It was 8:30 on a weeknight and I was the last person in, but not treated like a burden, they were warm and inviting, even so close to the last call. Well, I've been looking for my Italian spot on the west coast, and I could just cry tears of JOY! This place rejuvenated me, gave me a night of pure delight. They started me right with the perfect wine & marinated olives and table bread. I know what I was coming for, mixed seafood with marinara and linguini. The sauce was absolutely perfect. Not sweet and full of onions!!! But garlic-y, basil forward, with plump mussels, super tender calamari, and poppin' shrimp. The service was excellent- the waiter gave me great dessert choices too and will say that the tartufo was absolutely mind blowing. The chocolate ice cream on the inside gave me flashbacks of my childhood. This is the BEST Italian food I've had on Florida's West Coast! read more

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Another great evening at Casa Ludovico! We were greeted by Stefano and seated right away. Juan our waiter explained the specials, and we started with the zucchini florets stuffed with ricotta...absolutely delicious. I had a Cosmo martini, my husband enjoyed a red wine, and both were perfect. For dinner, I ordered the tortellini alla vodka and my husband had the linguini alla pescatore di Sant'Angelo, both outstanding. Stefano stopped by to check on us, and we even shared a lovely conversation in Italian about our heritage. Thank you to Stefano and the entire staff. We'll definitely be back! read more

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Made reservations for 4 on open table. The restaurant called me to confirm. We arrived and were greeted by valet. Walked in and greeted right away and seated. Nicki was our waitress. She was knowledgeable, very personable and attentive! My husband spoke Italian to owner and waitress. Truly authentic!! Food was excellent from appetizers to dessert and drinks. So happy to have found a really good authentic Italian restaurant in Florida to have dinner. Seating is inside and outside. Two inside floors for dining, up and down. Ramp for handicapped as well. Bring a sweater, cool inside. Great night! read more

I quite liked it here! The vibe inside is cosy and good for a date night or a private chat with some friends. Menu has a lot of options and I liked the octopus appetizer. The caesar salad lacked a little bit of flavor. And I got a seafood pasta but I had them switch the red sauce out for a white wine garlic butter sauce and I thought it was great. Was it the best Italian food I've ever had? No. But would I come back? Absolutely. The service was attentive and between our waitress and the guys who help bring things to the table, we were taken care of pretty well. read more

Ambiance was charming, felt like a Brooklyn neighborhood Italian restaurant, especially decked for Christmas. We LOVED the corvina livornese. Great prep and flavor. We moderately liked the chicken Marsala. Felt it was lacking consistency with a sauce which had the viscosity of water. Alfredo was excellent. Lemon sorbet was terrific. Lauren was attentive and kind. read more

Casa Ludovico - Dessert: lemon sorbet - Italian Near Me - Palm Harbor, Florida

One of the Best meals of my life,2nd only to Burns steakhouse. Outstanding service and hospitality from Stefano. Heavenly food with extremely quick delivery. Amazing vibe, mood,and lighting. Could not recommended more! read more

Casa Ludovico - Italian Near Me - Palm Harbor, Florida

Disappointed tonight . We have been here often and have always enjoyed the food - service - ambiance. Im on a diet plan no pasta . I ordered the 75.00 veal special which came with a side of pasta - I asked if I could substitute a small side of broccoli instead of the pasta and was told ( twice ) no substitutions . Really ??? I'm not sure we will be going back . It's a shame you lost a good customer over a few broccoli spears ..... read more

Way over priced! I could have went to Olive Garden and had a better meal for half the price. When told about the specials no price was given from the server. Don't just guess it's reasonable. I didn't want to be rude and ask how much for the veal chop special. I was guessing $50 bucks. No make it $85! When it came out I couldn't tell if it was a pork chop or what it was. I'm still thinking it may have been a pork chop. Either way the place is so overpriced. It's nothing special. Seriously go to any Italian chain and you will get the same quality food. read more

