Upper Buena Vista’s Italian Eatery With A Strong Influence From Multicultural And Seasonal Flavors

Vista, located in Upper Buena Vista, an upcoming neighborhood with all sorts of local boutiques, eats, and wonders, is a full-service restaurant and rooftop bar offering delectable cuisine influenced by Miami’s local tastes and multicultural backgrounds, with a strong focus on fresh ingredients and seasonal flavors.

I was in love with the place before taking my first bite, the ambiance is elegant yet relaxed, despite being a busy night, in the middle of the week if I may add. The rooftop allows you to overlook the skyline as you sip cocktails, or you can immerse yourself in the lushness of the first floor, where ferns hang and vines grow.

To begin our feast, I had the Flatbread seasoned with wild mushrooms, caramelized onions, NY blend cheese,  and tomato sauce, honestly never been truly satisfied with other breads since. The Grilled Pear Salad accompanied with Arugula, stracciatella, toasted pine nuts, which normally comes with peaches but staying true to season they swiped it for pear, and I wouldn’t want any other way. As a true seafood fan, I ended our appetizers course with the Fisherman Crudo with Citrus, avocado, cucumber, and cilantro, the daily catch was salmon and the Calamari Fritti with sesame salt, pickles, yuzu sabayon. The different textures complimented each other quite nicely, while the Fisherman Crudo would almost melt in my mouth, the Calamari Fritti was as crunchy as should be, never allowing my tastebuds to get bored.

All my life, I’ve been a huge fan of pasta but never too interested in Gnocchi until I tried their Gnocchetti with poblano peppers, mint and pistachio. Never have I tasted something so rich and exquisite, a soft creamy dissolving texture that might take my vote as my favorite entree. The mint and pistachio hints were soft but refreshing. Closely followed by the Salmon with a side of Beluga black lentils, and pea puree, with a crisp skin on the outside but a flaky soft interior this entree would make a perfect option for those looking to maintain their healthy diets on a night, or day, out. Not to mention, salmon and lentils are packed with protein and this is truly the tastiest dish I’ve had that includes both.

Despite failing to make much room for dessert, I was determined enough to squish some sweetness in there. The Créme Brûlée with creamy vanilla custard, caramelized sugar was everything you’d expect; perfectly torched and crisped at the top yet delicate and velvety on the inside. But of course a chocolate lover like me couldn’t leave without trying the Chocolate Souffle which essentially consisted of a molten chocolate cake with vanilla gelato, however as a self-proclaimed molten chocolate cake and overall chocolate connoisseur, I wouldn’t call it just your regular lava cake. Although the center overflows with rich chocolate sauce, the outside is light and fluffy, unlike the usual moist brownie consistency you usually find with lava cakes.

Among other dishes I’d recommend trying are the Carciofi baresi (Bari-style artichokes, house chili sauce), the Octopus with Baby potatoes, romesco, squash puree, chorizo oil, salsa verde, but please above all don’t forget to have the house cut fries covered in melted raclette cheese, another simple dish they take up a few notches.

The restaurant is open daily, Sunday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Happy hour is available weekdays between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., and brunch is available on Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more info and full menu click here.

 

Hungry for more? Check out our review of The Melting Pot.