New in South Beach: Intenso Opening Soon
Southern Italian cuisine is coming to Lincoln Road.,
MIAMI BEACH, FL — Intenso, a southern Italian restaurant with seven locations in Switzerland, plans to open in Miami Beach in November. Look for the brand to open at 640 Lincoln Rd, Miami Beach, FL 33139.
Director Salvatore Viscomi and brand consultant Melissa Feliciano shared details with Business Debut in an interview.
The Miami Beach restaurant will be the brand’s first location outside Switzerland and the first in a planned seven-location Florida expansion, Viscomi said.
What to Expect
Intenso will occupy a mid-block site along Lincoln Road with an outdoor patio fronting the pedestrian corridor. Inside, the layout centers on one main dining room with high ceilings, a mezzanine lounge, and a private dining room that seats about 14 guests.
The restaurant will offer about 120 or more seats across indoor and patio spaces. Feliciano described the design as Mediterranean and inspired particularly by the Amalfi coast. Expect moodier lounge elements in the mezzanine.
Menu and Vision
The menu focuses on southern Italian cuisine with an emphasis on seafood and lemon-driven dishes drawn from the Amalfi Coast.
Planned items include a seafood risotto, an Intenso scallop main course built around fresh Amalfi lemons, and a lemon-forward rendition of aglio e olio. Viscomi said the team is also developing a classic frozen lemon sorbet served in a large lemon rind.
Viscomi emphasized a lighter style of Italian cooking with breakfast, lunch, happy hour, dinner and late-night offerings designed for a broad range of guests.
Intenso has partnered with Caffe Umbria for coffee and will source cheese from Mimmo’s Mozzarella in Miami Beach. The goal is to build a daily crowd of locals who treat the space as a neighborhood destination.
History
Director Salvatore Viscomi grew up in London and Southern Italy with a family background in hospitality and real estate. After spending a decade working in Milan's restaurant industry, he moved to South Florida, where he has spent years building and managing successful dining concepts.
Melissa Feliciano and Viscomi had a chance meeting along Lincoln Road in 2017 at a restaurant and quickly began working together on several high-profile hospitality projects like The Murano at Portofino Beach Club in Miami Beach, FL, Rao's in Harlem, NY, and Carbone by Major Food Group.
Now, they are teaming up on their own concept with Intenso.
Opening Timeline
The team is targeting a November opening and plans a Halloween pop-up on Lincoln Road as an early activation. The Miami Beach restaurant as the eighth Intenso location globally and the first to expand the brand beyond Switzerland.
Hours
Intenso plans to open daily from 8 a.m. — 2 a.m.. The schedule will support breakfast service, daytime dining, and a late-night program built around drinks and music.
Follow for More
The brand currently has a landing page where you can subscribe to receive more news regarding their opening.
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