I have mixed reviews of this establishment over the years but didn't think it could get this bad. First I was there with my good friend and while we didn't want the complimentary bread with Olives and Oil we did ask for a few Olives which they brought us 5 olives in the oil which is less then what we would have gotten had we accepted the Bread with the Olives and Oil. We then got charged for the Olives since we didn't want the Bread that brings them complimentary Then I ordered the Veal Chop which has taken and major price change and while they only offer Penna Pasta With red Sauce I ask for either a vegatable so the brought Broccoli. of which the Veal Chop raised up to $84 and then soaked me for another $9 upcharge for Broccoli. Then my Good friend order the Filet and again did not wish red sauce so asked foor same sauce of the penna as the Filet and the Filet had jumped from $54 previously to $70 which is a huge increase just like the Veal Chop. plus $9 for same sauce versus red sauce on the pasta. I don't mind paying for quality but like Casa I am a semi regular at least a couple times or more per month but I rather now go to Packards or La Dolce Vita Trattoria where I can get a Filet with choice of sauce and vegatible for $54 at La Dolce Vita instead of $79 Casa Ludivico. I can go to Packard's Steak House in Innisbrook and as a member I can Get Filet for $53.00 and get a side as I wish. even without membership its only $66 with prepared sauce and side as I desire. These changes in last 3-4 months have made the experience less then favorable read more

Casa Ludovico is a local favorite that is worth obsessing over. Hands down, this is the best dining experience we've had in the area--and I haven't stopped thinking about it since. Casa Ludovico is inside a beautifully restored 1902 home that somehow feels both elevated and cozy, like someone invited you to dinner inside their beautiful villa. We went for our anniversary, and the staff nailed it--warm, attentive, and clearly so proud of what they do. I ordered the Spaghetti Al Nero (black spaghetti with jumbo crab and baby clams in a garlicky, spicy olive oil) and it was... unreal. I don't like spicy food, but the heat was subtle and balanced--just enough to make each bite unforgettable. My husband had the Pollo Marsala, and we were basically fighting over the sauce. Rich, velvety, total comfort food. And then came the star of the show... the tiramisu. Homemade, light, creamy, not too sweet. Just perfect- we both agreed it's the best tiramisu we've ever had. This is officially our new special occasion go-to, but honestly... we're already plotting excuses to go back sooner. read more

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Had an amazing dinner to celebrate our 4 year anniversary Wednesday night at Casa Ludovico! This is the cutest little place, looks like a converted historic home. Excellent fine dining! The Carpaccio was delicious & the Grilled Octopus was the BEST I've had at a restaurant. A little disappointed the bread was cold and a bit dry instead of warm and fresh. Apps were followed by Squid Ink Seafood Pasta and an awwwmazing Veal Shank in a creamy Shroom sauce! The Squid Ink Seafood pasta was very bland at first. We let our server know and she graciously sent it back for them to jazz it up with, garlic, crushed red pepper, etc. It was much better than. Tiramisu for dessert was a perfect ending to a fabulous dinner. I highly recommend this restaurant read more

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Food is always top notch and the atmosphere is always fun. Great staff and service! The Penne Norcina is my favorite but also the black spaghetti with clams and crab meat is a close second. They dont always have but ask for the Calamari steak its usually a special. read more

The best restaurant in town. Bone in ribeye with mushroom sauce. It's a little cramped but that's because everyone wants to eat here. It's cozy and feels like eating a holiday meal at your fancy grandmothers house. It's a treasure read more

Ambiance at Casa Ludovico is great! It's got a rustic vibe and very classic. Service was subpar. We felt completely rushed by our waiter, he was pretty rude from the second we sat down and almost felt like we were being watched like a hawk with no time to browse the menu. Just felt like he was trying to get us out there as fast as possible. My husband and I are vegetarians and the options were not great. Pasta didn't taste fresh, food was cold. The caprese salad honestly seemed like something I could've just made at home myself with some ingredients at the grocery store. read more

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Overrated & Overpriced! Owners need to clean or completely remodel. Bathroom smelled like piss it was disgusting Not good, thumbs down! read more

Casa Ludovico - Italian Near Me - Palm Harbor, Florida

I'm shocked to see such mixed reviews. This place has survived over 2 decades for a reason. I'm sure every place can have an off night once in awhile, but the food here almost always exceeds our expectations. Service can sometimes be hit or miss, but I've had some of the best red sauce, pasta, steak, and seafood dishes of any Italian restaurant in all of Pinellas, Pasco, and Hillsborough. Highly recommend. read more

