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Category: Italian
1311 Washington AveJoin us for a complimentary wine tastings on Thursdays.
Taste from great selections and enjoy our back room menu.
$9 apts. and $12 pastas.
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Pros: Great tasting original food, service was excellent, very intimate dining setting, great to take a date
Cons: EXPENSIVE AS HELL!!! if you're taking a date... and you're paying... make sure she/he is worth it.
Bottom Line: This is really excellent food but I gave it 4 stars because it was just so freaking expensive. I'm happy with a portion of Cuban oxtail, plantains, beans and rice. This is one of those places you think of when Mario Batali (Food Network Chef) mentions Italian food with sauces having subtle overtones and hints of this fruit and that spice or something really fooffy.
I'm conflicted. A group of us went out for the evening and decided to try this place on a recommendation. I ordered the Pork Trio, Truffled Mashed Potatoes, and Asparagus Flan. The Potatoes were a bit runny, but everything else was delicious, (even the runny potatoes were tasty).
That's the good part. I felt horrible, because we went for Miami spice and everyone else ordered off that menu.
I cannot speak for everyone in my party, but I will say that food was sent back, meals left untouched, and nothing offered in lieu.
Had I dined alone, they would've received a better rating but based on the service my friends received, I cannot.
I've always noticed this restaurant on a lot of top 10 list for Italian dining in Miami, so I decided to give it a shot today. The best thing about this place seems to be the service and the friendliness of everyone. As soon as we got there my girlfriend and I were welcomed in with a greeting and handshake. We unfortunately did not make reservations, which seems recommended. It didn't matter, they gave us waters and we waited for only 10 minutes at the bar before they opened up a table. We actually received an apology for the wait, from what seemed to be the owner and his daughter.
They really try to make you feel at home. All the waiters and the owner was very attentive to our table along with every other table. It's the kind of place where the waiters and owner like to give a little conversation every time they passed by.
I ordered the Tortellini stuffed with pumpkin, Ricotta cheese, crumbled Saranno's Amaretto cookies with a truffle cream infused sauce. I was told by a couple of people there that it was the most popular item on the menu and I see why. It was awesome. The flavors were amazing and you can really taste the sweetness of the pumpkin and every now and then a strong hint of garlic.
My girlfriend ordered the Lumaconi which was stuffed with eggplant. It also had mozzarella, besciamella, and parmigiano. They served it in what seemed to be a small clay casserole pot. It was a pretty large serving compared to the other items on the pasta menu. I thought it was OK. My girlfriend didn't like it very much because she really didn't like the flavor of the parmigiano cheese which was really strong in some parts of the dish.
We also had a fried zuchinni appetizer stuffed with goat cheese which we both liked. The only problem I had with it, was the outside layer was slightly soggy. I was expecting a more crunchy texture. My girlfriend loved it though.
The decor reminded me of a small villa which was nice. It has 2 small dining areas. I don't usually like the mention the bathrooms, but it was just kinda funny how they had seats everywhere, even in the stall. It just made me wonder why would other people be sitting with you while you were in the stall. It kinda reminded me of a studio apartment that I once lived in.
Overall I would go there again. It is a little pricey compared to the usual places that I go to, but you pay for the quality and it had a unique organic menu. The service was amazing which really goes far with me.
Escopazzo is a small italian restaurant squeezed into a store front location on Washington Ave. (East side). Service was superb although we were the only couple present the entire dinner. All the dishes were excellent. The Eggplant Timbale app with its mix of eggplant, basil, cheese and pesto was very tasty as was the shrimp coated in paprika and garlic with limoncello sauce. The mushroom risotto reminded me of an Italian spot in Sorrento, Italy. The whole roasted Branzino fish was superb. The Tiremasu was one of the best I've had. Prices were a little high, but it was worth the treat
Lasagna... The best raw/organic food I ever try in Miami
Escopazzo could possibly be one of my most favorite restaurants.
Another great recommendation by our concierge from The Tides Hotel.
We had dinner reservations on our last night in SoBe and what a perfect way to end our trip.
Escopazzo isn't too big, the restaurant front had about 10 tables up front and a few in the back. The ambiance is homey. Its a great place to come with your family or a romantic night out.
