Ama la Vita Ristorante

Name: Ama la Vita Ristorante
Address: 1551 Main Street, Sarasota, FL, United States, 34236
Telephone: (941) 960-1551
Price range: $31 to $50
Rating: 4.9

4.9

496 Reviews

$31 to $50

Italian

Top tags:

Ama La Vita means "Love Life" At Ama La Vita we believe that the greatest memories we give each other are often sharing meals and creating traditions. Tricia, owner of Ama La Vita would like to invite you to their dining room in true Italian fashion. Come and enjoy a table of good food and wine creating memories, laughing, and loving life with family and friends.

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Dec 7, 2023

7:00 p.m.

Booked 10 times today

Experiences are available.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Italian, American, Seafood
Hours of Operation
Brunch Sat 9:00 am–1:00 pm Dinner Mon–Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Phone number
(941) 960-1551
Website
https://www.amalavitasrq.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress Code
Business Casual
Owned/operated by
Women
Private party facilities
Ama La Vita Ristorante is available for your special dining experience. Please contact Tricia or Danny for more details.

Location
1551 Main Street, Sarasota, FL 34236
Neighbourhood
Sarasota
Cross Street
Located on Main Street between Lemon Ave and Orange Ave.
Parking Details
Street Parking
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

Ring In The New Year!
US$185.00 per person
Prepaid
Dec 31, 2023 only
Enjoy a Premium Dining Experience this New Year's Eve in our beautiful dining room. We will have an intimate experience at 8pm. A Luxury Tasting Menu to celebrate the New Year! Our traditional Amuse Bouche with complimentary Prosecco, Premium Meats, Vegetables, Shell and Fin Fish, Dessert and dessert wine. In addition, our boutique Wine List will be available at the time of service for purchase. We look forward to celebrating the New Year with you!

Popular dishes

Eggplant Rollatini
Thin Sliced Eggplant/ Egg washed and floured/ Ricotta/ Spinach/ Mozzarella/ Marinara
House Salad
Baby Spinach / Red Onion / Red Peppers / Olives / Cherry Tomatoes / Mozzarella / Mushrooms
Beet Salad
Baby Spinach / Roasted Red Beets / Goat Cheese / Red Onion / Sliced Almonds
Artichoke Oreganata
White Wine & Lemon / Toasted breadcrumbs and Parmesan Cheese
Burrata
Prosciutto/Roasted Red Peppers / Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes / Balsamic Glaze / EVOO
Caesar au Gratin or Traditional
Cold or Roasted Romaine Lettuce / Homemade Caesar Dressing / Shaved Parmesan
Clams or PEI Mussels
White or red
Arugula Salad
Arugula / Pine Nuts / Blueberries / Red Onion / Shaved Parmesan Cheese
Fried Calamari
Tender Calamari/ Flash Fried/ Spicy Marinara

Pasta

add Chicken or Sausage $6 or Shrimp $2.50 per piece to any pasta dish

Cacio e Pepe
Spaghetti/ Pecorino Romano Cheese / Fresh Cracked Pepper
Penne Bolognese
Penne/ Traditional Sicilian Meat Sauce
Puttanesca
Bucatini/ Capers / Olives / Anchovies
Penne Arugula
Prosciutto / Peas / Parmesan Cream / Fresh Arugula
Carbonara
Spaghetti/ Pan Fried Guanciale/ Pecorino Romano Cheese/ Cracked Pepper/ Egg Yolk
Amatriciana
Penne/ Pan Fried Guanciale/ Marinara/ Olive Oil/ Touch of Red Pepper

