Positano Ristorante Italiano by Bachi's

**Positano Ristorante Italiano by Bachi's** My girlfriend and I truly enjoyed our first visit to Positano on Saturday evening, and it left a very strong impression. We ordered the sea bass and the veal parmesan—both were beautifully prepared, well-portioned, and full of flavor. The standout, however, was the seafood soup, which was absolutely outstanding and clearly made with care and high-quality ingredients. We chose soup over salad and were not disappointed. Bread service was excellent, and everything arrived at the table exactly as it should. The cocktails were well-crafted and enjoyable, complementing the meal nicely. Pricing is fair for the quality and experience—certainly not inexpensive, but very appropriate given the level of preparation, service, and ambiance. Service was impeccable from start to finish. Our reservation was handled flawlessly, and the staff was attentive, professional, and polished without being intrusive. A special mention goes to the live entertainment. The band was excellent—refined, talented, and kept at just the right background level. It added to the atmosphere without overpowering conversation, which is exactly how live music should be done. If I had one minor preference, it would be white tablecloths—but that is purely personal and in no way detracts from the overall experience. All things considered, this is a top-notch, first-class Italian restaurant suitable for both lunch and dinner. We were extremely impressed and had a thoroughly enjoyable evening. I would strongly recommend Positano to anyone looking for a classy, high-end Italian dining experience with excellent service and outstanding food.

This restaurant is conveniently located near U.S. Hwy 19 on a main avenue. I went there at about 12:30 in the afternoon for lunch. I was the only diner at the time. The dinner service may be busier. It was quiet and some music was playing in the background. The interior design was theme appropriate, however, it had signs of age and needed some attention to bring it back to the standards of the level of food service they provide. The server brought out some crusty bread and a very good quality Oil and Herbs accompaniment. The salad was fresh and the ingredients were of good quality. Assorted greens and dried fruits and the like. I asked for a dressing they did not provide and the waiter stated they had a similar dressing so I requested that option. When the salad was served it had a Balsamic Vinaigrette instead. The Linguine Shrimp Scampi was cooked very well and the shrimp were of a large size. There were four in the dish and for the pricing I would have preferred a few more. The server was polite and my meal was served hot and promptly. Overall, the food service was of good quality. You would be pleased with food.

5 stars for Positano's! We found our new favorite Italian spot. We were immediately greeted by the owner and our server, Stacy, was so friendly and welcoming. The food was incredible and the starter bread with their house-made seasoned olive oil is to die for (I wish they sold it!). We both got the chicken parm. I went with meat sauce and spaghetti, and my wife had regular sauce with a side of penne alfredo. We both agreed the meat sauce was the winner, but everything was fantastic. You can tell nothing is pre-made; the sauces are all made to order (confirmed by Stacy)! The portions are huge (we both took half home) and the price is right at about $22 a plate. After our old favorite, Big Joe's Pasta House, closed, we've been searching for a place like this. We went for lunch, but I bet dinner is just as great. They even have live music on certain days! Highly recommend checking it out.

Finally was able to try this restaurant last night. We are big Italian restaurant fans and this certainly will be put on our list to return. We enjoyed a couple of good dishes and a couple of glasses of super Tuscan. The ambience was nice with the crowd being a little bit older. The prices were reasonable and made for a nice date with the wife.

The new owner is wonderful. Staff is very knowledgeable, and the new owner is putting it back together from nothing. The food is great. Great bar. Great drinks. Watch your pizza get cooked. Many different languages here with a positive experience for sure. Stop inn , Rate it, tell them where you're from any enjoy this experience like no other. I am very happy with this establishment and the staff. Will Rodgers

Mom & I ordered Chicken Marsala to go here. The sourdough bread they gave us, fabulous! The Marsala sauce was very good. Chicken was cooked to perfection. The soup of the day was delicious and the house salad was DELICIOUS! The onion, cheese, raisin and nuts?! Wow! And the tomato on it too. What a meal. Well done. Tiramisu was SOOOOO GOOOOD

We had a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner here. The food was great and our server, Lora, was really he helpful and attentive. The Capaccino was particularly beautifully presented. We also enjoyed the stuffed mushrooms, the pasta dishes and the New York steak special. I wish we had an Italian restaurant like this near where we live!

