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Escopazzo

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1311 Washington Ave (at South Beach)
Miami Beach, FL 33139

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(305) 674-9450
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Escopazzo - Miami Beach, FL
Reviews
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Best

My new favorite restaurant on the beach. Every dish was flavorful, balanced, perfectly proportioned and delicious. The service was amazing and the staff was attentive and knowled...

Worst

I was really looking forward to trying this local favorite, but our food was completely forgettable, the service, though friendly and well-meaning was sub-par in almost every way ...

Completely overrated 4/30/2010

I was really looking forward to trying this local favorite, but our food was completely forgettable, the service, though friendly and well-meaning was sub-par in almost every way (couldn't answer questions about the menu, brought the wrong wine, then accidentally poured our wine at another table and had to replace it). This is not a foodie's restaurant. Pros: friendly, if uninformed/inexperienced service Cons: just about everything more

The best place on the beach for people who love food and great service 2/22/2009

My new favorite restaurant on the beach. Every dish was flavorful, balanced, perfectly proportioned and delicious. The service was amazing and the staff was attentive and knowledgeable. I am a vegetarian and my boyfriend is not. We were both equally happy and impressed by the true quality of the food and wine. We tried a vegan/raw dish as well and we both loved it. Everything was uncomplicated and wonderful. Pros: For people who know and love food more

Best Homemade Italian Dishes 5/28/2008

Fantastic restaurant with exquisite homemade pasta and excellent service. I have eaten there on many occasions and have never been disappointed. The restaurant is very quaint and romantic. I would highly recommend this restaurant to others. You will NOT be disappointed. more

Wonderful food, wine, and service 5/20/2008

This is a cozy place slightly away from the glitz and glamour of Miami Beach. The focus here is on the dining experience rather than seeing and being seen. My wife and I went for the 5 course tasting menu with paired wines. Every course was great and several were superb. The wine pairings were right on. The tasting meny was $75 and the paired wines were $20 for five glasses! The espresso dusted pork loin stuffed with smoked mozzarella served over parsnip mashed potatoes with a Madeira reduction was one of the most memorable dishes of my dining existence and the waiter told us how to recreate it at home (though I doubt it will be as good). All of the dishes were enhanced by the use of organic ingredients. The service was knowledgeable, attentive, and friendly. If you are looking for a relaxing meal with no hustle and bustle, this is the place. more

CHOOSY NEW YORKERS IMPRESSED! 10/15/2007

We visit Miami from New York every couple months and decided to try something new. We both had the tasting with wine pairing - mine was not vegetarian and his was. We were both served beautiful dish after beautiful delicious dish and the perfect wines to match! Our server was a really nice young woman who really knew her stuff! This place is right up there next to if not better than Applewood, Mas, Grocery etc. in NY for seasonal, organic fine food. I can't wait to go back again next time I'm in Miami! Pros: Try the five course tasting with wine pairing Cons: Located in sleazy strip mall more

The worst food I'll ever eaten, and very expensive. 10/1/2007

The worst restaurant ever! The food was awful, and very expensive. Don't recommend it , any restaurant is better than this. more

A Perfect Dinner 1/8/2007

I kicked off the first weekend of the new year with a sumptuous dinner at Escopazzo for me and a chunk of my big Italian family. It wasn't my first time at the restaurant and I was pleased to see that it hasn't lost its touch. I ordered a couple of my favorite dishes, Ostrich Carpaccio and Fazzoletti pasta, but made the mistake of passing them around before digging in and, needless to say, I had to order them again! Yeah, they're that delicious.\r Their service is still the best, and I love the fact that they made everybody at the table feel special and pampered. Giancarla, the chef, came out to say hello and make sure that everything was to our liking. What can I say? It was another perfect dinner at Escopazzo. Pros: Food, Wine List, Service more

great food, slow service 1/5/2007

i would have rated this restaurant higher but for our THREE-HOUR dinner. granted, it was new year's eve and we had the 7-course tasting menu with wine pairings.... but c'mon, 3 hours?!?! on to the food. we started off with scallps with a polenta like sauce. that was pretty good. it was followed by an asparagus flan with shiitake mushrooms, which was also excellent. the pumpkin ravioli was too sweet for my taste and not a favorite. i expected more of the risotto with truffles -- it was a bit hard, a little to room tempreature and just not appetizing. the pork with cheese inside was pretty good although we were getting quite full at the time. the grouper was excellent. the dessert was a fruity concotion, which was just ok. it was served with a nice glass of moscato, which was very good. for two people, the damage was about $220. again, i would go back here but for the three hour wait -- especially when we told them we have somewhere to go and it took about 30 minutes from when we asked for the bill and getting the bill; and another 30 minutes getting the credit card back. Pros: food Cons: slow service more

