Italian in Miami

Imagine a basic neighborhood Italian restaurant, and you’ll have thought of Amici’s. As the hosts say, “Amici means friend,” and you’ll be treated like one from the second you walk through the front door. And any member of the family — from grandpa to Tony Jr — will leave satisfied. Amici serves a variety of pizza — Sicilian-style and regular, white and red. A medium specialty pie ($10 to $13.95) feeds a couple of hungry kids, but go with a large three-topping pie ($16.20) or a large three-topping Sicilian ($17.25) to get a better bang for your buck. There are also Italian subs ($5.95 to $6.95), of course, filled with veal, eggplant, chicken, meatball parmigiana, and Italian sausage and peppers ($5.95). For a more adult (and less sloppy) choice, pick from plenty of pastas such as lasagna ($9.95) and spaghetti and meatballs ($9.95). Top off your Italian experience with cheesecake ($5.95). Or do as Vito does: Leave the gun and take the cannoli ($3.95).

Anacapri

5749 NW 7th St. Doral

305-266-1355

Italian, Best Of, Menu

1 article

Anacapri

12669 S. Dixie Highway East Kendall/Pinecrest

305-232-8001

Italian, Best Of, Menu

Anacapri sits pretty on a Ponce de Leon Boulevard corner in Coral Gables. The restaurant's unfinished beige walls and balconies with draping foliage boast a rustic Italian feel. Inside, lights are dim and table linens are crisp and white. Italian music lingers. Everything screams vintage wine and overpriced dishes. But at Anacapri, fine dining is affordable. Try the pasta e fagioli soup to start. It's made with cannelloni beans, pastina, roasted garlic, prosciutto, and Parmesan cheese. The warm soup tastes like it was prepared by an affectionate and opinionated Italian grandmother. For an entrée, choose the rigatoni Anacapri, prepared with prosciutto, onions, and the restaurant's signature light-pink sauce. To help foodies with tight wallets, Anacapri offers "stimulus meal packages." Diners can nosh on a salad, entrée, and dessert for a reduced price. And all wine bottles are half off on Mondays. For dessert, opt for the cannoli. Or score a handful of their delicious chocolate mints for free. They're presented in a ceramic bowl near the door. The atmosphere is lively at Anacapri. The attentive servers are welcoming and never let your glass run empty.

2 articles

Anacapri On The Mile

2530 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Coral Gables/S. Miami

305-443-8388

Italian, Restaurants, Menu

Anacapri sits pretty on a Ponce de Leon Boulevard corner in Coral Gables. The restaurant's unfinished beige walls and balconies with draping foliage boast a rustic Italian feel. Inside, lights are dim and table linens are crisp and white. Italian music lingers. Everything screams vintage wine and overpriced dishes. But at Anacapri, fine dining is affordable. Try the pasta e fagioli soup ($6) to start. It's made with cannelloni beans, pastina, roasted garlic, prosciutto, and Parmesan cheese. The warm soup tastes like it was prepared by an affectionate and opinionated Italian grandmother. For an entrée, choose the rigatoni Anacapri ($15), prepared with prosciutto, onions, and the restaurant's signature light-pink sauce. To help foodies with tight wallets, Anacapri offers "stimulus meal packages." Diners can nosh on a salad, entrée, and dessert for a reduced price, ($14.10 lunch, $18.10 dinner). And all wine bottles are half off on Mondays. For dessert, opt for the cannoli ($6). Or score a handful of their delicious chocolate mints for free. They're presented in a ceramic bowl near the door. The atmosphere is lively at Anacapri. The attentive servers are welcoming and never let your glass run empty.

