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Sci Sci at Brickell
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
1053 Brickell PlazaSE 1st Ave
Miami, FL 33131
(305) 381-4420
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:30 am - 3 am
Fri 11:30 am - 4 am
Sat 4:30 pm - 4 am
Sun 4:30 pm - 10 pm
- Parking:
- Street, Valet
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
22 reviews for Sci Sci at Brickell
22 reviews in English
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Review from francine s.
Miami, FL
8/8/2010
I got the Parppadelle ai Quattro Formagi and it was delicious!!! I LOVED it. The decor is stunning which makes for a great atmosphere. So far so good....
Btw, I put 2 $$ for the price since I only got the pasta...you have to pay for the meat (which is another plate). therefore I can c where this place can get really pricy soon and nefing more $$ symbols for this review. Hope this helps! -
Review from MICHELLE C.
Miami, FL
12/28/2009
The outside area has a very nice patio with couches and small tables, very pretty. It was a little chilly so we chose to dine indoors. Wow, I was shocked when we walked in. The place is so nice inside. Gorgeous chandeliers with crystals that gleem throughout the walls. Big, lush booths with high backing for privacy. Beautiful artwork and TV's throughout the restaurant. Great sound system, that they are hoping when things get busier the main dining area can turn into a lounge/dance area after hours.
The manager came over and introduced himself and spoke with us for awhile, as well as the owner when he came in. It was early so there were only a few other diners in the restaurant. Our server was very good, attending to our every need.
Entree:
Orchiette with Italian Sausage and Parmesan Cheese
Veal Medallions
Linguinie with shrimp, scallops, and lobster in a Fra Diavolo sauce
When they bring bread to your table it is a nice soft chewy Ciabatta type, very good but they also bring you butter. Wish they would have brought oilve oil. We ordered a bottle of Chianti that was a good price $30 and it was perfect. The wine prices are reasonable and they have a nice selection.
Hubby's Veal was very good, he enjoyed it, very tender with great flavor.
My Fra Diavolo with the lobster was good, it just was nothing out of the ordinary. The lobster was excellent but the Fra Diavolo sauce left me with not much of an opinion or wanting more. It had a bit of spicyness to it.
Daughter's pasta was way too sweet and the Italian Sausage was more like hamburger meat. The sauce was to thick and it left us a little dissappointed.
Oh how I wanted to really love this place. This is the kind of restaurant that I so enjoy dining in, with the beautiful atmosphere, privacy, great service, everyone was so friendly and accomodating. The place is just so so pretty inside, and elegant with a classy touch. I will go back and try other dishes. The prices are about $18- $25 a plate.
The meal was good just not great!
Next the bathrooms were amazing. Clean, with the coolest sinks and decor. They must have spent a small fortune on the buildout of this place. So stunning!
Service- 4 stars
Decor- 5 stars
Food- 3 stars
Looking forward to updating in the future. -
Review from Sabrina Anna C.
Palmetto Bay, FL
10/25/2009 1 photo
Dear Cafe Sci Sci,
So much to say and where to begin? What a perfect and fabulous place to suggest bringing the GM from my job for his birthday celebration with a few of us managers. I am definitely pleased and thankful I chose you. :)
We came on a Thursday evening, and met around 6:15pm. It was rather quiet, with not too many people, and we found our GM already seated at the bar. The bartender was friendly and funny, making conversation with us, giving us a bit of history on the place and the owners, and just really being herself, which we all enjoyed.
Waiting to see who else would show, we ordered a round of drinks and just took the atmosphere in. Cafe Sci Sci is very elegant and sophisticated, with a beautiful marble bar-top and elegant iridescent black tiles that reflects the subtle light from the chandeliers. The chandeliers themselves are gorgeous, yet simple, not too gaudy, yet lavish enough to give the perfect touch and feel.
There's a DJ booth in one corner, and a small, private wine cellar-type room that also has a table you can be seated at. The entire place is very chic. They also had a great ambient music playing that just really added an extra oomph to the experience.
