Massimo’s

I’ve been to Massimo’s several more times and the food has been superb every time. Excellent menu, great specials, outstanding service, and a first class ambience. I got the diver scallops last time and they were perfectly cooked.

Massimo’s is a truly exceptional fine dining experience. The staff are wonderful and remember us each time we go (and we don’t get the opportunity to go that often). The food is amazing. My favorite is the seafood risotto, but you really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu in my opinion. Massimo usually greets all guests at some point throughout the evening. Really a gem in Pinellas county.

My clients invited my staff and me to a corporate dinner function. The restaurant is located in a popular shopping plaza and was easy to find with plenty of parking. We were sited in a separate room but the table set up was a little awkward and made it difficult to reach appetizers.
We had various wine served, appetizers, soup, dinner, coffee, dessert. I ordered duck for my main course and it was delish. Outstanding flavor, cooked to perfection, garnished just right, I couldn’t ask for more! My other team members had fish, which I tried and it was ok but not outstanding. Flavors didn’t work together as perfectly as they did with my meal.
For appetizers we had calamari, bruschetta, sausages, a few other things I can’t recall now. They were all solid four stars, good, but not amazing. Wine was excellent! I also have to commend the chief who came to our table several times during the evening to ensure that everything was fine. Staff was attentive and helpful.
Four stars because of the restaurant with prices of that range I expect to be amazed not just satisfied.

The best Osso Bucco ever… and we eat out a lot. Fois gras wow. Penne pasta vodka sauce… fantastic. We loved our meal totally and the service was immaculate. We can’t wait for the wine dinner. Thanks Massimo and Emad and Berstrand…

Local Italian place in a strip mall, but don’t let that deter you. It feels much nicer inside than you would expect. Friendly service and the food is very good. Extensive wine list and I mean EXTENSIVE! From the charcuterie to the locally sourced salad to the oso buco with the bone marrow intact — everything is a home run.
So why only 4 stars and not 5? The risotto. Very good. Plenty of black truffles too. But in my humble opinion, it should be made with heavy cream and the result should be a creamy texture. Not al dente. It’s the one pasta that should not be al dente. This may be the chef’s personal preference and I don’t fault him for it. But, it’s what I look for in a risotto. Heavy cream is traditional. I don’t wanna hear about cholesterol. If I’m ordering the risotto, I’m not worried about it. If you’re worried about it, then don’t order it.
That’s my 2 cents.
Would I return? Absolutely.

Food is pricey and very small portions. I had appetizer, soup, salad, entrée and dessert and left hungry. I’m not a big eater. We won’t go there any more with ignorant people taking their small children who scream and cry and ruin the ambiance. One lady was walking her screaming two year old around the entire restaurant for about an hour and management did nothing. Get a babysitter for cripes sakes! Instead of ruining everyone’s evening with your tone deaf selfishness.

Best Italian in Palm Harbor area. Hands down. Pasta is fresh and perfectly prepared. The veal chop was tender and delicious. the service is excellent. Massimo is a master.

Five stars based on service alone. One of the kindest, most attentive and understanding waiters I’ve ever had.

Made a reservation tonight. Restaurant is half empty and get a table crowded by a pamphlet stand. Hostess moves us over another table with some mumbling. Then we sit and wait. 5 tables with people. 3 servers milling around within 25 feet of us. Chef walking around with an apron. No service. No water. Nothing. 12 minutes go by. We left.
BTW this is really just an Italian restaurant, not really eclectic. 5 of 8 meat entrees are veal. So if you don’t like veal there isn’t a lot of great options.

Excellent lunch! The service (Jennifer) was prompt, helpful and fun. We shared the duck and Brie appetizer, the duck was so tender. My wife had the salmon, I had the Italian beef. We will be back, can’t imagine how good the dinner menu must be.

As concierge of a 4 Star Resort in the Palm Harbor region, I find it very difficult to send VIPs to incredible top notch dinning experiences. This side of the bay is simply, much more casual. However, after researching where I could send my guests that are looking for Burns style dinning, I came across Massimo’s. I had to try it for myself, of course. After last night’s dinning experience I will 100% send all VIPs and guests to Massimo’s. Firstly, the welcome was just perfect. It was pure in sentiment and joyous. As we sat down for a casual setting at the bar, Jennifer the bar tender was wonderful. Offering her favorites along with the evening’s specials, one better than the next. If I wasn’t cleansing I would have had Jennifer pick one of the 2500+ bottles!!! We started with the Truffle Pâté… ah to die for! I could simply have eaten this all night and been completely satisfied. Rice flower calamari, up next… AMAZING! The ginger dip was completely unexpected and so perfect. A welcomed gluten-​free option. As we waited for our mail course, chef had us taste a beautiful tuna sushi with a twist, a watermelon base, cucumber middle, perfectly fresh tuna, topped with a candied ginger sliver. Yes! Candy Ginger! The accompanying dipping sauce were unique and paired perfectly. It was again a delight surprise; refreshing to the pallet. Finally, we had the chef make us one of his favorites, Veal Scallopini. Veal Scallopini, like I’ve never had before. The butter knife slide through the veal as if it was indeed butter. The sauce accented the meat beautifully. The veggables cooked just right. Savoring every bite, I knew I had finally found the place, the ‘it spot’ in Palm Harbor. Already booked our next visit. Can’t wait to dive further into the menu and I hear it’s changing within the next few weeks. Superb job Chef and crew!

