Fiola is a fine dining Italian restaurant in Coral Gables that either hits home runs or strikes out. When they’re paying attention, it can be one of the best dining experiences in Miami. But it’s just too inconsistent to recommend for a special occasion—especially with this much money on the line. 

We’re not saying the food is bad. In fact, even our least favorite dishes here are still much better than average. And the porcini cappuccino soup is downright amazing—every time. But important components listed on the menu are often completely missing from the dishes that hit the table. When paying $65 for a crudo dish with sea urchin, hamachi, yellowfin tuna, and Oishii shrimp—the sea urchin (arguably the most expensive component) should be on that plate. Same with the salsa verde that’s listed as an accompaniment to the $45 octopus. 

photo credit: Courtesy Fiola

Menu inconsistency aside, the service here is always attentive. But so many of Fiola’s mistakes could be easily prevented by simple things—like reprinting menus or paying attention at the expo line. Instead, Fiola fails to be the most important thing a restaurant of its caliber should be: consistent. 

A lot of people save up to dine here—it’s not somewhere you visit every week, or every month. And even though it can be amazing when everything goes right, it would be a shame if someone who went through great lengths to celebrate an anniversary or birthday caught them on a day when their heads just weren’t in the game.

Food Rundown

photo credit: The Louis Collection

Amalfi Under The Sea

This large crudo comes with sea urchin and slices of hamachi, Oishii shrimp, wahoo, and yellowfin tuna. But it changes just a bit too much from visit to visit. On one occasion, it’s a beautiful dish that’s perfectly balanced. On another, the citrus vinaigrette is too sweet and needs acidity. And sometimes the sea urchin gets lost at sea and never even makes it to the plate.

Porcini Mushroom “Cappuccino”

This is a fun and delicious take on a tortellini soup. From one side, mushroom soup is poured into a little bowl of perfectly cooked tortellini—from the other side, parmesan foam. The result is something that looks like a cappuccino but tastes sweet, earthy, salty, and creamy.

photo credit: Ricardo Mejia

Fiola Lobster Ravioli

This is one of our favorite pasta dishes in Miami—and it’s a safe order. It’s served with chunks of lobster claws and tails, plus lobster raviolis that are tall, light, and filled with lobster, ginger, and chives. You’ll be paying $68, but it’s a rich and delicate dish that wins every time.