Davinci — Restaurant in Hallandale Beach

I visited today Davinci on Hallandale and had an incredibly disappointing experience. I ordered a Greek salad, Tom Yum soup, and a Wagyu burger. The burger was served completely undercooked, with the meat still raw and bloody, despite requesting it medium. When I asked them to remake it, they took it away, but after a couple of minutes, I decided to cancel it altogether due to the overall poor impression the food had already left.

The Tom Yum soup was excessively spicy, a dull, unappetizing color, and nothing like what I’d expect from authentic Tom Yum. The Greek salad was a disaster—finely chopped to the point of being mushy, with mandoline-shaved onion that had no structure. The cheese was more of a paste, and the vegetables seemed like low-quality items from Costco. The greens on the Greek salad were wilted, with unnecessary additions like parsley, mint, and basil, which didn’t belong in the dish at all.

When I tried to cancel the Wagyu burger, they mentioned it was “almost ready,” despite only a couple of minutes passing. Not wanting to argue, we decided to wait, but the burger still took another 15 minutes to arrive. The restaurant was nearly empty, with just a few other tables occupied. The waitstaff, rather than attending to us, spent most of their time chatting amongst themselves, while the other staff also lingered around the bar, paying no attention to the guests.

After waiting an unreasonable amount of time, we had to go up to pay the bill ourselves because the staff seemed completely uninterested in providing service. We requested the 20% gratuity be removed, given our complete dissatisfaction with the service. Instead of addressing the concerns, the staff blamed the kitchen, claiming service issues were out of their control. This level of unprofessionalism was shocking—reminiscent of outdated, post-Soviet service, and it left us entirely disappointed. I wouldn’t recommend this...

I’ve visited this place twice and was very pleased with the food, the cleanliness, and the overall atmosphere. I’m also a lifelong dog lover and have had dogs all my life — but even I was extremely uncomfortable with what happened during my recent visit.

There were two dogs inside the restaurant, not on the patio, and one was placed on the bench next to me, just two feet away, uninvited and within inches of where I was eating; I was seated there first. The waitress said nothing to the dog owners, and instead offered them water for their dog but said absolutely nothing to me or asked whether I was okay being seated next to someone else’s pet.

I want to be clear: this isn’t about disliking dogs. I have dogs and love dogs. But restaurants are for people, not for animals. Many people have allergies or sensitivities. Florida law is also very clear: non-service dogs are only allowed in designated outdoor areas (with local permits), and must remain on the ground, leashed, and never on furniture or near food surfaces.

When I asked to speak to a manager, I was told none were on duty and the only way to reach one was by email, which turned out to be a generic Gmail address, for deliveries, not a manager’s contact. Live chat on the website is also not working. The server was dismissive and showed no concern.

It’s disrespectful, unprofessional, and a violation of public health code. I left the restaurant early, which I didn’t want to do, and I won’t be returning. Good food doesn’t excuse bad policies and careless service.

Until management enforces state rules (pets outdoors, service animals only indoors) and trains staff to respond respectfully, I cannot recommend...

I usually only truly appreciate restaurant food when it delivers something I can’t recreate at home—and DaVinci exceeded all expectations.

The pâté dish pictured was an absolute standout. Silky-smooth and rich in flavor, it was topped with crushed pistachio, tangy jam, slivered almonds, and paired with perfectly crisp, golden brioche sticks—each element complementing the next in both texture and taste. An elevated and artful twist on a classic.

I also tried the crispy eggplant with house-made hummus, and I genuinely doubt anyone could top that dish. The contrast between the delicate crunch and the creamy, flavorful hummus was simply flawless.

The cocktails are another story altogether. It’s clear the team is innovating on flavor and presentation—both the DaVinci and the French 69 were phenomenal. Each sip felt intentional, creative, and balanced.

The ambiance was warm and well-designed, with custom-made ceramic plates and lighting that adds to the overall thoughtful aesthetic. You can feel the care put into every detail—from food to atmosphere.

Highly recommend for anyone who values originality, craftsmanship, and...