1 article

Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza

17901 Biscayne Blvd. Aventura/North Miami Beach

305-830-2625

Pizza, Italian, Best Of, Readers' Choice

We'd argue that Anthony's has the best pizza this side of Italy - the blackened, bubbly crust is so authentic you can taste ancient culinary history in it. That's thanks to a coal-fired brick oven that cooks not only outstanding pies ($15.95 for a 12-inch, $18.95 for an 18-inch), topped with everything from broccoli rabe and arugula salad to breaded eggplant, but also roast beef for focaccia sandwiches ($7.95), chicken wings ($8.95 for ten, $14.95 for 20), and calzones ($14 for a small, $17 for a large). And Anthony's has been successful enough to prove us right: Many new locations have popped up with zero decline in quality. The menu is rounded out with a simple but fresh house salad ($8.95) and a slice of New York-style cheesecake ($4.50), both large enough for two.

5 articles

Anthony's Runway 84

330 W. State Rd. 84 Fort Lauderdale

954-467-8484

Italian, Best Of

If it's a classic red sauce restaurant you're after, look no further than Anthony's Runway 84 — Broward County's iconic restaurant and supper club. The dimly illuminated and vibey airline-themed establishment located off State Road 84 has been serving Italian-American staples since 1982 and underwent a year-long renovation in 2022. Be forewarned: It's never merely about dinner at Runway 84. Dress to impress (business casual is suggested and shorts aren't allowed), especially for the lively bar scene that extends far past happy hour. Assuming you've come to dine, start with heaping platters of hot or cold antipasti, fried calamari, and meatballs before moving on to mains like chicken parmigiana, veal scallopini, and spicy vodka sauce-soaked rigatoni. On Sunday, don't miss the special feast, a classic meat-based Sunday sauce served with meatballs and topped with a scoop of ricotta. After dinner, head back to the bar for a nightcap and dessert while soaking up the ambiance like the "made" Floridian you are.

9 articles

Antica Mare

7999 NE Bayshore Ct. Miami Shores/Biscayne Park

305-398-1001

Italian, Seafood

This Shorecrest stunner blends the tastes of Tuscany with unbeatable views of Biscayne Bay. Located at 7999 NE Bayshore Ct., Antica Mare is the sister restaurant of Marco Betti's award-winning Antica Posta in Buckhead, Atlanta, and delivers the same authenticity of its much older sister. Dive into a delicate array of pastas, risottos, fish, vegetables, meats, and ingredients, which are imported from Italy. The gnocchi ragù Toscano, which costs $16 as an appetizer and $22 as an entrée, is a must. And if homemade gnocchi with traditional Tuscan meat sauce doesn't fill you, indulge in the richness of Antica Mare's semifreddo ($8).

4 articles

Antico Pizza Napoletana

1058 Collins Ave., Miami Beach South Beach

786-216-7908

Pizza, Italian

1 article

Bàcaro

1625 Michigan Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139 South Beach

305-397-8248

Bars and Clubs, Italian

Chef Carlo Bernardini, has created a dynamic menu influenced by the rich cultures of Southern Mediterranean regions. The passion in cooking and in the dishes has been nurtured in this cultural mix with a contemporary approach in the taste and presentation, which is constantly evolving so expect always few surprises during your experience at Bàcaro. Located in the heart of South Beach, just few blocks away from our beautiful beaches, creating an ideal destination in South Miami.

Bàcaro Miami

1625 Michigan Ave., Miami Beach South Beach

305-397-8248

Italian, Menu

Baccano

169 NW 23rd St. Midtown/Wynwood/Design District

305-857-5722

Italian, Pizza, Bars and Clubs, Best Of, Slideshow

4 events 6 articles

Barsecco

1421 S. Miami Ave. Brickell

305-577-9809

Bars and Clubs, Bar Food, Italian, Readers' Choice

2 articles

Basilico Ristorante

5879 NW 36th St. Doral

305-871-3585

Italian, Recommended, Best Of, Menu

This family bistro adds a Latin touch to all manner of Italian cuisine. Seafoods are fresh and snappily prepared in simple fashion, and pastas are superb. If you can't choose, get the best of both worlds with the signature seafood linguine — perfectly cooked pasta heaped with mussels, clams, shrimp, and squid. Finish up with one of the fine homemade desserts; the chef suggests tiramisu.

