Divieto Ristorante - Coral Springs — Restaurant in Coral Springs

Our first visit here wasn't bad, but it was also not excellent. When we arrived around 6:15 PM, it was reasonably crowded considering it was a Wednesday and it's that awkward time of year when many of the snowbirds have flown north for the summer. Several remain, but we were seated after a negligible wait. The decor is beautiful and reminiscent of the 1920s, with Art Deco influences, checkered tile, and dark woods. The servers, bartenders, bussers, and runners all wear uniforms that blend well. Our server, Leo, was delightful and attentive. He greeted us with a warm smile and made several appetizer and drink suggestions. Decor 8/10 Server (First Impression) 8/10

When the bread arrived, we were perplexed to find dinner/hamburger rolls. The olive oil on the plate is tired and needs to stop. Modern Italians don't do this. The bread was enriched. It was soft, sweet, and tasted commercially produced. Bread 2/10

We went with the calamari, and we received a nice mix of rings, tentacles, and sliced squash. However, for the price, the portion of calamari felt on the small side of average. It is served with two scant bullets of dipping sauces. The red sauce was chilled and very "Italian seasoning" forward. The other was a white generic garlic and herb aioli that did not taste freshly made. Hoping all of their red sauce doesn't taste like this, I asked for some additional sauce to finish the calamari. They brought it in a large soup bowl. Again, the sauce was orange, very oregano-heavy, and tasted like a school cafeteria or frozen Italian-style entree trying to pass itself off as American-Italian. I even said to my partner it resembles tomato soup more than tomato sauce. Dipping the bread in it didn't help. Calamari 6/10 Sauce 1/10

Our entrees arrived. He had the Pork Shank Ossobucco over mushroom risotto. The pork was tender and well-seasoned. The risotto was creamy and delicious. It's not the best we've ever had, but a decent dish. The overall portion of this entree is generous and worth it. Pork Shank Ossobuco 8/10

I had the Chicken Parmigiana with Linguini. The chicken did not taste freshly fried. It was not hot or tender. It was covered in the same oregano-heavy orange tomato soup/sauce, and the cheese wasn't melted. The linguini was hot, but the sauce ruined it. I could not eat the dish. Chicken Parmigiana 1/10 Linguini 3/10

Leo was apologetic and offered to bring me a new one, but after Iooking at the menu, I chose the Lasagna Alla Bolognese. Even if the sauce was going to be oregano heavy, it should be fine since the meat and cheeses should help meld the flavors. The Lasagna Alla Bolognese was good, but overall, it was not what I was looking for. I ate about 1/4 of it and took the rest home, ultimately tossing it when I got there. Lasagna Alla Bolognese 5/10 Server (Mid-Meal Impression) 8/10

Another gentleman came over to apologize and offered to buy us a dessert. We had the Italian Cheesecake, which was not Italian Cheesecake. It's small, not made in-house, the crust had that off-putting refrigerator taste, and the cheesecake filling infringed on Sara Lee territory. The red wine-mixed berry compote tasted like they spilled red wine on the cheesecake, and they tossed some blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries on top and called it a day. Unimpressive. Not worth the price. Italian...

Divieto Coral Springs. The place has taken so long to come to fruition (almost three years) that the expectations were high.

It's a beautiful restaurant, and it was packed. Menu-wise, I would place it similarly to Sicilian Oven (very good) and its various locations, but it is more expensive than that restaurant and Sette Mezzo in Coconut Creek (excellent). It's not competition for Livello or even Tavolino (RIP) when it was at the top of its form and had survived with Bruno Silva at the helm. It would have competed with Coppola's to a T—but that one is also gone. I'm not sure it competes with Incontro regarding the overall menu and vibe, but I expect it will eventually knock that place out, too.

It's well executed in terms of service. They have brought people in from across the state to fill various roles. Our server was a bar manager in Estero (Naples) and is staying with another work colleague in Doral to work on the startup of this place. She was replaced mid-service with another server because she was rushed into the kitchen, so the staff here is multi-functional, meaning they have undergone a lot of training.

Food. The menu is unabashedly Italian-American. We started with a bread service with oil and balsamic; we didn't like the bread; these soft roll-type things were not crusty. One bite, done for both of us.

We got the pear salad, which was nicely done. For the main, we wanted a boilerplate/benchmark to get a sense of the execution of a basic Italian-American dish, so we got the Veal Parmigiana. It's a big portion, but it was excessively bready. I didn't love the pomodoro/marinara; it's sweet rather than acidic. Others will like it, but it's not to my taste. The pasta was cooked fine.

We watched the pasta in the cheese wheel thing, which is just a straight-up alfredo. I asked the folks who had it what they felt about it, and they were underwhelmed by it. Another gentleman had the lasagna bolognese, and he said it was "cute" in terms of portion size as it was served in an individual casserole. I photographed their desserts, which I believed they were comped.

There is a small pizza list at the back of the menu, which is less diverse than Sicilian Oven. According to the FOH manager we chatted with, it's a thin crust. I didn't get photos of it, but I may return to try it.

It's very corporate, will probably make a ton of money, and fills a void lost by Tavolino and Coppola's. It's not a better restaurant than Sicilian Oven, let alone Sette Mezzo in Coconut Creek, but it has that nice outdoor dining area, and the bar will likely attract a lot of traffic. They have a happy hour that ends at 6. I didn't look at the menu, but the Doral location is 25 percent off appetizers and half-price on beers, so I expect something similar. I may return to try that and a pizza, but this will not be a...

Very lengthy review I am writing to express my disappointment with the experience I had during my recent visit on 8/25/2024 for my birthday dinner. I made my reservation through Amex Global Dining Experience by Resy and arrived five minutes early. However, my friend and I were met with an indifferent greeting by the hostess, who left us waiting while she checked if there was a table available, despite our 4:00 pm reservation.

While we waited, a couple different race entered without a reservation, accompanied by a crying baby and a dog. They were warmly welcomed and seated immediately, without the need to check availability. When I expressed concern about this to the hostess, I was told that it was because they were seated outside. However, when we were eventually taken to our table, the hostess walked us through the entire restaurant only to seat us back near the kitchen, with sight on the couple who was supposedly "outside."

This treatment made me and my friend feel unwelcome and uncomfortable, especially since the couple who arrived after us was already enjoying their meal by the time our server approached. Although our waitress was kind and made good recommendations, the overall experience was overshadowed by the initial interactions. The lamb chop was delicious but the seafood pasta was salty, they did offer an alternative.

Additionally, despite informing the staff that it was my birthday, there was no acknowledgment until I pointed it out after my dessert was served. The waitress was doing well until she tried to stick a candle in my almost finish dessert over my concern not ok at all. I objected and requested the same dessert other guest gets for their birthday. She complied The gesture , though appreciated, was an afterthought. Regrettably, this experience left me with the impression that our treatment may have been influenced by racial bias. While a few staff members made efforts to provide decent service, the overall atmosphere and treatment were disheartening, and I left feeling unwelcome. Unfortunately, this experience has discouraged me from returning to your restaurant in the future.

I hope you will take this feedback seriously and address these concerns to ensure that all guests are treated with the respect and hospitality they deserve. With disappointment...