We just discovered this place tonight. I felt like I was in a little fabulous trattoria in Florence. The ambience was just perfect. Casual, relaxed and full of aromas de Italia. My wife had the meatballs and homemade fresh linguini. She said the meatballs were the best ever, and she is Italian and should know. I had the Zuppa de pesce with homemade linguini. It was all homemade and incredible. It is a hidden gem...go there!! read more

My first visit! I have never had lasagna so good. My family's selections were absolutely beautiful. The warmth of Sara's family made dining like in their own home. Definitely my favorite Italian restaurant in Sarasota read more

This place reminded me of being back in Italy eating at a small village restaurant. Antonio seated, served us and gave us his family history. The food was all homemade by his mother. The pasta is light and the sauces amazing. The cannoli was made with ricotta filling with chocolate chips in a crispy shell. read more

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Intimate, relaxed restaurant with simple, Italian decor; gracious host (but not so gracious Mother, who if smiled would have made a genial difference); small pasta- heavy menu with emphasis on southern Italian cuisine. Lighting could be dimmer to enhance the warm ambiance. Now for the eating experience... A sauce is to embellish a dish, however all 3 of the different pasta dishes we ordered were just blanketed in their respective sauce...and unfortunately with not much flavor. The 4th item was linguini with clams and the expected garlic was completely missing, resulting in a bland entree. Caesar salad was too dry, with only a light tinge of dressing and would have benefited from pepper, however it did not appear on any of the tables. The requested bread arrived dry and thinly sliced, not the usual delicious bread for which Italian restaurants and bakeries are known. Tiramisu was tasty, although whipped cream appeared in place of mascarpone. If the owners are new to the restaurant world (which felt as if this was the case), with time they will amend some of the shortcomings and all of the 5 star reviews will appear more viable...I hope they will do well! read more

Visited Sara's last week...had their "Soupa Di Pesce" and it was really good...a bit soupy but good. Service was fine and ambience was good too. Small restaurant but somewhat quaint and supposedly homemade pasta. read more

What a sweet place. Owners moved from Italy a few months ago. Food was authentic and exceptional!! Homemade pasta cooked perfectly!! Greeted by owner, nice and accommodating! Not fancy which is nice for a casual evening. We had bolognese and the lasagna. We will go back for sure! Highly recommend, you won't be disappointed! read more

We stopped by for a late lunch. The space is clean and bright with contemporary Italian decor. We had the mushroom flatbread, Nonna's lasagna, and Caesar salad. Everything was delicious. We will come back and we would certainly order these dishes again. Highly recommended read more

The restaurant is quaint, the service was excellent, the portions were large and extremely tasty. An excellent experience!

Small local italian place, all the employees were extremely nice, and the service was great. We were greated at our car by a kind man and the food was phenomenal.The restueuant felt like a heartwarming meal in someones house, which is how it all should be. If your near, visit, you wont be dissapointed. read more

We found this gem on a google search....so glad we did. The food is delicious, all homemade...pasta, sauce, everything. The owners could not have been more accommodating. We visit Siesta Key regularly and have now put Sara's on our list of regular stops. Please check it out, you won't be sorry. read more

Delightful meal with by daughters. Tony, one of the Italian owners, was our server and very attentive and kind. Caesar salad, fettuccine bolognese, and chicken parm were all delicious. Tiramisu and chocolate covered cannoli for the perfect sweet ending. It felt like we were guests in their own dining room. read more

We chose to try Sara's 'based on the reviews. We were a party of four on a Saturday night. We were all very excited try the homemade pastas. On the menu, it listed a variety of Homemade Pastas. When the waitress came to take our order we asked her which homemade pasta she recommended. She said none of the pasta is homemade. We then tried to order a bottle of wine and the waitress was out of 4 of the 6 wines listed on the menu. We waited over an hour for our food. There was only one chef, one waitress and a man busing the tables. At the end of our meal the waitress told us the owners were in Italy and they are don't know when they will be returning. This explained a lot of why the pasta was not homemade, the food taking so long And there was a limited staff. The party of seven behind us waited two hours for their food. I would not recommend this restaurant. There are much better Italian restaurants in Sarasota. read more

Delicious, authentic, homemade, Italian food! Nice Italian music playing in the background. Owners very friendly. We will be back. Highly recommend. read more

The waitress was very nice. The food and wine were both mediocre. No wonder I was the only one dining.