Have eaten here a few times... food has been outstanding at every meal...service is excellent as well....the restaurant is a former 2 story house so it's cozy.....check this restaurant out...you won't regret it! read more

What a wonderful place for our anniversary celebration. Thank you Eric! We had delicious food, wonderful wine, attentive service without being overbearing. Their cannoli and Lemoncello cake is pu the of this world. Eric loves the cannoli but illl go for the lusciously light, not overly sweet lemony cake it's the best in Tampa Bay in my opinion. read more

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It is sad to see one of our go to restaurants lose the foods that made them stand out. Even though they show veal chop, black spaghetti, octopus and burrata as foods on their menu those items are no longer offered. The daily specials seem to never change. Perhaps describing the restaurant as Italian fine dining is a stretch for sure. I suppose it is time to look for alternatives for our nights out. read more

Food and service second to none. You are family here. Great wine selection and a full bar. Have to listen to special before making a decision. Best Italian around, as good as North end of Boston or Little Italy in New York. read more

Casa Ludovico - Linguine Alla Pescatore...shrimp, baby clams, mussels and calamari - Italian Near Me - Palm Harbor, Florida

The food was amazing! Very excellent service! The ambiance is always great! If you want authentic Italian food and pasta this is my favorite place ! The Negro Pasta with crab meat is divine! read more

Excellent food!! Greeat foodie experiance. Service was great and the drinks before were also great. Rained after dinner which was fine.

There were six of us, we were greeted immediately by the Sunday night manager and brought to our table. The service was great, our waitress was very friendly and gave us the specials. The food was excellent and had a great time! Definitely will be back!! read more

This is by far the best restaurant in Palm Harbor. From the moment you walk in, there is an upbeat, friendly atmosphere filled with locals and some visitors. It is an upscale Mediterranean Italian restaurant with delicious food and a balanced wine list consisting of Italian and domestic choices. We had eggplant rollatini, mushroom ravioli, and shellfish pasta. Everything was cooked perfectly with sauces that were delicious with fresh herbs, spices, and seasonings. The service was very attentive but we never felt rushed. While some people may feel the prices are a little high for the area, it is worth every penny for the white table cloth evening. read more

I really don't understand why yelpers don't like this joint. Casa Ludovico is an old school Italian joint with a big menu, bigger list of specials and big portions. What's there not to like? All entrees and apps were tasty although my spinach salad was only ok. Overdressed and including raw mushrooms which is controversial with a potential toxin. My black spaghetti was yum with a generous amount of crab meat. Definitely save room for dessert as the gelato with the chocolate shell was super delish. read more

Love this place for authentic italian food. Had veal piccata tonight , wife had braised short ribs simmered in spaghetti, also chicken Marsala and linguine and clams .. food was and is always delicious , service with a smile as we have experienced many times . Host greeted us with a warm smile and immediate table service. Apps came out in record time, calamari fritte was great and so fresh. Enjoyed the vibe of an authentic italian restaurant as we celebrated my dad's 90th with homemade tiramisu .. maybe the best I've ever had because I stood some of his !! read more

Casa Ludovico - Tiramisu and looking good for 89 and 364 days old - Italian Near Me - Palm Harbor, Florida

We went for our annual NYE party last week. We had 10 people in the reserved upstairs room. This was the fourth time we have done this. Last year was not the best for various reasons but we decided to try again We will not be returning. As I said, we had the Private upstairs room, which is nice. But the service is very poor The food which over the years was excellent has gone downhill We had three of the veal chops at the table and two were overcooked and one was very small compared to the others. I had the veal Parmesan and I have to say it was tasteless They also charge you for every single thing you change. Instead of the side pasta, I asked for the Nocino pasta instead. There was no mention that it was a $15 up charge for half a plate. The restaurant cannot handle large holiday events It took 55 minutes for our entrees to come. The bigger problem was we had the room for two hours and now we only had 25 minutes left to eat which means we were pushed. Due to the poor and slow service and the constant nickel and diming everything we will not be coming here anymore. read more

