Miami Spice Italian Restaurants

We’ll take any excuse to indulge in a sumptuous bowl of pasta or perfectly crisp pizza slice. But when the Miami Spice restaurant months return in August and September, it’s all but guaranteed we’ll be carb loading at Miami’s best Italian restaurants through the summer – and not regretting it one bit. 

Currently celebrating its 25th year, the annual Miami Spice promotion offers specially priced three-course menus at top participating restaurants across Greater Miami and Miami Beach. Pricing tiers include $40 lunch and brunch set menus and $50 or $65 dinner menus, plus and Miami Spice Reserve dining experiences starting at $95. Craving Italian but not sure where to start? These Miami Spice participating restaurants serve some of the best meatballs, spaghetti alle vongole, veal Milanese and tiramisu in town – so you can enjoy a fantastic Italian feast at an incredible value this season.

Bellini

Crowning the rooftop of the fashionable Mr. C Hotel in Coconut Grove, Bellini is a chic Italian restaurant by the legendary Cipriani family. The dining room’s design takes a cue from luxury yachts, plus an outdoor terrace boasting treetop views of Biscayne Bay.

When it’s offered: During Miami Spice, Bellini is offering a $40 lunch menu Monday through Saturday and a special $65 dinner menu Sunday through Thursday.

What we’re ordering: To start, steak tartare, octopus carpaccio and caprese salad are strong choices. Then move on to your choice of spaghetti alle vongole, tagliardi al tartufo, lamb chop scottadito and beef Milanesine for entrees. For dessert, you can’t go wrong with a simple lemon sorbet, crème brulee or tiramisu, amongs other options.

Da Angelino

A collaboration between two Miami hospitality powerhouses, Da Angelino in Coconut Grove is the brainchild of Ariete and Graspa groups. The subdued, sophisticated dining room sets the scene for an equally thoughtful meal made with the finest ingredients and technique.

When it’s offered: During Miami Spice, Da Angelino is offering a special $40 lunch menu Monday through Friday and a $50 special dinner menu all week long.

What we’re ordering: For entrees, choose from creative pastas like fig-filled ravioli in gorgonzola sauce with crispy prosciutto, the penne limone with shrimp or a simple gnocchi alla vodka, as well as dishes like steak frites and seared Mediterranean sea bream. Top off your meal with desserts like tiramisu and a crispy layered millefoglie pastry with pistachio cream and fresh berries.

Sparrow Italia

A sultry, Italian-inspired steakhouse in Wynwood, Sparrow Italia is set in a grand sunken dining room crowned by wooden arches and show-stopping chandeliers. A night out here is often accompanied by live entertainment for a high-energy dining atmosphere.

When it’s offered: During Miami Spice, Sparrow Italia will offer a special $65 set dinner menu Tuesday through Thursday.

What we’re ordering: To start, the Sparrow chop salad, wild mushroom arancini, ahi tuna tartare or wagyu carpaccio are all excellent choices. Indulge in a 14-ounce prime bone-in cowgirl ribeye sourced from Aberdeen, South Dakota, or take the pasta route with your choice of spicy rigatoni alla vodka, lemon garlic spaghetti or lobster linguine. For dessert, citrus olive oil cake, panna cotta and a selection of gelatos and sorbets are on offer.

Otto & Pepe

Otto & Pepe is a cool and contemporary Wynwood Italian restaurant with a natural wine shop up front, a beautiful courtyard patio out back and a big circular pasta bar inside where you can watch your noodles being tossed and twirled in real time. 

When it’s offered: During Miami Spice, Otto & Pepe is offering a $40 lunch special menu and $50 dinner set menu all week long, so there’s never a wrong time to stop in and sample the fare.

What we’re ordering: Entrees focus on pasta, with delicious options like tagliatelle alla bolognese, orecchiette alla vodka and paccheri con branzino, plus non-pasta dishes like chicken parmigiana and Australian lamb chops. Start your meal with a choice of eggplant parmigiana, meatballs and carpaccio di branzino, while dessert options include tiramisu and gelato.

La Ferneteria

A transplant from Buenos Aires, La Ferneteria is an award-winning Italian restaurant in Wynwood nestled on a 9th-floor rooftop with a dramatic, modern Baroque design.

When it’s offered: During Miami Spice, La Ferneteria is serving a special $65 dinner menu Wednesday through Sunday.

What we’re ordering: To start, take your pick from mozzarella di bufala arancini, roasted octopus with potatoes and lamb skewers in romesco sauce. Main courses include agnolotti al salmone, beef Milanese with spaghetti and catch of the day served with gremolata sauce, eggplant and fennel. Conclude your meal with a choice of flan or a clementine mille-feuille.

Eataly

Head to Aventura Mall during Miami Spice to indulge in the many offerings of Eataly, the famed Italian food hall, market and café.

When it’s offered: The Miami Spice deals include $40 lunch and $50 dinner menus available Monday through Friday.

What we’re ordering: To start, choose from bruschetta al pomodoro e stracciatella, crispy cacio e pepe risotto balls and a little gem salad with Sicilian pistachio pesto, roasted beets and orange. Entrée options focus on pasta, including the bucatini cacio e pepe, gnocchi alla Sorrentina, tagliatelle alla bolognese and linguine all scoglio with manila clams and wild Gulf shrimp. Simple, sweet finishers include a selection of gelato and sorbet.

Casa Gianna

Set beneath a dramatic vaulted ceiling just off the lobby of the Gale Miami Hotel in Downtown Miami, Casa Gianna specializes in upscale Italian fare, with a romantic outdoor terrazza open year-round.

When it’s offered: During Miami Spice, Casa Gianna will be serving a special $50 Miami Spice dinner menu Sunday through Thursday.

What we’re ordering: We love the beef capaccio and housemade fennel meatballs to start. Entrée highlights include spicy rigatoni alla vodka and the branzino all puttanesca in a pomodoro sauce with capers, roasted vegetables and kalamata olives. End your evening with a sweet treat of either ricotta cheesecake or pistachio gelato.

A Pasta Bar

Blending upscale Italian cooking with a clubby atmosphere, A Pasta Bar is a newcomer from New York City’s trendy SoHo neighborhood, set in South Beach's Sunset Harbour. Expect a vibrant indoor-outdoor scene where you can watch your meal as it’s prepared in the immersive open kitchen.

When it’s offered: During Miami Spice, A Pasta Bar is offering a special $65 set menu all week long. 

What we’re ordering: First course choices include wagyu tartare and a burrata salad made with basil oil, pomodoro jam and pistachio. From the entrees, order the spaghetti alle vongole, tagliatelle al ragu bolognese or the 6-ounce filet mignon. End with cheesecake al pistachio or tiramisu for dessert.