We had our wedding here and it was absolutely perfect. Massimo and his staff are top notch. We maxed out the restaurant with our private function and I just assumed things always go wrong. Food was out of this world, service was perfect, they were very accommodating to my every want and need. I just can’t say enough about them. We have eaten here for dinner and thought it was a good choice but didn’t know how they would handle a wedding and It exceeded my expectations.

Awesome food and service. Massimo’s himself came to introduce himself and gave us a «sample» dessert he’d concocted… a chocolate polenta, which was to die for. The special risotto (truffle & divers scallops) was terrific, tho a bit pricey… but worth every penny. Our companions had veal and seafood dishes; all were superb. We WILL be back!!!

One of the best meals I’ve ever had. My boyfriend surprised me and brought me for Valentine’s Day. I was a little nervous when I started reading the menu and saw a lot of things I had never tried before.
I put my worries aside, selected some new foods to try and the food was delicious! Everything was great, especially the filet.amazing. They also have a great wine selection.
The environment was very romantic and quiet. The staff was wonderful and the chef even came out to the table to ask how everything was. Oh, and the bread came with a little pink heart-​shaped butter since it was Valentines Day!
I definitely recommend for a nice date night and can’t wait to go again!

This place was awesome. We are always looking for a good, authentic, Italian restaurant in the area. Well this was it. The Osso Bucco was amazing and perfectly tender. The Seafood risotto brought me back to Italy. With giant chunks of seafood, it was priced very reasonably! Everything was delicious. We took dessert to go, because we were stuffed with the nicely sized portions! Service was very friendly and attentive– shout out to Mario!
Thank you Massimo! We will definitely be back soon!

Omg. The rudest the restaurant I’ve ever been to. The chef actually came out of the kitchen, not to apologize for the cold lasagna, but to yell at us for the Sinatra music we were playing from our cell phone since no overhead music was playing. We wasted $ 100 and didn’t even enjoy anything! The chef who yelled at us said the food was cold cz input cheese on it. $ 18 for a 3″ x 3″ square of lasagna with NO salad!!! Don’t waste your money unless you wanna get yelled at.

Food continues very good, although lobster bisques had little flavor. Problem is service, very disjointed, servers running all over– no runners so plates sit for 5 or 10 minutes after finished. Took more than 20 minutes for bread to arrive– despite asking 3 times– one hour and 15 minutes for entrée to arrive– Server says they only have one chef–
will go back but not during peak dining hour as they can just not get the food out in a timely manner this is second time it has happened– also there is no manager or anyone seemingly in charge–

First time here, this has been a place that’s been bookmarked for quite a while but only now got around to visiting.
Why 5 stars?
Great Service
Beautiful venue
Wonderful ambiance
Good Value for money
Spectacularly good food
This review has me struggling for the superlatives this restaurant deserves. Rather than wax lyrical it can truly be summed up in one word, a word I rarely use when reviewing and that is «Perfection»
Our server Zak was knowledgeable and enthusiastic very attentive but obviously experienced enough to never stray into the realm of overbearing.
The restaurant is beautifully decorated and has the feel of quality and class as soon as you walk in. The exterior is quite non-​descript and one could easily fall foul of judging a book by it’s cover and passing it by.
Once seated the atmosphere was quiet and relaxed not a TV in sight (thankfully). The staff move around elegantly, quiet and graceful.
The food, the name of the restaurant includes the word «eclectic» and it was subtly evident in every dish.
The fried Calamari was dusted in a very delicate rice flour and served with a ginger, soy, horseradish remoulade that was to die for. A refreshing departure from your typical marinara.
This is the best Calamari I have eaten by far, beyond compare to anything I’ve eaten before.
With an appetiser like that, the prospects for the remainder of the meal boded well.
The bread that was served was warm, fresh and crusty with a black olive truffle butter, again straying from the usual olive oil and herbs.
The specials took our fancy, the seafood Risotto and a 20 ounce bone in Prime Rib served with mash and vegetables and a Vin Cotto sauce.
The steak was cooked to absolute perfection and is as good as any I have ever enjoyed. This was a quality cut and it showed through in taste and tenderness. Matched with a wonderul soft creamy cheese flavored mash potato, and a selection of asparagus, baby carrots and beets all cooked perfectly.
The Risotto was rich creamy and packed with a smörgåsbord of seafood delights, scallops, lobster, giant shrimp, clams and crab. Again the best I’ve ever tasted.
After such a sumptuous meal we let temptation get the better of us and plunged into the desert menu despite having no need for more food.
A chocolate covered canolli with pistachio ricotta cheese and an amaretto and ricotta cheesecake.
Both were simply devine.
Everything was top class and to add more to the experience the Chef, Massimo visited every table to enquire how people were enjoying their evening.
It is always a joy to discover a good quality restaurant, to find one of this class is a true treasure.
I look forward to returning and exploring the menu at my new favorite restaurant.