2 articles

Bella Napoli Pizzeria & Restaurant

1443 Alton Rd., Miami Beach South Beach

305-672-1558

Italian, Pizza, Best Of, Menu

The food's not SoBe fancy. The décor -- a few tacked-up travel posters -- is about as glam as its location, in a mini-mall next to a gas station. As well as being easily overlooked by tourists, this little hole in the wall pizza place has been around for so long it's easy for locals to take it for granted. But prices aren't SoBe fancy either; it's hard to blow over $10 on dinner. And the old fashioned New York-style (non-designer) pies -- savory sausage/onion with extra cheese are particularly recommended -- can compete in quality with those at much-vaunted Steve's. Also good are the hot grinders, including some tasty options for vegetarians, like fried peppers and eggs, or eggplant parmigiana. The latter's also available as an entrée, so too are a number of other Italian-American favorites. And don't shun the basket of super-potent garlic bread on the table. Roughly a zillion calories each, the oil-soaked, soft rolls are well worth the week of dieting they necessitate.

1 article

Bellini

2988 McFarlane Rd. Coconut Grove

305-800-7672

Italian, Best Of

4 articles

Bertoni Brick Oven Pizza and Lounge

3462 Main Highway Coconut Grove

305-461-1322

Italian, Pizza, Recommended

There's a tiny, lush, wicker-filled oasis tucked away in Coconut Grove. And getting there is half the fun. Walk south on Main Highway and you might spot a gaggle of Hari Krishnas handing out flowers or a rouge rickshaw packed with tourists. Then there's the utter deliciousness that is La Dolce Vita Gelato's window. A few more steps past this colorful distraction is a long, narrow alley where you'll find a secret wonderland called Bertoni. It's a casual, starlit dining spot that's all about boho ambiance and cooking freshly made pizzas, empanadas, and panini on a visible open grill. Popular items include the arugula prosciutto ($15.50) and the mushroom and Parma ham ($14) pizzas. Both come complete with thin, crisp crusts and are just big enough for two people. It's a great pre-party spot, especially since music is always pumping and servers seem to be liberal with the wine. Bon appétit!

Bertoni Gelato Caffe

1300 Brickell Bay Dr. Brickell

786-347-5952

Cafe, Ice Cream/Gelato, Italian

2 articles

The Big Cheese of Miami

8080 SW 67th Ave. Coral Gables/S. Miami

305-662-6855

Pizza, Italian, Recommended, Best Of, Readers' Choice

The Big Cheese is the kind of pizzeria every neighborhood wishes it had. The staff is dedicated and efficient. Plates are piled high with Italian classics at bargain rates. Then there's the exquisite "Miami Slice," which comes topped with sweet baked ham and pineapple, savory ricotta cheese, and cinnamon. The menu spans several pages and includes imported Italian pasta, Michelle's boneless Buffalo wings (chicken fingers done Buffalo-style), fried-oyster caesar salad, and full meals (baked and sautéed pasta dishes, seafood, and plenty of other items). If you're overwhelmed by options, go for the classic lasagna — it's truly one of the tastiest and most affordable pasta dishes in Miami. Expect crowds. You won't find Italian food this good and this inexpensive anywhere else.

10 articles

Big Fish

55 SW Miami Ave. Brickell

305-373-1770

Italian, Seafood, Bars and Clubs, Music Venues

The famed restaurant has changed hands again. Food that formerly could be considered sort of Spanish is now sort of Italian. The emphasis, however, is still on seafood; only two appetizers, one pasta, and one entrée are nonfish dishes. Prices also are higher, with starters running from $7.50 to $12, pastas and rice $13 to $19, and entrées $18.50 to $27.50. These prices are deceptive, as most single items feed two. But just like before, the true attraction is Big Fish's setting -- spectacular, in a raffish way. With the neon-accented Metrorail glowing off to the left, the lights of downtown Miami just across the river, a drawbridge to the right, and all sorts of river traffic (freighters, fishing boats, luxury yachts, hungry pelicans) directly in their faces, diners get a fascinating instant-camera visual insight into Miami's dual nature: tropical beach-party playground and working shipping/fishing port.

