Take one step inside Cavalli Miami, and you’ll enter into the world of Roberto Cavalli. This Italian born fashion designer has created a world that is wild, sexy and over-the-top impressive. With his star-studded, celebrity fan base, the Cavalli brand is radiating with signs of elegance and status — and it now includes his own vodka, wine, house ware line and Cavalli Pets, a fashion line for pets — so it was no surprise that Cavalli decided to open up a restaurant in Miami Beach.
We were thrilled to receive an invite to come into the restaurant to try it for ourselves, and we couldn’t have been more thrilled with our experience. Inside you’ll find Cavalli’s style in every direction, from the exotic animal printed chairs to Cavalli’s signature floral designs to the photos of Cavalli that line the walls — even down to the cups and saucers. Needless to say, dining at Cavalli is as much about the experience, as it is about food.
On the menu, you’ll find Tuscan Italian recipes presented by Executive Chef Stefano Mazzi, who in addition to traveling the globe for 3 decades, was Roberto Cavalli’s personal chef. Mazzi brings with him family recipes passed down for generations (including house made pasta), and adds in a global flair to make them his own. These can be enjoyed inside the restaurant or outside, on the terrace, which just happens to be the largest terrace of any South Beach dining destination.
When we were seated, we couldn’t help but notice the creative cocktail menu. While many of them caught our attention, we opted to try one that highlighted Cavalli’s vodka like the Eccelenze (seen to the right) made with ginger root, Cavalli vodka, lime, sage, chili pepper and a splash of ginger — refreshing with a hint of spice. This one is a winner.
With freshly made pasta dishes, Osso Bucco, Grilled Lobster, Pan-Seared Chilean Sea Bass and Oscietra Royal Caviar all gracing the menu, I could feel my stomach dancing in delight in what was to come. In the end, seafood won and I was glad that it did.
Chef Mazza executed our dishes well, perfectly cooked and tender to the bite — and he paid close attention to the details, just like you’d expect in anything that Roberto Cavalli puts his name on. While everything was wonderful, we have three that stood out from the rest.
- Grilled Octopus, served with cherry tomatoes, radish and bronte pistachio. This was a perfect blend of flavors and textures, loved the sweetness that the cherry tomatoes brought to this dish.
- Yellow fin tuna tartare with ginger and micro bio greens. I know everyone says that they have the best tuna tartare, but Cavalli’s version is high on the charts in my book.
- Chocolate Bombolini with Nutella creme. Rich and delicious but the addition of the raspberry sorbet and chocolate shavings completed this dish.
For sumptuous Italian food in a posh and hip environment, where fashion and food combine, Cavalli Miami is a must-do. It might not be your everyday destination, but when you are looking to impress and want your every need to be catered to — this is the place.
Cavalli also hosts a variety of events, which you can find on their website.
Cavalli Miami is located at 150 Ocean Drive in Miami Beach; (305) 695-4191
