Absolutely fabulous home cooked meal. Located in an unassuming strip mall. We were greeted by Allesandro, he's the son of the owner chefs. He could not have been any nicer. The food was absolutely spectacular! Probably the best eggplant Parmesan I've ever tasted! The tiramisu was equally special. Fantastic meal and dining experience. read more

Maestrale Restaurant and Pizzeria - Eggplant Parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Excellent restaurant! Our second visit even better than our first. Bruschetta was delicious and artistically displayed. Slight tendency for tomatoes to fall off but really good, Lasagna very tasty. The winner was the shellfish and pasta. We will all likely order that next time. Good house wines. Split tiramisu for dessert. Super light and flavorful. Alfredo took very good care of us. We will return! read more

We really wanted to try this restaurant especially after getting their take-out pizza that was pretty good, so we decided to make a reservation. It's a local business so I always like to try them out and support them. I did an on-line reservation. I saw the place inside previously and made sure I requested a table away from the door and the bathroom. Well we got that - right next to kitchen door. They put up accordion screen between our table and the door - sigh...ok. A plus - service was good. Now... We ordered the salads - Cesar and a Mista - both ok (Trattoria de Mino's in Venice beats them). For the entree I got gnocchi. My partner got the Spaghetti Bolognese. Gnocchi was fine but the sauce was not too much above tasteless. My partner's Spaghetti Bolognese had like a half pound of meat on it. Was way too heavy and not very flavorful. For dessert we had the tiramisu. A hard pass on this - had a defrosted refrigerator taste to it. We really expected and hoped for more of this family own business. As a second generation Italian/Sicilian American I know what I know. And I know this place is barely "Menza-menz..." read more

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It was our first visit to Maestrale. Liked the upscale look of the place as soon as we walked in. We were there for an early dinner so the place was almost empty, that changed by the time we were finished. The restaurant is fairly small, a little over a dozen tables. Our smartly dressed server got us started and we had very good service for our entire visit. I started my meal with their Caesar Salad. It had that fresh crunchy romaine with cheese and plenty of good dressing. The dressing tasted like it was commercially made, which is fine. I should have asked if the dressing was homemade. If so they did a nice job. For my entrée I selected Fettucine Boscaiola, pasta with mushrooms, alfredo sauce, and white truffle oil. The sauce was not as thick as some Alfredo sauces. If you like the flavor of truffle oil you will like this dish. I certainly did. A good friend recommended we try Maestrale. I'm glad we did. read more

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Wonderful food and service. When you see other Italians eating at an Italian restaurant - you know you are in the right place! read more

Maestrale Restaurant and Pizzeria - Seafood with pasta and tomatoes - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

This was our first time here although we are year round residents. I just loved my seafood pasta and also my husband's lasagna. He was not a big fan, but only because his family makes a non-traditional version of lasagna (with cheddar cheese), so that doesn't count! haha! We ordered a dessert on special that was very disappointing - it just tasted like custard, although it was described to have cherries (we only found one cherry). When the waiter asked for feedback about the dessert, I was honest but polite, and I said I don't want any refunds or whatever. But he/ they took the dessert off of our check. The ambiance is very nice. We will definitely be back! read more

Maestrale Restaurant and Pizzeria - seafood pasta; lasagna in the background - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Small family run restaurant. They made us feel like we were family. Service was excellent as was the food. We will come Back again. read more

We went to Siesta key and wanted a place to have a really good Italian. This looks like a mom and pop type restaurant. The ambiance was cozy and classy. The food was spectacular. The mussels were good, but nothing to write home about. The lasagna is made with a béchamel sauce and it was absolutely spectacular. They have a good wine selection as well. Our only complaint was the service. It was absolutely awful. Our server took our wine order and drink order and we never saw her again. We had to flag down other waiters to help us. We were disappointed with the really bad service. read more

