm and flavors didn’t impress. My second visit I had the Whipped Lemoncello pizza. The flavors were great and I would have enjoyed it but the pizza was soggy. You can see the water and oil on the plate in my photo. The lack of crisp and texture from the dough ruined the pizza eating experience. People in my party had the Seafood Pasta and it was served lukewarm and the pasta undercooked.
Stephen Capresecco
00
Nearby Attractions Of Bavaro's Pizza Napoletana & Pastaria
Sarasota Ford
Regal Hollywood - Sarasota
Payne Park
Payne Skate Park
F45 Training Sarasota
Orangetheory Fitness
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Milan's Jewelry Inc
APX Barber Co.
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Regal Hollywood - Sarasota
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Payne Park
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Nearby Restaurants Of Bavaro's Pizza Napoletana & Pastaria
Brick's Smoked Meats - Sarasota
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The Breakfast House
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Drunken Poet Cafe Thai Bistro & Sushi Bar
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Brick's Smoked Meats - Sarasota
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McCurdy's Comedy Theatre
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Learn more insights from Wanderboat AIBasic Info
Address
27 Fletcher Ave, Sarasota, FL 34237
Map
Phone
(941) 552-9131
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Website
bavarospizza.com
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Reviews
Overview
4.4
(367 reviews)
Ratings & Description
attractions: Sarasota Ford, Regal Hollywood - Sarasota, Payne Park, Payne Skate Park, F45 Training Sarasota, Orangetheory Fitness, Payne Park Playground, Discover Sarasota Tours, Milan's Jewelry Inc, APX Barber Co., restaurants: Brick's Smoked Meats - Sarasota, McCurdy's Comedy Theatre, C'est La Vie - Pastries Breakfast & Dinner, The Breakfast House, 1592 | Wood Fired Kitchen & Cocktails, Drunken Poet Cafe Thai Bistro & Sushi Bar, Evie's Tavern & Grill On Main Street, Five-O Donut Co, FushiPoke & Ramen, Pastry Art Espresso Café & Dessert
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