After a couple rounds of drinks, we were definitely ready to munch. We started by ordering a couple of items from the happy hour bar menu. The beef carpaccio was perfectly drizzled with olive oil, arugula and Parmesan cheese. Just a heavenly treat as always. The calamari fritta was also excellent, crispy and tasty, with lemon and delicious marinara dipping sauce. We also had this eggplant dish that was delicious, however when it was first given to us it was unusually cold in the center and we had to send it back. The chef was very accommodating and made us a whole new dish. Unfortunately, this also happened when we ordered the spaghetti carbonara , however he was equally as understanding the second time and also brought us a whole new dish.
As we continued drinking, celebrating, and enjoying your Cafe Sci Sci, we realized that we should probably order a bit more to eat to ensure we kept our cool. Our group then also shared the Osso Bucco raviolis, which only came with 4 on the plate, however they were pretty large and SO WORTH IT. Perfect, delicious, just oh-so-good! :)
The service was always on point, which is refreshing to see in Miami, and I'm hoping doesn't change as your popularity increases. Even when our bartender was switching shifts, the new one never skipped a beat and was equally on point as the first. We also met the manager and spoke to him for a bit. I see big things coming...
Oh and how could I forget the delicious tiramisu that was brought out with a candle and a special birthday wish for the birthday boy. Probably one of the best tiramisu's I've ever had... :) Gotta love this place!
I will definitely be back. I know my coworkers also thoroughly enjoyed their meal and experience. Cafe Sci Sci, I like what you got goin' on. :) You're chilled, laid back, and unpretentious. You've got amazing food, a great vibe and management that cares. I'm looking forward to see what else you'll bring to the table. Good luck and all the best!
Kind Regards,
SabrinaAnna* -
Review from Andrew S.
7/9/2010
Yeah, so I have been reading that the Sci Sci is under new management, and has been touting some terrific lunch specials for $10. I thought it would be the perfect place to bring a potential employee for a discussion. Although the space was lovely and the staff was really friendly, I had some pretty substantial problems that are so easily avoidable.
For a starter, we ordered the Calamari. When the plate came out, the heap was quite extraordinary -- large pieces of calamari, perfectly cooked. Unfortunately, far too salty... I'm talking enough salt to really turn a salt-lover off to the dish entirely.
My guest had a panini with fries which he described as very, very goodl. My Bistecca salad was bland, the cabbage was soggy and to vinegary/citrus and the steak was so briney, I nearly confused it with Liver. Ultimately, everything I had was a dissapointment.
Its too bad that, although the staff is exceptionally friendly and attentive, they are extremely slow. -
Review from Stephanie G.
Miami, FL
2/27/2010 1 Check-in Here
I went to dinner at Cafe Sci Sci last night with some girlfriends in the hopes of trying something new, as we usually just end up at Perricone's. We'd made a reservation and were seated fairly quickly once we arrived. To start we had a round of drinks. I ordered the Sci Sci martini. I've never seen such a small martini glass in my life. It was about $9.50 which isn't bad so I guess the size makes up for the price. The drink itself was overly sweet. I didn't have a second.
I shared the Tortino di Melanzane alla Parmigiana appetizer with my friend, which is lightly floured, fried eggplant, fresh Mozzarella, tomato sauce, fresh basil and Parmesan cheese. It was good, but TINY (smaller than an average sized compact). So they probably should not charge $11 for it. We're girls so we were OK with the size as we didn't want to get too stuffed, but I can see how someone else might not be so happy.
I later had the Pappardelle ai Quattro Formaggi which is homemade pappardelle pasta served in a robust Grana Padano, Brie, Asiago and Gorgonzola cheese sauce with baby spinach and walnuts. It was actually quite tasty. I enjoyed it. It reminded me of Perricone's gorgonzola pear pasta (but Perricone's is still better). My friend had the Ravioli con Ossobuco which is homemade egg pasta filled with veal shank, butter, sage and lemon zest sauce. I got to try it and I liked it, but it was nothing out of this world. It tasted a lot like dishes I've had at other places and didn't really strike a cord with me.
