Bar Italia — Restaurant in Sarasota

To start our initial greet coming into the restaurant was warm and welcoming. Its nice to see professionalism at the front door and not some teenage girls that don't care. We felt welcomed and were greeted properly.

We were promptly greeted by our server Josh P. His spirit and professionalism with a dash of humor and goodwill was amazing. It made for a very enjoyable dining experience. Josh was attentive and on point during the entire experience. Thank you again Josh P for your great service and providing a fun memorable experience. We will return for sure.

As this was our first experience I always keep all options open. Waiting for the hubbub to quell is always a good idea. They have been open long enough now to have settled into their state of normal operations.

I am not a fan of the contemporary look in this Italian restaurant. I think the design should be more Italy focused. It is nice but, just doesn't take me to Italy. It doesn't separate itself from other restaurants and bars. Albeit, the ambiance is nice, I was not impressed.

The food. Well this is why we EAT! I have been searching far and wide for a place that does Beef Carpaccio the right way. GREAT JOB very tasty and very thin. Absolutely top quality. The Italian Wedding soup was good. Some of the meat balls were over cooked. Still a perfect size and came with bread. So if a person at the table wants bread, just order this and there will be enough to share for four. Otherwise you have to pay for bread service. I find this a bit lacking in an Italian restaurant too. Profits speak volumes.

The main dishes, we ordered the same thing. Having been a longtime fan of Bravos Shrimp fra Diavlo, and knowing the proprietor of this restaurant is one of the original Bravo restaurant owners, i knew it would be great, well....not exactly like I remember and fix myself, but it was still good and the proportion with shrimp to the meal was on point. Good size shrimp and tasty. Just don't expect it to be exact as at Bravo. This is my own liking so take it as you will. I still encourage the dish and it is a bit spicy and reheats well.

Lastly, the dessert, I got a decaf cappuccino. Wow, reminds me of the best I had in Cincinnati at a place called De'Shays. Absolutely incredible flavor. I encourage a try here.

Overall We had a good experience. Nothing to complain about. It was a good night out and we will return. Nothing blew my mind here, but for a casual dining experience and a bill of $120, without tip. The value to food is on point. I suggest giving this place a try if you are looking for a fun night out at a...

Last night, I went to Bar Italia with 2 friends. We were debating where to go for dinner, and I suggested Bar Italia. We ordered 2 appetizers and both were great. Our server also mentioned it was half-off bottles of wine, so we ordered 2 bottles. One of my friends asked for a house tequila shot.

When the food arrived about 30 minutes later, it came with 3 pasta dishes. I had ordered pizza, not pasta, so I let the food runner know. She seemed a little irritated and even rolled her eyes a little bit before taking the dish back, but the order was corrected. I also mentioned this to our server, who apologized, and I told her it was no problem.

Unfortunately, the issues didn’t stop there. One of my friends ordered pasta, but it was undercooked, so she had to send it back and switch to something else. After that, our server stopped checking on us altogether. Our plates sat at the table for about 20 minutes before we had to flag down another server just to get our check.

When the bill arrived, I noticed the tequila shot was $20.50. My friend had specifically asked for house tequila, and the server had even confirmed with him what the house tequila was earlier. Instead, we were charged for one of the most expensive tequilas on the menu. When I pointed this out, the server took my card and said she would fix it. However, when she returned, she told me she “applied a discount” but it was actually the discount on the wine, not the tequila, and she had already ran my card. The $20.50 shot was still on the bill. It felt like she assumed I wouldn’t notice, but I did.

At that point, I didn’t argue further because of all the other issues during dinner. I paid and left, but I walked away disappointed. I’ve always had good experiences at Bar Italia in the past, which is why I suggested it to my friends. But this time, it was frustrating and honestly made me feel embarrassed for even recommending it to my friends. I usually don’t do this but I feel like it...

I recently visited Bar Italia, a new Italian restaurant in Lakewood Ranch, and it was such a great experience! The atmosphere was warm and welcoming,

The food was delicious.

We started with the calamari appetizer. Since weve moved to Florida... We have not been able to find anywhere that makes this acceptable. Well, today that changed! Best calamari in Florida....and we are tough critics where this is concerned. 😂

I tried the chicken parmesan, and it was perfectly cooked — crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a flavorful vodka sauce. The pasta was clearly homemade. I had the zoodles dinner- zucchini noodles with a dark red sauce (it was good but I like my pasta sauce a little less thick). My husband ordered the veal marsala and he was finished before we even started (which is rare); so he definitely approved. He really enjoyed the Alfredo sauce pasta that accompanied the dinner as a side.

The prices were very reasonable, especially for the quality. The portion size of the chicken parmesan dinner was smaller than we anticipated. It’s not overly expensive, making it a great spot for both a casual dinner or a special night out.

Our waiter was attentive without being overbearing, which made the experience even better.

Drink were average. I ordered a limon cello drink and it was not what I was expecting. My son ordered a paloma and he didn't love that either.

I was so full, but I managed to order a tiramisu to go.

Overall, Bella Tavola is a fantastic addition to the area. If you’re looking for authentic Italian food with great service and average prices, I highly recommend giving it a try. I’ll definitely be...