Highly recommend Casa Ludovico, from the service, the food, to the ambiance... Everything is always outstanding! Rick, Evan and Nikki have been wonderful to us every time we visit. We always look forward to having a great evening when we visit.. Thanks everyone...You are ALL outstanding!. read more

Very mixed review here. So Im well in to my 60's and played in a band for years. In other words, Im deaf as a post and this place is LOUD. My wife and I were seated upstairs near the wait-station. My lovely wife ordered chicken in a bourben sauce (sauce of the day), and I had a veal steak that was 3/4" thick with a Tomahawk presentation. On the side was a small bowl of Penne with marinara. We started off with some fresh Italian bread and an olive oil and herb dip. Yum! So I will admit that the veal steak and sauce of the day (SOTD) was to die for. Well prepared, medium rare, and that sauce! I did comment to our waitress that the side of pasta would be so much better with the SOTD. In other words, bring me fresh pasta with the same sauce as the $60 steak. The SOTD is a marsala type sauce. My wife had chicķen in the same SOTD. However, her chicken wasn't fresh. It tasted to me like it had been in the freezer for a while. Definately not fresh. She bravely ate one of the two and pushed her plate away, and set her sights on the bowl of marinara and penne, which I mentioned above was not a match and not that great. In the mean tine I was done. I inhaled the veal and ignored the pasta. I have to point out that I mentioned that the pasta and SOTD would be great. No offer to bring us $.50 worth of Penne and a scoop of SOTD. The waitress did offer to replace my wifes dinner with something else...however, I was already don't. I asked for $125 check and we left. We won't go back. read more

There is no better restaurant for Italian in the area. From the friendly, on the ball valet to the greeting as you walk in to the attentive servers and bus people, you feel like family. The menu is full of great meals that come out hot and if the you need to tweak the food a little it does not throw the kitchen staff. Along with regular items they always have specials that are always great. Along with spectacular food, they have a wine list like no other and their bar staff makes great drinks. Recommend the chicken parietal with fresh mozzarella or the veal saltimbocco. But anything you pick is great. read more

I came here for a night out with a group of eight people. We made reservations in advance, and our table upstairs, where they put most large parties, was ready when we arrived. We had to have them add a two-top to our table; the table we sat at was not comfortable enough for eight people. Our server was friendly and efficient, and had cocktails and bottles of wine coming out quickly. The table ordered a variety of appetizers, but my favorite was the special of the night, the octopus. Fresh and flavorful, I loved it. The burrata caprese salad special was also very good. For my meal I had the Spaghetti Al Nero Di Seppia E Granzeola E Vongole (Venezia): black spaghetti with crab meat, baby clams, garlic and parsley sautéed in spicy olive oil. I was astonished at how much seafood was piled in the bowl. This dish was perfect, with just a hint of spice in the sauce. I will say that I had order-envy, though. One of the restaurant regulars ordered the Penne Alla Norcina Penne: pasta with spicy Italian sausages, a touch of cream, aged Parmesan, and a splash of white truffle oil, and this dish was FANTASTIC. When I go back, I will have to get this. Dessert was the tiramisu, which was excellent. They have their own parking lot, which filled up quickly, but they offer valet too. The restaurant was very loud, with a party-like atmosphere. Dinner and service were wonderful, so if you are looking for fun, upscale Italian dining, this is definitely the spot. read more

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food is excellent service is outstanding ambiance is perfect. It has a cozy atmosphere. The price is worth the dining experience. The only thing that I would like is if the opening time was 3pm instead of 5pm. That however doesn't take away the 5 star rating. I am a snowbird been living in this area for 10 years this is the only Italian restaurant I go to. read more

A family owned business, this Italian restaurant serves up amazing food in a quaint atmosphere. It's a converted house so sometimes space is tight and volume can get loud but for me, coming from a large Italian family, it feels like home. All the pasta dishes are winners and my family loves their parmigiana. Make it a special night. They also offer ballet parking, which is great because the lot is small. We've never been disappointed and use this restaurant as a destination for company. read more

