Limoncello Miami — Restaurant in Miami Beach

Edit: Found out the staff offers free drinks for 5 Star reviews. Despicable. Take some pride in what you do for god’s sake.

We walked by tonight and checked out some reviews online. This place has more reviews than I’ve ever seen a restaurant have in my life. And a 4.9. Our hopes for a good meal were high.

This was one of the biggest disappointments my girlfriend and I have ever had eating out. We weren’t expecting Carbone quality, but with the amazing reviews, we expected something decent.

The mussels were incredibly bland. Not nearly enough seasoning, and sooo much broth. When you have mussels you want a refined, flavourful broth, not a never ending sink of liquid. And guys, making mussels is not hard. This is something the average cook can do at home no problem. Are you tasting the food? When I say it was under seasoned I mean REALLY under seasoned. But we thought maybe the pasta dishes would be better.

The mushroom pasta was awful. It tasted like dirt. And I don’t mean earthy nutty flavors like a lot of mushrooms have. I mean bland gross dirt. The truffle oil added very little, the noodles were stuck together and hard in places, and again, the dish was under-seasoned. I HATE when an entree is served in the pan. It is lazy, kitsch and belongs in the TV show Kitchen Nightmares.

The clam vongole was better than the mushroom pasta because at least it didn’t taste BAD, but it was boring. This dish is simple, so it needs to be made a very particular way in order to extract the maximum amount of flavor from the clams. I’m not sure what the kitchen at Limoncello is doing, but I imagine they’re skipping some steps. The shells should be separated from the meat and used to make a broth, I could tell that wasn’t done because the boring clams in shell were piled haphazardly next to the noodles.

I don’t think mussels or clam vongole dishes need cherry tomatoes personally? But maybe that’s just me.

For the price, this meal was very bad. They didn’t even grate fresh Parmesan.

Ok, now that I’ve shared my thoughts, I want to mention that server was nice, and professional. I felt kind of bad at the end because it seemed like he could tell we weren’t happy. He was a nice guy and I wish I could have said we loved it. But what were we supposed to say when the meal is that bad? Especially since you guys have so many good reviews. I read some of the reviews and it seems a lot of people love the food. The table next to us seemed to love it. We hated it. I wish I could take the chefs and show them what these dishes are supposed to taste like. Maybe we caught you on a really really bad night and the food is usually better.

It sucks because I feel like whoever reads this is gonna just go “well so many people love our food so it must be good.” Guys, tonight it wasn’t. I’m not a Michelin chef but I know what a seasoned, well prepared classic Italian dish tastes like, and this wasn’t close.

Usually when I give a negative review on Google, I will still give five stars, because I don’t want to hurt a business, I just want to provide constructive criticism. But tonight I just can’t do that. It was so disappointing, and your rating is already so high, that I’m just gonna keep it real.

Again, really do not like doing this. I’ve worked in many kitchens, and have a ton of respect for anyone who works in the industry, and like I said our server was great. But I love food, and I hope you’ll accept my criticism.

I have one positive thing to say about the food, so I’ll end with this. The bread at the beginning was pretty good.

PS: Be honest. Did you guys...

From the moment you arrive, you are greeted by all staff and the host at the front of the restaurant. The staff have a way of making you feel like you’re a longtime paisano from their hometown. Not only are the staff all authentically Italian, but so too are the dishes and cocktail and wine pairings. I was spoiled with flavours and hospitality here. My mean started with the burrata cheese and tomatoes and then the octopus and leek purée with crispy sweet potatoes. This was followed by a tasting of the mains, which included a wonderful seafood pasta and a tasting of the lobster ravioli. Wow, the flavours were fabulous and so authentic! Each dish was as though I was in Italy and eating a meal made by my Nonna. In each dish, the flavours were exceptional. Salvatore, the brother of the owner, was not only hospitable, but also recommended the perfect Sicilian wine pairing to enhance the flavours of my main course in my meal. Ryan, my server, recommended his favourites and the popular drink choices too. Ryan was fun and quirky and had the charm of making you feel relaxed and at home. As though you are his personal friend and are visiting him. Limoncello in Miami, was the best restaurant and place for drinks that I’ve been to in a very long time. The quality and portions are fabulous, but the welcoming and charismatic staff, and the flavours and care in each meal created, are what sets this restaurant apart from others in the area. Miami restaurants might all claim to be the best, but you don’t get much more authentic Italian than here in every aspect. This is a definite must eat place when, and every time one stays in Miami. I would happily try everything on their menu. Nothing disappoints! Thank you sincerely Salvadore and Ryan for making me count the moments until I eat here again. In the meantime, I highly recommend this place for quality, value and overall a great night dining experience! Lastly, I end on this note, enjoy a shot of the limoncello to end your exceptional evening there; it doesn’t disappoint. I was convinced it was house-made, and I felt as though I was transported back to Sorrento, Italy. Thank you again Limoncello restaurant, for a lovely evening...

Amazing, amazing, AMAZING!!!

It's very rare to see an almost perfect rated restaurant with thousands of reviews and I now completely understand the hype!

Limoncello was THE best meal I had during my Miami Sobe staycation weekend getaway.

The ambiance, the service, the food all ABSOLUTELY amazing and truly transports you back to Italy. This was the BEST authentic Italian experience I have ever had in the US.

From the decor, to the hustle and bustle of the staff (while never feeling rushed), to the lovely banter of the staff in Italian, to the food and drinks - this place was remarkable and brings a sense of nostalgia for those wishing they were back in Italy.

Now onto the experience - had an 8pm reservation on Saturday night and was promptly seated at the last table for two. Looking at how crowded it was, you'd think they'd give that table away but their customer service was top notch and I'm happy they honor their reservations.

Was between drink selections and was recommended the limoncello spritz between the two I was interested in and it was outstanding! Light, refreshing, again a pop of Italy in every sip. Husband ordered the old fashion and it was very well made.

Got the shrimp and calamari to start and it was well seasoned, crisp coated, with a tender interior.

Ordered the linguine lobster and spaghetti alle vongole and Oh. My. Gosh... BEST PASTA OUTSIDE OF ITALY. Might even give Trattoria Zà Zà in Florence a run for their money on tastiest lobster pasta! Lobster was perfectly cooked, pasta had the perfect bite, and the sauce was well seasoned and coated the noodles nicely. Husband's pasta was also all of the things described above but my love was with the linguine lobster because I've never had it as good as zaza's until now.

And to top it all off, my husband must've told them it was my birthday and having the staff surprise me with tiramisu and a beautiful rendition of happy birthday sung to me in Italian was the cherry on top of the best meal we had I Miami! Washed down with a beautiful shot of limoncello, on the house.

Thank you again to the staff for such a great meal and experience. 5 star, 10/10, highly recommend!

We will be back...