The food is fresh and oh so delicious. After we had the asparagus flan, the clam soup, I had spicy pasta and my husband ordered the recommended pork dish which was pork prepared three different ways, I don't think I've ever been so emotional over food.
This restaurant gave us such an amazing feel. The ambiance, the service, the FOOD! I could only wish we had something like Escopazzo in L.A.
Please visit this place and I assure you, you'll have an a great food experience.
I've eaten at Escopazzo several times over the years and unfortunately this was by far my worst meal there. First off, I hate when servers insult your intelligence by describing what's on your plate after they set it down....I read the menu, I know what I've ordered, I'm a cook...hello!!!!
That said, I ordered the asparagus flan and the pork trio because of the rave reviews that I read on Yelp. The flan was a mistake, overly rich, and the texture was slightly curdled (overcooked perhaps). Although there was a faint asparagus flavor to it, it was overwhelmed by the flavor of imitation truffle oil and sauteed shiitake mushrooms. I was thankful for the 2 tiny soy sprouts that was used as garnish, which was the only fresh element to appear on my plate the entire evening, but not enough to cleanse my palate from that awful oil. And the glass of sauvignon blanc that I ordered (MISTAKE) tasted vinagery. Needless to say, I drank lots of water. The pork arrived and the server incorrectly identified two of the three preparations, calling pork belly braised pork shoulder, and then proceeded to describe what I was about to eat.
The plate looked awful....it should have been called a study in brown and beige. There was nothing fresh on the plate to cut the richness of pork fat....the espresso-rubbed loin had no coffee flavor to speak of and the mushy potato puree underneath was like baby food. The braised shoulder and the crispy pork belly, although tender, were too rich to eat alone. Why doesn't chef Bodoni put something fresh and organic on the plate to cut fatty coating in your mouth? (NOTE TO CHEF: Sra Martinez serves crispy pork belly atop a cube of fresh watermelon). I was too nauseous after the porkfest to have dessert, so I asked for my bill and sadly paid $86 for the experience!
The food was sensational here. Quite possibly the best Italian food I've ever had, and I've been to Italy several times, just to give you a reference point. The owner of the restaurant was very nice and attentive to our needs, and the overall service was great there. We started off getting appetizers to share for the table. The asparagus flan was absolutely delicious and it's easy to see why it's considered to be one of their specialties. We also had a little pasta dish that was delicious.
On to the main course, I had the pork trio, which consists of pork prepared in 3 different ways. Every single way they made it was delicious, and I can't possibly decide which way was best, as each way was so incredibly good. The pork was very tender and perfectly cooked. I'd say that this dish is another one of their specialties that you should certainly try when you come here for the first time.
On to dessert, we again shared a few different desserts similar to how we shared the appetizers, and they were also delicious. I would say that this is primarily a place for great Italian food, and dessert is not their specialty. I can't say that the dessert was particularly memorable for me, although it was pretty good.
I think some of the low reviews this place is getting is because of some of the "theme" menus and meals that they offer. Personally, I can't speak on that. Everyone at my table was an adult male who eats meat, myself included, and we ordered off the main menu with an eye out for their known specialties, since many of the people we were dining with were pretty knowledgeable about the restaurant and knew the owner well.
Everything the restaurant serves is organic, which is great, but it could be that the vegetarian/vegan, Miami Spice menu, and some of the other "theme" food like raw food isn't so good. Like I said, I wouldn't know since I ordered off the main menu, which was sensational. Therefore I'd recommend ordering off the main menu, unless you happen to have some sort of dietary restrictions that would require you to do otherwise.
I felt like a judge on the iron chef!
I eat a lot of Italian and this is definitely one of the best that I've had. I had the clam and mussel linguine, the home made linguine were a perfect al dente, the clams and mussels were so fresh that it tasted like it was just plucked out of the ocean. The tomato seafood sauce had a hint of thyme and red pepper and perfectly seasoned each strand of linguine. Everything bursted with flavor in my mouth, it was heavenly.
The chef actually comes around to each table and tells you what the specials are and then checks on you when you're done. It's a very small quaint romantic place very contrasting to the rest of Sobe.
