The Best Pizza in Sarasota

The classic Mediterraneo restaurant has all the touches of the best Italian spots. Stop in for a meal in the quiet and relaxing dining room boasting exquisite white tablecloths and superb service. Select from one of the exceptional Italian wines and a menu of the classics. There's a large selection of traditional pizzas, like a "Capricciosa" with tomato, mozzarella, ham, artichokes, and mushrooms. Mediterraneo also features specialty pizzas like a white pizza with mozzarella, ricotta, and spinach and a speck with tomato, mozzarella, smoked prosciutto, and mushrooms.

This local favorite is a traditional upscale Italian joint with some of the best pizza in Sarasota. For a spicy pizza treat, go for the Diavola (or "Devil") pizza, with mozzarella, tomato sauce, pepperoni, and yellow peppers. The menu also features a Contadina pizza with pecorino cheese, prosciutto, arugula, and aged balsamic. For a local treat, try the "mare" pizza with mozzarella, tomato sauce, shrimp, calamari, mussels, and clams. Start the meal with some of Beulah's superb appetizers. Try the antipasto Rustico with Italian cold cuts, an assortment of cheeses, and olives. There is also the tartare di tonno, with sushi-grade tuna, vegetables, and homemade crackers.

La Norma Ristorante & Pizzeria in nearby Longboat Key is one of the top pizza places in Sarasota. This family-owned, authentic Italian restaurant offers up a wide selection of creative pizza recipes. The La Norma pies come from imported Italian flour, cheese, extra virgin olive oil, and San Marzano Plum tomatoes. Be sure to try the restaurant's signature "Norma" pizza, with cheese from the owners' hometown of Catania alongside marinara sauce, fried eggplant, and fresh basil leaves. Another pizza highlight? The hot "Vulcano" pizza, with marinara sauce mixed with spicy Calabrian pepper, red onions, garlic, and spicy soppressata salami.

The traditional Italian pizzeria called Bavaro's is one of the more relaxing spots for an excellent Italian dinner in Sarasota. Grab a table in the brick-accented dining room with classic Italian posters and order one of the Bavaro's pies. The wood-fired, made-from-scratch pies include an "American Pie" with pepperoni, a "Funghi" with garlic and mushroom, and a "Romana" with anchovy and olive oil. Another highlight on the menu? The Pollo al Forno, a baked quarter chicken with Pomodoro and cheese on a bed of pasta.

This upscale, fine-dining Italian restaurant delivers some of the best pizza in Sarasota. Before the pie, be sure to start the meal with some of Pascone's excellent appetizers. For a seafood taste, go for the tempura-battered calamari. This dish comes dusted with red pepper and features pepper sweeties, Pomodoro, and cured black olive aioli. Along with a selection of meat and seafood dishes, the pizzas are some of the menu's standouts. The Pascone's classic roasted tomato pie includes Pomodoro, garden tomatoes, mozzarella, and olive oil. A "Toscano" pie boasts Coppa ham, prosciutto, pepperoni, sweet Italian sausage, and mozzarella.

This family restaurant is in the Sarasota hot spot of St. Armands Circle. Grab a table to enjoy the beautiful Florida atmosphere and some of the best pizza in Sarasota. Made with fresh tomatoes and featuring a low-calorie crust baked in a wood-fired oven, the pizza menu is a mixture of creative and classic. Try the Capriccioisa, a pie with prosciutto, artichoke, black olives, mushrooms, and hard-boiled egg. The "Anzio" pizza features calamari, mussels, shrimp, and clams. For an entree at Le Colonne, go for the zuppetta di Mare. This seafood favorite features sauteed shrimp, calamari, mussels, and fish fillet in a spicy tomato broth.

The retro-themed Flavio's is a stylish and upscale spot for an intimate dinner with friends and family. The pizzas come from a passed-down, third-generation family recipe in the wood-burning oven. Go for the pizza Barese, with Scamorza cheese, tomato sauce, broccoli rabe, and sausage. Another favorite is the four-cheese pizza, made with fontina, gorgonzola, mozzarella, ricotta, and arugula. For appetizers at Flavio's, don't miss the grilled octopus with polenta or the fresh mussels in garlic with white wine.

