Cafe Amici provides excellent service and authentic Italian food. With an extensive wine list and menu (daily specials included), there are so many great options to select from. My family especially enjoyed the stuffed poblano pepper appetizer. My branzino special was a filet in garlic and butter sauce with a side of carrots and green beans. Absolutely delicious. I included each family member's dish below. Everyone enjoyed for sure! A must visit when in Downtown Sarasota. read more

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Took some friends here- love both the atmosphere and food- consistently good. Our waiter was excellent and recommended a few of the specials; we took advantage of his recommendations. The warm focaccia with dip was a good beginning. My arugula salad with Parmesan and tomato was excellent as was my pasta with lobster in vodka sauce.(both 9 out of 10) Each member in our party loved their meals and took home unfinished entrees. Full bar with nice wine selection added to the experience. Amici remains one of my favorite restaurants even though it can get noisy. read more

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Great experience! The apps and entrees were incredible! Food tasted fresh & flavorful. The staff were helpful and attentive. The cooking classes in the other side looked fun as well. read more

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Outstanding and so happy we ate here! From the service (nick was awesome) to the food...every bite was so enjoyable. For apps: ordered prosciutto and artichokes, eggplant rollatini, and one special: stuffed pepper. All was very good- but the stuffed pepper was outstanding. The sausage was tender, the pepper was such a nice compliment, and the sauce was delish. Ordered two salads and had enough to share with our table... all ingredients were fab. Dinners: Rigatoni alla norcina Penne al pesto genovese Gnocchi caprese Special of day homemade fettuccine (OMG!) with chicken and mushrooms; And I asked Nick to help me between the pappardelle bolognese or tortellini alla vodka- he wrote down his choice and said I would find out.... He brought out the braciole & oriecchiette! The braciole was so tender. Loved it! Had to have dessert- ordered one (wanted them all) Pear and ricotta - yum. So so good. Didn't even get to the wine- such a great list. Enjoyed by all. read more

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We went there for espresso martinis last night about 9 PM. And at the bar and the bartender was very attentive and the drinks were great.

Came in after a performance from the Opera House. Have been wanting to try it for a while. It was still an hour before closing and no host at the front. Once I saw a person who I assumed was an employee who said to just sit at the bar. The Limoncello was ok but the Carpaccio had a terrible texture and lacked flavor. A lot of it got wasted. The Bartender was very friendly with obvious frequent customers but just not very attentive to us. She didn't bother to ask how the food was until we were leaving. She had to be aware as it is a small bar and not busy. My friend said the paradise pasta was good. read more

Cafe Amici Downtown - CBeef Beef Carpaccio - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Best rigatoni dish!!! Great atmosphere, ambience, food and people! Highly recommend! read more

Cafe Amici Downtown - Had the best rigatoni dish of my life. Wonderful atmosphere, locals come here often. Highly you recommend!!! - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Service was good. Food was not... had both my husband and I sick half the night. We both had the rigatoni so not sure what was in it. read more

First time I and it was very warm and all waitress were so polite .I had bracoila is was excellent just like my grandmother made.I did meet the owner what a nice guy he made us feel very welcome.It seem that there were lots of people reserved seats at the bar and always go there to eat.The place had a beautiful atmosphere you felt like family.i will definitely go there also the wines were the best read more

I had high hopes for our first dinner in Sarasota. The appetizer of artichoke, tomato and prosciutto was very good. My mother has ravioli with tomato sauce also good. I had the special of scallops and pesto risotto but that was a different story. Three scallops on pest risotto was $45. They were so salty I only ate the scallops and a forkful of the risotto. The salt was so much it insulted your tastebuds. My sister had the sausage which was good but same problem with being over salted. Don't think we will be trying it again. Too much salt ruins the flavor of food. read more

Everything was delicious the food, the atmosphere, the companies, the services was amazing! read more

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Great ambiance and delicious authentic Italian food. The one thing that did not feel right in this restaurant was the music. It would have been perfect to hear traditional Italian music or Frank Sinatra. Instead they had a playlist that played Tina Turner, Journey and other related music. Very interesting. read more

Calamari had us both sick that night...food just ok and my second visit so a no go for me.

Honestly we have been putting off trying this place because there's so many Italian restaurants to choose from downtown but WE LOVED IT. We tried the meatball appetizer, the side Cesar, and the calamari and they were all amazing. For dinner we had the lasagne which is made from scratch and it's some of the best I've ever had. Meat sauce was AMAZING. I had the veal amaci and the mushroom sauce and the tenderness off the veal was so good. Will definitely be back in the future. Service was amazing too. read more

Cafe Amici Downtown - Lasagne and Veal Amici - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

