Service was amazing. Waiter on top of things and food came quickly and was hot! My only gripe…read moreis it's a bit noisy but that seems to be everywhere lately Would definitely return

How this place has stayed open for so many years beats me…read more There are SO MANY other Italian restaurants in the Sarasota area that don't charge $30 for a plate of pasta! On top of that the owner (or owners ) don't even greet you with a smile or even say "good evening". It's as if they were doing you a favor to spend $150. for dinner. The food: "non amoral, non sappora" Non me piache!​

Thanks, Yelpsters, for recommending Cafe Epicure…read more We hada late lunch here after checking into our hotel. Two bowls of lovely bean soup and a bowl of Fusilli Puttanesca Bianca -- Fusilli evoo base, capers, anchovies, olives, cherry tomatoes and bread crumbs. Both the soup and the pasta tasted like Italy,, unlike so many Italian restaurants. Epicure may have actually had an HTG Italian in the kitchen. Our waiter was very helpful.

Knowing that they were affiliated with 'Mediterraneo', I…read morehad very high hopes for a satisfying Italian meal. Service was excellent! From the second we stepped into the restaurant and saw the host to our outstanding server. She helped us with the menu, bussed and watered the table as needed and was a gracious host. The decor was clean, uncluttered and very welcoming. It fit perfectly with the theme of the restaurant. Now the food, a HUGE disappointment!! When I decide to go to an Italian restaurant, I expect: Hearty Deep Flavors, Portions similar to what you would receive in an Italian home and everything cooked to perfection as they prepare it all the time. Well, the food our party of 6 received was incredibly disappointing. I ordered my 'standby' meal that I actually rate an Italian restaurant by and judge if I would recommend and return; The 'ol time favorite-Chicken Parmigiana. I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFE HAD A CHICKEN PARMIGIANA WHERE THE CHICKEN WAS POUNDED OUT THIS THIN!!!!! Seriously, they pounded the hell out of it and was seriously the thickness of a piece of cardboard. It was hot, it was covered in a thin layer of very thin red sauce and topped with perfectly melted cheese. But the Chicken portion size shows a level of greed showing how little can be spent on the chicken and how flat and wide you can make it. Not very impressed with the thin sauce either. I genuinely felt ripped off! They use the same cardboard thick chicken breast for their Chicken Milanese, and the unlucky recipient of that meal was as disappointed as me. Another guest in our party ordered the Salmon. NOT a big piece and according to him, VERY bland and very overcooked. That's 3 of the 6 of us and the other 3 were very underwhelmed. Not 1 person in our group said that they were going to either recommend or return. Come on guys, don't be an Italian restaurant if you're NOT going to serve food that your Italian grandmother would serve you! Nothing served was even picture worthy! Back to 'Tiramisu' in Bradenton for REAL Italian food!!!

Marcello never disappoints... .. there were 8 of us &…read moreeveryone very satisfied! Gus was our server & was great! Like the quaintness of the resturant!

Last night my wife and I went to Marcello's for our 4 year wedding anniversary. We were excited to…read morereceive the same attention when we went the first time with our parents. Since we told the waitress that we weren't drinking wine his mood changed. The first time we went with our parents the server explain really nicely the menu. This time the server just put the board in front of us and said choose what you want. No explanation. My wife and I were disappointed because the table next to us with the same waitress got a very different experience. The waitress explained each dish very nicely. But because we were young and didn't have a wine. We got a different type of service. The food was great but we got out disappointed that we were treated that way. I am writing this because I do not want this to happen to a young couple that is going for a special occasion and they are treated this way.

Back home (finally) so we hit the club. Eric always takes care of us and tonight was no different…read more My Caesar salad was excellent as well as the bread. My salmon was cooked perfectly and accompanied with fingerling potatoes. After dinner we walked home and realized how lucky we are to be members and live on Longboat.

The bread! The olive tapenade was amazing! They also have gluten free bread upon request. Butternut…read moresquash soup was great, I do wish it would have been hotter. The filet was cooked perfectly and lots of flavor. The view of the marina is impressive and good people watching! The waitress we had was very attentive and helpful.

