Miami’s Italian food and drink scene keeps getting stronger. The latest addition to an increasingly impressive lineup is ViceVersa, an aperitivo bar from award-winning bartender Valentino Longo. The new space, with 60 seats plus another 18 at the bar, is now open in downtown Miami, just off the lobby from the Elser Hotel, and steps from Bayfront Park and the Kaseya Center (home to the Miami Heat).
The emphasis here is on well-crafted cocktails. Longo, an accomplished barman with experience at top spots in Rome and London before landing in Miami, has developed a menu showcasing 14 cocktails in three categories: the Negroni Family, Martinis, and signature cocktails.
Several key ingredients are made in-house, such as a base he’s calling ViceVersaMI-TO, referring to the components of the Milano-Torino, the mix of bitter liqueur and vermouth. The base powers Negronis including a Sbagliato made with Franciacorta, and a punch made with gin and seasonal fruits that serves four.
The Martini menu is sure to attract a following among fans of the famed cocktail. An Affogato Martini includes a scoop of pistachio gelato and toasted coconut along with coffee liqueur, while there are variations on a classic dry Martini such as the Avanguardia, with Bombay Premier Cru, dry sherry, marsala, makrut, and Cocchi dry vermouth.
The signature cocktails list includes nods to Italy (Italian-VICE, which mixes spirits, fruit, and sorbet as a tribute to the lemon granitas of the Amalfi Coast), and tropical influences befitting a Miami cocktail bar, including a spicy margarita, Brucio in Bocca, with Cocchi Vermouth Torino with silver agave tequila, Barolo marmalade, and a red-wine salt rim.
Of course, an Italian aperitivo bar should have a selection of snacks and finger foods, but ViceVersa goes a step further with help from Jaguar Sun chefs Carey Hynes and Justin Flit. They’ve devised a menu of pizzas featuring freshly stretched mozzarella and dough made with local flours and given 24- to 48-hour cold fermentation. This being Miami, there’s also a selection of raw bar and seafood dishes including tuna tartare and mussel escabeche. Housemade charcuterie and gelato are part of the program as well.
For ViceVersa’s décor, Longo and his design team took influence from the futurist aesthetic that dominated Italian spirits advertising in the first half of the 20th century. Rather than source vintage posters, they’ve incorporated elements into the bar’s logo and uniforms, as well as in the mural by modern-day Italian futurist artist Jean Vaquier, aka Folzer.
Take a look at more images from the new must-visit spot in Miami below.
398 NE 5th St., Miami, FL 33132, @viceversamiami, viceversamia.com