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We had a marvelous evening at Maestrale. You can really just feel the family vibes when you arrive. We arrived about an hour or so before close so we didn't have trouble finding a spot. They were very accommodating of our baby as well. We started with some wine and my wife had an aperol spritz which was very good she said. My buddy and I enjoyed our wine. Just had the house. They bring out complimentary bread and oil with some seasoning in it which was very good. I started with a Caesar salad which my wife and I both really enjoyed. I had the fettuccine boscsiola, very very good, noodles cooked perfectly along with the mushrooms. They grate the cheese on top at the table too which is a nice touch from a fresh Parmesan block. My buddy got the chicken parm said it was good not the best he's ever had but real solid. My wife got the gnocchi Gorgonzola, said the flavors were awesome enjoyed the gnocchi but wish she had my noodles with her sauce. The gnocchi was prepped perfectly from the couple bites I tried. We finished the night with the affogato. They use 3 different gelatos, vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate. My wife was skeptical of anything besides vanilla when ordering but absolutely loved the options. Strawberry was her favorite I loved the chocolate super rich. Our servers were great, sons of the owner. Gave us a little history of the restaurant and coming over from Italy. They also didn't rush us at all towards the end of our meal to leave as closing time approached. Definitely will be back and hope you check it out too. read more

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Oh no! What happened to previously delicious Maestrale? Last night we had old bread, terrible broccoli rabe, rubbery octopus, skimpy meals and profiteroles with nothing in them. What happened to you Maestrale? read more

Close to my house but I never noticed this place. My loss as this restaurant is fabulous. Intimate atmosphere, top notch staff and outstanding food. I ordered the special Ossa Bucco and was pleased. Table of five and everyone was delighted with their meal choice. Menu is well priced. Definitely will be back. read more

Myself and family had an outstanding meal Friday at Maestrale. The best veal chop I can remember, delicious homemade cheese ravioli cooked perfectly al dente,an excellent linguine vongole.Alfredo,our server, was excellent and Leah was her usual wonderful self! Atmosphere is cozy, nice lighting, delightful. I highly recommend this excellent Italian restaurant...very impressive..looking forward to our next visit which will be soon! Alan Florian read more

We had a 7:00 reservation. Arrived on time and waited for 20 minutes for a table. No one was leaving and they had no idea what time we would be seated. They obviously overbooked. Had to find somewhere else to have dinner. read more

A family business that delivered delicious food! Suggested by a friend to try when visiting Siesta Key we were all delighted with our dinner. Our waiter was the son of the chef and was delightful read more

Run by a family from the old country. Food and service was outstanding per usual. This is a staple when we come to the area to visit my parents. Highly recommend. read more

Very disappointed in last night's experience. My wife asked for some simple syrup for her drink after the drink the waiter recommended was not sweet. He gave her sugar! She should have returned the drink. My linguini pescatore was average at best. Pasta was undercooked. Sauce was average. The porchetta was average with an unacceptable amount of fat. Had to ask for bread, parmesan and oil!! Not the Maestrale's of old. Sad. read more

Dined here for the first time last night. It's quaint and cozy and in a quiet area. We placed our appetizer and entree order and waited while enjoying a bottle of wine. And we waited, and waited....... Everyone around us had food..... and we waited. Finally had to flag or waiter down and ask for bread basket he had promised before he even took our order and asked how long appetizer would be. He asked us to remind him what we ordered. And asked for our entree order again. Clearly he hadn't put it in. Not a big problem. Accidents happen. The bread was good and was served with an olive and sun dried tomato dipping oil. The. Our octopus came. It was a beautiful presentation but the octopus was SO rubbery, I found it inedible. Our waiter was not to be found (and it's a VERY small place) so we couldn't let him know. Entree was served to us by a different server. It was a very bland piece of veal with creamy cheeses. Upon finishing, no waiter. He had never been back since the appetizer. We found another server so we could request to cash out as we had been sitting with no food or wine for quite some time We will give it another try again some day as maybe it was a "one off" kind of experience but based on this experience, it fell very short. One appetizer, one entree and a $60 bottle of wine was $124 before tip. Fair if the food and service had been worthy read more

Service like you are the only people there. Food fresh and delicious. Atmosphere intimate.