We took take out on their Wednesday special of a sandwich with a garden salad for $16 and the Disco…read moreFries for $6.00. Packaging was excellent. There were about 4 tables so plenty of room for more guests and the bar was empty. The sausage and peppers sandwich was flavorful per my husband. The sausages are not sliced but cut making the sandwich a complete mess. The bread is not made to hold the sausage. I had the chicken Marsala sandwich. Again had a huge issue with the bread being useless. The mozzarella was on the bread but none on the chicken. The Marsala sauce was bland and minimal. Would not get this again. The disco fries were not making me happy. Basically thin fries smothered in gravy. Where was the cheese? The gravy was also bland and we ended up tossing most of them out. The restaurant itself is nice with darker colors and clean. Prices on the regular menu are pricey and after trying their sauce I can see why it was empty. Personal peeve, Italian dish that doesn't include pasta as a side option when clearly they have pasta in the menu is wrong.

I can't believe I have lived in Sarasota as long as I have and only now found this gem of a…read morerestaurant. My wife and I had the most enchanting evening and simply can't wait to return. First impression, plenty of street parking directly in front and as we entered we noticed a truly beautiful outdoor patio, nicely landscaped, centered around a beautiful outdoor stone fireplace. When the weather cools we will look forward to enjoying that. As it was a bit warm outside we chose an indoor table. The interior is beautifully done with elaborately detailed tray ceilings, soft colors, soft lighting, a really lovely bar, and a quiet luxury throughout. We were greeted by the host Bob, who we later learned is a partner/owner, and we were seated immediately. Our waitress Holly was fun, engaging, attentive and eager to please without ever being overly present throughout the night. She set the tone by announcing that all wine was $10 off per bottle and all signature cocktails were $10 each. We were informed these values are expected to be offered at all times during low season (not just a happy hour). We found the wine and cocktail pricing to be extremely reasonable even without this extra offer. Holly also volunteered that the kitchen would happily split any appetizer onto two plates and we were also welcome to order just a half salad or half Caesar salad if only one of us wanted one. For the waitperson to offer this without even being asked, we felt the spirit of hospitality was off to a great start as it was obvious the restaurant is prioritizing customer happiness above all else. The menu, which you can review on their website, was full of enticements that had us vowing to return so that we could sample more and more offerings. We settled on a half house salad (excellent), a pasta fagioli (unforgettably good) one of their signature dishes, "Chicken Our Way", and Rigatoni Bolgnaise. The chicken dish was simply out of this world, very lightly breaded and beautifully glazed with a wonderful sauce. The table next to us, having driven up all the way from Northport, politely demanded to know what the dish was as the aroma graced their table. The Rigatoni Bolognaise was as fantastic as any dish we had while travelling through Italy; the bolognaise sauce was unquestionably made from scratch in-house and was as delicious and as authentic as it comes. As we were dining, a woman entered who had the essence of an owner; she went from staff member to staff member, and from table to table, checking on every employee and every customer to ask how things were going. When she stopped at our table, she introduced herself as Beverly, the host's partner. She stayed with us for quite some time showing a genuine and personal interest in us. We were not just a customer to her; we were clearly a new and valued acquaintance. This level of Mom-and-Pop personal service is very hard to find today in Sarasota--and it makes all the difference in the world. We can't wait to go back to see Bob, Beverly and Holly again as they truly made us feel like family. And we can't wait to try more of their enticing dishes. You simply MUST sample this restaurant and see for yourself. I fear though that if too many people discover it, the restaurant may grow and change. I hope that doesn't happen, because it is perfect right now, in this moment, exactly the way it is.

In a pizza mood so we walked over and found out the restaurant is closing for at least 4 months…read morewhile they redo the restaurant.( what a shame). Last night being open before construction begins( total facelift). Katherine, Eric and Frank took good care of both our drinks and food. I had my gin and tonic plus a Cabernet and a rustica pizza. My wife had gin and tonics plus a Frank special pizza. We met our minimum and shall wait until the fall to see the new rendition of this popular Italian club restaurant. We will miss the staff and look forward to seeing everyone back ASAP. Consistently voted best restaurant in the LBK Club.