Entrees

Chicken Francaise
Bell and Evans Chicken Breast/ Egg Washed and Floured/ Pan Seared / White Wine/ Butter/ Lemon
Stuffed Pork Chop
Center cut Chop/ Stuffed/ Prosciutto/ Spinach/ Mozzarella/ Asiago/ Topped with Mushroom Marsala Demiglaze/ Roasted Potatoes
Diver Scallops and Jumbo Shrimp
Fettuccini/ Sun-dried Tomatoes/ Shiitake Mushrooms/ Parmesan Cream Sauce
Flounder Francaise
Filet of Flounder/ Egg washed and floured/ White Wine/ Butter/ Lemon/ over Sautéed Spinach
Halibut
Poached Halibut/ Topped with Parmesan Reggiano Romano Cheese/ Touch Bread Crumbs Toasted/ Tomato Risotto
Chicken Cacciatore
Braised - Boneless Thighs / Tomatoes / Mushrooms / Roasted Peppers / Onions served over Parmesan Risotto
Flounder Oreganata
Filet of Flounder / White Wine and Lemon / Toasted Bread Crumbs / over Sautéed Spinach
Bourbon Pork
Bourbon Glazed Pork / Mushroom Parmesan Risotto / Fried Leeks
Veal Chop
Grilled 16oz Bone In Veal Chop/ Sautéed Spinach topped with Poached Egg/ Parmesan Cream
Eggplant Parmesan
Sliced Eggplant breaded / Marinara / Mozzarella/ Spaghetti Marinara
Stuffed Pork Chop
Center cut Chop/ Stuffed/ Prosciutto/ Spinach/ Mozzarella/ Shiitake Mushroom Marsala Demiglaze/ Roasted Potatoes

Desserts

Desserts
All desserts are handmade. Ask about Tricia's Coconut cake and other daily treats!

What 496 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.9

4.9 based on recent ratings

4.9Food
4.9Service
4.7Ambience
4.7Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Tampa / Central Florida West
Best Overall
Tampa / Central Florida West
Best Food
Tampa / Central Florida West
Best Value
Tampa / Central Florida West
Italian
Sarasota / Bradenton
Best Overall
Sarasota / Bradenton
Best Food
Sarasota / Bradenton
Best Service
Sarasota / Bradenton
Best Value
Sarasota / Bradenton
Good for special occasions
Sarasota / Bradenton
Italian

