Reviews & Ratings for Da Vinci Caffe

03/06/10

Far away from Italian

by ASG79 at Citysearch

I cannot believe where all the good reviews come from! Starting with the wine list (you can get most of the bottles at Publix), following with the bread (nothing to do with Italian bread) and finishing with the food ( a big joke), the whole experience is painful to the wallet and to my rights as a customer.

The server had absolutely no idea about any of the wines. Not only he did not know the difference between a Chianti and a Rosso di Montalcino, but he did not know a single name of a bottle of wine. When he was asked about wine he came around the table to stare at the wine list I was holding and tried to read the name of a wine to then say it was a "great wine". He insisted on serving the "best Italian food in town" but when asked about different items of the menu, he did not know how to explain any of them. When asked about the "spices" on the mussels, he replied saying it had pepper and olive oil spices. Imagine.

The mussels were completely dried out, overcooked, old and with no flavor. The shells were breaking apart of how old and reheated they were.

The "lighted breaded veal della madonna" was not veal but palomilla steak, tripled breaded, dried, with penne pasta that not only was not al dente but it also had some tomato sauce that tasted like can tomato sauce. They forgot the salad that was supposed to come on top. When we mentioned it\, they came back with it, but it had such a strong rosemary flavor that was inedible.

This has been by far the worse experience in Miami. I have lived here for 4 years, tried hundreds of restaurants, tried many restaurants in NYC, LA, Chicago, San Francisco and being from Europe, many many restaurants in Italy, France, Spain and even Greece. This restaurant is a joke and I am ashamed I went there with my partner and gave it a try, wasting our time and money. Do yourself a favor, go to Fratelli Milano, Cantina 27 or Fratelli la Bufala, and you will find and love authentic and real Italian food, just like the one you can have in Italy.

• Pros: None
• Cons: Everything

01/16/10

"Great food and wonderful service! I LOVE this place!"

by Guido B at Citysearch

I enjoyed a lovely dinner here with my girlfriend. The cuisine was excellent. It was the best ravioli di vitello outside of Italia, and the best veal chops in town, and a fantastic wine list very extend at reasonable price . We had a romantic table and our server Oreste was spectacular. I'll highly recommend Caffe Da Vinci for its authentic Italian food, atmosphere and service.

• Pros: The best Italian Restaurant in Bal Harbour,

02/07/09

Authentic Italian food!

by joannassf at Citysearch

Delicious food, good service and warm neighborhood feeling! My family loves going to Caffe Da Vinci!

• Pros: The food
• Cons: The decor

05/07/08

IN THIS PLACE IS ALL ABOUT YOU.

by JORGETRONCOSO at Citysearch

THEY TRIED TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE YOU FEEL AT HOME. BEST VEAL CHOP!. EXCELLENT SERVICE. CHANGES, SUBSTITUTIONS, HALF ORDERS, EVERYTHING GOES.

• Pros: NON
• Cons: ROMANTIC, GREAT GRILLED ITEMS.

08/13/07

OUR FIRST DATE.....3 YEARS AGO

by atlantic22 at Citysearch

THIS IS OUR 3RD. ANNIVERSARY. WE MET AT DAVINCI'S 3 YEARS AGO. WE LOVE THEIR CHEF'S SPECIALS AND THE ROMANTIC DECOR.

• Pros: VERY ROMANTIC-VERY GOOD SERVICE.

01/12/07

LIKE AT HOME!

by lindas123 at Citysearch

OUR FIRST TIME WAS A VERY GOOD EXPERIENCE. THE PLACE WAS PACKED BUT THE MAITRE'D

SAID THAT HE WILL TAKE CARE OF US........AND HE DID. WE RECEIVED A COMP.GLASS OF WINE ( THE BAR WAS TO FULL TO GET A DRINK) AND WHEN WE SEATED , BRUSCCHETAS AND A DELICIOUS PASTA. THESE GUYS ARE PROS. WE WILL COME BACK.

• Pros: VERY ACCOMODATING.

09/19/06

Bad Italian!

by alfamilan at Citysearch

We have decided to try Da Vinci, after all, it has been there for all these years. Overall the food was bad and way too expensive, the portions were small (we are not big people), and unexciting. There are better values elsewhere. We will not go back to Da Vinci and we do not recommend it. For years we have been sampling many Bal Harbor area restaurants and don't mind paying a high price, but in this case, it's not at all justified. Two thumbs down.

• Cons: food ambiance

08/22/06

Pricey neighborhood restaurant

by hellramsey at Citysearch

Went there last night, quite charming looking if a bit tired decor. The service was attentive but overall our night out ended up disappointment. The bruchetta appetizer was good, but the ordered -and recommended- whole wheat pasta was though and the crab ravioli bland, the sauces tasted like they were overcooked and the drinks were way too strong and unbalanced. They were accomodating to our own wine -good considering the marked prices and selection- but they lacked proper glasses. In all we don't plan to go back.

• Cons: food ambiance

08/16/06

QUITE FRANKLY...VERY DISAPPOINTING DA VINCI

by trulover at Citysearch

AFTER SO MUCH HAS BEEN WRITTEN HERE, ONE MAY WONDER IF THE OWNER HAS MANY FRIENDS WRITING FOR HIM....THE FOOD WAS MEDIOCRE, SPECIALLY THE COMMERCIAL GRADE NOT HOMEMADE- PASTAS, THE SERVICE WAS ATTENTIVE, BUT STILL LESS THAN IDEAL, AND IT WAS VERY PRICEY.

I SPENT $175 IN DINNER FOR TWO, MUCH MORE THAN A NEIGHBORHOOD LITTLE RESTAURANT WITHOUT AN EXCITING LOCATION OR DECOR MIGHT CHARGE.

AND LASTLY, THEIR WINE LIST IS HORRIBLE! I CAN DEAL WITH WINE MARKUPS, SOME OUTRAGEOUS, AS LONG AS IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S WORTH IT. BUT LITERALLY, THERE WAS A WINE THAT I BUY FOR $9 THAT WAS ON THE MENU FOR $50!!! AT LEAST IF THEY OFFERED HARD TO FIND OR OBSCURE WINES THAT WERE THAT MARKED UP I MIGHT'VE THOUGHT ABOUT ORDERING, BUT THESE PRICES WERE OBSCENE!

• Pros: EASY LOCATION
• Cons: FOOD WINE LIST SETTING

08/05/06

great food, not most romantic

by selenemun at Citysearch

I enjoyed the non corporate delicious food and excellant service. However, this is not the most romantic restaurant in Miami. It is small with no view whatsoever. Davinci paintings on walls romantic? No way.