For dessert we had a guava flan which was delicious, but it was one of those things you can only have so much of before you're overwhelmed by the sweetness of it. Exactly what a dessert should be like.
Sci Sci's service really isn't great. At the beginning the service was good, but as it got later and we were left to our waiter's sole mercy...it wasn't so good. He seemed distracted and extremely uninterested in us. I think he wasn't happy we didn't keep ordering more miniature martinis.
Overall, I'd say our experience at Sci Sci wasn't terrible but it wasn't perfect either. I'm not sure I'll be going back... -
Review from Vanessa C.
Miami-Dade, FL
11/29/2009
Went to Sci Sci last night for a friend's birthday party and decided to try it out for dinner as well. It was (for once in Miami) a bit cold so we decided to sit indoors for dinner. Service was wonderful, the atmosphere and decor very nice and the food was good.
I had the Petti di Pollo, or rosemary chicken with baby onions and artichokes. I know it's a pretty basic dish, but I love me some artichokes. They were cooked well and tasty, the chicken was juicy and quite delectable as well. I tried my girlfriend's dish the Quattro Formaggi with brie, asiago and gorgonzola. She asked them to add chicken which they did for an additional $6. The pasta was very good (they make their own pasta there), though I thought it a bit too sweet. There were candied walnuts in it, which we both thought was quite odd, but not entirely off-putting. We both enjoyed our meals.
We then went outside to their front patio for drinks for our friend's birthday and it's really a nice area to sit and enjoy company. Although we won't be back often (it's a bit pricy, especially since Dolores But You Can Call Me Lolita is across the street and offers an appetizer with your meal for less or the same price as most of Sci Sci's dishes), we can definitely see ourselves coming back on a special occasion. -
Review from Sabrina L.
Doral, FL
1/7/2010
Celebrated a bday here, upon arrival, we sat inside of course ,due to the weather and it felt very cozy, romantic and chic. The chandeliers and red curtains give it a nice touch.
Now let's talk about the food: everyone in our table decided to try the soup of the day which was sweet potato soup...wow!!! it reminded me of the rich , yummy soup my mom makes.
Now for entrees: I can't quite recall all the names, but to sum it all up, we had salmon, steak, ahi tuna, crab cakes, ravioli and fried calamari.
Everyone was more than pleased and our waiters were really nice and attentive.
Overall a great night, will def visit this place again!Listed in: Good times!!
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Review from Carlos P.
11/30/2009
Attended Sci-Sci's for my work wife's birthday get-together and had a blast. It's the perfect spot to celebrate an occasion because they have a big patio area with comfortable seating everywhere. The weather this past weekend was nice and chilly and Sci-Sci's was the perfect locale for an outside gathering.
We had no problems with our bill at the end of the night, considering it was a large party. They had a full bar, though they ran out of Tanqueray at some point of the night. From what I hear, they have pretty good Italian food too. At around 11ish, a DJ takes over and the lounge area becomes a nice chill/dance area.
Hopefully they have different DJ's throughout the week because ours sucked and wouldn't play any of the songs we requested. Not a lot to ask considering we were some of the last people there partying till 2:30 am. -
Review from Cynthia M.
Miami, FL
Updated - 7/10/2010
I'm still a fan! I find that this is a great place to meet up for an early dinner or happy hour. The size of the entrees are too pricey and small for this hungry girl's appetite.
I've never had an issue with the service. Each time the servers and the manager have paid special attention to our table. Recently, for a girlfriend's birthday they even let me commandeer 3 tables and set up balloons in advance. Even though it was a Saturday, they still offer a happy hour until 8pm. The ahi tuna salad was delicious. Light, tasty and satisfying.
With its ambiance and drink specials, this place should really be THE happy hour spot for young professionals in the area.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/12/2009 First to Review
I'm always skeptical about the quality of food and service at a location that purports to be a chic… Read more »
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Review from elizabeth u.
Miami, FL
1/24/2010
I was introduced to this place by a promoter name Rori about a month ago who told me we should celebrate a bday at Sci Sci's. We agreed to go and when we went we were taken care of. The service that night was alright but it was busy and we had a big table. Lamb dish is very well.
