Lauro Ristorante

Lunch is a great value. My waiter was Italian and spoke Italian. I felt as if I were having lunch in a nice Roman restaurant. Clearly, it is the most authentic Italian restaurant in Tampa. Dinner is mega pricey and I can make those entrees at home for those nose bleed prices.

I’ve been to Lauro’s every time I’ve visited Tampa the last couple of years as my parents are regulars here, and it was my grandfather’s favorite Italian restaurant. And although he passed in 2002, they still maintain the same high quality they did then. Last time I went I ordered the Scallopine Valdostana, which was excellent. The last time I went with my parents and my dad had the Dover Sole and he said it was the best fish he’s ever had.

Unlike some of the other reviewers I actually received excellent service, but the food was horrible!!! I don’t even understand these reviews regarding the food… I was mislead by them and ate there, and that was a huge mistake. I ordered the lasagna and maybe took 2 bites… The ground beef was disgusting. I strongly advise you choose somewhere else to eat.

Very nice food. My husband had the lamb and I had the gnocchi.. both were fantastic. We had a new wine that we enjoyed and the service was out of this world. All of the servers were very attentive and made the experience stand out from most restaurant experiences. Joseph was truly exceptional.

Food was excellent… Well the appetizers we had were. It was Monday night and hula bay as well as every great restaurant in Tampa was closed. Checked Unilocal and this place was open. It was completely dead except the party in the private room. My family from Germany and my 17 month old walked in. I could tell by the hostesses face babies may not be allowed. She tried seating us in the very back dark room by our selves. As uncomfortable as she made us feel we ended up just getting apps and leaving. Menu looked appealing and the pasta, mozzarella are all homemade.

HAHAHAHAHA — this place has such TERRIBLE SERVICE, that the only way I could survive through dinner was to have a laughing, nonchalent, who really cares type of attitude. When we walked in, they did not have our reservations, despite the fact that I had a confirmation email and had made the reservation 3 weeks prior. As the hub said, it would’ve been better for us had they just refused to serve us… we probably would’ve been better off going anywhere else.
The food is fine. The baked artichoke was definitely yummy. The pastas are nice, but not so delicious that I would ever subject myself to that terrible excuse for service that this restaurant provides. I think we were sitting for at least 15 minutes before any waiter even approached us to take drink orders. The whole painful ordeal lasted for about 2 hrs, and that was just ordering one appetizer and entrees. Best part? They automatically added 18% gratuity on the price of our meal AFTER TAX for a party of two. Probably because they know their staff would not get paid otherwise, by anyone.
If you’re up for a painful dining experience, go for it! Otherwise, a big BEWARE. Run to osteria nalina, fast!

This place does NOT know how to do Italian food. Our Penne alla vodka was like Velveeta. If you want great authentic Italian in South Tampa go to Osteria Natalina or Café Paradiso. Hell even Macaroni Grill would be better. The only people there were over 80 which should tell you something!

The service was impeccable and Jose is as good a waiter as you will find, and entertaining. Our table was waiting for us and there was no delay getting us to it. The food was very good and I plan on returning to try some more menu choices.

Great food. Formal, quiet atmosphere. Great for date night.

The service was incredibly poor and treated our table in a horribly rude way. I will not be returning in my lifetime.

I have been coming to Lauro’s for so many years… I actually remember coming to this location when it was the Chinese Pavilion (for those of you who have lived in Tampa for a long time… you will know). Tonight, me and my parents met here for a spontaneous dinner. What can I say??? We had another wonderful experience! Walking in the door we were met by Sayed (I apologize if I am spelling his name incorrectly) who recognized us and welcomed us warmly. We were seated at a table and promptly taken care of. Our dinners were delicious and they were happy to accommodate my father with something that was not on the menu. After dinner we never felt rushed to leave and were able to sit and chat. Thank you Lauros, for always being a wonderful experience and a home away from home.

Went here for a date night. Most of the customers here are older but who cares if the food is good, it’s not. The food is alright, but not good. Service is better at most chain restaurants. All of this is fine and would give it 3 stars if the meal was $ 50 or so, but it was $ 150 so no stars if I could.

We can’t stop talking about our night out at Lauro Ristorante tonight. What a find! Joseph, our waiter, was outstanding. So welcoming, attentive and sincere in everything. The food was outstanding. The service was refreshingly superb. The atmosphere was intimate, quiet and incredibly comfortable. We couldn’t ask for a better experience. We’ll be back!