But if you come here be prepared to drop at least a Benjamin. It's not a cheap italian cafe to say the least.
I have had mixed experiences here. I have had great meals and I have had OK meals. When they are good they are really good and when they are bad they are pretty good anyway. The best part is that they are now as organic as they can get and, I believe that they are also part of the Slow Food movement/group. Just go and enjoy some interesting Italian food.
I have really mixed feelings about this restaurant. We went for dinner on a Saturday night. Surprisingly at about 8pm it was not that crowded. The atmosphere is lovely and unique...we were seated in the very back room which has its own separate bar.
First odd thing-the lighting was SO dark, seriously, we could barely read the menu. When we finally could see with some candlelight, I was perplexed by the - rather limited menu? I'm used to Italian restaurants offering HUGE menus with the options of traditional dishes, maybe some fusion type dishes - but always myriad options. I'm a foodie....and an Italian food FANATIC; its hard for me to find an Italian dish that I DON'T like. I ordered what appeared to be as close to a Vodka sauce dish as possible. Nothing close. Don't get me wrong; nothing tasted BAD. The service was relatively good- although it was difficult for all four of us to understand our server, but he was courteous and prompt. But I felt as though I had that "head tilt" moment THE ENTIRE MEAL- it was just nothing to write home about. But of course it's a must share experience for Yelp right?
There are SO MANY great places to eat in Miami, next time, we will likely skip this one.
;-(
Am I allowed to review a restaurant's website separate from the food/decor/service?
Escopazzo has quite possibly one of the best websites - Not to mention it's a website for a restaurant in SoBe! For a point of reference, just check out some of the most popular restaurants' sites in SoBe:
http://www.lasandwiche.../
http://www.joesstonecr...
http://www.gogomiamibe.../
It's recommended by various sources and has one of the most sophisticated website, although its menu has changed.
We had their Burrata cheese but were most impressed by their pasta. The host recommended their house made tiramisu and told us it was made by the lady behind the counter in the same way for 30 years.
The nicest part was they honored their special event promotion and took out the appetizer and dessert from our bill.
Awesome food and service, and its organic!
What a find.
I went here this past Friday on a recommendation of a YELP pal. Boy were they right on.
A small store front on Washington, but the atmosphere inside is wonderful.
It feels like you've stumbled on to a real secret.
They are really known for their risotto, but I would recommend getting the chef's tasting and let yourself be surprised and pleased.
The wine selection is fabulous.
And for your dining entertainment, you can watch the freaks walk by the store front window.
It is expensive, but this is the beach and I think this place is worth it.
My boyfriend took me to Miami to propose, so the least i could do the night afterwards was take him out to a great dinner. Ive never spent alot of time in Miami, and was unfamiliar with the area, but luckily we stumbled across this restaurant and had a wonderful dinner that made the most memorable weekend of our lives even better.
First off- its organic Italian cuisine! I almost crapped my pants when I read the menu and it boasted "Organic Italian restaurant in a Tuscan courtyard setting'. I am an organic food junkie, and constant advocate of organic eating....this said, we couldn't have picked a better place to eat if we tried, and we were blown away with the wonderful menu, the staff, and the wine.
The food was seriously so special and well prepared... it ranks waaaaaay up there in my Italian restaurant favorites, and being that its organic REALLY puts it on top of the charts. If you go you HAVE to try the butternut squash and amaretto-filled ravioli with vegetable brunoise and white truffle cream sauce. My fiance got this and we were floored with the amazing tastes of this plate.
The organic wine is right up my alley, and the waitstaff there was more than happy to fill (and re-fill) our glasses with complimentary glasses of prosecco throughout the night.
If you're in the Miami area and want seriously amazing Italian food that is ORGANIC to boot- you have to make Escopazzo a must..
We went for New year's Eve dinner. After a slow start - everything turned out great. Five courses for $70; this is a good deal for New Year's Eve - and every course was excellent. I am vegetarian and they accommodated me with each course that was different from my fellow meat eaters.
The only negative was having to sit in the room in the back and not being able to see out any windows. Ask for a table in the front room.