10 articles

Bocce Bar

3252 NE First Ave. Mid/North Beach

786-245-6211

Italian, Restaurants, Recommended, Menu, Slideshow

At Bocce Bar in midtown, executive chef Timon Balloo doesn't want to dazzle you. He cooks things simply - braising duck legs in stock before plunging them into a pan with orecchiette, squash, and Parmesan. They are finished in a sauce that's thick enough to coat a wooden spoon and tastes of sage and thyme. This is the kind of recipe you'd tear from a favorite magazine, a dish you'd serve at a fancy dinner party at home. Located nearby sister restaurant Sugarcane Raw Bar & Grill, the setting here reflects this new sensibility, one that steps away from bourbon drinks in Mason jars and leaps toward aged Negronis in rocks glasses. Outside, a bocce court is surrounded by foliage and, most of the time, a drunken din. Inside, couples fill the lusty dining room as they sip glasses of Barolo and share platters of prosciutto, porchetta di testa, and buffalo ricotta with truffles. Try Balloo's branzino, which is plopped atop sautéed cipollini onions, fennel, and Calabrian chiles. It is both delicate and decadent - an effect he achieves often at Bocce Bar.Read our full review.

27 articles

Boia De

5205 NE Second Ave. Little Haiti/Liberty City

786-209-6310

Modern American, Italian, Essentials

This hip Little Haiti spot run by chefs Luciana Giangrandi and Alex Meyer offers an ever-changing lineup of pastas designed to comfort and enchant. Look for pappardelle "Alla Lepre" — unctuous shreds of braised rabbit tangled with wide ribbons of pasta. It's not all about noodles here, however. Boia De offers plenty of non-pasta delights, including meat and fish dishes and crisp potato skins filled with milky stracciatella cheese, caviar, and a hard-cooked egg. The editors of Florida's first Michelin Guide took note, awarding the strip-mall standout a star.

11 articles

Brasserie Azur

3252 NE First Ave. Midtown/Wynwood/Design District

786-800-9993

Bar Food, Bistro, French, Fried Chicken, Hot Chicken, Italian, Menu, Slideshow

Midtown's Brasserie Azur is incredibly good-looking. But rest assured you won't find any of the pomp associated with its South Beach sister party spot, Villa Azur. Sure, both eateries serve French fare with an Italian twist by executive chef Edwin Mallet, but Brasserie Azur is more casual and affordable. Here, you'll find plenty of wines by the glass for $8 or less and bottles for under $50, which is rare in Miami. Food-wise, there's a well-stocked raw bar and an impressive selection of charcuterie and cheeses, as well as five rotisserie-chicken preparations. Choosing among a plain farm-raised chicken, one marinated in truffles, and one flavored with lemon and rosemary isn't easy. Chef Mallet says they slow-roast the bird until the meat is juicy and tender. And indeed, the protein boasts both of those qualities in addition to being expertly seasoned. However, Brasserie Azur will need more than good looks and topnotch rotisserie chicken to fill all of its cushioned seats. Superior service and more refined cookery are what this eatery requires to leave its mark on Miami's ever-improving dining scene.

4 articles

BRIO Tuscan Grille

14576 SW 5th St. Pembroke Pines

954-431-1341

Italian, Menu

Bruschetta & Co.

10650 NW 41st St. Doral

305-470-8003

Italian, Restaurants, Recommended

This outstanding eatery just beyond the Doral Country Club delivers a cuisine one would expect in one of those hard-to-find, five-table family restaurants. From traditional antipasti (dressed just enough to add style but not so much to become silly) and homemade pastas to fresh seafood dishes, Bruschetta covers every Italian base, including its bread namesake, and has room left over to experiment. The specials vary, obviously, but if available do not pass on the sea bass (entrées are usually between $14 and $19). Also worthy of note is the bold and tasty pears with cheese. Of course no Italian dinner would be complete without dessert. And if sweets are your thing bring a healthy appetite -- the after-dinner treats are decadent, original, and well worth the guilt.