Sara and Tony offer wonderful hearty Italian food in a warm cozy little restaurant in Gulf Gate. You will not be disappointed!

Sara's Italian Kitchen - Gulf Gate My husband and I had a fabulous dinner at the newly opened Sara's Italian Kitchen in Gulf Gate, and it was such a pleasant and unexpected surprise. We were in the mood for something different, so we decided to drive through Gulf Gate and see what caught our eye. Sara's immediately felt inviting -- even the open parking spot right out front felt like a sign that the food gods were pointing us in the right direction. The atmosphere has a charming Little Italy vibe, reminiscent of some of our favorite Italian restaurants in downtown Baltimore's Little Italy. Cozy and intimate, with homey tablecloths and vintage-style placemats, the space feels warm, comfortable, and genuinely welcoming. What we loved just as much as the décor was the sense of community -- diners chatting with one another, sharing recommendations, and enjoying easy small talk. It truly felt like a neighborhood gem. Our server was friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive without missing a beat. The chef clearly knows his craft; the food reflected the skill and care of someone who understands traditional Italian cooking inside and out. While he wasn't born in Bologna, the owners were -- and that authenticity comes through in every dish. I ordered the Vongole, and it was outstanding. The clams were tender, the pasta perfectly cooked, and the sauce absolutely delicious. My husband ordered the Del Campo, and as good as my dish was, his may have been even better. The gnocchi melted in your mouth, and the combination of mushrooms, sausage, gorgonzola, garlic, olive oil, and cream was simply incredible. Prices were very fair, especially for food that tastes truly homemade. The chef even stopped by our table to chat, which made the experience feel personal and memorable -- like we had made a new friend. If something isn't on the menu, just ask. We're already planning a return visit to try the veal française, and another patron couldn't stop raving about the lasagna. This may very well become our go-to Italian restaurant -- and we'll be back sooner rather than later. read more

Amazing food! Vince, the owner came out and talked to us to make sure we liked everything. The recipe for the sauce was his Mom's! The restaurant is family friendly and very welcoming! read more

What a tremendous letdown my family and I had last week. We were unaware that chef Vince had quit and experienced first hand a mediocre meal which had zero authentic Italian flare. It tasted like store bought food and we went there solely based on recommendations from friends that chef Vince uses his moms recipes from the old country and we would love it. Come to hear days later speaking with neighbors that we were not the only ones dining at Sarah's eating recycled bread. Disappointed and will not return. I compare it to going to a spring training baseball game and no starters we see on TV we're playing just guys getting ready for assignments to single or double A ball and paying high prices as a family outing getting mediocre results. read more

Smart & Simple! This is a small gem in Gulf Gate ! Authentic Italian. You'll be glad you did .

Had food to go. Undercooked no bread. They did wrap so it would not get sauce all over. However sloppy and excessive ricotta. Don't know I will be back. read more

The food was perfect!! my husband had the chicken Parmesan and he said that's what he remembered when he was growing up in Jersey. He said it was so delicious. I had a classic fettuccine Alfredo, which I love. the noodles were fresh yummy and flavorful. Everything was great. The service was wonderful. read more

I knew we were in for a treat when the server opened the front door as we approached. And I was right. I don't know which is better, the service or the food. Both Amazing. We had meatballs for the appetizer (very lightly rolled, yum) for our meals we had Lasagna (so creamy and saucy and again lightly layered) and Veal Parmigiana. (Large peice breaded and cooked perfectly, with a think layer of mozzarella cheese. We were too full for dessert, but so happy with our choices. We later found out that they have only been open for 2 months. We will definitely go back again. read more