Venivici

HOW PEOPLE CAN LIKE THIS PLACE? Pros: THE BUILDING OUTSIDE. Cons: THE FOOD INSIDE. more

This is my first review of a restaurant on this site and I have to honestly say there is no better way to start. I am an international corporate and airline pilot. I have dined in the finest restaurants North America and Europe have to offer. Without a doubt, this is where you want to eat. Chris Dipietro?s Venivici is a restaurant that?s friendly and unpretentious, casual but classy enough to make a movie star (of whom I have flown several) feel special. If you live near by you?ll love to walk over, but don?t mind a drive if the streets are familiar. It won?t take forever to find a parking space. You can just show up at the door and know Chris will get you a table before not too long. Chris is an amazing host; inviting you in to what seems to be his own home that has historical art deco styling. I think I have found my favorite place to dine and enjoy a bottle of fine wine when in Miami. One last note, when you dine there the first time the menu is just a formality. Chris will enlighten you as to the freshest and finest assortment of fare he has to offer that day. Venivici, Miami?s best kept secret. Pros: Chris Cons: Did not know about it sooner. more

When you first walk into this place, Venivici, the first thing that grabs you is the dedidedly modern, yet very cozy, and chic decor. From the inviting ambience of the candles at each table, to the gorgeous white fabric gracefully draped from floor to very high ceiling, through out this historic Coral Gables landmark. The second thing that grabs you is Chris. (and if you're not careful, he really will 'grab' you!) Because Chris knows restaurants, (after all, he is the former owner of the world famous Rainbow Room) he probably won't even let you order from the menu. Instead, he'll courteously, advise you what kind of fish was just flown into the restaurant that afternoon, and even where it came from! Don't even look at the appetizer menu, unless it's after you have already ordered some of his home made fois gras...it is unbelievable! After that, eat what you want, do what you want, and be sure to save some room for one of his amazing canolis, or slice of that unbelievable Tiramisu. Good food, good location (Just off Ponce and Miracle Mile), and a terrific guy. Pros: Service, decor, fois gras, freshest darn fish anywhere! Cons: Not one!! more

This is the best food I've tasted in the Gables. The competition isn't even close. If you want the best, let Chris take care of you. Pros: The Best more

I took a date to this restaurant everyone has been talking about. I had the seafood linguine, and my taste buds went into a frenzy!!! She had the chicken stri fry and loved it. We sampled the amazing wine list while we waited for our special chocolate tart to be prepared. Needless to say, the rest of the evening went well, and I directly attribute this memorable evening to this restaurant that definitely conquers. I plan on returning often. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Pros: Flavors, Service, Cost more

What a great experience we had at Venivici in the gables last night. My friends and I chose this restaurant for the 3rd Miami Spice experience and also saw the story about the restaurant in Aventura Magazine. We had it all a great European Italian dinner with Duck Pate, Veal Parmesan, Fresh Snook, Cobia, Yellow Fin Tuna and for dessert a great tiramisu Pros: Ambience more

After dining at Venivici, I realized the establishment is not only a great place to eat a hearty meal but the pricing is comfortable. My girl enjoyed the lobster and I stuffed myself with seafood choices all night long. Overall, it was an exciting experience. more

You have to get the special! Tonight was my 3rd time at Venici. This time it was the Dover Sol. Their Chef served it up with a Chardonnay/Gorgonzola sauce that was to die for. It looked even better than description. It even had a huge fried plantain (tremenda mariquita!) on it along with a large shrimp some veggies and a yukon and sweet potato mashed blend. Chris Venivici (The Owner) was there and even comped us a couple of glasses of wine. The service was better than most places we all know and pay too much for. Short of perfection was The construction being done by the city. If not outside would be way too nice. I hope them the best and expect more Gable-ites to go there before it gets too tredy for us. Pros: food, service, atmosphere Cons: Coral Gables construction a block away more

I went to Venivici with my boyfriend on a Friday night, and we had such a wonderful experience. We had an excellent bottle of wine and split two entrees. We ordered the lobster and shrimp tortelloni and the veal parmigiano, which were both absolutely delicious. The sauce on the tortelloni was unbeatable, and you could easily cut the veal with a fork because it was prepared so perfectly. We ate every last bit of food on our plates. We also had the chocolate mousse cake for dessert which was equally delicious, and the manager gave us each a glass of Sambuca on the house to round out our evening. Everything was priced very reasonably, especially for the quality of the food. I will definitely return to Venivici and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys Italian cuisine! Pros: Food, service, location more

We were there on a whim, as the wait at Houston's was far too long for our hungry party. The first sign of trouble should have been the completely empty dining room. Apparently others knew what we did not. The second sign - an overly attentive staff. Again, it seemed they were excited to have anyone there at all. The bread arrived...burned, and the food was undercooked (even though my boyfriend specifically requested his steak be medium well and I had lobster ravioli - how do you screw up that?). The price was exorbitant for what we had. There are several places right off the Mile that would have wowed us for that amount. But the room was pretty and I'd like to buy the soundtrack to our horrible meal. My advice - unless you're looking for hot ambient music or great window treatments, don't bother. Pros: Music, Wall decor Cons: Everything else more