The wife and I decided to venture out and I was in the mood for Italian. We’ve gotten takeout from here a number of times but restaurant food is so much better eaten on site. We had amazing fried Artichoke Hearts as an appetizer. I had the Grouper Puttanesca and my wife the Fiocchi. Everything was delicious. Salad and Garlic Knots included. Too full for dessert, maybe next time.
We were craving for Italian food and I searched near me the Italian Restaurant and we decided to have dinner at Esposito's Italian.It is a beautiful restaurant with a nice decor and decorated by paintings. I loved the lighting as well as the positive vibes of the restaurant.When we entered the restaurant se were greeted by receptionist and then seated on the table.We were greeted by our server Gustavo with the menus which included drink menus too.He looked like a positive person always smiling. He seemed like he was enjoying his work.From the drinks menu we ordered Aperol Spiritz and Glass of Ruffino Aziano Chianti.After the drinks menu we ordered our dinner which included Chicken Francese and Lobster Ravioli. We got bread with Ravioli and Salad with Chicken.First we got our drinks which we loved it especially the red wine.Then we got our salad and bread. Salad was delicious made with fresh ingredients and i loved the dressing of the salad.Then we got our bread with butter. The bread was amazing and warmed. Loved the bread as it was one of the amazing breads we had.Finally, we got our dinner which included Chicken Francese and Lobster Ravioli.Chicken Francese was the delicious chicken dish. It was perfectly cooked and it was our dish of the day.Lobster Ravioli was delicious too and it was amazing.We loved our time at Esposito Italian and along with food the service was also amazing and perfect.One of the bucket list restaurant to try in Tampa.
After passing this restaurant many times we decided to finally give it try for dinner. We arrived around 5:30pm on a Friday and were seated right away, though the tables filled up within 20 minutes with a decent wait by the time we left. Our server was very friendly and attentive. The atmosphere is nice, though the low lighting with reflective menus forced me to tilt the menu at every angle to read it. Prices are a bit on the higher end.We had baked clams for an appetizer and main courses of tortellini and sea bass. The baked clams were a bit disappointing, with very dry, salty and flaky breading. The tortellini was much better with a rich and creamy sauce. The sea bass was decent though nothing exceptional. Probably worth another visit, though we wouldn’t order anything the same.
Esposito's hits every single mark of what I think most people are looking for in local Italian restaurant. Old-school, authentic classic recipes? Check. Interesting new recipes? Check. That welcoming neighborhood atmosphere where they treat you like family? Check. Long, endearing family history? Check. It quite literally checks all the boxes. I came with a big group of friends and every single dish that hit the table was to-die-for down to their house salad. Delicious! & you can tell each dish was made with care. (The scallop cupcakes were my absolute favorite! The sear on those scallops speaks for itself.) Do yourself a favor and check them out! You won't be disappointed!! ❤️
My boyfriend and I, along with another couple went here for dinner on a Saturday night. We heard so many great things about the food and it was everything we expected and more.Our service was a tad slow, we were seated and waited 15-20 mins for our server...beside that everything else was great.The lighting and the music really set the mood. The menu had a large selection of truly authentic Italian food.The food was so flavorful and rich. My taste buds were doing quite the dance over the fiocchi!Highly recommend. The don't do reservations for parties under 6 I believe, our wait at 630 on a Saturday was 30 minutes for a party of 4, which isn't bad at all.
Esposito's Italian is proudly serving up top-notch italian food influenced by family recipes and with great attention to detail. I'm not big fan of italian cuisine but I can myself frequenting Esposito's because their dishes have truly authentic and diverse flare. The interior is softly lit with spacious seating throughout the restaurant. I was quickly seated upon arrival (I went for early dinner on a Saturday). Very soon after seating, I was greeted by a very courteous wait staff. In fact throughout my visit there were three wait staff ensuring I had everting I needed as well they (as a team) ensured my experience was top-notch. I don't know if this is usual but it was a very refreshing change to have such great attention (a rarity these days).The house-made garlic rolls were warm, fluffy, with just the right amount of garlic and crumbles cheese sprinkled on top - you can't put these down once you start. They are addictive so proceed with caution =)The house salad contains chick peas, beets, tomato, lettuce, and red onion. The salad comes pre-dressed and you toss upon serving. The texture and freshness made this salad crunchy and delicious. My only suggestion is to go light on the dressing or ask for the dressing on the side, to avoid overly pre-dressing.My main entree was the Black Seafood Risotto - perfectly done risotto with squid's ink that enhances richness and flavor and served with mussels, clams, and octopus. If you are a seafood lover this dish is as beauty to look at as it is to the tastebuds. The octopus stake server atop risotto pairs perfectly with the creamy risotto while the mussels and clams add texture and balanced saltiness. The squid's ink adds the rich black glistening color to the risotto. This item is a true exploration of a popular traditional Italian dish from the Adriatic Coast.I finished my meal with a perfectly portioned slice of Limoncello cheese cake with raspberry drizzle. This sweet concoction blended with limoncello's slight tartness made for a perfectly smooth finish, while the raspberry drizzle added a pop of visual intrigue to the presentation.Everything about my first visit to Esposito's was top-rated starting from the attentive staff to the proudly prepped and served dishes with high flavor profile. Many kudos to Esposito's.I will most certainly return during non-rush hours and explore their diverse menu and discover some other hidden gems hopefully.
Had this place on my list for a while. I've had 2 veal dishes paired with wine in the last couple of days. The Veal Saltimboca here was excellent but not as good as the last place. Followers will know who I mean. The lost star is because the wine pairing left much to be desired. Returned the first wine and the second was better but the open $20 bottle of wine sitting in my fridge was even better than that. Lovely place, loved the music, very clean and lots of customers as soon as they opened. I certainly recommend the food and if you know wines, pick them yourself. Buona fortuna.
Took the family. We enjoyed the appetizer, fried calamari. I recommend the lasagna. The kids had plain cheese tortellini, and ordered peas with it - girls did not care for it - I would steer young kids to spaghetti and meatballs. My wife tried the lobster ravioli, it was good. We brought our own bottle of wine ($25 cork fee). Dessert we tried the tiramisu was good.
it’s Saturday night around 8pm and we arrived to Esposito’s to place an order to go. The outside was packed with people waiting to get inside and/or finishing off the night with a conversation. Needless to say, we looked at this as a really good sign of things to come — as it’s our first time ordering from this restaurant. After 30-minutes our food was finished and ready for pick up.We arrived home and split a Lasagna and Spaghetti & Meatballs between three of us. The meal also came with garlic knots and a salad. The salad (to be honest) caught us off guard as we didn’t expect the variety of items. We know for next time.Overall, the food was great. The three of us praised the food, while clearing off our plates to the last bite(s). I highly recommend Esposito’s to those looking to spend a fantastic evening together over delicious food.
Delicious food and very friendly and professional.