Best Authentic Restaurants in Lakewood Ranch

We were seated right on time at our reservation. We were greeted warmly by our server Joanie and she gave us time to look at the menu after telling us about the specials for the evening. The ambience was very nice people dressed up a bit more due to the Christmas holidays. The noise level was low to medium, which allowed for a good conversation. I had the special for the night for the Casio de Pepe and a good glass of quilted Cabernet. I’ve been there before and they’re happy hours are awesome as well. We’ll be back !!!

Everything was perfect!! The nachos were delicious and plentiful. The shrimp tacos were so good. Sitting outside in the cool weather watching the lights and shoppers strolling by was delightful. And finally, our server, Ian, was so attentive and pleasant despite the huge crowd of diners that kept all the servers busy. The evening couldn’t have been better. Kudos to Rocco’s Tacos!

We were looking for a unique restaurant close to I-75, for the drive home from St. Petersburg to Naples. How fortunate that we found Mademoiselle Paris. The escargot was some of the best we’ve had, and the duck breast was absolute perfection. The service was friendly and attentive, and made for a thoroughly enjoyable evening. Highly recommend.

We haven't been to Paris Bistro in awhile but have been meaning to go for dinner since we mostly go here for lunch. It was the perfect spot for dinner before a movie. We had a reservation but decided to sit at the bar. A nice white tablecloth was laid out along with silverware and napkin. Turns out the staff member serving us, Emma, was the owners daughter (we meet great people sitting at a bar). She made great recommendations from the menu and was extremely attentive. We both started with glasses of different French wines. Both were excellent. My husband enjoyed the escargot for an appetizer and said it was very good. I enjoyed the Chicken Normande for my entree and he had the Pork Marco Polo. Both were delicious. There's nothing better than French sauces for their dishes. We normally don't do dessert but I love crêpes. They had a Profiterole Crêpe and we just had to order it. Emma warned us it was large. It was three crêpes, each filled with vanilla ice cream, topped with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. It was large but it was so good we ate it all. Pricing is very reasonable for what you get and the Chef's Menu is a steal at $34.95 for an appetizer and entree. You can order an entree only for $28.90. Plus they donate a $1 from each Chef's Menu order to the V Foundation for Pediatric Cancer Research (a cause dear to our hearts). It was the perfect place for a pre-movie dinner and we'll visit far more often in the future. Merci beaucoup to the staff!

As always, La Dolce Vita serves fresh, authentic and delicious Italian food. From the moment you walk through the door until the time you leave you will not be disappointed. Tina‘s limoncello is the best we have ever had.