Best Live Music Restaurants in Palmetto

Christmas Day Dinner - place was packed, servers were busting their guts with positivity and hustle. Dinner was delicious.

Scarpino’s is our favorite Italian restaurant in Bradenton! The food is top notch. Our server Samantha is always great!

UPDATED as of 12/23/2024: This was one of my wife’s favorite restaurants, she loves the vibe - and the foods pretty good. However, this most recent experience was highly unfavorable and disappointing. To start, we were seated - then waited over 15 minutes for someone to walk up to our table, she took our drink orders… she then went to grab our server. I thought nothing of it, because we are so used to high caliber service here… so we looked past it. An hour goes by, and we have seen our waiter between 4 or 5 times. The other tables around us - their waiters were very present and visited their table every few minutes. We rarely order alcohol, but our drinks were not as great as we remembered. However, the food was incredible (awesome job to the kitchen)! I then was brought a Diet Coke, when I ordered a regular coke - so there were just mishaps all over the place (besides the kitchen). I then sat and waited over 20 minutes for our waiter to come back by so I could pay the bill. I ended up going to the hosts to ask for our waiter, and it still took longer than I thought it should for him to come to our table. I am typically a VERY generous tipper, and for the first time in over 10 years I tipped below 20%… my wife was utterly shocked - because she had never seen me tip that low. Things took a turn when I received a call from the manager because of a thumbs down on the survey as I paid the bill. She apologized profusely and stated would have a coaching with the gentleman serving our table. She truly understood how they fell below par, given our previous experiences there. She stated she would send me a gift card (via mail), and text me so I would have her contact and to let her know the next time my wife and I were coming. Update: My wife and I received the gift card in the mail, and will return very soon. Thank you American Social for making this right, I appreciate it.

Everything was remarkable. Our waitress was very attentive and nice.

Traverna Toscana Finally, an upscale restaurant bringing a touch of class to downtown Bradenton! My wife and I decided to venture out last Friday night to try the newly opened Traverna Toscana, and it did not disappoint. The executive chef’s carefully curated menu was impressive, with the octopus standing out as our favorite dish of the evening. My wife, who rarely tries such cuisine, was pleasantly astonished by how delicious it was. The complementary lemon butter sauce? Simply unbelievable—so good! There are several other enticing items on the menu that have us eager to return. The main course was equally well-prepared and enjoyable. I opted for the 33-day-aged ribeye, which featured the perfect balance of a beautifully seared crust and a juicy, flavorful center. Cooked to perfection, it was a highlight of the night. To accompany our meal, we chose the 2021 Jayson Pahlmeyer Napa red. While the wine was delicious, it felt slightly overpriced—perhaps the Caymus would have been a better value. We ended the night with a lemon cheesecake, and all I can say is: WOW! If you’re looking for a wonderful dining experience in Bradenton, I highly recommend trying Traverna Toscana. This gem is sure to impress!