Positano is Italian dining at its finest. We dropped in for lunch and had the most relaxing, pleasant and delicious meal. Attention to detail is the focus from the perfect three olive martini to the elegantly served cappuccino. The complimentary pane oio - bread and oil - is baked in-house daily and is delicious (and I bake all our own bread at home) served with an excellent spiced olive oil. Our entrees were served by the chef and were simple perfection - everything made from scratch. We also sampled a delightfully fruity, but dry Chardonnay. While the price is a bit high for lunch, they have a brand new lunch menu focused on salads and Panini for around $15. The serving are generous and we were able to take home part of the entree for an additional meal. If you have not been to Positano recently, you will want to check it out.

I have eaten here a number of times Always excellent food and service Plus they have a duo who plays old standards on the standup bass and guitar Very cool Highly recommended

Good: Fantastic Service: Perfect Ambiance: Wonderful I am so happy we tried this place. Lunch menu had many options. Server was so kind. And the food flavor was spot on. I highly recomend.

Update food good but a few comments early birds say come with bread none came none offered Credit card surcharge not mentioned nor posted Lunch menu served seven days a week per waitress yet when I called at 1 pm told no lunch menu Let's get pro

We truly can't say enough good things about this restaurant. This was our first visit, however, our family has been there before when it was owned by another owner. Our waitress Rebecca was very friendly and knowledgeable.

We were welcomed by the Manager, who nicely opened the front door and chatted with us. The hostess sat us right away. We were walked by a nice, full bar and a setup for a one/two man band. The upgrade to this restaurant is noticeable. We were celebrating two birthdays and they made a point to sing with the singer and the whole restaurant sang along. A nice touch. We had a delicious app which was like a pasta purse filled with cheese and a piece of pear. It was drizzled with oil and it was simply tasty. For our meals, we ordered the gnocchi bolognese (creamy and delicious), the Chilean sea bass over risoto (melted in your mouth), and double boned in stuffed pork chop (tasty and unlike any other) and a NY strip. We had a wonderful experience, felt more personal, and we'll definitely recommend and return!

Another great night at Positano's. Delicious food, attentive friendly staff, interesting wine list, and live music too. Baci and his team made it a memorable evening. I had the pork chop that's the best.

We dropped in here on a Sunday to spend some time with friends and enjoy a good meal. The food was great. We tried the sausage with broccoli rabe and mozzarella appetizers. I had the chicken arrabiatta sauce. All the food items were great. The service and atmosphere was where it went wrong. We were seated in a room with no lights on. It was rather dark and asked numerous times for lights to be turned on. There was no music or anything just a dark quiet room. I heard someone mention the owner was coming in and bam! Lights were turned on and music was playing. Not sure if we will be back which is sad because the food was great.

POSITANO'S!!! THAT WAS THE BEST MEAL I HAVE EVER EATEN! Yall are sleeping on the most authentic Italian Food in Florida and it's not even close. POSITANO'S next to Sweet Caroline's in PH is absolutely to die for. The ingredients were all so authentic you could taste each individual one. Everything was a perfect blend without being too rich. I have heartburn and can't eat red sauce typically but this was culinary perfection! They also serve lunch which is a bit cheaper than the dinner menu. We had Mozzarella Caprese, Fiocchi, & Tuscan Fish Chowder as an appetizer. For our entrees we had Penne alla Vodka and Shrimp & Chicken Picotta. Our server Leonarda was from Rome which was invaluable to have a local guide us through the different flavor & ingredient pairings to select the right one and I was not disappointed. The restaurant is so cute inside nice and romantically lit with a live Jazz singer. How can you be YALL REALLY REALLY NEED TO GO GIVE THEM A TRY YOU WON'T REGRET IT! Posit

Delicious food in a classic Italian restaurant. An on-line coupon $20 off when you spend $40, MDW, favorite Florida cousin, and myself could not resist... Service, by Austin, was flawless, the three of us ordered off of the special lunch menu, chicken piccata , shrimp francese, and chicken saltimbocca alla romana were all simply delicious, and they seemed like more than lunch portions, the pasta for each entree was cooked perfectly. We all loved our selections, and will be most definitely be back...