yes, I made reservations several days ago they called me two days ago, asking if I would prefer…read moreto be seated outside or inside. I called them back, leaving a message on their recorder in the afternoon that I did not want to be seated outside preferred inside seating. instead of keeping my reservations for four people they totally canceled the reservation. We're fighting with me when I tried to explain to them what happened. I even showed them the conversation that their employee lap on my voicemail. Instead of recognizing that they were wrong, they fought with me. The food is good but the service over and over and over again is terrible! waste your time

We had a great dining experience overall and would definitely come back…read more We started with the meatballs and crab cakes, both of which were delicious appetizers. For my entrée, I ordered the Salmon Ele, which came with a generous, meaty piece of salmon, shrimp, and sautéed spinach. Everything tasted fresh, and the portions were excellent. The rest of our table ordered the spaghetti and meatballs, chicken and shrimp Alfredo, and chicken Parmesan. Everyone enjoyed their meals, and the serving sizes were more than generous. In fact, most of us left with leftovers because there was so much food. The service was another highlight. Our waitress was attentive, friendly, and checked on us regularly without being overbearing, making for a very pleasant dining experience. The only reason I'm giving four stars instead of five is that while the ingredients were clearly fresh and the dishes were flavorful, the seasoning felt like it was missing that final touch that would have made every bite truly memorable. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what it was, but just a little more depth of flavor would have taken the food from very good to outstanding. Overall, if you're looking for generous portions, fresh ingredients, and attentive service, this restaurant is well worth a visit.

The atmosphere was vibrant and the square was awesome. The…read morefood was something I felt like was from Italy. I've never been so that's the closest it could be for me The spaghetti with meatballs phenomenal, pepperoni pizza phenomenal, stuffed mushrooms amazing, all the pasta we got was nothing short of spectacular.... The service was amazing the waitress was very quick and on point. Mixed drinks were on point and strong. 100% is a must have spot if your in this area.

Went here with some friends who actually recommended it from friends and Yelp…read more The exterior looked like the Italian restaurants you find in a larger city, trying hard to be noticed. The interior was in the same motif, an old school Italian restaurant that's been around for awhile. We had reservations and were sat immediately. Our server came over to our table almost immediately. He was friendly, professional and friendly and explained the menu and his recommendations. Even though the appetizers looked amazing, we opted to just order entrees as they came with a salad and pasta. We ordered 2 Chicken Parm's with a Caeser salad side and their homemade Tagliatelle pasta, Bronzino special and a Pasta (homemade linguine). I was one of the Chicken Parm's. DAMN, it was excellent! Very large portions of chicken and pasta with a tomato sauce that was absolutely one of the best I've ever had in a restaurant! It was thick, tasty and clung to the pasta and Parm. I HATE ordering pasta in a restaurant that isn't drained properly and the plate is a puddle with food sitting in it-and this WAS NOT the case! It was a big ass tasty platter of delicious food. The other plates were as large and delicious! For dessert, I had the Espresso Affogato, again DELICIOUS!!! I WILL be back to try some of the other dishes as, for me, unless they do a really good chicken parm, I won't go on!! Great job by the staff! Our table was constantly bussed, waters refilled and making sure we were satisfied.

Unfortunately, this is a one and done restaurant for me, and not one I would recommend. Sorry no…read morepictures! We were seated right away, and our server was attentive, almost a little too attentive at times that we felt rushed. The atmosphere was nice, but the restaurant is small, difficult to move around, and the lighting was darker than I prefer. We started with the fried calamari and meatballs. The calamari was good, but the meatballs were disappointing. They were about the size of golf balls which is ok but lacked flavor. For our entrees, we ordered the penne alla vodka, chicken parmesan, gnocchi, and I had the spaghetti special that was finished in a cheese wheel tableside. The presentation was fun, but the food itself just didn't live up to it. The marinara sauce across the dishes was bland, the gnocchi was forgettable, and my spaghetti portion was surprisingly small, more like an appetizer than an entrée. I almost always take leftovers home from Italian restaurants because the portions are generous and the food is rich. This time, there was nothing left because there wasn't much there to begin with. The biggest disappointment was the bread. When I go to an Italian restaurant, I expect warm, crusty Italian bread. Instead, it tasted like ordinary sliced sandwich bread. I actually like Publix bread, but that's not what I'm looking for with an Italian meal. Overall, nothing was terrible, but nothing stood out either. For the prices, I expected much more flavor, better portions, and a more authentic Italian experience.