Ama La Vita - Restaurant in Sarasota - 1551 Main St, USA

Authentic Italian food in Sarasota Florida. The pasta at Ama La Vita rivals what I've had in Rome. The Cacio e Pepe is incredible. While traditional recipes call for using pasta water, cheese, and black pepper, here they use stock with cheese and pepper. The extra richness from the stock is a fantastic addition. Pasta was cooked perfectly and was a great way to start the meal. Another stand out was the broiled flounder on spinach. Perfectly cooked and expertly seasoned. Save room for dessert! The homemade coconut cake is rich and fresh and sweet. I'm not even a coconut lover and I could devour a piece of that any day. Service is very attentive without being overbearing. It's a tiny place and fills up, but that is because it is so worth a try.

Small and cozy place. Variety of dishes with excellent quality. The rice ball and artichoke for appetizers are great . Excellent pastas and stuffed pork. Good quality of wines. The service is good.

Amazing! Enjoyed a fantastic meal with friends. The rice ball and calamari appetizers were a hit. The special filet mignon was cooked perfectly. The owner helped us pair with a really nice wine and then we finished with the coconut cake. The hospitality and food were spot on. Will be back!

I have dined several times at Ama La Vita and this is an outstanding Italian restaurant in downtown Sarasota. Owners, Tricia and Danny, are incredibly affable and great to interact with! The pastas are excellent and the wide selection of wines (especially Italian) by the glass are well preserved utilizing a Coravin system. Servers Michael and Susan are very helpful and attentive. Will return often!

Had such an enjoyable experience here when traveling. The food, the wine and the service were all top-notch! Owner was super friendly and helpful, made our entire group feel welcome. I highly recommend! I would travel back just to go here again!

Nice small restaurant with a great menu. Meals were good, not spectacular. We enjoyed the evening and most likely heading back for another try.

I've been wanting to try this restaurant and tonight was the night. I didn't have a reservation but was able to sit at the bar which is interesting because of all the action behind it. I was able to speak with the waitresses while they poured wine (a generous pour) and did various things to serve their customers. The owner, chef's wife brought my bread with a special treat - come and find out. I ordered a bottle of red wine which was chilled properly unlike so many restaurants that serve reds at room temperature which is too warm. My dinner was the pasta carbonara cooked to perfection with ample amounts of guanciale in a relatively light but delicious cheese sauce. I believe this was the first time that I've eaten the whole bowl. I'm anxious to return and try some of the appetizers and their special deserts. Tonight some of the specials sounded wonderful, but I was determined to have the carbonara. Looking forward to dining again!!

Amazing authentic Italian! The artichoke oreganata was incredible! The white wine sauce with the artichoke was exquisite. The founder oreganata was cooked to perfection! Pasta was perfect and delicate. The service was outstanding. The waitresses were sooo nice and accommodated my garlic allergy which I very much appreciated. Also everything is made to order I’ll be back tomorrow night it was soo good!