We lucked out Friday night. "An hour's wait," we were told in one place. "Sorry, we're full," said the maître d elsewhere. Then we saw this cafe, with a single vacant table on the street. "Can we have it?" my friend asked. "Well, if you can find chairs," said the fellow who I think is the owner. So we took spare seats from other tables -- with permission, of course! -- and sat down to an al fresco dinner. Cafe Amici is perfectly fine, though not the best Italian food I've had. My eggplant parm reminded me of the frozen Celantano's that I buy in Publix. My friend complained that her pappardelle , which looked delicious, was a tad too salty. I tasted T's sausage and pepper; it was good! My husband and I started off with salad. Had we known the size, we would have split one order. The other couple shared bruschetta. "The bread tastes stale, a bit too hard," said my friend. The restaurant was filled with people laughing and enjoying their evening out, which can outweigh the actual meal ... as it did for me that evening. read more

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Pretty decent food. Scared to try because it's a 3.5 star place and I'm a 4 or 5 star place only foodie. Gave it a try because we came with people that recommended this place. Pasta tasted authentic and homemade. No chicken parm here, probably too American for them but they have great Roma food. Looked like maybe only 2 servers and a manager that doesn't do much other than stand at a table and talk the whole time. Servers were busting their butts busy even for this small intimate setting. You can hear their music sometimes but loud conversations were everywhere. Everyone that worked there sounded like they had accents and felt like you were really in Italy. It definitely added to the ambiance. I would have liked faster service at times, like taking our food orders because we came very hungry but they made sure to refill waters and drinks in a timely manner. read more

BEWARE, they charged me a $250 cancellation fee for a reservation made at 9 in the morning for 6:15 that night, and cancelled at 11 same morning due to special circumstances. I phoned them, no one there, left a message and also sent an email. The site says they required a credit card, which they didn't, but somehow they got my credit card number, I have no idea how, and assessed the $250 charge, $50/per person for a same day reservation. Their policy is a 24 hour cancellation but how could you imagine that would be the case if it was a same day reservation, pretty sad if a restaurant has to make their money this way, btw, I'm in the business . . . read more

Such a nice surprise! First time dining in Sarasota for this New Yorker and food, ambiance, wine selection was impressive. Delicious Veal Osso Buco, to die for Linguine with white clam sauce, exquisite White anchovies over arugula. 5 stars! Who knew authentic Italian could be found here! I encourage you to find here; you will not be disappointed. Their Wagyu Bolognese sauce is as good as my Nonni used to make! read more

We just moved to downtown Sarasota and went out to dinner. Started out great at Cafe Amici when we were greeted by the owner who gave us a great table where we could watch the US Open tennis match. Yay! But things quickly went downhill when I asked the server to make me a mocktail. (I quit drinking 5 years ago for health reasons.) He quickly and rudely said, "We don't do that." I told him no problem, I have a recipe. I carry a margarita mocktail recipe in my purse. The server very reluctantly took it and said he would "ask." It's a very simple thing to make. He seemed intimidated by the female bartender, but she made the drink, but by that time I was pretty offended because I shouldn't be treated like a freak because I don't drink. Anyway, the drink was actually really great, except there was no salt on the rim. My husband, not wanting me to be disappointed, politely asked if there was any way they could put salt on the rim. And, if you can believe this, he said, "No because we would have to use a whole new glass." I expressed my disappointment and he eventually brought another glass rimmed with salt and poured the remaining drink into it. In other news, my husband got the eggplant Parmesan and I got the gnocci. They were both very great. Unfortunately, I won't be returning. It's disappointing because the food and my husband's Chianti wine were really good. read more

Cafe Amici Downtown - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Lots of upscale wait staff. Business is most concerned about seating their next customer. Food is good at best. If you're a local customer you might feel differently. Hob knobbing is important to this business. read more

So we were staying locally and saw this New Year's Eve night which they had no availability but we decided to go back on the Tuesday after and we were not disappointed We had octopus, burrata and calamari all were delicious Then we asked if they had or could make puttanesca pasta which they didn't but the owner said yes we can make it oh my it was spectacular They had a veal chop Parmesan which they made special and it was really amazing you could taste the seasoning all the way down to the chop The staff and food was truly worth the trip and if we were here another night we would go back read more

Cafe Amici Downtown - Veal Parmesan special - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Mediocre at best. 15 minutes to be seated even with reservations. Server was arrogant; acted put-out because we wanted appetizers first to enjoy before ordering entrees. He insisted we order everything at once. They said the lasagna was "epic"--was that because one of our group found a large piece of plastic in his portion they replaced it with another entree, 20 minute wait but still charged--should have been comped!!!! Don't bother--very expensive for what it is! Chicken in the pappardelle was as tough as shoe leather!!! Don't waste your time or money!!!! read more

I ordered the short ribs and polenta entree. The short ribs were mainly composed of thick fat and barely had any meat. (I wish I would have thought to take a picture) Our server acknowledged the mass of fat on our plate and took it back to show the chef. I would have expected them to comp the meal but they did not. She did offer to get me something else but at that point I had lost my appetite. I was treated to a tiramisu instead. That being said, my husband's braciole dish was very good and Donna our server was very professional. However, I did not appreciate paying $38 for a plate of fat. Terrible customer service in light of a very obvious mistake on their part. That meat should have never been served . I am in Sarasota every other week on business and do not plan on revisiting this establishment. read more