Always a fantastic dinner with great Service and live music. My Wife and I Love it. We are very impressed with the Various Dishes they serve. And a nice bottle of wine from their excellent Wine list! We will be back soon with Friends.

We wanted to find a classy Italian neighborhood restaurant to celebrate our anniversary. Positano's definitely fits that bill. We made an early reservation last Saturday to beat the crowd and we were seated promptly. Sean took our drink order while we looked over the menu. He also brought out some fresh crusty bread with an excellent dipping sauce. I ordered the ribeye and my wife ordered the chicken piccata. Both were great. You can tell when a chef pays attention to details when the sides are delicious. My mashed potatoes and roasted veg were outstanding and my steak was charred nicely and done to my preferred temp. Her chicken piccata came with angel hair and a very nice sauce. The live jazz music started at 6:00. They are good and not too loud so you can still enjoy your meal. We shared a tiramisu and coffees for dessert. We will be back to try more menu items in the future.

This is the first time we've come back since the new owner took over. My husband and I debated whether it felt more like eating in an SNL skit or at a nursing home. We were there on a Sunday night and their "lounge singer" was an elderly man singing love songs from the 70s on a karaoke machine... Poorly. The elderly patrons seemed to enjoy him though. As a positive, the server was fantastic! The food was decent. It was a bit on the bland side, but you can tell that the pasta is freshly made. I'm not sure why they don't serve pizza anymore though. It seems like that was something they were known for. I would give this 1 star for the atmosphere, but maybe 3.5 for the food.

Not our first visit, but may be the last for a while. We ate here a few months ago and everything was great. We stopped in Saturday night and left disappointed. We were sat right away which was great. Ordered drinks and an appetizer and the bread was on the table within a few minutes of being seated. After about 15 minutes we had not gotten our appetizer, but the waitress took our dinner order. Normally we would have waited, but surely the appetizer wasn't going to be much longer since it was just shrimp scampi and the restaurant wasn't that busy. Another 10-15ish minutes passed and our salads came out, but still no appetizer. We had to ask for utensils twice before actually receiving them. Our server was also the second bartender and instead of getting us utensils when we first asked for them before our food started to arrive she made a comment about how the host should have done that and then went behind the bar to dry cups and put them away. Before we finished our salads the appetizer finally arrived and our dinner arrived less than 5 minutes later. So on our small round table we had to shuffle dishes to try to get everything to fit. The shrimp scampi had a good flavor but the toast served with it was pretty hard and had to be soaked in the sauce to be able to eat it. The disappointment continued into the main entree as the veal Parmesan was also over-cooked and dry. Our waitress did not actually deliver any of our food, but again she was doing two jobs that night. Our waitress made sure we had drinks but wasn't really paying attention to what we had since I had to ask her to stop filling my cup, which previously had alcohol in it, with water since we already had 3 full cups of water and a beer on the table for two people. Maybe it was just an off night for the restaurant, but for the price of the food most patrons like myself expect above average food and service which were both lacking that night.

The service was great and the food extraordinary. They served the best eggplant parmesan I have ever tasted (and I'm a great cook) and the wild shrimp appetizer was delicious. All their seafood is wild which is a very big bonus for this diner. The bread was so good as well. I can't wait to return. Susan Park Palm Harbor

Excellent Italian restaurant in the same plaza as Mystic Fish on Tampa Road in Palm Harbor. Vibe on a Wednesday night was mostly old fashioned date night with dinner, dancing, drinks, and many regulars, mostly aged 55-75 listening to an entertaining lounge singer belting out Italian and Elvis covers near the lively bar. The food was the absolute star, as good as my formerly favorite Tampa Bay Italian institution--Donatello--used to be, and at half the price. The egg plant rollatini was amazing--despite my poor spelling. lol. The only problem was that the portion was so large that I had no room for cannolis! Service was good. The walls could use some fresh paint.

This was our third visit since new ownership. And it has been a positive experience each time. The remodel very much improves the overall experience. Our server was absolutely a professional, engaging, anticipated timing very well. We had multiple dishes and each one was very good! And they have live entertainment that does not over- power the conversation, even sitting close. Great place!!

The Chicken Marsala was tasteless; chicken was tough. Waitress became angry when I could not eat it - and proceeded to package up the dish for me to take home and when I told her I did not want it, displayed more anger. The entire experience at this establishment was terrible.