1 article

Bugatti

2504 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Coral Gables/S. Miami

305-441-2545

Italian, Recommended, Best Of, Menu

Bugatti is mostly about pastas, which include obligatory favorites, from carbonara to clam sauce, finessed with a crowd-pleasing panache. The plates are artlessly artful — meaning aesthetic beauty is to be found in the quality of ingredients, preparation, and taste. Not that the comestibles aren't comely: Tagliolini carbonara — thin, fresh strings of homemade egg noodles festively colored with an outer ring of punchy pimiento sauce and a bull's-eye of reduced cream — is pretty as a picture. Bugatti's lasagna, served only the first Wednesday of every month, is the best in Florida; it boasts a delicate layering of fresh, chewy noodles with sumptuously mild minced beef and veal, along with a smooth white Mornay sauce.

3 articles

Buon Pane Italiano

729 5th St. South Beach

305-602-7274

Italian, Bakery

Cafe Med

940 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach South Beach

305-674-6776

Italian, Restaurants, Recommended

Located in the Breakwater Hotel -- noted for its famous facade (a favorite among filmmakers), notorious for its dilapidated rooms -- this sidewalk eatery seems little different from the other clone cafes that line Ocean Drive. Display of plastic-covered petrified food? Check. Aggressive shill out front? Check. Vaguely "Mediterranean" menu of pasta, paella, and pizza, plus the standard salads and burgers? Check. But like its cousin Cafe Med in Cocowalk, this place is marginally better than many competing tourist traps. Fish and chips is a good choice, though somewhat pricey. Easier on the budget are over a dozen lunch specials, though don't let the mega-burgers under the plastic wrap -- which could double, sizewise, for moped tires -- get your hopes up; the bargain burgers are much smaller. Best idea for those seeking good value for money, are individual-size, designer pizzas, genuinely tasty if you make sure to order the thin crusts, well-done.Read our full review.

2 articles

Cafe Avanti

732 W. 41st St., Miami Beach Mid/North Beach

305-538-4400

Italian, Recommended, Menu

This pleasant Northern Italian restaurant offers a number of French nuances. Start with soups as good as their pretty names promise: minestrone Genovese, tortellini in brodo, or zuppa maitata. The shrimp fra diavolo is spunky, the veal dishes are exquisite, and you won't have to take out a second mortgage to pay the check. At Café Avanti, Cuisine is classical but with a flair.

1 article

Cafe Martorano

3343 E. Oakland Blvd. Fort Lauderdale

954-561-2554

Italian, American

Steve Martorano is, bar none, Broward County’s most colorful restaurateur. For more than two decades, Cafe Martorano has been turning out Philadelphia-style Italian comfort food with a side of entertainment. Though its old-school menu of Italian classics — such as chicken cacciatore and pappardelle with sausage — are delicious, regulars flock to the restaurant for the people behind the food. No matter the time of day or night, Cafe Martorano attracts a lively mix of locals, snowbirds, and celebrities who come for the cook’s meatball salad and stay for Martorano’s DJ skills.

3 articles

Cafe Papillon

530 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach South Beach

305-673-1139

Cafe, Coffeehouse, French, Italian, Menu

The menu boasts a mixture of cuisines (some decidedly Italian, while others have more of a French feel). The Italian influence is undeniable in the perfectly seasoned "bruschetta" ($8.95), and the two caprese options -- the traditional salad (tomato, mozzarella, basil, olive oil), or the sandwich version ($8.50). But don't stop in Italy, or you'll miss out on France's finest croque monsieur (grilled ham and cheese on toast), and Papillon does it right -- the bread is buttered just so, the ham is fresh, the cheese is melted but not fried, making for a mouth-watering winner sans chest clutching cramps. Dinner options include buttery steamed mussels (with French fries) for $12.50, and the light, delicious, yet filling "St. Tropez Salad" -- smoked salmon, shrimp, and cucumber in a lemon-dill dressing. If you're an Italian lover at heart then spoil yourself with the "gnocchi quattro formaggio." While these little dumplings may threaten to expand your waistline, they're well worth the weight.

1 article

Italian in Miami

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