Zucca
Italian restaurant · Downtown Coral Gables
162 Alcazar Ave, Coral Gables, FL 33134
Highlights
Housemade pastas, steaks, inventive cocktails, fine dining
Housemade pastas, steaks, inventive cocktails, fine dining
"Speaking of straight-laced Gables Italian restaurants, here’s Zucca. This fancy Italian spot inside the Hotel St. Michel is for people who say “exquisite” often. We’re sure they hear that word a lot around this quiet dining room—because it’s a fair adjective to describe the pasta. There are two raviolis on the menu, an eggplant version and one stuffed with pumpkin in a butter and sage sauce. Both are great, but we prefer the pumpkin. Their fresh gnocchi are softer than a dad’s love for that puppy he didn’t want you to get." - virginia otazo, ryan pfeffer, mariana trabanino
"Zucca is an Italian restaurant inside the Hotel St. Michel where dinner always includes privacy and comfort. It’s why your parents like it, but also why you should try it if you’re very tired of restaurant DJs. It’s one of the quietest restaurants in Miami thanks to velvet curtains and hidden soundproofing that turns mighty Miami voices into smooth murmurs. Zucca’s slightly charred octopus is tender and comes with a zesty watercress and chickpea salad, but the highlight of this dish is a black squid chickpea sauce that needs to be on every bite. Then there’s the paccheri pasta you could wear on your wrist like a bracelet, which is served in a lobster-filled tomato sauce. For dessert, go with the airy saffron and passion fruit panna cotta." - virginia otazo, ryan pfeffer
"There are so many Italian restaurants in Coral Gables that have white tablecloths and some variation of lobster pasta on their menu. Zucca is one of them, but the most surprising thing about this upscale spot is how light the food is. Lamb meatballs in tomato sauce and ricotta cheese sounds like a gut bomb, but the meatballs are earthy and light. Another way Zucca keeps it light is the noise. It’s one of the quietest restaurants in Miami thanks to velvet curtains and hidden soundproofing that turns mighty Miami voices into smooth murmurs. So it’s the perfect place to bring parents with selective hearing." - ryan pfeffer, virginia otazo, mariana trabanino
"This tasteful and elegant winner inside classy St. Michel hotel in Coral Gables presents a thoughtful menu celebrating Italian fare, beginning with an extensive salumi and cheese selection, delicate starters like fried zucchini flowers stuffed with goat cheese sprinkled with truffle honey, and mains that include homemade gnocchi with prosciutto, aged provolone, sun-dried tomatoes, and arugula, and paccheri pasta with lobster, cherry tomatoes, and basil. With desserts that include saffron passion fruit panna cotta and ricotta cheesecake, diners will want to end the evening on a sweet note." - Eater Staff
"A Coral Gables Italian mainstay, Zucca opened in 2017 and marked Da Silva Hospitality's first U.S. venture; I note that the team behind Zucca is spearheading a major expansion in South Florida by adding two new restaurants to the neighborhood in early 2025." - Olee Fowler
