Osteria 500 — Restaurant in Sarasota

What a great addition to the Sarasota restaurant scene. Owned and operated by a local Italian couple with many years of local restaurant experience the passion and attention to details with Osteria 500 is evident.

This was our first time here and we were anxious to see what the buzz was about. They don’t take reservations so it’s first come first serve and we arrived early at around 5:30 and we’re warmly greeted by the hostess. They had a table for us in the upstairs area that overlooks the main dining area that just needed to be set up. While waiting we started a conversation with a gentleman at the hostess stand. Turns out his name is Pepe and he along with his wife own the restaurant. His passion for what he does was evident as he took us on a tour throughout the restaurant and then escorted us to our table.

The restaurant it nicely decorated and has a layout that takes advantage of the water views. The space is very open with high ceilings and lots of natural light. There is a full service bar that seats about 20 people and above the bar there’s a dining area with about 15 tables. Walking past the bar is the main dining room where all tables have outside water views. At the far end of the dining room there is the open kitchen and a large imported pizza oven that sits on top of an old Fiat 500 (where the restaurant gets its name from). Theres access from the main dining room to a huge outside deck with seating partially covered and there’s plans to add a retractable roof in the future. There’s lots of attention to details and varied seating throughout. You can come here numerous times and have a different experience each time.

The noise level inside the restaurant is a little bit high with staff scurrying about from the open kitchen to the tables. However, the restaurant has a cool vibe and a good ambience.

Table spacing is good and seating was comfortable. The dishes, tableware and cloth linens nice. It was busy here so if you’re looking for a quiet romantic place it’s probably not the best spot.

The menu had good choices for food and drink and they have a very nice wine selection. There were some evening specials but we no opted to order from the menu. We ordered aperol spritzers for drinks. All good and nice presentation.

We started with a focaccia bread served like a pizza that was easily shareable among the four of us. Nice and crispy bottom and moist interior complimented with a hot pepper dipping sauce.

Our dinners consisted of fettuccine alla bolognese, whole branzino and spaghetti osteria between us. Everything came out warm like it was just prepared. A plate of warm bread for the table with dipping sauce accompanied the food.

The fettuccine had nice presentation and a good portion and very flavorful. Nice balance on the meat ragu sauce. Not overly tomato flavor.

The whole Branzino ( my favorite) was perfectly grilled and deboned. The fish was moist and tender and the flavor deep from the wood-fired charcoal grill it’s cooked on. Nicely accompanied by a bowl of mixed roasted vegetables. Overall great presentation when served.

Lastly the spaghetti with the cherry tomato sauce and basil. Definitely an excellent flavor that leaves you wanting for more.

We were celebrating and decided to share a piece of triple chocolate mousse cake. Wow! Great layered flavor!

Service during our meal was commendable. Our server (Danielle) was knowledgeable and attentive throughout the meal. We were never rushed during our meal. She did a great job.

We really enjoyed our evening here at Osteria 500. Great location, great food and service. The dining experience was casual and relaxed.

We’ll be back. You’ve...

If I could give more stars, I would! From start to finish, this restaurant provided the best experience for my best friend's surprise 40th birthday. I needed a quiet, intimate setting since my friend is an introvert. I had heard about the beautiful Waterside area and discovered that Osteria 500 had a private room. Becca returned my inquiry within 12 hours and gave me all the details in order to reserve ($700 minimum - split checks allowed, up to 12 persons, outside decorations welcome, etc.). When the day came, I had no idea what to expect, and my high expectations were blown away. The Waterside area is so picturesque that we will be back to sit on the patio. Walking into Osteria 500 is where the experience starts. The high ceilings, long inviting bar, second story dining, and all the incredible details (vines, moped, gelato truck, etc.). It was so neat!!! Our room was more than I'd dreamed, complete with a barn door for privacy. The decor in there made my 2 balloon bouquets overkill. It was truly self-sufficient. The food had a reputation to uphold from some of the other guests, and it blew everyone away. Truly authentic. The whole table drank hibiscus margaritas, and no one tried a different drink because they loved it so much! But, the icing on the cake was our waiter, Luka. I hope he cares for all the big parties because he was phenomenal. From the moment I (finally) got the birthday girl there (40 min late) till we closed the place down, he ensured a perfect party. He knew how to read the room, never rushing or delaying any part of the night. I was in charge at all times, and we could even "speak" with our eyes to move the night along at our comfortable pace so as not to disrupt the conversations or birthday girl. I can not even explain how wonderful it was. He even ran the birthday girl's dinner back to the kitchen to keep it warm when she had to step away for a phone call with her daughter. Thank you, Luka! And, lastly, we got to meet one of the owners who was so professional and appreciative of our business! He even seemed to enjoy our excitement as our even progressed; even joining in to sing Happy Birthday, at the end! He was so professional and pulled me aside to discuss the tab details, so my friend had no clue about prices or minimums! As you can tell, I am one pleased patron who will be back. And, on behalf of the entire party Tuesday evening, thank you for creating the perfect ambiance for this very...

A full review of Osteria500:

One sentence summary: It has a nice outdoor seating area right on the water, but the service & food are only okay.

Food: We ordered the mixed cheese board, avocado Caesar with smoked salmon, prosciutella pizza, & pasta with fresh mussels & clams. For dessert, we had tiramisu.

Mixed cheese board: this included 3-4 different cheeses & came with fresh bread, EVOO, & balsamic vinegar. It was good, especially the truffle cheese. I would order this again.

Avocado Caesar with smoked salmon: the avocado was missing & it lacked flavor. It was also overdressed with a watery dressing. I would not order this again.

Prosciutella Pizza: it was OKAY. The outer crust was great, but they added too much red sauce, which made the middle crust incredibly soggy. The prosciutto was good, but I likely would not order this again.

Pasta with fresh mussels & clams: this was really good. The pasta was cooked perfectly. It had a nice herby flavor to balance out the fishy flavors of the mussels and clams. I would order this again.

Tiramisu: it was okay. It was very sweet & it didn’t taste homemade. I would not order again.

Drinks: they have a large wine list, multiple beers (Peroni, Stella, etc), and a variety of cocktails. They also have coffee, espresso, & cappuccino.

Service: The service was okay! I wouldn’t say it was 5 star, but it was average. The hostesses at the front were sweet & welcoming. Our server was attentive.

My only complaint is their upselling strategy. For example, we ordered a bottle of wine. The server took the wine menu away & then said “May I recommend X wine instead. It’s much better because XYZ.” Thankfully, we asked to see the price because it was DOUBLE the price.

Other than the upselling, the service was fine! The owners/managers were walking around, speaking to customers, which was great to see.

Ambiance: It has a good vibe for LWR. 😎 The indoor decor is really nice on both the upper & lower levels. The outdoor area is fantastic, especially this time of the year when it’s not too hot.

Seating: Indoor, bar, & outdoor seating. Highly recommend outdoor seating during the cooler months. It’s lovely! The bar is nice as well. Really friendly bar staff.

Location: Conveniently located in Waterside in Lakewood Ranch.

Parking: There’s plenty!

Overall, we’ll give it another shot...