{"id":268045,"date":"2026-05-12T14:36:13","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T14:36:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/268045\/"},"modified":"2026-05-12T14:36:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T14:36:13","slug":"iconic-coral-gables-restaurant-to-make-a-comeback-this-may","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/268045\/","title":{"rendered":"Iconic Coral Gables Restaurant to Make a Comeback This May"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tA beloved Coral Gables restaurant will return this May with a new name and its same delicious, modern twist on Italian cooking.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"\"
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tBeloved Coral Gables restaurant Caffe Vialetto will return in May 2026 under a new name, Casa Vialetto, with the same delicious Italian menu with a twist.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Cafe Vialetto photo<\/p>\n

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Last August, Marcelo Chopa closed the beloved Caffe Vialetto after 26 years in Coral Gables<\/a>, much to the dismay of many Miami diners. <\/p>\n

However, he is set to reopen this month at a new location under the name Casa Vialetto<\/a>. With his former partner retired, Chopa is now leading the operation solo at 267 Alhambra Circle. He recently shared with Miami.com that he aims to welcome his first guests by the end of May.<\/p>\n

\"\"Coral Gables restaurant Caffe Vialetto closed on August 17, 2025, after 26 years in business, serving inventive Italian cuisine to longtime customers.<\/p>\n

Twenty-Six Years on Le Jeune<\/p>\n

Caffe Vialetto opened in 1999 <\/a>at 4019 S. Le Jeune Road and ran for more than two decades as a go-to for Coral Gables regulars marking anniversaries, closing deals, and every occasion in between. The menu mixed Italian with a Caribbean lean with favorite dishes like pear-and-gorgonzola ravioli, beer-battered shrimp tempura with a chili-guava drizzle, and a dessert called \u201cThe Funk.\u201d <\/a><\/p>\n

New Times named it among the Gables\u2019 best restaurants roughly a month before Chopa, and co-founder Ernie Fernandez announced that they were closing after selling the Le Jeune Road property. The final dinner was August 16, 2025, with Fernandez having since retired, but Chopa didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\"\"Signature dishes like \u201cThe Funk\u201d dessert, a creative twist on the tiramisu with Heath Bar crunch and blueberry sauce, were a testament to its love of innovation.<\/p>\n

A Smaller Room, the Same Cooking<\/p>\n

Casa Vialetto will seat up to 45 guests, down from Caffe Vialetto\u2019s 80, and Chopa describes it as \u201ca little more modern,\u201d with a menu that\u2019s Italian but \u201cmore European\u201d in character. <\/p>\n

Seafood and local produce stay central to the meal, with the Caribbean influences he built into the original still in the cooking. \u201cWe always work with local products that can put a twist of the Caribbean on the plate,\u201d Chopa told Miami.com. \u201cWe\u2019re in the Caribbean, after all.\u201d<\/p>\n

The hog snapper pan-saut\u00e9ed in a mango mojito sauce, one of Caffe Vialetto\u2019s most requested dishes, returns when the fish is available. Plus, there will also be a full bar.<\/p>\n

Before founding Caffe Vialetto, Chopa gained experience at the long-standing Italian spot Cafe Abbracci and the Argentine-Italian group Graziano\u2019s. Transitioning from a partnership to a solo venture, he remarked to Miami.com, \u201cWe used to split the work half and half. Now it\u2019s 100 percent me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although complications with the grease trap caused unexpected delays in opening, he says his fianc\u00e9e has been instrumental in managing the necessary paperwork, and he remains on track to open the doors before June.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very happy and so ready after such a long wait,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Casa Vialetto. 267 Alhambra Circle, Coral Gables; instagram.com\/casavialetto<\/a>. Opening late May 2026.<\/p>\n

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A fourth-generation Miamian, Olee Fowler knows every corner of the city. She spent a decade as the editor of Eater Miami, and now as a freelance writer, she captures the stories that make Miami unique. When she\u2019s not exploring Miami\u2019s newest restaurants and bars, you can find her at home with her dogs, Foster and Peanut, or cheering on her beloved Florida Gators. And yes, that\u2019s probably a Coke Zero on her desk.<\/p>\n

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