496 Reviews

MF
MarkF
New York Area
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 7 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
One of our favorite places to dine in Sarasota county. Fabulous food surpassed only by quality of their wait staff.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
New York Area
4 reviews
vip
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on November 28, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Wonderful as always- excellent food, great service!
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Cincinnati
19 reviews
vip
5.0
19 reviews
Dined on November 28, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience4
Best red sauce in Sarasota!
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W
Willyroble
Miami - Dade
16 reviews
vip
4.0
16 reviews
Dined on November 25, 2023
overall4food4service3ambience3
Small and cozy place. Variety of dishes with excellent quality. The rice ball and artichoke for appetizers are great . Excellent pastas and stuffed pork. Good quality of wines. The service is good.
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RS
RonS
Tampa
9 reviews
vip
5.0
9 reviews
Dined on November 22, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience4
This is always one of our favorites and our daughter’s favorite Italian restaurant in Sarasota…the food and service is always terrific and the wine lis is varied and reasonably priced
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M
Marie
New York Area
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on November 19, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Our party of 4 all loved our meals! We shared the arancini (rice ball) and artichoke oreganata apps. Very tasty! The rice ball sauce was delicious. Our entrees, eggplant parm, pasta puttanesca, pene amatriciana and scallops and shrimp over risotto were cooked to perfection, the pasta sauces were all delicious. The chocolate cake for dessert was light not dense but was also delicious! We will definitely be back to try other items on the menu! I also want to mention the service was excellent and all the staff were very friendly.
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H
Heidi
Philadelphia
20 reviews
vip
5.0
20 reviews
Dined on November 19, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Personal friendly service, warm cozy atmosphere, amazing food, great wine menu, new delicious beers added to menu! Highly recommend!!
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TD
ToniD
New York Area
31 reviews
vip
5.0
31 reviews
Dined on November 19, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
This is always our go to restaurant and always the first one we go to when we are back in Sarasota- amazing food - amazing people! It doesn’t get much better than this!!
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FF
F1Fan
Atlanta Metro
94 reviews
vip
5.0
94 reviews
Dined on November 18, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience4
Celebrated my wife’s birthday. She loved our first visit to AMA La Vita! We preferred a bottle of Pinot Noir that was great, ordered the artichokes appetizer that was fabulous! For dinner we ordered the shrimp, the chicken, pasta and a special. They were all great and the portions were healthy sized. We will be back on our next visit to Sarasota.
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JZ
JaniceZ
Tampa
3 reviews
vip
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on November 16, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent food, service and ambiance. The most authentic southern Italian food I have tasted in the Sarasota area. I have lived here 18 years and I am Italian American. My niece, whose husband owns a restaurant and two Italian deli's in another state, also felt the food was excellent. Nice to not have loud music that you cannot enjoy your dinner conversation.
1 person found this helpful
CB
CathyB
New York Area
11 reviews
vip
5.0
11 reviews
Dined on November 14, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Always a great experience at Ama La Vita. Our favorite place for dinner!
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SC
SueC
Seattle
14 reviews
vip
5.0
14 reviews
Dined on November 11, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
A great brunch! Vegetable omelet was outstanding. The potatoes were so tasty!! My husband and I shared not one, but two fresh muffins. The French press coffee was the perfect compliment. So good!!!
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c
cynthia
Washington DC
60 reviews
vip
5.0
60 reviews
Dined on November 10, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
the brushetta which was a special first course was delicious, ripe tomatoes, flavorful on crisp toast. Home baked bread was delicious as well as olive oil and grated parmesan cheese served on the side. Extensive well selected wine list
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C
Chappy
Columbus
8 reviews
vip
5.0
8 reviews
Dined on November 9, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
This was our first visit to Ama la Vita and we have booked a second visit for this week. All four of us had outstanding dinners however we agreed that the calamari was just ok. The owner, Tricia, went out of her way to make us feel valued and helped us choose wines. Tricia bakes the bread for her restaurant and also bakes the coconut cake which is out of this world. All four of us rate Ama la Vita extremely high.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Greater Boston
7 reviews
vip
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on November 8, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Second time dining here food was delicious both times excellent service, very hospitable
1 person found this helpful
OT
OpenTable Diner
Tampa
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on November 4, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent service, outside seating available and the food was remarkable. I highly recommend.
Is this helpful?
H
Heidi
Tampa
10 reviews
vip
5.0
10 reviews
Dined on November 3, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience4
We’ve been here before and it’s an absolute pleasure to dine here. We were outside (our choice) and it was a little tight (that’s why ambiance got 4 stars) The eggplant Parmesan was tender and delicious and the flounder francaise was succulent and the spinach was so tasty. The portions were large .our waitress Suzanne (?) was very friendly and it’s always a delight when the owner , Tricia comes out to say hello.
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BR
BigRed1
Philadelphia
114 reviews
vip
5.0
114 reviews
Dined on November 2, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Having recently purchased a place in Sarasota this has quickly become a go to spot. Wonderful owner, excellent food, and a nice ambiance all on Main Street. The eggplant fritter to start is excellent. I’ve enjoyed the clams in white wine, the chicken francaise and the frutti de mare to name a few. Save room for Tricia’s delicious coconut cake at the end. It’s outstanding!
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BT
BobT
Naples
8 reviews
5.0
8 reviews
Dined on October 28, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Wow!!!! What a great place. The food was remarkable and the service was impeccable. Such a cozy place for your intimate dinner. I had the chicken Francaise that was the best I have ever had. MY wife ha the pasta bolognese an was just outstanding. I would recommend this restaurant to anybody that likes good food and service
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SC
SueC
Seattle
14 reviews
vip
5.0
14 reviews
Dined on October 25, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Another great meal at Ama!! One of our favorite places to eat in Sarasota. New menu items to try. The Eggplant Parm is delicious!! Special item meatballs were amazing!! Crème brûlée was also new and SO delicious!! Thank you Tricia and Suzanne for great service and a wonderful meal. Almost forgot…the new wine was a perfect choice. So so good 👍🏼🍷
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E
Excellent