Simply Impeccable 12/28/2006

I want to take a moment to praise chef Giancarla Bodoni for a perfect luncheon. Thanks to the recommendation of a business relation of mine, I organized a holiday luncheon for a large group at Escopazzo last week, and everything, from the service to the special menu to the incredible food was absolutely impeccable. From the reviews I already knew that the Italian food at Escopazzo was particularly creative, but my imagination didn't even come close to the original recipes that the chef prepared for us. I am from Italy and I must say that I would have never dreamed of ostrich carpaccio. What a surprise! I can't wait to go back for dinner.\r A presto, Escopazzo! Pros: food, wine, service, decor more

Wonderful and romantic 12/25/2006

My date took me to Escopazzo last week for the first time and I just loved their amazing food and warm atmosphere. Their appetizers are incredible, tasty and very original. This place is all substance: zero attitude, great cuisine (organic food!) and the most professional service I've had in a while. The place was full, but never too loud, and their tasting menu with wine pairing is worth every penny. I highly recommend it. Pros: Service, organic gourmet food, ambience Cons: n/a more

Amazing food and service 12/17/2006

Although I live in the area, I only went to Escopazzo a couple of nights ago for the first time with a group of friends. We all loved it. Their food is a far cry from the usual Italian options served in most of the restaurants around and their service is absolutely impeccable. I didn't find it particularly expensive. Compared to a lot of other places that charge an arm and a leg for sub par food and rude attitude, I found Escopazzo overall honesty very refreshing.\r Pros: Food, ambience, service Cons: N/A more

Perfect for every occasion 12/14/2006

Last week, I had a large group of clients to take out to lunch and found myself in a bind. Didn't want to risk spoiling my business relations with bad service or ,even worse, bad food, so I decided to call Escopazzo to make a reservation (I had previously dined there with my wife and loved it). Apparently, Escopazzo is not regularly open for lunch, but they do accomodate customers upon request for bookings of groups no smaller than 20. I was in luck, as I had a group of 33. In addition to the dining room in front, Escopazzo has an even bigger private dining room in the back, perfect for large groups and events. The chef was kind enough to work around our individual needs and produced a special lunch menu that left everybody ecstatic. She also included some vegeterian options and all the food served at the restaurant is 100% organic (who knew?), a detail that can be crucial for some diners.\r I highly recommend it and from now on I will organize all my company's luncheons at Escopazzo. Pros: Great for dates and even better for groups more

The best Nuovo Italiano! 12/14/2006

If you're in love with Italian flavors, like me, but tired of the usual fare, like me, Escopazzo is perfect for you. Every single recipe is traditional but with a twist. You'll find everything you'd expect to find in an Italian restaurant, but here the bruschetta is not your every day bruschetta, the ravioli are not your usual ravioli and the pannacotta... you know what? I don't want to spoil the surprise. Just go and see for yourselves. It's worth it! Pros: Impeccable service, excellent food and great wine list. Cons: N/A more

Successfully creative and attentive 12/6/2006

I took my husband to Escopazzo for an experience out of the ordinary, and we certainly got it. I'm from Rome and extremely picky about Italian cuisine. A friend from New York City, where my husband and I lived for 15 years until 5 months ago, recommended Escopazzo, sure that we wouldn't regret it. He was right. We were seated promptly at an intimate corner table for two. The noise level in the full dining room was surprisingly low, with a faint lounge track in the background: ideal for a date, as well as a group of friends with some catching up to do. We opted for the tasting menu with wine pairing and the adventure began. The first appetizer was a delicate cod ceviche on an impossibly thin bruschetta with toasted pine nuts and dragoncello, served with a crisp Prosecco: delicious. The second, an original ostrich carpaccio with shaved Parimigiano, pear and wild arugola paired with an outstanding Soave. The signature ""fazzoletti"" pasta with a pumpkin and amaretti filling was exceptional and shockingly not too sweet, magically matched with a light Pinot Noir from Trentino. The roasted cod filet on a bed of black lentils was simply mouth-watering and maybe the best cod I've ever had, and I'm a cod fanatic. The last entree was a juicy piece of perfectly seared hangar steak with roasted baby vegetables and truffle oil, brilliantly paired with a hearty Primitivo di Manduria, a wine very dear to me, as it comes from my parents' region. By now, my husband and I were feeling full and satisfied and would have never thought that we might be able to swallow another bite, ever. But we did. The waitress brought a Tiramisu that tasted just like the one my mother makes (apparently the recipe belongs to the chef's mother-in-law) and an amazingly original and deliscious lemon pannacotta in a pineapple soup that I ended up inhaling with little apology and regret. The desserts were paired with, what else, a nice chilled Moscato.\r We will definitely go back. Grazie, Escopazzo! Pros: All of the above more

