This luxury waterfront restaurant is finally opening at a historic Miami landmark
The newest culinary addition to the historic Miami Women’s Club in Edgewater has announced its opening date.
From David Grutman’s Groot Hospitality and Tao Group Hospitality comes Casadonna, a luxurious Italian restaurant on Biscayne Bay. The restaurant, which is scheduled to open Oct. 26, is the second upscale culinary destination at the building, which is also home to Klaw Miami restaurant and rooftop bar.
The building’s historic past is part of what lured him to the space, Grutman said. The Mediterranean-revival building opened in 1926 and earned a spot on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
“That’s what’s so great about the space: it’s a legacy space,” Grutman said. “The Women’s Club building is an iconic building, and we embrace it.”
The location also appealed to Noah Tepperberg, co-CEO of Tao Group Hospitality, who is an alumni of the University of Miami. Casadonna marks Tao’s first project in the Miami market.
“The glamour and unique nature of this waterfront landmark just made it love at first sight,” he said in an email. “This opening feels like a homecoming for me personally. I started my career in hospitality while a student there, and it feels great to be coming back 25 years later and finally opening our first venue. It’s like I am replanting my roots.”
Calling Casadonna “a very elevated experience,” Grutman said the restaurant will highlight coastal Italian fare.
“What that means to me is olive oil-based, not red sauce,” he said. “You’re eating a little healthier.”
Expect fresh pastas like campanelle Bolognese and plates full of crispy artichokes, bistecca Florentina and royal dorade acqua pazza (steamed fish). There’s a crudo bar and a curated cocktail program and — new for a Groot Hospitality property, Grutman said — a big emphasis on desserts. The menu is built around traditional recipes found in the coastal towns of Naples, Taormina, Bari, Positano and Gaeta, and many of the items are shareable.
“We do it to create community and energy at the table,” Grutman said. “It’s a big change in the way people eat. You used to get your own appetizer, your own dinner and dessert. Now everything is shareable. You ask each other, ‘Did you try that?’ It’s so much fun.”
The restaurant, which includes 20,000 square feet including indoor, outdoor and bar seating, can seat up to 366 guests. Designed by Ken Fulk, the look of the restaurant aims to reflect the grand notes of Vizcaya and the Long Bar at Raffles in Singapore, with touches of modern luxury.
Different rooms offer different experiences. The Garden Dining room is designed to feel like a conservatory, while the Loggia Dining Room has parquet wood floors and custom blown-glass chandeliers.
Groot Hospitality, the creators of such hot spots as Liv, Swan, Papi Steak, Komodo and The Key Club, has long been an empire in the Miami nightlife industry. But Grutman said that Casadonna represents something of a change for the brand.
“I’m getting older,” he said. “My entertainment experience is changing. It’s getting more sophisticated. People don’t have to go to a crazy nightclub now. Of course we celebrate nightclubs — my business is nightclubs! But we can also have a great experience going out with friends and family to a great dinner.”
Besides, “you can always go to the nightclub afterwards.”
Casadonna
Where: 1737 N. Bayshore Drive, Miami
Opening: Oct. 26
Reservations: Resy.com
More information: casadonnamiami.com or 305-475-2272
The NYC restaurant no one can get into is opening on Miami Beach. Can you get a table?
