Sapore di Mare Italian Seafood - Coconut Grove — Restaurant in Miami

I hate writing reviews like this, especially for places I once really enjoyed, but what I experienced this past weekend at Sapore Di Mare was truly unacceptable. I came as a walk in reservation with my boyfriend for dinner. One of the specials of the night was a red fish puttanesca dish. Puttanesca is pretty much ALWAYS served with pasta, so I figured that is what the side dish was. Nobody told me anything different, so I never asked. When our food arrived, my red fish was served on a plate of puttanesca sauce and a tiny portion of potatoes and vegetables on the side. The vegetables and potatoes did not have the same sauce or flavor that the fish did and really it seemed like a total mismatch. I called over the blonde Italian woman who works there (owner possibly?) to discuss the confusion over the side dish. She immediately told my waiter who brought out a SIDE order of pasta. The pasta with the fish were decent. There were several bones in my fish which if prepared correctly should not have occurred. They did not apologize for the confusion over the dish despite the fact that it is a known fact that puttanesca typically comes with pasta, but beyond that, they charged us $16 for a SIDE DISH OF PASTA. I have lived in Miami for several years, and eat out frequently. I have no issue spending money on food, but to make a mistake like this, pretend to care about patrons, and then charge an arm and a leg for a side of pasta is just unforgivable. This is actually the second time I have had an issue at this restaurant. The last time we were there my mother's food was unbearably spicy and when she went to return it the waiter laughed at her while she turned red and had tears in her eyes from the amount of red pepper in her food. Ultimately, it is just not worth the fake Italian vibes. True Italian service is family oriented and would never make mistakes and not stand by the customers afterwards. If you want fantastic seafood travel to South Miami and try out Cafe Pastis. If you want great Italian food look no further than Narbona in Cocowalk, it is right up the road and the staff is always kind and receptive to their customers. I am sorry to do this, but it has to be said. I can only hope the owners/ managers read this and make some changes, but either way I likely will...

Cannot recommend this restaurant enough! My husband and I came here last week. The cocoerge @ The Ritz Coral Gables highly recommended and coincidentally, our friend who has lived in the area frequents this restaurant often and is also his favorite Italian.

1. Food- we were first served hot, fresh focaccia right out of the oven. Definitely was not your typical focaccia-long and thinner but delicious, nonetheless. I ordered the Cacio e Pepe (which was a special) on a whim. It was not my desire to have something heavy, as I was planning on ordering fish, but the waiter’s description piqued my interest, as it was made with truffles. I have tried cacio e pepe at countless places all over Manhattan and New Jersey. This place nailed it. SIMPLY THE BEST! Every bite melted in my mouth! Indescribable! It was also served in a cheese wheel, which added to its allure. My husband ordered the lobster raviolis, which were also very good. I cannot comment on dessert as I was too full to order! The only downside was that I was looking forward to a cocktail and the restaurant only offers wine, Prosecco and beer. Just something to note but not to dissuade!
2. Ambience- blue and white decor; Meditteranean feel- actually reminded me of a Greek bistro inside. Very inviting, comfortable and semi-casual.
3. Service- Our waiter could not have been nicer! He has been there for a long time but I unfortunately forgot his name. We were there on Tuesday, August 12, 2025. Will definitely be back when we are...

Disappointing, without a doubt overrated, I would like to mention something positive about the place but I could only mention a busgirl, I think Colombian, who works excellent, the waiter's service is terrible, they ask you everything you want, they don't explain anything about the menu to you They ask you what you want to drink, they never give you the drink menu, if you ask for it you will only find a list of ordinary wines, nothing surprising, the bread I read comments from people saying it is delicious, but I don't think they know bread, the bread is heavy and dense, problems with the oven fire maybe. The pastas are average, I would give them a 4 out of 10, the carpaccio, the burrata are very average, the space is small for the number of tables, the dessert, at least the tiramisu and the lemon cake, nothing surprising, the service is terrible. We didn't have a good time at all, I must also mention that despite being very far from being a fine dining restaurant, they include a 22% service charge in the bill that I don't know who it is for because they specify that this is apart from the tip, so you must also give a minimum of 18% additional even if the service has been mediocre and then they force you to pay another surcharge fee of about 2% that they don't say what it is, maybe it's a fine for paying with a credit card, I don't know if that's allowed, the point is that they do all that in exchange for you wasting your time and money there. Good pastas can be found in carbone...