South Beach

Step into the Art Cafe in Miami Beach and you enter a world where music, art and cuisine mesh in a too-hip-to-be-trendy setting. From the hand-painted, one of a kind tables and blue glittered ceiling, to the flowing drapes and luxurious couches, Art Café is an artistic expression like no other in Miami Beach. Every corner of the restaurant is its own—well, work of art.

Owner Dorian Romano has blended his two passions: Italian cuisine and art into a haven for those seeking a creative flair. But even though the décor is unique, don’t expect the cuisine to stray too far from the traditional. The menu—co-created by head Chef Anthony Mansolillo—is a nod to Mansolillo and Romano’s Italian heritage and is grounded in classic Italian dishes alongside nightly specials that, like the art on the walls, are ever-changing.

“People are comfortable with certain foods, and that is what we tried to create here. All too often, restaurants try too hard to make their cuisine unique, and they end up missing the mark,” says Romano. “Our philosophy with the cuisine is stick to the classics, and make them taste great. People know what they like, and I want our restaurant to provide that.”

While the menu may offer some classic Italian comforts, don’t expect the wine list to follow suit: Romano’s other passion is wine, and he likes to share his passion. His wine list encompasses some classic vintages as well as some lesser-known types from vineyards all over the globe. “When I was younger, wine was not as popular as it is today. I get so excited when a table full of younger people (of course over 21) come in and order a bottle of wine off the menu. I never would have done that when I was younger- I wasn’t sophisticated enough. I was more of a beer drinker. But now I am ecstatic when I am able to share my love of wine with the world.”

The restaurant itself is broken up into a main dining room (where no two tables are alike) with two smaller VIP rooms on the sides. One of the rooms pays homage to the famous surrealist Salvador Dali, while the other is home to a King Arthur-style banquet table. “This room is for communal style-dining. I want people to feel like they are sitting at their own dining room table,” states Romano.

Well, unless constantly-changing beautiful works of art flag the walls in your dining room, it will be hard to imagine this is your house. But you get the idea behind Romano’s vision: A place where art and cuisine come together to create a unique space where every one feels at home.

And it is a vision that is taking the town—if not yet by storm, by slowly spreading word of mouth. That’s because it's not just delicious cuisine and works of art that make this café special. The café also hosts a barrage of live music and other events to compliment the already loungy-atmosphere. Ben Zepelon, who in the past played with Santana, heads up the Saturday night house band. The group gets the place jumping with their reggae tunes Saturday nights, and other acts liven up the restaurant throughout the rest of the week.

One recent Saturday night, a group of blonde beauties slithered up to the bar while grooving to the tunes of the house band. The leader of the pack turned to her horde of lovelies and announced, “I love this place. This is our new hangout.”

With sentiments like that being echoed almost every night of the week, it won’t be long till Art Café is at the top of the South Beach Restaurant/Lounge scene.