Matto Matto Italian Cafe And Wine Bar

Service? What service?
No waiters, no waitresses, nothing!
We showed up last week, on a WEEKEND night, and the ENTIRE employee staff consisted of a single twenty-​something with more exposed tattoos than an entire biker bar– can you imagine him working at an Italian restaurant in New York? Me neither.
He was the «waiter,» the «bartender,» the «busboy,» the «cashier,» the «dishwasher,» the «host,» and for all we knew, the «chef» as well. Kind of felt bad for him, as he never stopped working, not even for a second, in the forty minutes we were there. If I was him, I’d have emptied the place and locked the doors for the owner leaving me in a predicament like that.
Bar had dirty glasses all around– can you imagine what he toilet must have looked like? Two tables had finished eating long before our arrival, but couldn’t leave cause they never got a check– may still be waiting, for all I know.
Our reservations were messed up, and soda ordered from the bar was served in a 12 oz. CAN, with no glass, like we were at a Teamster’s Union picnic or something.
Party of four waited at the «bar» if you want to even call it that, (Again, I’ve seen a wider selection of beer, wine, & liquor at Teamster’s picnics) watched this horror show, and walked out.
How was the food? No way were we sticking around to find out!
What an embarrassment to the downtown Sarasota area this place is.

Horrible service. The waiter was completely
lost didn’t know the menu. When we finally
did order it took forever to get our food. No
surprise the pasta sauce was cold.
They told us a new owner has taken over
There will be no surprises when this place closes.
There no chance we will return. Too bad
a great location

Laid back place. Great server. Awesome pizza. Awesome specials. Good prices. Ask for Joe, he’s a good server.

I ate here once. Great experience and the wine and food were amazing. The owner was also really nice! I would absolutely recommend everyone to come here!

Our meal was absolutely delicious! We had caesar salad with anchovies, mussels, lasagna and a great bottle of Malbec. Freddie was our waiter and he was the BEST… we just bought a condo close by and plan to make this our local hangout! The best home made food and easy to get a table… the lemon sorbet was to die for!

First of all. I walked in the place recently as I was taking care of my mother in my home on her last few days asking for her last wishes of Clams to be snubbed to say
” WE HAVE ALOT OF TICKETS TO CLOSE” And they never came to my table.
if anyone has had been in hospice last days. You go after anything for your family.
Being right across the street and them treating me this way was so disheartening.
My dog became missing and I went to ask if they could post a sign and they said «if we have time»
Being a local to the neighborhood … I was so excited to succeed. But sadly .
They have tried to create a neighborhood place, and have failed.
Besides the bugs in the restaurant (we get them in Florida)
The manager forgets. Local talk can be your worse advertisement.
Very Sad… I pray the the new ownership comes with a new manager.
In Memory of my lost pup and my mother who just wanted some help and Clams…

Interesting Italian bar and restaurant in downtown Sarasota. They have a nice wine list featuring mostly Italian varietals but a few others as well. The food was very good. We asked the chef to make whatever she liked and she produced an excellent spicy, seafood pasta. The pizza was also very good. Overall, a great find in the downtown area.

One word meatballs! 2^nd word Tiramisu! Wow on the margarita pizza! Jazz music. What more could u ask for!!! Crazy crazy good!

Poor service and mediocre food (ordered two pizzas). Distinctively ‘Meh’. Should have listened to Aran G…

This place was no bueno. The one and only waiter working that night seemed too smarmy to apologize for the fact that they were understaffed. «Get pizza,» was the suggestion offered, since the kitchen staff seemed overwhelmed by the maybe three tables occupied. Their menu was pretentious. The food was not good for me or my date. And tap water is taboo. Never going back. Telling anyone who asks to stay away.

Fabulous Jazz music! Terrible service. Best to get drink from bar. Fabulous pizza. Nice thin crust. Mussels tasted fishy, don’t recommend.

