What to Know
- La Centrale is a food hall specializing in Italian food.
- Several different eateries within La Centrale offer different dining experiences to guests, from fast casual to sit down dining.
- Free cooking classes are offered to children during the weekend.
A new food concept has made its way to Brickell City Centre, and it has officially opened its doors.
La Centrale, an Italian food hall, is a one-of-a-kind concept offering different eateries under one roof – all while transporting you to different parts of Italy.
+ PHOTOS: Photo Gallery of Dishes and Experiences at La Centrale
“Every eatery takes inspiration from a different part of Italy. At the Caffe, we took inspiration from Sicily, the south of Italy. But if you go upstairs, for instance the Meat restaurant, we took a lot of inspiration from Tuscany. We want people to feel like they’re doing a tour of Italy, without taking a flight,” said Jacopo Giustinani, La Centrale’s managing partner.
Enter the first floor, and you’re faced with fast-casual dining options. A few food stands will offer you an array of quick grab and go meals, like sandwiches, pizzas, salads and more. There are also two restaurants, Caffe and Pizza e Pasta. You can also stop at the Mercato, or market, and grab some food to cook at home.
Make your way up to the second floor, and you’ll find three more restaurants, a bar, and a gelato bar. Pesce, a seafood restaurant, Carne, a steakhouse, and Stagionale, a restaurant featuring vegetarian options, are all serving delicious dishes. Gelateria by Venchi features some of the freshest gelato and even features a hazelnut fountain!
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Although it’s not open yet, the third floor will be a wine bar featuring more than 4,000 bottles of wine.
“I really and truly would like for it to be a destination for all the wine geeks,” said Giustinani. “75 percent is going to be Italian wine, 25 percent will be a selection that’s going to represent the world, in particular South America, France and American wines.”
La Centrale also offers cooking classes, including free classes for children on the weekend.
On Saturdays, children ages 4-12 will learn how to make pizza, decorate cookies or learn to roll pasta. Classes are free and are available on a first come, first serve basis.
Giustinani says he’s glad that he can bring a piece of his home to South Florida to share with everyone.
“My main goal is to transport them home – my home. I want them to come here and feel special. The idea was to transport people from Miami to Italy, without having to take a flight or without their passport. So the idea was to walk inside La Centrale, and get the feeling of being in Italy,” said Giustinani.
For more information on La Centrale, including how to sign up for cooking classes, click here.