My family and I came here for my birthday. A nice small place in South Tampa. First off, the food was very good. I would’ve preferred better bread but the pasta dish I had was good and my family liked their meals though the Lobster Bisque was nothing special according to my father.
The service wasn’t very good. Our waiter seemed to ignore us most of the night and took awhile to get our food to us. When we needed more bread and water, he was no where to be found and the check to long to get to us.
Overall, this place is good however there are other Italian places in South Tampa that I would recommend over this one. We wanted to try something new which is why we went in the first place.

I took the lady to Lauro’s for our anniversary last year.
I wasn’t disappointed. I heard this place was a classy place and wasn’t familiar with it, but I left impressed. It’s a real sit down dinner restaurant with a 5 course meal, old fashion proper table settings with drape décor wall to wall. I felt like I was eating at a God Father restaurant or something.
Our meal consisted of salad, avocado salad (Florida avocado sliced finely with olive oil dressing), bread, pesto pasta. It was a fine meal and I was really impressed with all the dishes, especially the salads.
As a vegetarian, this place mainly serves steak and italian food. The prices are high but manageable. As a vegetarian I tend to be a cheap date since I don’t order much besides salads or light dishes so going to pricey restaurants doesn’t phase me.
Overall this is a great place, very old fashion Italian restaurant. It’s quiet, romantic and candle lit. There’s really not much more you can ask from a classic Italian restaurant.

I was visiting Tampa with the wife during a stay-​cation we were taking. THIS WAS AWESOME Italian food, and I grew up in an Italian family with three generation of cooks. The food is well prepared and delicious. I had Veal Parmesan and the wife had Oglio Olio with crab. We were blown away at the delicious taste of the food. The soup of the day was Garbanzo Bean soup and it was delicious. Highly recommend to anyone looking for authenticate Italian food in the Tampa area. We took home a cannoli and some Italian pudding. Was awesome!!! I loved they accepted casual dress, since here in FL during July it is way too warm to dress up. They have a full service bar, and TV.

Why we were the only people here I cannot imagine. Yes, Monday and yes early but with the experience this place provides ought to have lines our the door. No less than 3 people waited on us and as well, the owner!
Much of the pasta is homemade and they created a sampler for us of the fettuccini bolognese and the gnocchi. They split the plates for us so each of us had a still generous portion of both. So delicious. Then we had a nice salad followed by the dover sole and chicken parmesan. Each as good as the other. And still stuffed to the gills we shared the wonderful zuppa englaise. Several glasses of wine and we barely crossed the $ 100 check. We took home enough for two more meals. Just wonderful food and hospitality. GO HERE!

Lauro Ristorante Italiano handled our large group of 16 with grace, poise, style, and a dash of entertainment!
This ‘ristorante’ is first-​class in every sense of the word. The food was delicioius, served perfectly and hot. The menu has a great variety, and if you can’t find it, just ask. Absolute perfection with the service. The servers and the management made us feel exceptionally welcome as they would a guest in their home.
Whether it’s just the two of you (for a romantic night out), or a large group (like our experience this week), we highly, highly recomend this fine dining establshment! You will not be disappointed!

This place is fantastic for a date night or family dinner where you want to have a conversation. Unlike many restaurants, the restaurant is quiet, so you don’t have to shout to be heard.
The atmosphere is like an old Italian restaurant. It’s a little dark, and there are burgundy tablecloths.
Service was phenomenal. Our waiter and the maitre’d were both so attentive and gracious. The waiter did a great job of getting the cork out of the 1983 bottle of wine that we brought over. When we hesitated over desserts, the maitre’d instead offered to make us strawberries Foster at the tableside. Yes, he sauteed and flambeed fresh strawberries especially for us. How wonderful is that?
I highly recommend the fried calamari and the Caesar salad. My husband found the lobster bisque and the penne vodka a little salty. I enjoyed the Livornese grouper but was full from all the calamari and salad so I couldn’t finish it.
I will happily return.

I am not a big fan of Italian food, but Lauro’s was amazing! We went for a New Year’s Eve wedding celebration with a large group (21 people) and had at least 3 servers just for our group. The service was fantastic! My glass was never empty and I was always taken care of.
For our appetizer, since we had a large group, we got a large sampler platter. The food ranged from bruschetta to calamari to caprese salad. I am pretty sure the calamari was the best I have ever had — seriously! It was so flavorful and had a great consistency as well. I ended up getting the filet mignon for my entrée, and it was spectacular. It was prepared perfectly.
I am happy to add Lauro as an Italian restaurant that I would be happy to dine at again, and fully recommend to others as well.