The pizza is Italian-​style crust which is the best you’ve ever tasted. The toppings are also Italian-​style which means the marinara sauce is like painted on with a paint brush, a few leaves of basil, tomato slices and that’s it. To my American palette the pizza is too light on toppings but exceeds on taste.
The owner was there the night I was there and he came by our table and offered us his ‘porchetta’ (boiled roast beef) to go with our red wine and pizza.
The restaurant is right around the corner from Burns Court Cinema so my Dad and I were able to eat and walk to the movie after.
A great evening!

We came when they first opened & it was disorganized. We stayed away for several months. I’m glad we came back. The staff is friendly. The food is good. Delicious salads,
tasty meatballs, good cannelloni, good European thin pizza. Great tiramisu & ricotta pie. Tonight they have music outside.

Back again for another meal while visiting sarasota again. Food was excellent, but service a little spotty. We are very nice and patient peeps but when the staff forgets to add the arugula to your pizza and forgot the chicken for your salad, and then brings it out and dumps it on your plate, it’s a little weird. But ok, forgive able because we’re pretty casual. Pizza is so good and their side of bean salad we love. The other reason for the three stars? They had a musician who couldn’t sing or play the guitar. He was so bad that we rushed through dinner to stop the noise! Did the restaurant not audition him? Did they not realize he was NOT a musician? I was going to get up and sing myself just to give everyone some relief. Oh, I can’t carry a tune. We fled after he took a break just to get away from the place. It made me sad.

This place could be perfect. The right idea for the right location, but so many little things need to fixed. And they better get on them or it won’t work out. As all the problems are fixable.
First thing, staff sitting outside but not interested in welcoming us or getting us seated. If it is your break, don’t sit where customers are going to see you. Train the wait staff, have them taste everything. When we asked about the special and if it was good, the waiter was «I don’t know, never had it». Really? wow. Also, questions about the size of the pizza lead to a lot of discussion about how the waiter is a growing boy and likes to eat tons of pizza rather than answer our questions.
We finally got a table situation worked out. but lose the mason jar water glasses with the paper straw as well, do you want to be hipster but serve family rustic italian? And the paper straws die way too soon. The wine list is actually pretty good and one of the best things about the place. but could use some bottles in the $ 25 range for us normal humans, however. But the bondarda we had was very yummy
We ordered the fungi pizza, the roma and a Caesar salad. The salad is big enough for 4 people btw, which is how we split it. The Roma pizza was actually pretty good. I would get that again, But the fungi was the issue as well as the response to it by the management. The menu says it has three kinds of mushrooms including oyster. and really that is why we ordered it as we love oyster mushrooms. But it came out with only one type of mushroom, the common grocery store type, on it and cold and very bland tomato sauce. and soggy! how long was it sitting around? We mentioned to the waiter these problems and the fact it is kind of expensive compared to the other pizzas and how the menu and what we got don’t match, never mind the cold and soggy.
He came back after talking to the owner, said they wold give us one free tiramisu to make up for the change. He went on to explain that they don’t have enough space to store all those mushrooms, but haven’t change the menu yet. This is were training the staff is the key, someone orders the fungi pizza, tell them that it is different than the menu! This would never have been an issue and I wouldn’t be giving them two stars if they said «by the way, the menu is incorrect»! The tiramisu was made in a mason jar and you couldn’t get the layers, so it was like eating a lot of whipped cream, then some lady fingers, and then more whipped cream and so on. Also, if a customer complains about a problem, shouldn’t management come over and deal with it? didn’t happen. Just an ill trained waiter.
I so badly want to like this place, the idea of a wine bar at this location with good rustic and interesting pizza is a perfect concept. But the staff has to know what things taste like, management has to care and fix the problems, and get ride of the mason jars!