From beginning to end 5 stars. As we came in we noticed the great Xmas decorations and beautiful Xmas tree, we than had a very warm greeting (ended up being the owner) we were seated and our server greeted us with in a minute. We each had a glass of wine and then the Amazing food started. The bread basket had warm crusty bread that was soft in the middle and a roasted garlic seasoned olive oil. (best bread at a restaurant in years. Next we shared the 3 cheese truffle pasta purse in a sage cream sauce.... OMG!!! ORDER THIS, it was a 10, so good I would come back over and over just for this. I had the veal Saltimbocca and my wife had the Chicken Arrabiata. Both were delicious my veal was tender, and the sauce was perfect. it was served over perfectly cooked angel hair pasta. We finish with coffee and an order of Tiramisu which again was really good. I am a foodie and was in the restaurant business in NY. When I say it was good... it is good. Trust me food and service here are well worth it. We will be back regularly.

We have been regulars at this establishment for over 8 years. Always enjoyed the food and ambiance, despite a few snafu's with service. We were saddened when it closed, but we're excited yet nervous when not long after they announced they would reopen. Unfortunately our suspicious were confirmed, as their portions have suffered greatly, while pricing has maintained or increased. We'll try it again in the future but we will give it time in hopes it will come back around..

We had a terrible experience. Food with mediocre, service was less than par. And prices were way too high.

Clams Portono, eggplant parmigiana, veal parmigiana, glass of wine and a vodka soda. Service was cute, friendly and fast. Different owner but the food is top of the line still. The standout was the Clams. A delicious Portugal style that had us wishing there were more , even with the large serving. Prices are a little high but surprisingly the drinks were reasonable.

We absolutely love this restaurant. The food, entertainment, all the staff is so friendly, accommodating and personable. They strive for the best service. The owner is super friendly. The chefs are amazing. You have to try the food and see for yourself. It's phenomenal. I love the Chicken Franchise it cuts like butter. My husband loves the filet. He says it's the best steak he ever had. Even better than Bern's Steak House. OMG, the drinks are outstanding too. And the wine list is spectacular. Now, I can't leave out the entertainment. The entertainers are super talented and Amazing! Come see for yourself. You will not be disappointed. I highly recommend a reservation because it gets busy. Entertainment 6 days a week. Closed on Mondays. Check it out! I promise you will Love it!!!

Delicious food, great service, wonderful atmosphere, tasty cocktails. Reasonable prices!

The freshest Italian meal I have eaten since Rome. Waitstaff kind are and highly competent.

I was in the area and heard mixed reviews about the restaurant - so I decided to stop in and have an early supper at the bar. Surprised they had news on but happy they seemed to have both Fox/MSNBC (like in a sports bar I like to watch multiple games, I like to hear the news on all stations) ... until realizing the MSNBC screen was paused. Asked after 10 mins if they could check on the problem and it seemed the bartender wasn't going to check - it's broken, he thinks ... but someone (owner?) figured out how to get it back on. During that time the man to my right loudly said no need to get it working and then made a disparaging comment about the station while they were working on it (actually the same comment 3xs - loud enuf for everyone in the area to hear.) He's a patron (I guess?) and I was dining alone so I wasn't going to engage and make an uncomfortable situation worse But my problem was that the owner - or anyone - offered no comment to counter him ... maybe say well thats your opinion but others might have a different one? Maybe say that's why we have multiple tvs? Maybe say we want all patrons to be comfortable here? Nope - Crickets Onto the food, salad (Gorgonzola dressing) and bread were all top notch! Penne alla vodka was split - the sauce was ok but bland and the chicken was dry. One glass of HH Chardonnay and entree $39.86 (without tip). Under normal circumstance, I'd give a first visit restaurant another try with my hubby or friends, but IMHO I didn't feel welcome there and esp at that price point we won't return.