Escopazzo, a fine Italian restaurant in South Beach with only 35 seats in the main dining room, now offers free wine tastings in their cozy bar room in the back of the restaurant every Thursday night between 7pm and 9pm. The space is tiny and gets quite packed, providing that certain New York City "hot spot" feel, yet is cozy in its decoration (looks like an old Italian country home's living rooms to me. With a bar.) to make you feel comfortable. And what can be more comfortable than free wine tastings anyways? From a climate controlled wine cellar, none the less! Call the restaurant for more info on each week's tastings.
Organic and Healthy. Great atmosphere and service. Truly delicious and is RAW friendly... raw lasagna anyone??
After promising Christina S. that I would try Esco based on her fervent recommendations, tonight I did and it did not disappoint!
I ordered from the Miami Spice menu and at first glance was a little bummed that they had not updated their offerings on the Spice website. I had really wanted to try the gnocchi with fontina cheese sauce but was informed by our pleasant waiter that it was not offered for Spice during September. I missed it by 19 days!
Moving on, we started with the mozzarella sticks, and they weren't of the Big Pink variety or any other mozzarella ticks I've ever tasted, and I mean that in the best of ways!!! They were fried ever so tenderly and the cheese just oozed out as soon as the fork touched it. Yummm! My fiancee had the fresh mozzarella salad with croutons, black olives, tomatoes, and pesto and it was very tasty and refreshing. BTW, for the remainder of this review I will refer to him as my date (I think the title sounds a little silly when used over and over again). For my entree, I couldn't decide between the pasta of the day which was ravioli stuffed with apples and beets, served in a gorgonzola cheese sauce or the risotto of the day which was infused with mascarpone and lavender. Remembering how Christina S. had raved about the risotto, I thought I'd try that. Our waiter suggested I try the ravioli instead because in his words "it's not my favorite risotto". With his thick Italian accent I figured he knew what he was talking about and did he ever! It was perfection! My date had an excellent rigatoni with chopped tomatoes and a light pesto sauce which was also great. Dessert consisted of Tiramisu (because he insists on trying it everywhere we go to see who makes it best) and Cinnamon Pannacotta with a chocolate sauce drizzle. We both agreed that the Tiramisu was one of the best we've had and the pannacotta was fantastic as well.
Overall, I had a great experience. The servers are very courteous and attentive. The place is small and intimate and everyone seemed to be enjoying their dinner. You almost didn't hear anyone speak which I guess means they were busy chewing! My only suggestion would be that they add another mozzarella stick. I guess they tweak the portion sizes for Spice, but the food was so great that it left me jonesing for family style! I would not only recommend Esco, but I also plan to go back and order from the regular menu. After all, I still have to try their risotto and of course the gnocchi ;-)
For original review with many nice photos, http://www.guiyanggal....
Where I should take Tim for his birthday dinner?
I wished the dinner experience to be perfect, one of a kind, memorable to us, especially to Tim, even years after. I wanted the place to be romantic, a little dark, maybe with warm candlelight on the table, and it would be even better if there was some romantic and yet hip music playing in the background. The food had to be tasty, unique and genuine, not the kind we could easily find elsewhere.
Escopazzo, an Italian restaurant, finally won out over other restaurants after many rounds of extensive analysis and Internet searches.
Nervous but eager to find out the result, I dressed up and left the hotel with Tim, wondering the whole way whether my final pick would be "perfect".
It turns out the place is better than what I had imagined. The small and cozy dinning room makes you feel you are somewhere in Tuscany of Italy, with walls painted with old type Italian landscapes, floors decorated in tiles with the color of a sun-flower. The music playing in the background was sexy, seductive and getting my heart beating and toes tapping on the floor. Light enough so we coud chat without raising our voices, and yet loud enough to block the conversation from the next table.
The waiter, tall, handsome, with the perfect Italian straight nose, recommended the daily specials to us in a magnetically low voice. Although I did not get almost half of what he said because of his Italian accent, he recommended a perfect combination of wine, appetizer, two pastas and a main course.
The dinner started with an asparagus flan with grilled mushroom. Excellent presentation, creative combination of ingredients, the hint of asparagus flavor balanced magically with the earthy taste of grilled mushroom. It was fantastic.
