Torno Subito

Massimo Bottura’s first restaurant in the US.

Feb 07, 2025

When my fiancé and I found ourselves in Miami for the wedding of some friends, we took advantage of some free time to visit a restaurant that excited me more than most I’ve visited in recent memory. Torno Subito, which opened less than six months ago, is the Miami sister of a one Michelin-starred Dubai restaurant helmed by Massimo Bottura, the Osteria Francescana chef who is practically a deity in the culinary scene of Emilia-Romagna and, at this point, the world. While I’ve never had the opportunity to dine at any of Bottura’s other restaurants, his reputation precedes him, and I knew when I got the chance that I had to try his famous modern Italian cuisine at his only US restaurant.

This was not just any meal; it was my first time meeting a dear friend of my fiancé’s, and we were also celebrating his birthday weekend. The three of us shared a number of dishes, which seemed like the ideal way to experience the tantalizing menu of antipasti, primi, secondi, and pizza. The dishes have playful names like “Feelin’ Green,” “Cod from the North Country,” and “What the Hell?!”, consistent with the style that Bottura is known for. The meal started off strong with a delicious amuse bouche that consisted of leftover bread mixed with pomodoro and a foam of Parmesan rinds: a comforting, homey bite that, as our server pointed out, showcases the restaurant’s commitment to sustainable cooking.

For antipasti, we of course chose “I love tartare” as well as the “modern salad,” which is described by its geographic heritage — “Modena - Dubai - Miami” — and claims to involve fourteen dressings. The salad was indeed one of the best simple salads I’ve ever had, the fresh greens complemented by different dressings that were sweet and vinegary and savory and more. The beef tartare was similarly elaborate and featured nearly as many dressings, with a quenelle of simple tartare (hand-chopped well, with even cubes neither too large nor too small) as the centerpiece of a painter’s palette of sauces (from horseradish to salted egg yolk to Dijon). This gorgeously plated dish was both delicious and interesting; mixing bites of the tartare with different accoutrements both traditional and less so, the diner gets to have fun and be a little creative, playing chef with flavor combinations, and there’s nothing I love more than when dinner is also an activity. Reader, we are barely a month into 2025, but I’d be surprised if this original, deconstructed take on beef tartare wasn’t one of my favorite tartares of the year.

For our final appetizer, we got the “rockster roll”: delicately poached lobster in a creamy homemade mayonnaise with a dash of horseradish, nestled in a brioche roll and given an Italian twist with the addition of fresh giardiniera, made for an immensely satisfying bite that would surely please even a Mainer. I forwent the option to add caviar, not for lack of temptation; I’ll have to get my caviar-studded lobster roll fix closer to home, at The Corner Store.

Next for the main event: the pastas. We of course ordered the classic Emilia Romagna specialty of pork-filled tortellini swimming in a creamy fonduta of aged Parmigiano Reggiano, and had no regrets. The rich sauce delivered the perfect amount of umami, and the handmade tortellini stuffed with delicately seasoned pork was an immensely comforting bite. There’s a reason the region is known for this dish and a reason Bottura included his beloved version on Torno Subito’s menu; it’s a crowd pleaser, and The Taste Bud is happy to count herself part of that crowd.

Equally delicious was the sea bass pasta. Capers and lemon provided a hit of brininess and citrus that nicely complemented the flakes of tender sea bass and perfect al dente spaghetti. I’ve had seafood pastas that I loved and seafood pastas that were forgettable, and this was certainly in the former category. I’m glad we tried both the tortellini and this sea bass pasta; this was light and fresh where that was rich and comforting, and both excelled within their own categories.

It wouldn’t be my fiancé’s birthday without pizza, so of course we ordered the eponymous “Torno Subito” from the “not just a pizza” section. Featuring cool, creamy stracciatella and pistachio-studded mortadella with a dash of balsamic for added interest and flavor, the chewy focaccia-style pizza hit all the right notes. Next time, I might prioritize tasting another pasta over a pizza, but that’s just because of how much I love pasta; like every other dish we tried, the pizza was well-executed and delectable.

For dessert, we opted to share “Charlie’s Chocolate Dream.” In keeping with its name, this is a dessert that appeals to one’s inner child, while still being interesting to an adult palate. One thing about The Taste Bud is she will order the gourmet take on a chocolate bar wherever she can (favorite desserts at Bar Blondeau and Hawksmoor come to mind). Torno Subito’s is a pleasingly sectioned milk chocolate bar stuffed with chocolate ganache, brownie, and salted caramel, served with orange-infused chocolate ice cream for a bit of interest (it reminded me of Terry’s Chocolate Oranges, another childhood favorite). It’s hard to make a candy bar worth $18, but this truly elevated version — more a creative and delicious chocolate dessert that just happened to look like a candy bar — was worth every penny.

The approach that that dessert represents is a through line in Torno Subito’s menu; it nails that sweet spot between familiar and original. Bottura draws you in with an appealing sounding dish that you may have had before, and then wows you with impeccable technique, top-notch ingredients, and creativity. We decided to forgo some tempting options, and though I obviously don’t know what I missed, I am glad I enjoyed some dishes that had a bit more unique character than cacio e Pepe, carbonara, and marinara pizza. That being said, I imagine that Torno Subito’s iterations of these familiar favorites would satisfy and delight. It is to the restaurant’s credit that its menu is accessible, with a strong balance of more imaginative dishes with ones that may appeal to a picky palate.

Bottura has managed to import an impressive dining experience, and his signature playful and delicious cuisine is truly delightful in the capable hands of Chef Bernardo Paladini in Miami. Throw in a trendy, colorful aesthetic (inspired by Bottura’s memories of childhood vacations to the coastal town of Rimini) complete with custom Ginori tableware, add impeccable service, and it’s an all-around hit. And did I mention the bar program was designed in collaboration with iconic Manhattan cocktail bar Dante? (I enjoyed a passionfruit Aperol spritz and then switched to wine with a lovely light lambrusco.) Though I’ve dined far less in Miami than I have in New York, and thus cannot claim to know how Torno Subito fits into the South Florida culinary scene, I do know this: Torno Subito served one of the most enjoyable Italian meals I’ve had in recent memory in any city. It is certainly far better than certain Bottura copycat restaurants that his disciples have brought to New York — which, in my experience, serve overly salty and poorly cooked pasta. If you can’t make it to Modena or Dubai but find yourself in Miami, Torno Subito is a damn good option for a date night, a special occasion, or just because you feel like eating the creations of one of the world’s finest Italian chefs, sans transatlantic flight.