Tonino Lamborghini Caffe Corsa, Miami

Ferruccio Lamborghini is a Taurus. Perhaps this is why the Italian automaker opts for a bull as its logo. But for cars that take the shape of lightning-quick predatorial birds (especially with the doors open.) this might seem to be slightly misrepresenting. Taurus types are known for being hard headed and getting what they want, putting out whatever is required to attain their goal, ferociously attacking anything brave enough to stand in their way. Which raises the question of, “What place has a Bull in a mall?”

Well, the bull is not here to race or to fight; here at the Village at Gulfstream Plaza, the bull has learned the art of co-branding. In a mall. A brave endeavor, the Tonino Lamborghini Caffe Corsa stands alone as a North American take on the modern Italian eatery. You don’t have to worry about eating your meal in the shopped back seat of a Countach at this Miami restaurant, but close to it. The only connection one can see to its Lambo brand (besides the infamous insignia plastered everywhere) is a black and white print of an old two-seater that, by the look of it, doesn’t even appear to be one of the company’s models.

The area is fairly sterile, but simple. Keeping to the brand colors, the walls and seating are jet black, the bar fiery red, and the ceiling above a subtle white. The color theme extends to the outdoor patio. But while the style for the miniature barstool-esqe seats might come off as tacky, as part of a Lamborghini theme restaurant, it seems to gel, although that’s not much of a compliment.

Menu items are certainly affordable; bottles of beer hover around the $5 mark, with the classic Italian Moretti clocking in at $6. The wine list is also suspiciously affordable. The food menu encourages exploration. Start off with a selection of salads and antipasti, or the calamaretti, then move on to more interesting mains, like the Tagliata Di manzo ($27), a sliced N.Y. Strip with parmesan mashed potatoes and garlic. The Scaloppine Al Marsala ($24), veal scaloppini with marsala and mushroom sauce sautéed spinach. The Il Tonno ($28) is a fennel seed crusted tuna over fennel gratin and eggplant caponata. The penne in Lamborghini sauce – which is not, by the way, 10W40 – is a lighter option. Lamborghini is synonymous with speed and style, which is evident in the supercars, but not quite with the branded restaurant. One noticeable feature to this restaurant is that although built under the same supercar brand, Tonino Lamborghini is about what you would expect from a car manufacturer creating a theme restaurant. There’s a clean vibe here, slightly cold but chic nonetheless.

Address: Village at Gulfstream Park, 501 S Federal Hwy Hallandale Beach, FL 33009
Contact: 954-456-4500
Cuisine: Italian
Area: North Miami
Venue: Restaurant
Hours: Sun 11am-8pm | Mon–Sat 10am-9pm
Price Range: $$ (Affordable)
Payment: Master Card, Visa, American Express

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