We were repeat offenders of the original location and were saddened to see it leave. When we heard it was reopening by new owners, we were excited as they were bringing back the old menu we fell in love it. We figured we'd wait awhile to let the new owners work out the kinks. We were delighted to see the interior of the building has had minor changes such as added bar and the band moved from the back to the front. They fixed the wine menu and the Pinot noir I ordered was packed with flavor. We revisited some of our old likings and were saddened to see the quantity and some of the quality of the food was altered. The stuffed mushrooms only had 4 and was a little pricey compared to the "old" menu that offered more. Delicious, yes, but not worth the cost anymore. Additionally, they tweaked the fettuccini Alfredo & no longer offer the wide noodles that once was there (& extremely crave-able). The portion sizes have seemed to have gone down in size and def a different authentic taste than the original. The food was good and we will be back as it's local. But sad that the small changes they had made has hindered the taste of some of our old classics. We will just order different dishes that don't associate us with the old name and stay a new. We love to explore new foods anyways! Def recommend the shrimp bisque though. Also the jazz band was a good change of pace!

We had a wonderful dinner this evening at Positano's. Our friends wanted to try it, and since it's reopening about a year or more ago we've not had the opportunity. It's tucked into a strip shopping center on Tampa Rd. In Palm Harbor. We were so pleased! Everything was spot on from the Italian Margarita, crusty bread, and delicious olive oil, dip, fabulous Fiocchi appetizer, which I forgot to take a picture of as well as our entrées. The only comment was from my husband who said the clam Fra Diablo was a tad too Diablo lol. All four of us were really pleased. The service was impeccable as well. There was nice music in the background, a musician singing oldies but goodies. We asked, and they even lowered the music for us so we could talk comfortably. I have no idea why the dining room wasn't full to capacity, but it was only a Tuesday after all! Will definitely return. Don't look at the 3.5 stars. This is probably due to the prior ownership. We will definitely return.

Leslie and I have returned for a second time after ownership changed to Bachi. This ristorante is a favorite of ours. So relaxing, music is soothing, and the food has so much soul and taste. Our friend Bachi is a great host and we always have an enjoyable conversation with him. Leslie reports the spaghetti bolognese exceeded all expectations. My spaghetti alla puttanesca with shrimp is a definite one to order each time we are here. The home made fresh baked sour dough bread with the olive oil herb mix was out of this world. The ambiance is one of the best in the county. Such a great place to enjoy on a Sunday afternoon.

And it's back! Made the trip out to the re-opened Positano's for the first time since the new ownership and I dare to say they leveled up. My only complaint up front was that it's a long experience and you should expect to be there for a couple hours. With that said, everything was exceptional! The menu is almost the same as before with the exception of changing the bread to an incredible Sourdough that I would return just for that. Our waitress was incredible, fun and enjoyable as was the rest of the staff we encountered. The owners were in the bar area and genuinely thanked us for coming in. We ordered the Mozzarella Caprese and Mozzarella Marinara to start. House Salad and Minestrone Soup before our entrees. The same guy that made the incredible house salads before is still there and they have stayed the same! For entrees we got Lasagna, Baked Ziti, center cut Filet and Chicken Parm. Everyone at the table said it was as good or better than before! The restaurant is the same inside as before with a great bar area and comfortable live music. 10/10 recommend going back or giving it a try for your first time!

POSTANOES CEASAR SALAD is made with with dark green romaine, the lettuce on the outside that should be thrown out is added to the salad..The salad should be crunchy not soft and chewy. Raise the price a little and make it desirable. Thr lighter the greens the better the salad. A competitor is $2.00 more, but it comes with a crunchy salad and warm fresh italian bread with a delicious dipping sauce.

Food was great! Leonarta the waitress from Rome was very good. The owner Bacci was super friendly!! Music was quite entertaining. Wednesday , Italian night ! Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin tunes. Before 5:00 is their dinner special . Bread was excellent!!

It had been several years since I have been, but recently went for a birthday dinner. Let's just say that the newest owners have completely turned that place around. The food, service, and atmosphere have been completely upgraded. They start your meal with fresh baked bread served with olive oil that they make themselves. Entrees come with soup or salad, and they serve REAL Italian food!

The server was so personable and gracious Music was such an added touch. Loved celebrating my daughter 's success there. Cannoli was the best I've had. You really need to go!!

New owner. Wow. The sourdough bread at the beginning of the meal is spectacular as were the entrees and salad. Great live music adds to the Italian supper club feel. This place is a gem! We loved it.

Food was excellent;service not so much. 2 hour wait with reservations for entrees. Very, very slow for the price

The food was incredible. The service was great. The live music really adds to the overall experience. If you are looking for a fun place with food food this is it.