The two pastas we ordered were out-of-this-world. The roasted duck (Tim's favorite) with a hint of grilled orange has layered flavors satisfying any pallet. Every bite seemed to be a whole new world.
The dinner ended with a warm chocolate cake with vanilla cream, a little bitter and yet sweet, a hint of mint and orange. It was simply perfect and a bit pricy, but what the hell, whatever it takes to make Tim happy.
In addition, all food served are organic!
Don't believe any of the press reviews on this place.
This place is terrible and a total clip joint. Its claim is authentic tuscan cuisine. I've been to most of the major towns and villages in Tuscany and this place doesn't even hold a candle to the my least favorite one in Italy.
I'm a local now in Miami Beach so I can randomly try a new restaurant or two. But tourists beware, this place will ruin your trip, you'll walk out hungry and end up having a slice of pizza on the way back to your hotel.
I have a big problem with Italian restaurants charging $25 to $30 for pasta dishes sans seafood.
And forget about it if they are having a party in the back room. The service is even worse than the food. Sounds like their niche or claim to fame is some newspaper or magazine critic that gave them a good review.
I'm a sucker for an AWESOME, if expensive, Italian meal at a place that's vegetarian-friendly enough to put asterisks next to the veggie entrees. I had the two items that the waiter advised had been on the menu for 18 years - the asparagus flan and the butternut squash ravioli. The asparagus flan was unique and pretty tasty - not really a flan texture, but more like a light green mousse smothered in cream with crispy mushrooms. But next time I'm definitely getting the eggplant appetizer - the bite I had of that was unbelievable. The butternut squash ravioli was perfection.
Service was outstanding for the most part, though they didn't manage to get the entrees out all together for our big group. Our waiter was friendly and helpful both in providing unsolicited suggestions and in answering questions.
The place is located right on the strip, and I enjoyed sitting next to the window and watching anyone and everyone walk by. Skateboarders with caps hanging off their heads... a woman with a tight yellow striped dress so short you could see her ass cheeks.. everyone.
The worst thing? I didn't have room for dessert.
I went to this restaurant after reading some of the great reviews on here; however I left disappointed. The food was good, but it was extremely over priced. I ordered the special of the day, a ravioli which cost 26 dollars...but there were only five small ravioli's on my plate! Some of these reviews rave about the egg plant appetizer, but they were out of it when I tried ordering it. If you aren't that hungry and don't mind spending a lot of money then maybe you should try this place. I would not recommend it. I would have been happier going to the olive garden.
Good food, chef goes organic!!! Appetizers are great, she changes the menu having specials for summer and fall. The Beet salad is great!! Best thing for last, dessert - Panna Cota.
I was in SOBE on business last week and got the word from a friend that Escopazzo was worth the walk from my hotel. Yes. Yes it was. The cozy dining room held a mix of patrons from me in jeans to some tie-guys selling one couple a yacht. Good sign. The host also served as my waiter and when I told him I was torn between the tagliatelle and the risotto of the day, he recommended the latter. "We are known for our risotto, today's is very good - I think you will like it". Understated. Excellent. The risotto was a cheese combination which I thought might be a little heavy, but it was amongst the best I've tasted. I asked for the cheeses involved so I could make it at home and my server gladly obliged. I'll think of excuses to get back there - oh yea, aside from the SOBE vibe.......Escopazzo is organic and raw - another good combination. A bit on the spendy side, hence missing the elusive 5th star.
The food here was incredible. The price...a lil much. I can get excellent Italian food in my neighborhood in Brooklyn and it takes alot to impress me in the way of Italian food. The menu was exquisite! There were a million different flavors to each bite. My lady and I opted for 2 appetizers and 1 entree....more than enough food. We had the asparagus flan and the eggplant appetizers. Both were rich and to die for! The service was a little eh...we had about 4 different servers, which was kinda weird. The wine list is a little on the pricey side but they have affordable by the glass selections. I would def. go back and highly reccommend this place as a must do in Miami!
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!
Escopazzo has the best Italian food on the beach!! If you like Risotto you have to eat here! The wine selection is top notch! They have the most amazing Amarone! The owner and the staff are truly fantastic!!
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