The food here was great, make sure to have a reservation because this place is small. We were celebrating my mom birthday and they gave us good service and the best part was the tiramisu's homemade which I love. I will definitely come back. read more

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lunch today....take out no less.... WOW sandwich !! homemade bread (not really bread - kind of a browned pizza crust pita looking thing) - so fresh and yummy! Here's the website description PUCCIE - ITALIAN SANDWICH The puccia is a sandwich originated in south Italy, Puglia,and it's a very popular choice as a street food. It's made with pizza dough in oven, cut in the middle and filled with meat, veggies and even fish, best served with french fries. Classico sandwich Prosciutto parma, fresh mozzarella, fresh tomato, arugula Man oh Man!! THAT was a sandwich - for me - lunch AND dinner!! and the FRIES - Fat AND Crispy - the magic combination!! - crispy fries are my fave ... I am already thinking about lunch tomorrow!!! If this simple sandwich is that good, what about the Rest of the food ??!! I am going back for sure !! read more

Maestrale is located just off the Tamiami Trail. If you are traveling south, then just after you pass Sarasota Toyota, you will turn left into the Pinch a Penny parking lot and Maestrale is in the same little complex. If you are heading north, then very shortly after you pass Robb and Stucky, you will take a right into the same lot. Maestrale is a small but charming restaurant. The staff is very friendly and outgoing and they want you to feel welcome. My wife ordered the eggplant but found it less spicey than what she expected. I ordered the carnivora pizza, which had a very nice crust and the sausage and pepperoni were good, but the ham seemed to be only a slice of plain ham torn into pieces. A variety of pizza styles are offered but served in house, they all are 12 inches. They offer a 16 inch pizza but only for to go orders. I will return to try other dinner entrees to see if I need to amend my review. And I will want to try their lunch sandwiches or puccie. If you stop by for dinner, I estimate that having a shared appetizer, two salads, and two entrees, then your bill should run between $70 to $90. read more

Maestrale Restaurant and Pizzeria - Melanzana alla parmiggiana Eggplant parmesan, served with pasta marinara - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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My wife and I were greatly Disappointed last night (Saturday) at a $100 Maestraele dinner. Service very slow (1.5 hr); server never checked backed on us after finally getting served. Pasta was undercooked (nowhere near al dente). Eggplant was bland. Gnocchi was chewy. No drink refills. Broken back on chair. read more

Great experience! Traditional Italian dishes done extremely well! We made reservations for 7:30 on OT, and showed up on-time. We were told it was going to take an additional 59 minutes. We looked at some other options in the area. We ended up being seated within 15 minutes. So, I recommend being patient. Erik was our server. He was knowledgeable, helpful, and took our special requests to the kitchen. The food came out quickly. The calamari was very tender and flavorful. I had the seafood linguine and it was outstanding. My wife had the chicken saltimboco and it was awesome as well. Others in our party had the chicken parmigiana (excellent), and the lasagna (good but a little different). We'll be back but will probably go earlier or later. read more

Service was slow. Seafood Spaghetti dish was served without spoon or grated cheese - I had to ask for both. Server wrote down what each of us ordered for 2 checks, then got the checks wrong Twice! Overall a very average restaurant and dining experience. read more

After reading strong reviews, went for a first visit on my birthday. It was very good. As is common, the menu is not a perfect match of the online post. Prices are high and wine prices are even higher (say $50+ per person w/tip). It's a small dining room which fills up, so be there before 6:20. read more

Take out order. Eggplant parmigiana and the Chef accommodated a request for a chicken francaise dinner (not on the menu). Food was very tasty and staff were very friendly. Desert was a slice of tiramisu. Yummy! Would have been perfection if small side salads were included with entrees. Portions are fairly sized (no leftovers). Looking forward to going back! read more

The chef specials were fabulous! The caprese was fresh and delicious. Everything was seasoned to its highest potential. The wait staff is top notch. What a nice Saturday night surprise. We will be coming back and bringing friends. Small with only 15 tables, it's a "do-not-miss." read more

Maestrale Restaurant and Pizzeria - Maestrale - Italian Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

