Villa Sorrento, the family-run Italian restaurant at 2604 14th Street West in Bradenton, has been named the Bradenton Herald’s 2025 Best Italian Restaurant in the People’s Choice Awards. Owners Tica and Eugenio Rizzo bring genuine Sicilian heritage to the table. Eugenio is the first generation of his family born in the U.S., and his parents emigrated from Palermo, Sicily. His father, Tommaso, ran Pizza USA restaurants in the Northeast before the family tradition continued on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
The menu covers Italian classics done the family way: Linguine alle Vongole, Chicken Marsala, Shrimp Scampi, Veal Piccata and Homemade Lasagna, along with rotating specialties. Regional attention followed when Bay News 9 featured the restaurant’s Shrimp and Scallop Genovese. The dining room has built a loyal neighborhood following through personal service and a policy that’s rare these days: BYOB with no corkage fee. Bring your own bottle and there’s no charge to open it.
Villa Sorrento serves dinner Wednesday through Sunday and is closed Monday and Tuesday. Reservations are recommended, especially on weekends. For Suncoast locals looking for an independent, family-rooted spot for date night or a group dinner, this one has both the story and the award to back it up.
Have you tried Villa Sorrento yet? Tell us your favorite dish in the comments.
