Every neighborhood should have a restaurant like this. The greeting is always warm and friendly. The food is reliably good, and portions are very large. When a dish is shared, it comes to the table already plated, which is a nice touch. The dining room is attractive, well lit, and always lively. The sole downside is the noise level, which can be clamorous in the main dining room when it's more than half full. Still, it's a treat to dine here. Wish it was open for lunch.
People that work there suck. Went to eat there after getting out of the hospital after having a c section for my twins and having them in the nicu for a week and the hostess was the rudest person I've encountered. The way she looked at me, up and down.. wow. I've had the longest week of my life and just wanted to get some dinner nearby the hospital where my twins are in the nicu and she made the experience terrible. Food was alright but I will never go back nor recommend it.
stevenk
This is an excellent Italian restaurant. The food and service are consistently very good. I was there last evening at 6pm with two friends. The noise level was totally unacceptable. We could not have a conversation; it was so loud. The noise was generated primarily from two large tables with several young children at each. The parents did not admonish their children to speak in moderate tones. Young children should not be allowed to frequent restaurants like Avanti, which considers itself the purveyor of fine cuisine. I doubt that I will go back. One of the primary reasons I go to restaurants with friends is to have pleasant conversation. That was impossible last evening. I was upset by this experience because my friends were in Miami Beach visiting from DC, and we had a limited time together.
MaureenB
The food was authentic Italian! For starters, we shared the Portabello Mushroom with a nice portion chunk of mozzarella-delicious! The veal Marsala was excellent! Tender, great brown sauce and mushrooms, better than most! I highly recommend it The roasted chicken was really good, but required a lot of work and patience to get all the meat off the bones Ana, our waitress and bartender was very attentive and helped us choose a delicious bottle of red wine!
fourdiamonds
Neighborhood gem. Delicious food and large portions. Red wine was served at the proper temperature. The server was extremely accommodating and let us customize many of our selections. Prices were reasonable. Will definitely return.
Windswept
We found the food to be quite mediocre. My Linguine Vongole was lacking in the flavor from clams. My wife's Lasagna was ok, but not great. After dinner, we waited for 15 minutes, and no server came over to ask if we wanted coffee, I had to get up to find a hostess and ask for an espresso and a bill. The bill still took another ten minutes. Very disappointing.
AaronT
We had a wonderful meal. I tried a new dish, shrimp, leeks and sundried tomatoes which was excellent. The new Art installation was inspiring and did not overwhelm the cozy atmosphere we like at the restaurant. One of our favorite places to get a good meal and relax.
Steve
I love this place. The food is consistently good and the service is always terrific. The servers, Ruben, or Tudor are the best. They're always happy to see us when we walk in and treat us like family.
RG22
The service by Tudor was excellent as always. He goes out of his way to make sure you're pleased with everything you order. The food was excellent as it always is at this restaurant. It's our favorite Italian restaurant on Miami Beach and I highly recommend it.
DanO
Loved our dinner at Cafe Avanti. It's a popular spot in Miami Beach and we were lucky to have a chance to eat there! The food and staff took great care of us! We look forward to going back.
Great neighborhood restaurant with cozy atmosphere, white table cloths, table well situated so you aren't on top of each other. And the food is consistently terrific with and outstanding service.
NanjaB
The services is really good but they put garlic and excess oil on everything (even if you ask them to go easy on the oil). The bill came with and item titled "Tax 9%". When asked why 9% and not 7%, the waiter responded "In miami beach is 9% because we add a 'resort tax'" For a restaurant that is on 41st street that is not a part of a hotel nor has any other infrastructure than a restaurant, the additional 2% feels wrong.
JorgeG
We had an early reservation and not only did Ruben greet us but he knew our name. In observing the other patrons I noticed that most were repeat customers and the staff knew them. I met Luis the owner and his daughter Jessica, they could not be more welcoming, warm and simply delightful!! What can I say about the food, simply the deliciously wonderful!!! Even though we live more than an hour away we will be back!!
Anonymous
The service leading up to the serving of the meal was excellent. Once we were done eating, however, we waited for 20-30 minutes before one of us got up and asked a server for the bill. When we arrived, it wasn't very busy, but by that time, it was quite busy, so the servers had less time for us. The food was incredible. It became too noisy near the end of our time there to be able to hear each other. While on par for Miami Beach, it is a bit expensive.
JoeM
Cafe Avanti is an institution and a true neighborhood gem. The food is excellent and the wait staff is attentive. On any given night, the dining room is filled with longtime local regulars. As a waiter remarked to me, "it's like Cheers, where everyone knows your name."
