Macchialina — Restaurant in Miami Beach

I normally never write reviews because I’m usually content with any place that has even semi-decent service. However, given the terrible experience I had at this place last night, I think it’s best to give some warning to future diners.

The food was great but the service was absolutely terrible so I don’t know that I would recommend it. My outdoor table was not ready at my reservation time, which was fine. So I waited at the bar for 15 mins. The hostess did come over to the bar and ask if I wanted to sit there or inside instead and I told her I’d wait since I was visiting from a place that was cold I wanted to sit outside in the warm weather. Also, I was definitely not going to sit at the bar as multiple servers kept bumping into my bar stool and not saying excuse me. When I was finally sat, my waitress (Marijah-I only know her name because I saw it on the receipt at the end of the meal) came over, didn’t introduce herself and asked what kind of water I wanted and a few minutes later a man poured some water in a cup for me but my waitress disappeared for at least 10 minutes. When she finally came back she quickly apologized for the wait and asked if I was ready to order. She did not ask if I had any questions about the menu (which I did and asked on my own) or tell me anything about specials, etc. I placed my order. So imagine my surprise when the same waitress I had promptly went to the party that had just walked in (they must have known the owner or manager because I could hear their conversation with a manager asking if it was possible for them to walk in and she went back inside for a minute and returned directing them to the prime outdoor table next to me) and told them specials and off menu items, while she told me none of that information. The waitress didn’t come and check if my appetizer came out fine. About 10 minutes after my entree came she asked if it was alright. I would have normally gotten dessert but I was just ready to get out of there because of the bad service that I declined when asked if I wanted to see a dessert menu (and I did not want to give them any more of my money). The only saving grace was one woman, who I think was another manager who asked if I wanted more wine (since my glass was and had been empty for about 20 minutes and my waitress never came by to ask if I wanted more). To add insult to injury, when the waitress brought the check she informed me that 18% gratuity was automatically added. I was highly annoyed at this given the terrible service but just said ok as I had no energy to even want to fight it. Overall, horrible way to end my trip in Miami. I am never one to cry racism, but given the disparate way I (a young black female) was treated by the waitress (white) from the party who sat next to me (middle-aged all white), there seemed to be definite implicit bias at work and the staff could benefit from some training on the topic so that all patrons feel respected and served...

A firm splurge and feel good about it restaurant. I can understand the full reservations on the daily and the rush to get their monthly one day limited menu, like their Mack burger. I myself went when they were offering the Chicken Parmesan dinner, which starts you off with a clams casino appetizer. You can only get these one day only dishes by reserving and pre-paying for them, including tax and gratuity (via Resy). Their reservations go fast for inside seating, so if you wait until the last minute to look for a table, you could end up with outdoor seating on their sidewalk.

There’s a parking lot next to the restaurant that does not belong to them, as indicated by a sign when you walk in that says you will be towed if you park there. You best bet is to street park, which can be doable for earlier times in the evening for Alton Road.

The inside of the restaurant is cozy, both in ambiance and space. You will probably be bumping an elbow into something or someone or having to move your chair several times throughout your meal. But it’s worth the maneuvering to enjoy anything on their menu. The clams casino were herb fragrant, unctuous and dense in flavor and texture, satisfying even to have one or two. The chicken parmesan was well put together and huge, with the freshest marinara, melted mozzarella and penne that I’ve had in a while. I was able to share it and take a sizable portion home to enjoy the next day.

We shared the Cavatelli Macchialina, another great reason to claim that pasta is an essential part of life. The cavatelli has just enough firmness and was doughy enough to be a star dressed in well seasoned tomato sauce. The occasional baby meatball and porchetta made each bite even more delightful.

What I found cool was that while they have an expansive wine list (though limited on wines by glass, you’d have to go to a half or full bottle for rarer wines), they specialize in original martinis. It was fun to see the diagram of the base spirit in each martini, the vermouth, and the garnishes and understand what makes it unique. I had a Bambini Tini ($10), the 1.5 ounce pour for when you want to try more than one drink without having to ask yourself why you thought having 2 martinis was a good idea. I had had the Martinez, what was described as their version of an Old Fashioned. It was slightly sweet but flavorful , like if a Manhattan decided to get some aromatic friends.

Our server was knowledgeable and did not pretend like he knew everything that we asked about. He went and asked the bartender about our martini questions and returned with answers that helped us decide on the drinks. Our plates were served and taken away promptly, and sometime after settling the bill, we were asked by a hostess to vacate our table for the next reservation. If you like lingering at a restaurant after dinner, I suggest you do it somewhere else, because there’s someone waiting to have the same meal as you. Why don’t you go by and be that...

Longtime Miami Beach gem, Macchialina, debuts a new cocktail menu after the promotion of John Cooper and Jennifer White to Lead Bartenders. The new cocktail menu will feature cocktails that take a creative approach to Italian tradition.

“We want our cocktail menu to match the simplicity of our dinner menu, where we let the wonderful ingredients and behind the scenes techniques shine,” Jacqueline Pirolo, the restaurant’s managing partner and beverage director.

The new menu launched on February 5th and was created by both Cooper and White. Cooper is a level one sommelier and professional brewer. White, in addition to her role at Macchialina is also beverage consultant and sommelier for Tiger Bar Exotic Eats and Champagne Room as well as Firefly Kitchen. Together they put together a stellar menu featuring 14 unique cocktails.

The new cocktail menu is broken down into four sections.

To Start features cocktails that are meant as aperitifs or easily crushable drinks like the Pink Sbaglitato made with rosé vermouth, caperitif, and Chiarli Vecchia Modena lambrusco or the I Wish I Was a Highballer made with Glenlivet Founders Reserve, Zucca, Fever Tree soda, and smoked rosemary.

Shaken & Refreshing is a collection of light cocktails that are perfect for sipping like the Padron My French made with Lillet Blanc, Absolut Elyx, heirloom pineapple amaro, Crème de Framboise, and Absinthe mist or the Havana Conference made with Havana Club Añejo Clásico, Velvet Falernum, Fernet Branca, pineapple cordial, and lime.

Stirred & Direct is for those who appreciate a spirit forward cocktail. This section includes the Don Caper martini made with olive oil washed Bombay Sapphire, Cocchi Americano, and caper berry and the Baker’s Boulevardier made with Smooth Ambler Contradiction, Lucano, Banane du Brésil, chocolate bitters, and salted chocolate banana leather.

To Finish features an delicious after dinner drink. The Caffe Freddo is made with Montenegro, Anglisco Blanco, coffee, house made orange bitters, and whipped cream.

Thoughtfully curated and named, each drink pays homage to the restaurant’s Italian roots. Cooper explained that while making this cocktail menu, they wanted to use ingredients that were as important to the bar as the tomatoes are to Chef Pirolo’s pomodoro. When it came to naming the drinks there’s a mix of word play and history, like the Baker’s Boulevardier, which is a negroni variation with an added bit of banana and chocolate bitters, and the substitution of Lucano for Campari, rounds it out and ties together the theme of a “bakers” boulevardier; Lucano is an Amaro that was started by a baker in the early 1900s in the back of a bakery.

Every cocktail at Macchialina is an experience that’s meant to be paired with the delicious pasta and other Italian delights prepared by Pirolo and his team. This South Beach favorite is always a solid choice when looking for a great night...