I think we just found our favorite restaurant in Pinellas County! It was hard earned and we've been through a lot of food and spaces but this time, I feel like we finally SCORED!!! So much so that I kinda wanted to write the chef a love letter! We watched other food come out--the lasagne looks AMAZING! We had Calamari to start, then the AMAZING bread and olive oil dip---that could've been my last meal and I would've died happy!! The house salad was delicious (it's how I make my own salads-same ingredients so it was terrifically like home!) and then we both got special. I got the Pollo Toscana--GIRL!!!!! you have no idea!!! Some of my fav veggie elements with a creamy spicy sauce, 100!!! Hubby got the ribeye and wanted to share but I was too involved with my own food, LOL! He seemed to really enjoy it. But like I said--I have a yummy sauce, mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, spinach---Im in deep over here--not really thinking about a steak. He did murmur something about spinach and veggies but honestly--I was so mesmerized by my own plate I couldn't focus on anything else. Honestly, like a said...a love letter feels in order. Absolutely delicious!

Food was prepared as ordered Service was good and alert Ambiance was warm Tried restaurant with new owners even after previous negative remarks was worth it

Tried it for the first time. We are from LI, NY where italian food is amazing so we have high standards. The bread was freshly baked and the dipping oil was yummy. The waitress was super attentive and came back to check on us multiple times. We got the calamari which was good. I got the cesar salad and it was good as well. I ordered the penne alla vodka with chicken. I wanted the chicken to be crispy instead of grilled. The waitress told me she recommended the grilled and now I know why. It was rubbery and gross. I took one bite and was done. Chicken cutlet is something so standard at any italian restaurant that should be good. The penne alla vodka also had no flavor unfortunately. I added cheese and that was the only thing that added flavor. My husband got a seafood dish and he said it was pretty good. So overall not terrible but also not enough to bring a new yorker back.

Stopped in just as they opened. Just wanted a quick capuchino and an espresso. We ended up staying for a meal! Had the fiocchi for an appetizer. The different tastes of cheese, fig and prosciutto in a noodle were amazing! We had the salmon on a bed of spinach as the main. The pan seared salmon was perfectly crusted on the sides and outside while the middle moist and flavorful. The staff is friendly and attentive. There's a nice vibe by the bar with what seems to be regulars. Recommend the cappuccino martini. I was told the difference is an espresso martini doesn't have the Baileys cream, which makes sense! They have live music later I was told and are all booked until later in the evening. I would recommend a reservation on the weekend nights. It's under new ownership. Bachi is so personable. You can tell he cares about his customers when he greets regulars by name when they come in. Overall great experience! I'll definitely be a regular here when I'm in the area!

Definitely not closed Re opened early April Very good menu meal service and atmosphere My first visit and a new go to favorite Everyone said same Excellent meals and all said would return Two menus Regular and early bird I like it cause early bird is not only a little less expensive but also smaller portions After being a little sick I can't eat as much so a welcome change

Went to Positano's for dinner to celebrate my brother's birthday. Everything was perfect! The restaurant is a little touch of Italy! They have live music which is a very nice touch. They serve bread and the most delicious infused olive oil as soon as you sit down. The food is delicious from appetizers to dessert. They are also willing to make any dish any way you'd like.They have a great drink menu and a very nice wine selection straight out of Italy. The service is excellent. Our waitress name was Leonarda and she was excellent.The owner is very friendly and accommodating. I can see why my brother and sister in law love this place!

We were with a group of about 35 or 40 on a Wednesday night to hear Dino in the lounge. The food was really good. The entertainment delightful. Our server, Laurie and her twin sister, were perfect even with a large group.