Last night I went there for someone else's bday party and was not satisfied at all. The place was just as busy as any of the other locations near by (since it was a Saturday). We waited for a table for about 20min and were finally seated. We immediately asked for a bottle list and waited for about 15min for it. When we asked for a bottle of Crown Royal and a round of shots, the waitress said it should be right up. 35min later she comes back and says they are out of Crown and apologized. We asked for Brugal instead and didn't complain about the wait. 10 min later she comes back and apologizes for waiting and says she was going to give us a free round of shots for waiting. Almost an hour after we sat down we receive our bottle of Crown and 10 min later we get our shots. She ended up bringing to our table 6 shots which were watered down.
When we get our tab we were shocked to see the shots on the receipt. When we asked she said she would try to talk to the manager Manuel. After about 10min going back and forth she said she would take off one shot. When we asked to speak to a manager she came back and said he was too busy with a party and said to wait 25min, For a manager to say that to a customer is ridiculous. We gave up and wanted to leave so bad so we ended up paying. We split it the tab and when I wake up this morning I am being called from BOA protection program. Come to find out the girl charged me an extra $180 to my card.
Horrible service. -
Review from Diego A.
Miami, FL
10/22/2009
Great to see a new place come to Brickell that has indoor and outdoor seating. Expect to hear the Metro Mover passing every so often if you decide to seat outside (included in the price).
The service was surprisingly good to have gone the week it opened. The food not so memorable. Will try again just to make sure as it is in the hood. -
Review from Vivian L.
Updated - 10/26/2010
I'm calling to speak to whoever is in charge because one of their incompetent and sneaky bartenders added $6 tip on top of the tip that was included...good thing I kept the receipt. Stay away from this place!!!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/13/2010
This place has a lot of potential but all these incidents made it below average.
The hostess at the… Read more »
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Review from AshleyMarie O.
Miami, FL
4/3/2010
We went to finish up Happy Hour, just to chill for a bit and to see if it was our new "spot" or not. Well its not. The bartender was really cool and he took care of us but when a manager walked by tapped my friend and simply said "hat off" we were like ummm what? So Sci Sci is trying to be what? Pretentious... apparently. I will go back (with someone else as my friend has decided not to go back any time soon) to try again and check out the food situation but my impression so far is that it is similar to the Segafredo in Brickell which I do not care for either.
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Review from Daniel R.
Miami, FL
9/4/2010
I recently visited this spot for a networking event. I was hungry and decided to order the Ahi Tuna and must say it was very good! The group I was with ordered some chocolate covered meatballs that were amazing! Yes, chocolate covered meatballs! Very different but I couldn't stop eating them. I will definitely go back for dinner as I was only there for a happy hour type of event. Manager was very friendly and advised they have a four course dinner special with a glass of wine for $35.
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Review from Lanie R.
Miami Beach, FL
10/26/2009
Came here for drinks Friday night. The place was nicely decorated and was playing pretty good "chill out" music. We sat outside in the patio area that is furnished with pretty "Miami" chick lounging furniture. The service was good and they provided us with a lovely setting for a perfect night of drinks and conversation with good friends!
Listed in: Ciao il mio amante italiano
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Review from Laura D.
Miami, FL
2/25/2010
AVOID THIS PLACE LIKE THE PLAGUE!
