If you’re searching for Italian aperitivo-style cocktails in Miami, look no further than ViceVersa from famed bartender Valentino Longo
Miami has a new location for Italian aperitivo cocktails, ViceVersa. Created by award-winning bartender Valentino Longo and the founders of Jaguar Sun, the Downtown bar looks to offer a modern approach to classic Italian cocktails paired with small plates and pizza. The drinks feature a blend of Italian spirits, vermouths, bitters, and amari alongside seasonal ingredients from in and around South Florida.
Cocktail Menu
The ViceVersa cocktail menu features 14 drinks in three categories: The Negroni Family, Martinis, and Signature Cocktails.
The Negroni Family of drinks start with the same base of a house-made ViceVesrsa MI-TO, a dolce amaro blend that refers to the Milano-Torino (MI-TO), the origins behind the Americano. The team builds upon their MI-TO blend to offer a forced-carbonated Americano, a Sbagliato with Franciacorta, a classic Negroni with Bombay Sapphire, and a Negroni Punch with gin and seasonal fruits, meant to serve four.
The Martinis section includes a variation of a classic dry martini dubbed the Avanguardia with Bombay Premier Cru, dry sherry, marsala, makrut, and Cocchi dry vermouth; and the Affogato Martini, a play on the espresso martini with espresso, Grey Goose vodka, coffee liquor, toasted coconut, and a scoop of pistachio gelato. Favorites among the Signature Cocktails include the Italian-VICE, with Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto, lemon sorbet, Wodka, diamante cedro, and Pellegrino grapefruit; Brucio in Bocca, a twist on a spicy margarita that elevates Cocchi Vermout Torino over silver agave tequila and incorporates a Barolo marmalade alongside pineapple, Hagave, and a red wine-salt rim; and, akin to the Venetian spritz, Veloce is a force-carbonated creation with orange wine, mezcal, Aperol and grapefruit oil.
Food
Complementing the ViceVersa cocktail experience are culinary offerings that allow for any type of evening, from a few light bites to a substantial meal with a group of friends. Jaguar Sun’s Chefs Carey Hynes and Justin Flit created dishes centered on simplicity, quality, and execution. Guests may choose from an extensive raw bar with dishes such as Treasure Coast oysters with citrus mignonette, Royal Red Shrimp with cherry bomb relish, Tuna Tartare with pistachio and green olive; Mussel Escabeche with charred leek aioli and potato chip. Appetizers include Wood-Fired Flatbread with chicken fat, chives and cultured butter; House-made culatello and coppa; Green Salad with avocado, oregano, and champagne vinaigrette; and Caesar Salad with cantabrian anchovy and aged parmesan. A selection of neo-Neapolitan pizzas featuring daily stretched mozzarella and a dough made from local flours that undergo a 24-to-48-hour cold fermentation are also available. Options include a Clam with white sauce, middleneck clams, lemon and scallion; Bad First Date with tomato sauce, taleggio, and pepperoncini; and Sopressata with tomato sauce, thai chili, and hot honey. An assortment of housemade gelati–spun daily–and sorbet are available for dessert.
Design
ViceVersa’s aesthetic leans toward Italian futuristi artists who were responsible for designing the posters, advertisements, and products of famed Italian brands such as Campari and Martini & Rossi. Guests will see nods to this design scheme in the bar’s logo and uniforms, as well as the menu design and the wall art, which were created by modern-day artist Jean Vaquier, aka Folzer.
ViceVersa’s 60-seat space features an emerald green tiled bar with hanging globe lights and an 18-seat walnut bartop fabricated by Token NYC. Slate green walls are adorned with bronze palm frond sconces, marble tables create seating vignettes with black leather banquettes and black wooden chairs, bronze palm tree fronds lighting fixtures hang from the ceiling, a standing rail with stools topped with graphic designs are situated across from the bar, and slotted herringbone wall partitions separate the bar from the adjacent The Elser Hotel lobby.
Valentino Longo
Longo started his career at Rome’s Hotel de Russie’s Stravinskij Bar. From there he headed to London where he worked at the Corinthia and the Ritz, before heading back to Rome to devise the bar programs for La Moderna, which led to him being tapped by the owners to expand the brand to Miami. There, he was the opening head bartender of The Champagne Bar at the Four Seasons at The Surf Club.
“My journey in hospitality has taken me around the world and opened my eyes to new techniques, spirits, and ingredients, and I’ve been able to incorporate those learnings into my menus that are always rooted in my Italian heritage and aperitivo culture,” said Valentino Longo, co-owner, ViceVersa. “With this new bar, I look forward to guests experiencing this journey first-hand as I honor my Italian upbringing, my life in Miami, and my love for aperitivi.”
Location and Reservations
ViceVersa is open Monday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to midnight and is located at 398 NE 5th St, Miami, FL 33132, adjoining to The Elser Hotel.
While most seats will be first-come, first-served, a limited number of reservations can be booked in advance via Resy. For more information, head over to the bar’s official website.