Here's a tale of being held hostage, getting screamed at by the owner and told to "get thr fvck out, also being told to go to a soup kitchen instead and much much more. Buckle up and prepare yourselves. It took 3 1/2 hours to get our entrees. We WERE a large party of 15. Didn't order anything in the way of apps, except for 2 that were shared. At one point we were approached by another server and said that "management was offering a free round of drinks" for the inconvenience. Now... if you read other reviews you'll see where the owner straight up says that a normal seating time is 1.5-2 hours because at Positano's they cook everything to order. They must also butcher whole animals with every order, fetch eggs from farmhouse chickens to make the pasta and harvest tomatoes to make Grandma's Sunday sauce because even 1.5-2 hours for a normal table is an unreasonable wait time. HOWEVER. If the food was outstandingly delicious and the side salads didn't come out 2.5hrs before the entrees... this could be overlooked. I am a hospitality professional, I have worked in many high-end fine-dining locations across Tampa Bay for many years. I own my own small business as well and understand the struggle. I have a degree in Hospitality Management and currently work for a global company that operates restaurants in airports around the world. I have a food safety management certification as well as an FDA food processing certification. I shared none of this last night with the owner because I don't believe any of that is important and I don't throw weight around like that. The owner was in a t-shirt and jeans, proceeded to sit at the bar all night with a group of employees and family drinking the night away. When we requested to speak with him in the middle of our dining time he came over, laughing sharing that he is very understaffed, 2 people called out in the kitchen (mind you the 2 people that called out are family members of his, but I digress), and just a laundry list of excuses. Said he was a Chef by trade, so why wasn't he assisting in the kitchen with the staff that was so clearly struggling. He said he couldn't keep cooks more than a shift or two and now I see why. Our server Kayla was outstanding. She was empathetic to the wait times, serially apologetic despite us telling her she has no reason to apologize since she wasn't cooking the food and she did a FANTASTIC job at managing a really tough situation. So much so that we directly took her Venmo and sent her a direct tip because, reportedly, their tips are altered by management with ZERO clear communication as to how it's broken down. At the end of the meal when we received our checks... mind you this was about 11:30pm, when I saw that all of our bills were not adjusted based on the service, attitudes, etc I again asked for the owner to discuss. When he arrived at the table we explained why we were unhappy with how the checks were handled and he just chuckled, my wife looked at him and said "do better" and he snatched the check and walked away. He then proceeded to physically touch the waitress over at the bar, and was berating her, blaming her for our experience. Overhearing this I got up and walked over to them and said to him that the only reason we were still in the restaurant is because of her and her service. If it weren't for her we would have left 2 hours ago. Two members of our party actually did leave because when they were served, they were not given the gluten free options. Our waitress was fired, I was called a "fat piece of shit" and was told to "shut the fuck up", was told that I "take up too much space" and much much more. I don't know what's happening in this restaurant but I assure they won't be open much longer. This "man" has NO business running restaurants. I don't care about the insults to my physical appearance. I care about staff and customers being treated with respect and not served flavorless, garbage food. Honest... the food was very very bad. Please don't give this restaurant a DIME. Do better.

First impressions matter!Atmosphere was very nice. The bartender used a ratty looking rag to wipe the bar. Though it may have been clean, it did not look professional. Fiber cloth would be appropriate for the vibe they are trying to set. There was a server hanging out at the bar. I suppose she wasn't busy. Did not look professional. I had a glass of wine and left. I enjoy finding new, classy, quality, professional restaurants. It doesn't matter the cost. There are plenty of others far better than this.

food was excellent definitely worth a return visit. service was very good and the ambiance was very pleasant!!!

Food was outstanding Service was right on it! Music was great! Best of all the company. Everyone had nothing but good things to say about Positano. Will be back.

Went tonight food was amazing & our server Rebecca was the best I've had in a long time , knew the menu & wines. Will be back

I don't often write reviews. If I like a restaurant, I tip well. If I don't enjoy the restaurant, I just don't go back. I disagree with a rating below 4.5! That said, I feel Positano's in Palm Harbor deserves my time to write/post the following: I first went there last year and found the food and service to be enjoyable. However, my recent visit was to compare my previous dining experience to the new Positano's that has been redone by a current owner. The difference is quite noticeable. The current Positano's has a very relaxed, cozy atmosphere which is important. Better yet, the food and service is exceptional! We chose different dishes so that we could compare them with the previous diners and were quite impressed with the true Italian cuisine. My guest is Sicilian and is a foodie so the fact that he agreed with my high praise is confirmation. I had the eggplant parmesan with angel hair pasta. The best I have ever had. My guest chose baked ziti. Both dishes were excellent, served hot, fresh and with a very pleasant server, Leonarda, We plan on making Positano's our "go to" restaurant for Italian dining.