Last night (a Wednesday night) my boyfriend and I went back for the 2nd time, despite the fact that the 1st time we went it was a busy weekend evening and the service was very slow, but food tasted good. We loved the fried Calamari (the first time). Last night's experience was one of the worst I've had in a Miami restaurant. I am a Miami local since birth and eat out a lot and know what quality service and food is. Plus I was a server in my past. Last night we ordered the fried Calamari again because this was the dish that brought us back. The first time the calamari was very hearty and meaty and the sauce tasted great. This time it was boring, bland and not meaty at all. It was just a below average tasting calamari. The server was nice and told the Manager and then offered us an 'after dinner dessert drink' to make up for it. We were not impressed by this because we were not drinking (this should have been obvious to them because we ordered Diet Coke). Then we wait another 40 minutes just to receive our Entree. We ordered the Quatro Fromaggi pasta and the Pasta Carbonara. After 40 minutes of waiting for our food (and the server continuously telling us that it would be out soon and did not know why the kitchen was taking so long on a night that they were empty) our Entrees came out. The Quatro Fromaggii was very good (it was good the first visit too), but my Pasta Carbonara was awful. The pasta was undercooked and hard. I know what pasta Aldente tastes like, but this was WAY TOO hard and undercooked. The server took it back and then I waited another 10 minutes for them to bring it back right. The pasta AGAIN was undercooked and hard. I had a few bites and then just gave up and wanted to leave as soon as possible because just being there was making my boyfriend and I extremely frustrated, all the while talking about how we would NEVER go back to this place. We then asked our server for the check and to speak to the Manager. The manager came out pretending to have never heard our complaints about the back of the house operating so slowly and the poor quality of our pasta and calamari. So we explained our opinion of our first experience versus the second and he said sorry that the calamari was in fact changed (but this was not mentioned on the menu) and that he would discount our check. When we got the check we were still charged for everything, but then he removed 15% off the total bill, which did not even equate to one of our dishes. We paid our bill and then our server demanded we stay longer because it was pouring rain outside and that he would offer to give us some coffee and a dessert for our troubles. We were dying to get out of there but the weather was so bad that we decided to accept his offer and wait for the rain to die down. The dessert was delicious, warm melted chocolate cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. So if you MUST visit this restaurant I recommend ONLY getting the Quatro Fromaggii pasta and the dessert. And it won't even matter if you go on a slow night or busy night because the service and kitchen will always be slow and not cook your calamari or carbonara correctly. I will not return. -
Review from Ashley T.
Davie, FL
4/3/2010
I went here for the first time last night with some friends and it was just OK for me. First of all, the ambiance is nice and the décor is very classic. As for the drinks, I agree with previous yelpers in that they are a bit small but tasty. The food was good and I would go back only to try more homemade ravioli. My friend ordered the pumpkin ravioli in which I tried....absolutely delicious!!!! I ordered the penne with mushrooms, which was good but not like that ravioli. I do like how they offer whole grain pasta (my favorite).
What I did not like....the service. I have worked in the service industry for a few years before and I know it is not that difficult to make your customers feel welcomed and taken care of, however, this is a skill that seems to be lacking here. My friends and I were constantly looking over our shoulders to find our waiter and once he got to us he would disappear! I am sorry but as a server it is your job to watch us and keep on top of things so that we aren't spending our whole time looking for you. This restaurant would be a bigger hit if they employed the right staff!
Overall, try it, maybe on a less busy night. Order the ravioli and let me know how the service was?! -
Review from Cathy M.
6/21/2010
Went on a Friday night for a quick bite and drink. Very loud! OK for appetizers and wine. Good wine selection for this area. Service was OK, not great! 3 bottles of wine and 5 apps for $200. not bad price wise. Would re-visit but not on a Friday night.
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Review from Caribbean Cruisine C.
Miami-Dade, FL
6/27/2010
This establishment is more about the the scene than the cuisine. Food, drinks, and service are sound but over-priced. Sci Sci has 3 star food, a 4 star mood, 3 star service and 4-5 star prices.
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Review from Melissa D.
Miami, FL
6/14/2010
The food was ok, nothing to write about. The service was good. The drinks were small and way overpriced. I will probably not be returning.
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Review from Roxy R.
Miami, FL
10/27/2009
We went last night with 8 people and the service was AWFUL. We were the only people there and by the time our food finally came out it was cold. The drinks barely had any alcohol in them. They need to work out the kinks before I'll even consider going back.
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Review from Miami R.
Miami, FL
3/27/2010
I remember cafe sci sci from back in the 90's in the Grove. Turns out this is the same owner who had quite the checkered past. He decided to try it again. You can't go back in time unfortunately in this case. Food was bad, service was beyond poor and the staff just didn't look like they wanted to be there. I don't think this restaurant will be around come May of 2010.
