Forlini's Restaurant

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Family Tradition Rooted in Italy

Forlini's is a genuine two-generation story. Domenic and Fulvia Forlini left their hometown of Umito, Italy and opened Domenic's Capri on Clearwater Beach in 1981, bringing with them the recipes and instincts of a true Italian household kitchen. Their sons Paul and Luke carried the tradition forward, opening Forlini's in 1998. Eventually the two restaurants merged into one, combining both menus and wine lists under the Forlini's name — a decision that made the whole greater than the sum of its parts.

The restaurant sits on the corner of Mandalay and Papaya Streets, directly across from the white sand beach and a block from Pier 60. It's a setting that invites a slow evening: a walk along the shore before dinner, a table with unhurried service, and a meal prepared to order.

The Food

The Italian cuisine here spans the full range of what that tradition means in practice. Starters include Mussels Bianco sautéed in white wine, lemon and garlic, calamari lightly floured and fried, and a Caprese of vine-ripe tomato and fresh mozzarella with reduced balsamic. Homemade pastas — gnocchi, lasagna, and whole wheat noodles that guests have singled out repeatedly — anchor the middle of the menu. The kitchen also takes fresh seafood seriously: Scallops Sinatra, a house signature, arrives in a tomato, caper, vodka and cream sauce over pasta, while the Misto Marinara brings together mussels, scallops, shrimp and conch in a light tomato sauce.

Veal scallopini comes in several preparations — piccata, saltimbocca with prosciutto di Parma and mozzarella, marsala — and the kitchen rounds things out with lamb chops, slowly braised osso buco, and a hand-cut filet mignon. Every entrée is served with soup or salad and homemade bread, the latter of which guests mention with notable enthusiasm.

Daily specials extend the menu further, and the kitchen's commitment to using only the finest ingredients runs through every section.

The Wine Cellar

Wine Spectator recognized Forlini's with its Best of Award of Excellence, and the cellar earns it. More than 650 selections from wine-producing regions around the world, with over 8,000 bottles stored in a temperature-controlled wine room — a collection built across two generations and more than three decades of ownership. Guests are welcome to tour the room and browse before choosing.

The Experience

Forlini's is the kind of place that rewards a reservation and a relaxed pace. The Italian cuisine is prepared to order, the service is attentive without being hurried, and the room carries the warmth of a restaurant that has been doing this for a long time and means it. Whether you're a first-time visitor to Clearwater Beach or a returning regular, the invitation is the same: come be part of the family.