This restaurant is amazing. A nice small place (I love a small place) but the tables are not on top of each other so you still can have a conversation and the table next to you can't hear. Ok so the food is very good!!! I couldn't wait to text my friends to tell them I can't wait to go back!! For starters we had the fried calamari. Probably the best I have ever had. Cooked perfect not greasy and the seasoning was spot on! I had the linguine with all the seafood and it was delish. The others at my table had spaghetti with meatballs and cleaned his plate and the other had veal and also cleaned her plate. I don't know how they did it but they got dessert. Tiramisu' and Cannoli. Both were amazing. Family owned and everyone was so nice and they didn't rush you!! Support you local businesses!!! Is it too soon to go back? Seriously, I went last night and I could go back again tonight... TB read more

Just finished a great dinner. They had a veal tonato special which you almost never see around here which was delicious. Also had the veal scaloppini ala formago which was also top notch. Plus the meatball appetizer tasted perfectly home made. This is a great family business. Both brothers worked the from, Mom and dad in the kitchen. We will be back to try more of the menu! read more

Had a reservation at 7:00. Waited 45 minutes in the parking lot. Decided to leave.... Peaople waiting were not happy. We will not go back. read more

amazing!! it was a local family own place with the best food we ever had and so personal! best dinner we ever had

Wonderful food Good service Nice wine selection Don't be deceived by the exterior appearance You will not be disappointed My wife said best chicken picatta ever read more

Wow what a find! Our neighbors told us about Maestrale, and since he's a second generation NY Italian, we listened & boy are we glad! We started with a grilled octopus appetizer special--charred to perfection & sat up on rounds of tender sweet potato, the dish was inventive & delicious. After that, we went traditional & had the lasagne & pasta bolognese. Warning: portions are HUGE. Pasta is homemade & so tender & tasty, as were the sauces, sausage, & cheeses. Best bolognese I've ever had! We unfortunately were stuffed (& with leftovers to go) so we did not partake of dessert. But we can't wait to go back! read more

Best Italian Restaurant I've visited in Sarasota. Family owned. Customer service is outstanding and each meal is prepared individually by the owner. The menu has a great selection of pasta, fish and beef. Easy to get to and plenty of parking. The ambiance is great for a small restaurant. Would highly recommend. read more

We went to Maestrale last night with two other couples who have been raving about it. Sadly, I do not agree. We received the worst service I have ever experienced in Sarasota. We had a 7:00 reservation and arrived at 6:55. The young man who greeted us took several minutes flipping through pages of reservations before he found us. After about five minutes, he said they were putting two tables together for us. While we were waiting, a group of five other people came in and were given the two tables that we had been told were for us. A group of earlier diners who had finished their meal left and we got their table, around 7:15. We got to order wine right away. Some time later, we were asked for out appetizer orders. I asked for the soup. Everyone else's appetizer arrived, but not mine. I had to remind the waiter about my soup. He had to go back the the kitchen and place the order. We finally were asked for or entree orders around 8:00. When the food came I asked for a refill of my water glass. After waiting and waiting, I asked another waiter, who brought me a new glass. When our waiter came back, minus a glass of water, I told him the other waiter had brought me the glass of water he had forgotten. As for the food, I see all these stellar reviews. To me, it's an old school Italian-American "red-sauce house." There was nothing one couldn't make at home. If you judge based on meatballs and lasagna, then this is your kind of place. Not mine. read more

The food is absolutely amazing! We've been here several times and the food has always been delicious! It's run by a sweet family...the atmosphere is quaint and intimate. Definitely a hidden gem! read more

Food was excellent. Service was friendly and knowledgeable. Small space with good vibe. read more

Delicious food! Ordered take out and got the wrong pasta in my order - immediately they offered to refund but I was already tasting the mushrooms so they fix my order right away read more

This was a joy to finally visit. A lovely family who gave us good advice, service and amazing food. Do not miss the chance to take advantage of their hospitality..and if you get there when their special is veal tonnato, order it!!!! read more

Excellent intimate Italian restaurant in Amazing Service food was on point love that the owner is actually run. The place with her sons will definitely go back again. We had an excellent wine dinner there mostly Sicilian wines very unique and also very tasty. I recommend this place highly to anyone that loves good Italian food. read more