A wonderful pre movie matinée lunch. Fresh tuna salad on crispy warm bread and a meatball sandwich we simple and delicious. Accompanied by a fresh salad, home made iced tea and rose.
The service was accommodating and very friendly.
And for a Tuesday lunch it was quite busy. A nice alternative when in the area (and when the wait for dimmer at the Fish Camp is more than you can handle) the dinner menu looks great.
And a wonderful wine selection.
We shall return.

I should really give this place a three but because i would return just about every week provided they have the same trio playing Flamenco I’m giving it a 4. Bottom line here– The food was OK and service OK but the guitar playing was outstanding. The only time i would sacrifice the quality and taste of food is when there is good wine to drink, friends to laugh with and amazing Flamenco guitarist to listen to OUTSIDE. To me there is no better dinner than sitting outside and listening to great live music.

I’m giving this place 2 stars for the ambience and music. I can’t rate the food because unfortunately I’ve never been able to taste it. I’ve sat outside on the fountain 2 times to listen to the music and feel like I’m in Italy or Spain for a moment. Yes both times I wanted more… like food and drink, but both times we were blatantly ignored by staff and thus couldn’t get a seat. Yes there were seats available for us to steal but we were blown off so we just decided to hang out instead… thinking maybe someone might ask us if we wanted a drink or a seat eventually as we took up their real estate.? Nope.
We went somewhere else both times.
I went back one more attempt last Friday night but didn’t check in because I assumed we would be leaving again. I wish we would have.
I braced myself to be treated like white trash as I approached a server. I was actually acknowledged this time but told to take a seat at a dirty table and someone would be with me. That someone showed up 20 minutes later with… well of course… arrogant attitude. The girls I was with just looked at each other with a little jaw drop and head shake and went back to exploring menus. I couldn’t find A wine that seemed fitting for my bold taste and he recommended a bottle of something that wasn’t on the menu and I said ok.
Another 20 minutes and he finally comes back to take our order. As I place mine he informs me no sandwiches served after 4. I question why it’s on the menu. he gave me… of course more attitude… and then mentioned that the kitchen was backed up so anything would be a while. I decided I better cut my losses and end this journey so I asked for the check for the wine. The bill for it was $ 72! Are you kidding me? What fool (me) orders a $ 72 bottle of wine they have never tasted?
That was a very expensive third and last attempt to try this place. It was pretty close to $ 100 loss for literally nothing. My friends stayed and called to inform me that it got worse after I left.
Based on my experience and what I’ve witnessed first hand, I would bet Brent’s review is not over exaggerated. It’s really too bad because service is paramount. They will never make it unless they replace staff, which probably starts at management level. Good luck.

There is nothing quiet like Matto Matto; a real Italian, family run operation, where love & attention to detail go into every aspect of everything they do; from the food, to wine list, service, and hospitality.
The food is super fresh, decent portions, medium range prices (to be honest, the price point is very fair & reasonable for the excellent quality that you will experience)
While you’re there, it is very likely that you will meet one of the family members, who is ready to ensure that you’re visit is going well; what really sets Matto (which means crazy in Italian) apart from the rest, is that the owners are visible, personable, and there for comments or concerns; a rare trait these days in restaurants or any business.
Matto Matto can live up to its name, especially during weekend dinner hours, all part of the charm.
I have been there on multiple occasions, each visit gets better & better! The food is great, the owners are good positive people, it’s a real delight to have a modern Roman style eatery in Sarasota.
Be sure to ask about the specials, save room for the house made tiramisu, made by the owner’s mother, a pastry chef, w/​over 35 years experience; stop by after a movie for afternoon drinks, espresso, early or late dinner, in sit down, take it all in; after all there may be a chance it could get Matto Matto.
Matto Matto is up there with the best, & is on the same level as San Francisco dining.
Service is dynamite, orders come out quickly, fresh & hot!

I love this place! Real Italian Margherita pizza! And lots of wine to choose from! Just opened one week ago. Great addition to this artsy area of Sarasota. I’ll be back.