After Kitting the Husbeast out for the Unilocalies, it was time to choose a place for dinner. As I was beginning to play Spin the Unilocal,the husbeast spoke up and mentioned Massimo’s, how his former boss spoke so highly of it, and that he’d like to go. So I pulled it up on Unilocal,checked it out and gave him the times it was open. It was until 11, and given that the clock had JUST struck 9, we were fine on time.
When we arrived, the parking lot near Massimo’s was not terribly full, unlike that around another eatery in the same lot. From the outside, the location is quite non-​desscript, but when you open the door, the inside surprises you. The dark woods, the wall mounted waterfalls, the wall of wine at the back. It’s all quite warm and welcoming.
We did not have a reservation, but given that there were only 4 tables with patrons, and the late hour, we were seated and our waitress Julie came over to see to us almost immediately. She covered the specials, Lamb, grouper, a clam chowder and something with lobster and then let us peruse the menus for a few moments while she went to get us our still water.
When she returned, I asked for a bit of clarification on the lamb, which she readily gave me, as well as she expounded on the grouper for the husbeast. When that little detail was out of the way, we placed our orders. We opted to start with the Wild Mushroom strudel, and the husband also thought he’d add to that a cup (really a small bowl) of the clam chowder. We also placed our orders for the mains at this time, mine being the lamb, and of course the Grouper for the husbeastie.
When the strudel arrived, it came topped with a parmesan sauce, which smelled heavenly. The two, two inch slices were the perfect starter to the meal we were about to eat, and the soup, the husband said, was delectable; rich and cream with a lot of clams. While we were enjoying our starters, Julie came out with fresh bread and scented butter. Yes, this is not ordinary butter, no! But butter made with black olive, garlic and balsamic vinegar. The result was so very savory and yum!
Our main courses came out and we were rightfully impressed! The grouper was light and flaky, topped with a pumpkinseed crust and a slightly sweet/​tart sauce on the side. A side of veggies (spring carrots, asparagus, bok choy & a lone beet), and some decadent mashed potatoes were the accompaniments. Watching the husband eat, it was clear that he truly enjoyed the meal.
The lamb was presented beautifully! Four lollipop chops were lightly battered and fried, served atop the same vegetable assortment with a mint basil purée and a Greek yogurt sauce. The lamb was perfectly cooked, the fried texture of the batter added a delicious crispness and contrasted wonderfully with the earthy-​ness of the beet. I could not get enough, heck! I didn’t even share a bite of the lamb with the husband! And the beet! I wish there had been more, there’s nothing quite like fresh roasted beets. SO YUM!
Needless to say, we cleared our plates, and yes, dessert was had! Tiramisu that was both velvety and luxurious on the tongue, and absolutely decadent.
While we were finishing, Massimo came out and thanked us for dining, I thought that was a nice touch. The service was impeccable, we wanted for nothing. Our glasses never went below ½ empty. There was never a dirty fork or plate on the table. Truly this is a one of a kind establishment.
The husband liked it more than I like Berns. How’s that for a recommendation?
Yes, we will be back!

My annual work Christmas party was hosted here by Massimo and his delightful staff. Massimo’s does a great job with everything from décor and the welcoming atmosphere to the great service and of course the fantastic Italian food.
There was a group of approximately 40 people in attendance for our party. When we arrived around 6 PM, Massimo himself was waiting at the host stand to greet us, I thought that was a nice touch.
We enjoyed a cocktail hour and all the bartenders were efficient and helpful. Then we sat down and the meal began. We started with sharing many of the apps including the wild mushroom strudel, ahi tuna on cucumbers, caprese and delicious smoked salmon bites. Everything was fabulous. Next came the lobster bisque; this was an outstanding soup, great texture, great flavor, all around tasty.
Finally, for the meal I chose the Veal parmigiana, which was a very large portion, more than enough for one person especially after all those apps. The flavor of the sauce was not the best and the meat was a bit tough, but okay overall. I would have preferred the filet mignon or scallops instead. Regardless, this was still a fabulous experience from start to finish. It’s obvious that Massimo and his staff work hard to bring a great dining experience to customers.