BRIO is a modern and sophisticated Italian restaurant in the heart of Sarasota's University Town Center. Stop in for some excellent Italian creations and some of the best pizza in Sarasota. The BRIO flatbread menu features a Margherita flatbread with vine-ripened tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, EVOO, and flaked sea salt. Diners can also opt for the chicken pesto flatbread, with tender chicken, mozzarella, and mascarpone. For another BRIO menu favorite, try the grilled chicken marsala cooked "under the brick." This herb-marinated chicken boasts mushroom Marsala sauce, roasted vegetables, and Yukon Gold mashed potatoes.

Baker & Wife is a hip, modern restaurant in the heart of town with some of the best pizza in Sarasota. The "never perfectly round" hand-crafted pies are creative and playful takes on classics like cheese and pepperoni alongside unique recipes. Try the "Quilted Shroom" with bechamel, roasted mushroom, mozzarella, and thyme. The menu also features the "Fugetaboutit" with sausage, meatballs, oregano, and basil. Be sure to try some of the Baker & Wife cocktails. Try the classic Vesper with dry gin, Green Mark vodka, and vermouth. The Hemingway daiquiri features rum, maraschino cherry liqueur, grapefruit, and lime juice.

Brick-oven pizza is only one of the specials on the menu at this Sarasota neighborhood favorite. Stop in to try one of Clayton's unique pizzas, like the "Rustica" with Kamala olives and Italian sausage or the "Funghi" with garlic cream and wild mushrooms. The restaurant also features a unique food option for those fishermen and fisherwomen out there. Stop in with a "fresh catch" of the day, and the professional Clayton's chefs will prepare the fish just the way a diner likes it. Stick around for dessert and try the Florida key lime pie with a graham cracker crust and whipped cream.

For a bit of upscale fun, exceptional people-watching, and an excellent meal, Sophie's at Sak's Fifth Avenue is the spot to go. Head out to this Sarasota hot spot for a bit of shopping and Sophie's Happy Hour. The Happy Hour menu features discounts on wine, beer, martinis, cocktails, and food. Sophie's pizza features taleggio, asparagus, truffled mushrooms, and a sunny-side-up egg. Other favorites on the happy hour include the duck confit quesadilla, avocado fries with buttermilk ranch, and meatballs with house ricotta and Parmesan.

The city's Rusty Bucket restaurant is home for some of the best pizza in Sarasota. This cozy and family-friendly restaurant is a casual spot with an excellent beer list, plenty of fun, and tons of excellent cuisine on tap. Go for the "Big Sicilian" pizza, a hearty dish with pepperoni, Italian sausage, and capicola along with a mix of cheeses and vegetables. The veggie pizza is an artisanally-made, hand-tossed pie with roasted tomatoes, mushrooms, bell peppers, and much more. Pair the pizza with one of the craft beers on tap, including a selection from Land Grant Brewing.

This elegant Sarasota spot a short walk from the waterfront is a local favorite. Featuring a mix of classic American favorites and southern dishes, it's also home to some of the best pizza in Sarasota. Try the oxtail flatbread, with oxtail, Parmesan, dry cherry, and grain mustard. A grilled vegetable flatbread with hummus and halloumi is another excellent option for the vegetarians out there. For a Southern taste, try the shrimp Po'Boy with a bao bun, shaved lettuce, crispy shrimp, and Cajun remoulade. The menu also features a creative noodle bowl with rice noodles, bok choy, and other favorites.

This elegant upscale restaurant on the Manatee River is an excellent spot to bring the family for lunch or dinner. It offers one of the best kids menus in all of Sarasota, with cheese and pepperoni pizza, penne pasta, shrimp, and chicken fingers. The seafood is another one of the distinctive dishes at Pier 22. The select Gulf Coast fish at Pier 22 include Atlantic salmon, cod alfredo, and American red snapper. Don't forget to try the seafood jambalaya with andouille sausage, chicken, scallops, shrimp, and mussels.