Every neighborhood should have a restaurant like this. The greeting is always warm and friendly. The food is reliably good, and portions are very large. When a dish is shared, it comes to the table already plated, which is a nice touch. The dining room is attractive, well lit, and always lively. The sole downside is the noise level, which can be clamorous in the main dining room when it's more than half full. Still, it's a treat to dine here. Wish it was open for lunch.
People that work there suck. Went to eat there after getting out of the hospital after having a c section for my twins and having them in the nicu for a week and the hostess was the rudest person I've encountered. The way she looked at me, up and down.. wow. I've had the longest week of my life and just wanted to get some dinner nearby the hospital where my twins are in the nicu and she made the experience terrible. Food was alright but I will never go back nor recommend it.
This is an excellent Italian restaurant. The food and service are consistently very good. I was there last evening at 6pm with two friends. The noise level was totally unacceptable. We could not have a conversation; it was so loud. The noise was generated primarily from two large tables with several young children at each. The parents did not admonish their children to speak in moderate tones. Young children should not be allowed to frequent restaurants like Avanti, which considers itself the purveyor of fine cuisine. I doubt that I will go back. One of the primary reasons I go to restaurants with friends is to have pleasant conversation. That was impossible last evening. I was upset by this experience because my friends were in Miami Beach visiting from DC, and we had a limited time together.
The food was authentic Italian! For starters, we shared the Portabello Mushroom with a nice portion chunk of mozzarella-delicious! The veal Marsala was excellent! Tender, great brown sauce and mushrooms, better than most! I highly recommend it The roasted chicken was really good, but required a lot of work and patience to get all the meat off the bones Ana, our waitress and bartender was very attentive and helped us choose a delicious bottle of red wine!
Neighborhood gem. Delicious food and large portions. Red wine was served at the proper temperature. The server was extremely accommodating and let us customize many of our selections. Prices were reasonable. Will definitely return.
We found the food to be quite mediocre. My Linguine Vongole was lacking in the flavor from clams. My wife's Lasagna was ok, but not great. After dinner, we waited for 15 minutes, and no server came over to ask if we wanted coffee, I had to get up to find a hostess and ask for an espresso and a bill. The bill still took another ten minutes. Very disappointing.
We had a wonderful meal. I tried a new dish, shrimp, leeks and sundried tomatoes which was excellent. The new Art installation was inspiring and did not overwhelm the cozy atmosphere we like at the restaurant. One of our favorite places to get a good meal and relax.
I love this place. The food is consistently good and the service is always terrific. The servers, Ruben, or Tudor are the best. They're always happy to see us when we walk in and treat us like family.
The service by Tudor was excellent as always. He goes out of his way to make sure you're pleased with everything you order. The food was excellent as it always is at this restaurant. It's our favorite Italian restaurant on Miami Beach and I highly recommend it.
Loved our dinner at Cafe Avanti. It's a popular spot in Miami Beach and we were lucky to have a chance to eat there! The food and staff took great care of us! We look forward to going back.
Restaurantji Recommends
Great neighborhood restaurant with cozy atmosphere, white table cloths, table well situated so you aren't on top of each other. And the food is consistently terrific with and outstanding service.
The services is really good but they put garlic and excess oil on everything (even if you ask them to go easy on the oil). The bill came with and item titled "Tax 9%". When asked why 9% and not 7%, the waiter responded "In miami beach is 9% because we add a 'resort tax'" For a restaurant that is on 41st street that is not a part of a hotel nor has any other infrastructure than a restaurant, the additional 2% feels wrong.
We had an early reservation and not only did Ruben greet us but he knew our name. In observing the other patrons I noticed that most were repeat customers and the staff knew them. I met Luis the owner and his daughter Jessica, they could not be more welcoming, warm and simply delightful!! What can I say about the food, simply the deliciously wonderful!!! Even though we live more than an hour away we will be back!!
The service leading up to the serving of the meal was excellent. Once we were done eating, however, we waited for 20-30 minutes before one of us got up and asked a server for the bill. When we arrived, it wasn't very busy, but by that time, it was quite busy, so the servers had less time for us. The food was incredible. It became too noisy near the end of our time there to be able to hear each other. While on par for Miami Beach, it is a bit expensive.
Cafe Avanti is an institution and a true neighborhood gem. The food is excellent and the wait staff is attentive. On any given night, the dining room is filled with longtime local regulars. As a waiter remarked to me, "it's like Cheers, where everyone knows your name."