Naples
133 reviews
vip
5.0
133 reviews
Dined on October 21, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Always a great dining experience at Ama la Vita. Highly recommended.
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a
anonymous
Tampa
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on October 14, 2023
overall5food5service3ambience3
I found this small hidden gem the other night and it was amazing. The food was tasty and the portions were very adequate. The wine list looked extensive. The place has a small, intimate atmosphere and was not too noisy. I was very pleased and would recommend it to family and friends.
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JK
JKHK
New York Area
12 reviews
vip
5.0
12 reviews
Dined on October 12, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Special additions to the menu this evening were Fruit de Mare and Pan seared Halibut served with fresh tomato risotto and topped with crabmeat...EXCELLENT!!! Always a wonderful dining experience with consistent food quality and friendly, attentive staff.
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FS
FranciscoS
Tampa
9 reviews
vip
5.0
9 reviews
Dined on October 11, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Exquisite food, large & beautiful wine list and supreme service.
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I
Iris
Miami - Dade
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on October 11, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great time with friends, and awesome food. The owner checked make sure we were happy with the food choice. A must while in Sarasota. Thank you to all who worked so hard to make customers number one!, Iris
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JC
JosephC
Seattle
7 reviews
vip
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on October 7, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great brunch with atmosphere and exceptional service
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CC
CCCCC
Greater Boston
7 reviews
vip
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on October 6, 2023
overall5food4service4ambience4
We love the feel of this place—you can hear your table mates as the background music is kept to a perfect low unobtrusive volume, the food is very good with some special dishes, and the bread is homemade. The friendly owner, Tricia, recommended an incredible jammy super Tuscan that was truly delicious, and I’m not a red wine lover. You should think of Ama La Vita next time you want a lovely dinner (or Sat brunch) out!
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R
Richard
Tampa
78 reviews
vip
4.0
78 reviews
Dined on October 6, 2023
overall4food4service4ambience4
Wonderful pasta and fish. Everything is home made, including the bread. Great wine list with a large selection of Italian wines as well as from other parts of the world.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
New York Area
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on October 5, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great experience and food Tricia makes you feel like this is her home
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CF
CardinalsFan11
New York Area
12 reviews
vip
5.0
12 reviews
Dined on October 3, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
The food was well prepared and the service first rate. Tricia, the owner, is friendly and welcoming. The menu was recently changed to make it even more tempting and delicious than it had been; which is saying quite a lot. The very best. Judge DeProspo
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D
David
Tampa
43 reviews
vip
4.0
43 reviews
Dined on September 30, 2023
overall4food5service5ambience3
Superior, genuine, attentive service. The menu was broad and it would be difficult to go hungry there. Certainly high quality dining in a bistro atmosphere. The red sauce was superb as was their lemon-wine sauce. Little salty on the risotto. Would have liked to have tried the octopus as that is the dish to me that you must get right. Not crowded at all. They deserve a room full of diners to keep this gem going. Mangia!
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KB
KeithB
Greater Boston
6 reviews
vip
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on September 30, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great little spot in downtown Sarasota. Friendly Staff ... Great Food ... Hidden Gem
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J
John
Charleston
65 reviews
5.0
65 reviews
Dined on September 26, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Our first visit to this small, downtown Sarasota Italian jewel and the dinging experience in all respects was 110%+ of our expectations.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Tampa
6 reviews
vip
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on September 23, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Dinner at Ama La Vita is always a wonderful experience. Tricia is a lovely and gracious host, and the food is always terrific—highly recommend!
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C
Chesh
Las Vegas
7 reviews
vip
4.0
7 reviews
Dined on September 22, 2023
overall4food4service3ambience4
Pleasant ambience. I ordered the Cacio E Pepe which was good, but not great. Too creamy any not as flavorful as anticipated and would have preferred linguine, rather than fettucini. My husband had Putenesca and again would have preferred classicial linguine rather than the bucatini. Our Gentelman server seemed more interested in other repeat customers. Felt we had to wait a bit too long for the service. The bread was excellent. Will try this place one more time.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Charleston
12 reviews
vip
5.0
12 reviews
Dined on September 13, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
What an experience! The owner came out to chat with us. She allowed us to experience various Italian wines and discussed the menu. Some of which she makes herself! The bolognese was some of the best I have had and our other guests raved about the halibut and the filets. We definitely recommend the coconut cake for dessert! The staff was so attentive, as well. We will be back for sure!
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BB
BobB
Tampa
14 reviews
5.0
14 reviews
Dined on September 9, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
I love this place. Always a great food selection choice, well prepared and presented, with great tastes. Staff is attentive and well informed. Wine selection is broad and reasonably priced. Don't miss the wonderful Coconut Cake desert baked daily by Tricia!!! and the other breads. You won't be dissapointed.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Greater Boston
17 reviews
vip
5.0
17 reviews
Dined on September 9, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Found this restaurant online and it had great reviews. Now I know why. The food was delicious from appetizers to desserts. Great service and loved the ambience. If you're looking for the typical Italian food like chicken parm or spaghetti and meatballs, you won't find that here. However, you can step out of the box and eat some outstanding food.
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E
Eddie
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on September 8, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
One of the best restaurants in Sarasota. Appetizers, entrees, & desserts were all delicious. Service was outstanding & recommendations did not disappoint. Reservations are a must. Can’t wait to go back & try something new on the menu or special.
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MA
MiltonAmarante
Jacksonville
15 reviews
vip
5.0
15 reviews
Dined on September 2, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Our dinner here was great! Susan was timely, sweet, & gave us very good service. The restaurant has menus that said happy Anniversary which made my wife really happy. We will definitely be back ❤️ Everyone that touched our table took the time to say happy anniversary. Thank you!
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Safety precautions