LOVE it here. We've got several times and know one of the owners as well. They cater to anyone's diets from GF to tree nut allergies. YUM! We typically switch up our order every time and every thing is lovely. Highly recommend. read more

I was hired to serve food and drinks, but it quickly became obvious that the real job was playing therapist and pretending to be everyone's best friend. Between taking orders and clearing tables, I was expected to listen to long personal stories, offer emotional support, and smile like I genuinely cared about every detail of a stranger's life. It didn't matter how well I did my actual job--the focus was all about emotional labor and performance. Almost all the guests are older, and for some reason, they prefer unloading their thoughts on the staff instead of talking to the people they came with. I don't know if it's a generational thing, but it's exhausting and inappropriate for a food service environment. What's worse is the blatant disregard for safety and responsible alcohol service. Over-pouring liquor is not just common--it's expected. If you pour a standard 2-ounce martini, you'll get reprimanded. Glasses are supposed to be filled to the brim. Many of these guests are on medication, which makes this combination seriously dangerous. Customers frequently get belligerent, stumble around, fall out of chairs, down stairs, and hit their heads--and management tells you to ignore it and move on. It's a lawsuit waiting to happen. This place doesn't just burn you out--it actively puts customers at risk. I wouldn't recommend working here, and I certainly wouldn't recommend dining here either. Employees are not allowed to eat there. Even on your days off. read more

Food was delicious. Service was excellent. Had the mozzarella caprese arugula salad veal parm and salmon. All were very good.

On our return after being fully vaccinated, we decided to enjoy a great meal. We weren't disappointed! As a heads-up, reservations are a must here. We went on an off night and it was packed. For an appetizer, we ordered the Calamai Dorati (fried calamari). It was fresh tasting and piping hot with a good marinara sauce for dipping. For our entrées, we both ordered the Spaghetti Al Nero di Seppia e Granzeola e Vogole (Venezia). This dish is also known as Black Spaghetti. If you love seafood, you HAVE to get it! The squid ink pasta is a wonderful addition to the dish that enhances the flavor of the crab meat and clams. On the night we were there, the portion sizes were huge with lots of crab meat and clams. For dessert, we ordered the Tiramisu and the Neapolitan Ice Cream. The tiramisu was light and fluffy with a great flavor. The ice cream was delicious. These desserts are big enough to share. The service was impeccable. They have a great wine selection. I had a nice Sauvignon Blanc which went well with the pasta. They also have a full bar. We can't wait to go back. read more

Casa Ludovico - Calamari Dorati - Italian Near Me - Palm Harbor, Florida

Took my husband for dinner last night for his birthday. Overall it was disappointing. Started with the burrata and eggplant parmesan appetizers. The tomatoes with the burrata were cold and lacked flavor while the eggplant parmesan was very very oily and was under seasoned. I had the spaghetti pomodorini which had way too much sauce and my husband had the fettuccini boscaiola allá Gilberto which was very runny because the cream sauce had not been reduced. We both had a martini and and desert. Between courses the server laid our used knives on the white table cloth which is now soiled when they should have replaced them. Servers hung around the window in the upstairs dining room looking out of the window like they'd rather be some other place. The bill came to $175. Overall there is a lack of attention to details. The meal had the potential to be excellent but ended up being unmemorable and was definitely not worth the price. I would not go back and definitely would not recommend it to a friend. read more

First time trying, my Italian neighbors recommended it. We couldn't believe how busy it was on a Thursday night! Reservations can be made from their website and they have complimentary valet which was nice since the parking lot was full. We got the app special which was burrata caprese and it was really good, huge slices of tomato. Then I got the chicken parmigiana which was huge I will get like 3 meals from it! The tomato sauce was yummy and at least the portion sizes are good since it's a little pricey, $17 for the appetizer and $26 for my dinner and most dinners were around $30. The waitress wasn't very friendly but the atmosphere was nice but they do pack you in. I think it would be a good place to celebrate a special occasion. read more

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food served too fast after ordering, not served very hot, and veal milinase was over cooked. server never came to table to ask how everything was, she just said "...that cheese looks wonderful" read more