Sapori di Mare

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Traditional Italian Seafood, Rooted in the Mediterranean

Sapore di Mare is the project of two spouses: Giorgia Calabrese, an interior and graphic designer from Naples, and Matteo Paderni, a former freestyle bartender from Florence. After more than eighteen years working together in international restaurants and Relais & Châteaux properties around the world, they moved to Miami in 2008 and built their own hospitality story here. Vino & Caffe in Miami Beach and Ni.Do. Mozzarella Bar on Biscayne Boulevard came first; then, in 2014, they opened Sapore di Mare — a deliberate turn toward something more focused and personal. Gambero Rosso recognized the restaurant in its 2025 guide, a distinction that reflects the consistency and integrity the kitchen has maintained since opening.

A Small Room with a Clear Point of View

Coconut Grove was a deliberate choice. Quieter, more walkable, less tourist-driven than other Miami neighborhoods — it suited the scale of what Giorgia and Matteo wanted to create. The dining room is small, with few tables, decorated in coastal style with the colors of Capri and the Amalfi Coast, furnished, in their own words, "as if it were a boat." The atmosphere is relaxed but always well presented; guests are asked to dress accordingly, and the room's intimacy is treated as something worth protecting.

The Ingredients Do the Work

The philosophy at Sapore di Mare is straightforward: great products, classical technique, simplicity of presentation. The kitchen sources directly from Italy — scampi from Mazara del Vallo, Mediterranean sea bass, octopus, turbot, Sardinian sea urchin, Cetara anchovies, Alba truffles, 30-month aged Parma ham, and homemade pasta made in-house. The Italian seafood menu moves from antipasti through to secondi with the kind of focus that comes from knowing exactly what you want to cook.

What to Expect on the Plate

Starters include a carpaccio of Mediterranean branzino with green apple and lemon-spinach emulsion, fresh yellowfin tuna tartare with red beet mousse, and grilled calamari with garlic and olive oil. Among the pasta courses, the Tagliolini Sapore di Mare — homemade pasta with mussels, clams, squid, and shrimp — is the house signature, while the Risotto Pescatora Amalfitano brings together a daily selection of fresh seafood with sea urchin and lemon zest. For a main, the whole branzino baked in a sea salt crust is the kitchen's most theatrical offering. The wine program is equally considered, with an all-Italian bottle list spanning Franciacorta, Vermentino from Bolgheri, Brunello di Montalcino, and Tignanello, alongside a well-chosen selection by the glass.

Convivial, Italian, and Genuinely Welcoming

The front-of-house tone is warm and family-style — "overwhelming you in a friendly and convivial atmosphere, typical of a truly Italian family," as the restaurant puts it. Catering services are also available, and the kitchen offers delivery and takeaway for orders within five miles.