Cleaning & sanitising
- Surfaces sanitised between seatings
- Digital, disposable or sanitised menu provided
- Common areas deep-cleaned daily
- Sanitiser or wipes provided for customers
- Contactless payment available

FAQs

Ama la Vita Ristorante is rated 4.9 stars by 496 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Dec 7, 2023

7:00 p.m.

Booked 10 times today

Experiences are available.

1551 Main Street, Sarasota, FL 34236

Additional information

Cross Street
Located on Main Street between Lemon Ave and Orange Ave.
Neighbourhood
Sarasota
Hours of Operation
Brunch Sat 9:00 am–1:00 pm Dinner Mon–Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Italian, American, Seafood
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress Code
Business Casual
Parking Details
Street Parking
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Owned/operated by
Women
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
https://www.amalavitasrq.com/
Phone number
(941) 960-1551
Private party facilities
Ama La Vita Ristorante is available for your special dining experience. Please contact Tricia or Danny for more details.

Ama la Vita Ristorante

Make a reservation

Additional information

Ring In The New Year!

Eggplant Parmesan

Chicken Francaise

Puttanesca

Antipasta

Eggplant Rollatini

House Salad

Beet Salad

Artichoke Oreganata

Burrata

Caesar au Gratin or Traditional

Clams or PEI Mussels

Arugula Salad

Fried Calamari

Pasta

Cacio e Pepe

Penne Bolognese

Puttanesca

Penne Arugula

Carbonara

Amatriciana

Entrees

Chicken Francaise

Stuffed Pork Chop

Diver Scallops and Jumbo Shrimp

Flounder Francaise

Halibut

Chicken Cacciatore

Flounder Oreganata

Bourbon Pork

Veal Chop

Eggplant Parmesan

Stuffed Pork Chop

Desserts

Desserts

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Cleaning & sanitising

FAQs

How is Ama la Vita Ristorante restaurant rated?

Is Ama la Vita Ristorante currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information