Looking for a special occasion dining experience in Miami Beach? Maybe something a little fancy, a little Mediterranean, and a little bit legendary? How about dinner at the Villa Casa Casuarina, perhaps better known as the former mansion of Gianni Versace? My husband and I were able to get reservations for lunch there on our 10th wedding anniversary, which made for a very special experience on a very special day. Here is our experience, so you’ll know what to expect!

The Mansion and Its History

In addition to Gianni’s Restaurant, the 1930s Mediterranean-inspired mansion is also a luxury, boutique hotel. Originally built by an heir to Standard Oil, designer Gianni Versace purchased the mansion in 1992. Unfortunately, he was murdered on the front steps of his mansion by a spree murderer in July 1997. My husband was actually living in nearby Boca Raton at the time and heard about it on the news. Tragic history aside, the mansion is truly stunning. Rooms go for anywhere from $600 to over $1,000 per night, but even if that’s outside your budget, you can still peek inside if you have a reservation for the restaurant.

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The Reservations

Reservations were easy to make, even just a few weeks out from our preferred date in early May. When you go to Gianni’s Restaurant website and click on “Book a Table,” you are redirected to Open Table to make the reservation right there. Be sure to note if you will be celebrating a special occasion, like a birthday, anniversary, graduation, honeymoon, etc. You might just get a little something extra!

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The Dress Code

As you might imagine, bikinis, swim trunks, and activewear are not acceptable attire for a restaurant like this one! The general dress code for lunch is “Casual,” and the dress code for dinner is “Upscale Casual.” What does that mean exactly, and what does that mean to Gianni’s? Here is the information, directly from them, received in an e-mail a few days before our reservation:

Not Acceptable at Lunch (Men or Women)

• Beachwear (bathing suits, cover-ups, slides, swimming trunks, tank tops, flip flops)
• Sportswear (joggers, sweatpants, etc.)
• See-through clothing

Not Acceptable at Dinner (Men or Women)

• Beachwear (bathing suits, cover-ups, flip flops, slides, swimming trunks, tank tops, etc.)
• Sportswear (joggers, t-shirts, sweatpants, etc.)
• Graphic tees
• Ripped jeans, however plain jeans are permitted
• See-through clothing
• Athletic sneakers are not permitted, however fashionable sneakers are permitted

Acceptable Lunch or Dinner (Women)

• Dresses
• Dress shoes
• Heels
• Flats
• Slacks
• Chinos
• Skirts
• Blouses

Acceptable Lunch or Dinner (Men)

• Dress shirts
• Dress shorts (acceptable for lunch & dinner)
• Dress slacks
• Polos
• Fashionable sneakers (no open toe shoes, no sandals)

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The Meal

We chose to have lunch here on our 10th wedding anniversary! Lunch is a pre-fixe, set menu for $38 per person (as of Spring 2024), with a few supplemental options. Dinner is a la carte, and entree prices range from $36-$135 (as of Spring 2024). Menus and prices, as always, are subject to change and seasonal availability. Below are photos and descriptions of our meals.

Appetizers

We had a hard time choosing our appetizers because everything sounded so delightful! Ultimately, I selected the artichoke salad (because how often do I make artichokes at home? Never!), and Steve chose the eggplant parmesan. We shared with each other, of course, so I can confirm that both were delicious.

Entrees

Entrees ranged from seafood to filet mignon to pasta. I had a hard time choosing between Bronzino and the spinach-ricotta ravioli, so we ordered both! Having a husband who doesn’t really care about food and who isn’t picky is often very convenient. Portions were small, as was generally expected, but everything tasted good to us.

Desserts

We both chose the chef’s dessert specials! The menu listed fresh fruit or sorbet, which didn’t seem that worthwhile to us. So when the server mentioned the brownie or strawberry shortcake, we jumped at those options! The strawberry shortcake was the winner, in my personal opinion. The brownie was a little dry, to be honest. But we both got a “Congratulations” chocolate on top of our desserts, because I mentioned in the reservation that it was our 10th wedding anniversary!

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