MIAMI
La Sponda Will Bring Coastal Italian Dining to Coconut Grove’s Grove Isle
By Eric Barton | Aug. 11, 2025
AUTHOR BIO: Eric Barton is editor of The Adventurist and a freelance journalist who has reviewed restaurants for more than two decades. Email him here.
When the team behind one of my favorite Broward restaurants announces a new project, I pay attention. Daniel’s, A Florida Steakhouse in Fort Lauderdale has been a staple for years, and its Coral Gables sibling is already showing the same promise. Now, Gioia Hospitality Group says its next move will be La Sponda, a waterfront Italian spot opening in 2026 on Grove Isle.
If you don’t know Grove Isle, you’re not alone. The 20-acre private island sits just off Coconut Grove, connected to the mainland by a short bridge. It’s home to a handful of high-end condos and a marina, and it’s not the sort of place you wander into without an invitation. La Sponda will be inside Vita at Grove Isle, a new three-building luxury complex with a price list that starts in the “if you have to ask” range.
The name translates to “The Shore,” and the restaurant will lean into coastal Italian cooking. Expect a menu built on seasonal ingredients, weekday lunch, weekend brunch, and dinner every night. Gioia says the goal is “elegance and simplicity,” which in the right hands means whole fish roasted with herbs, handmade pastas, and wine lists that make you linger for an extra glass.
Interiors will be handled by London’s Martin Brudnizki Design Studio, whose work at Soho Beach House on Miami Beach and The Beekman in New York City tends to feel like a particularly stylish living room rather than a themed restaurant. Here, they’re promising vintage European charm, handcrafted materials, and plenty of room for the Biscayne Bay views.
Vita’s developer, Ugo Colombo, says La Sponda is meant to revive the island’s history as a dining destination. “Decades ago, Grove Isle was home to iconic restaurants that drew diners from across the city,” he said in the announcement. The island hasn’t been on most people’s radar for years, but the combination of a private setting and a respected restaurant group could change that.
For now, there’s still a year and a half before anyone’s twirling linguine at Grove Isle. But based on the track record of Gioia’s other restaurants—especially Daniel’s in Fort Lauderdale—this is one worth marking on the calendar.