Very good service and food But we had a reservation for two and were seated at a small table for two. We observed that four other parties of two were seated at tables for four and there were other four person tables available. We asked to be moved to a larger table and told we could not. Then when the next party of two arrived, their were seated at a table for 4. When we asked why, we were then changed to a table for four but in the adjioning quiet room which was almost empty. We observed two other parties (one of two and another of three) than were seated in our room. Each of them asked to be moved back into the main dining room and were then escorted back into the lively and pleasent main room. I don't know why they treated us that way? We will not go back, desite the quality of the food and service. read more

What an amazing place -such great people - they all could Not have been nicer or more pleasant - we really enjoyed the atmosphere- And the food was above and beyond amazing - truly unique and the quality was top notch - can't wait to bring our friends there!!! read more

Excellent Italian restaurant in downtown Sarasota. A family favorite. Always get the specials. In the fall, they have black truffle menu that is a must get. Service is phenomenal where the owners great you and know your family. Ambiance is your local Italian place and very home-y feeling. read more

Wonderful experience with delicious food & excellent service. Ambiance was great; we did get there early, so it wasn't crowded and had an intimate feel. read more

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Only 4 stars because I never give 5, but if anyone deserves 5 stars it is these guys. Had the octopus appetizer. It was excellent , excellent. Also had black ink gnocchi with shrimp and clams: Very Very good. Wife had cheese ravioli, calamari app. Really good. We'll be regulars here. We've tried to walk in a few times but they were always full. But we will make a point of reserving. Very good !!! read more

One of the best restaurants in Sarasota. The food, the staff and the atmosphere is fabulous. Scott. read more

Wow! An amazing experience from start to finish. All employees were wearing masks and there was hand sanitizer available. We were seated promptly and greeted by a very personable server. He shared the specials with us and we ended up trying one for our appetizer. It was perfect ! The focaccia bread was warm and so flavorful, but my favorite was the dipping oil! Both pasta dishes were out of this world! Can't wait to come back, everything was a delight! read more

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Excellent service and very tasty food. Wine was very good. The dessert were average. read more

Best meal I've had this week in Sarasota. Excellent service and atmosphere. Highly recommend Cafe Amici!

We had made a reservation on Open Table a week ago for dinner tonight. We arrived early and were seated. I always verify on Open Table app that I've been checked in, app indicates "now dining". I paid the bill and after I left , this restaurant "Cancelled " the reservation on Open Table , as if I was a no show, perhaps so they would not have to pay Open Table the very small service fee. read more

The food was excellent the service was good. The dessert tiramisu was not good. It was a tiny cup full of cream with the great flavor but no cake filling just some crumbs at the bottom of the cup. I felt cheated. I will eat dinner there but not order dessert again. read more

I recently had the opportunity to eat at this establishment. It has a wonderful ambience and an excellent staff. Even though I am not a wine drinker, it was still hard not to notice the amazing selection that they had available. The menu also something to be admired and it made me want to be able to order more than one dish. I had the pleasure of enjoying Pappardelle with vodka sauce and lobster. It was beyond delicious and although I could not finish, I was able to take some home, and even reheated it did not lose any of its amazing taste. I will definitely be returning to try some of the other dishes that I was not able to enjoy that evening. read more

The service was really nice! However, for pasta dishes that are not expensive to make, the prices are ridiculous. read more

The most amazing Tomahawk steak I've ever had. It was cooked and seasoned perfectly! I love my steaks with a little extra garlic and spice but one of the most amazing meals I've ever had in my life. If you are in Sarasota, you must check out Cafe Amici as there fresh pasta, fish and steaks are the best. read more

Cafe Amici Downtown - Tomahawk steak - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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What a disappointment. Our server was snarky. There were 4 of us and we asked for 3 checks when we sat down. He scowled and then pursed his lips and left. He was told one of us was lactose intolerant. He then brought bread and a dipping sauce that was oil, garlic and cheese. He never offered plain oil to our lactose guest. We had to ask another waiter and he brought some with a nice balsamic vinegar. One guest ordered the branzino fish special. It was thin and overcooked. The side three small pieces of zucchini and two pieces of green pepper were overcooked also. The piece of tomato with a leaf of basil was good. The price was $44. A Tito's vodka on the rocks with a splash of olive juice costs $15.85. I will never go back and I do not recommend this restaurant. The food and the wait staff were disappointing. read more

Italian. How can one go wrong right? I guess we are not the target demographic for this place. Two of us, several tables open but oh, we can only seat you at this high top of six/eight that just opened up. Entire bar seating "Reserved". Server was almost like we bothered him. TV behind the bar shows only pretty people at a night en blanc. Asked for pepper for me only, server came over and almost violently gave us both pepper and parm without asking who wanted it or how much. Food was okay, not great. Will not return. Plenty of other options downtown. read more

The food was fabulous as well as the drinks! The Service was top notch with our server Andre and the prices are not bad considering! He was in constant contact with us and knew what to suggest for any requests! The ambiance is also wonderful with an Italian charm that is second to none and is our favorite restaurant in Sarasota!! read more