Didn't love it 10/30/2006

We went for dinner and were not very impressed. We were made to wait for our table (we were a group of six) because the people at the table that they were going to put us at were playing cards, although we had a reservation. The food was good but extremely small portions. Very pricey for what we got. The best thing was that a small percentage of our hefty bill was applied to our daughters' Upromise accounts. Would not go again. Cons: Very expensive, difficult parking more

A FANTASTIC DINING EXPERIENCE 8/24/2006

My friend and I were wandering around trying to figure out where to eat and just walked in to\r Escopazzo. It was early and a member of the staff said they were not open for business yet. I said we would go have a couple of drinks and return. We did and when we returned, the same staff member greeted us (except now they had a Tux on). Since we were in jeans, we apologized and said we would come back on a different night when we would be better dressed. They said were were fine and showed us to a table. After looking over the menu my friend said to the waiter ""so help me decide what to eat"" the waiter agreed and said start with the asparagus flan...I saw my friend make a slight face and say ""I don't think so"". The waiter replied ""Trust me' so we did.....for the ENTIRE DINING EXPERIENCE. With just about every bite one of us either side ""WOW"" or ""Do you believe how good this is?"" This is TRULY an OUTSTANDING experience. If you are in the area.....MAKE SURE to EAT HERE. If you are close by....DRIVE to EAT HERE. It will be WORTH IT. We live in NYC and actually wish they would open a sister restaurant here. My friend has their business card in his wallet (mind you...he doesn't even carry his own business card ) and if someone says someplace in South Florida.....out comes the card. Mr Bodoni please clone your wife (THE CHEF) and open a place in NYC !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pros: THE FOOD, THE WINE, THE SERVICE Cons: NOT HAVING A SISTER RESTAURANT in NYC more

One of the best restaurants I have ever eaten at! 12/31/2005

I can only say one thing...try the specials! Bring your wallet since they are pricey, but WOW. I had a lobster pasta that was incredible, and my friend got the Kobe beef short ribs. Amazing food and some of the best entrees we have ever had. Our waiter was charming and really looked like he was enjoying things, and he recommended great wines. I cannot say enough about how amazing this place is. By far the best Italian restaurant I have ever eaten at! Pros: Amazing specials! Cons: Reservations required more

""Italy on the Beach"" 12/14/2005

What can I add that already has not been said by our fellow CitySearch member, bigtimela? Absolutely nothing. L.A. has hit the proverbial nail on the head with his review of Escopazzo. Once there I was sent on a journey of the senses. Every meticulous detail gracefully executed by the staff. From the moment I walked in, I was treated as a pope. The manager greeted me with a glass of chianti, and I just knew I was in Italy. Having toured Italy numerous times, I have become somewhat of a connoisseur on Italian dining, and I must say this is the ""it"" restaurant. LA you did it again buddy. Pros: bigtimela recommended more

""It's Italy...on Washington Avenue."" 12/2/2005

It's as simple as being in Italy, but located on Washington Avenue. Escopazzo in Miami Beach hosts the best Italian food I've had since actually eating in Italy a couple of years ago. The restaurant transports you to Italy, literally, in both amazing food and posh ambiance. I toured Italy about 2 years ago and the experience is almost identical to many of the restaurants I ate at while there. The service was impeccable and the manager made it all possible. The crowd is classy and respectful. I'd rank the food in the top 3 of Italian restaurants I've ever eaten at, Italy included. All I can say is ""It's Italy...on Washington Avenue."" -L.A. Pros: Everything. Cons: None. more

Excellent experience 9/9/2005

We ordered a tasting menu and ate everything on the plates. Presentation, taste and service like this you dont find everywhere! more
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Menu for Escopazzo


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Editorial
  • In Short
    Escopazzo quietly fills its intimate dining area with diners more interested in first-rate Italian cuisine and excellent service than in culinary fads. The food here is a...

  • 7/13/2006 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Mon-Fri 6pm-midnight; Sat 6pm-1am; Sun 6-11pm
  • Payments: Visa, American Express, Discover, Master Card
  • Neighborhoods: Flamingo / Lummus
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