Outdoor tables at Cotoletta in South Beach, the second Cotaletta restaurant from 84 Magic Hospitality.
Cortesía
The restaurant with only one menu item has expanded to Miami Beach.
Cotoletta, the Italian bistro known for its veal Milanese, has opened in the South of Fifth neighborhood next to Prima Classe Miami Beach Italian Market & Cafe. And when we say “known for its veal Milanese,” we really mean it: It’s the only entree on the menu.
This is the second location of the restaurant from 84 Magic Hospitality, which opened the first Cotoletta on Grand Avenue in Coconut Grove in 2024. The group also operates San Lorenzo Italian restaurant in Miami, which serves two main dishes (seafood pasta or meat pasta) and 3190 in Coconut Grove, often called Si Papa, which only serves lasagna.
The 84 Magic Hospitality team — Ignacio Lopez Mancisidor, Mattia Cicognani and Andrea Fraquelli — knew they were taking a chance when they opened the concept. Fraquelli told the Miami Herald last year that after watching guests at his London restaurant order the same dishes every time they came, he thought the idea might work. And he knew the veal Milanese was the best choice.
The interior of Cotoletta in Miami Beach. Cortesía
“The veal Milanese was the dish I was the most sure we’d be able to pull off, having only one item,” he told the Miami Herald. “I’m so proud and happy with how the community and customers have taken to it. They understand what we’re trying to do.”
At the South Beach Cotoletta, which seats 80 at indoor and outdoor tables, the premise is the same. For $90, two diners start with seasonal antipasti, then move on to the veal Milanese, which is cooked with rosemary and lemon zest. There are also three sides to choose from: spaghetti al pomodoro, house fries or an arugula, tomato and Parmigiano Reggiano salad.
Desserts are $14 and include a flourless chocolate cake, cheesecake with raspberry coulis and vanilla Affogato supreme, which blends Italian gelato with a double espresso.
The wine list is as tightly curated as the menu, with one red and one white option, a Chianti Classico that Mancisidor said is known for “its deep unmistakable Sangiovese aroma.” The white is a Vermentino “designed to complement the zest of the cotoletta on warm Miami evenings,” he said.
The veal Milanese at Cotoletta, the only entree on the menu. Cortesía
“We’ve selected wines that we would personally drink back home in Northern Italy,” he said.
Also on offer are artisanal Italian beers, prosecco aperitifs and a few cocktails as well as Campari and Limoncello.
And like at the other restaurants, Mancisidor said, this restaurant wants to highlight what it means to be part of a neighborhood.
“The host will remember your name, your waiter will ask about your recent trip, and you will run into your friends for a casual night out,” he said.
The interior of Cotoletta in Miami Beach. Cotaletta South Beach
Where: 840 First St., Miami Beach
Hours: 5:30-10:30 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 12:30-3:30 p.m. and 5:30-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday; closed Mondays
Reservations: Resy
More information: www.cotolettamiami.com or @cotoletta.miami
Connie Ogle loves wine, books and the Miami Heat. Please don’t make her eat a mango.
Dining and Cooking