Group photo of Nino, Eduardo, Mauro and Loris

Nino and his lieutenants, Loris and Eduardo. Both have been at Caffe Abbracci since it opened.

Additional group photo of Nino, Eduardo, Mauro and Loris

Our Story


Caffe Abbracci has been serving award-winning Northern Italian cuisine since 1989. Founded by the late Nino Pernetti, Caffe Abbracci has grown from a Coral Gables hotspot into a restaurant mainstay of the greater Miami business community. Their list of regulars reads like a who's who of Miami's movers and shakers.

For over three decades, Caffe Abbracci has served countless business leaders, professional athletes, entertainers, international heads of state, U.S. senators and representatives, three US presidents, and two sitting U.S. Supreme Court justices. The formula is simple: treat everyone who walks in the door like family, regardless of their status in life. Every guest is greeted with welcoming smiles and served flawlessly executed Italian comfort food, great wine and well-crafted cocktails.

Caffe Abbracci exudes warmth and authenticity, from the fresh food and classical décor to the smiles and handshakes extended by the Abbracci team.

Photo of owner, Nino Pernetti, smiling in a pink polo shirt with a salmon-colored sweater loosely tied over his shoulders

Old black and white photo of Nino as a young boy with his cousins and a bicycle with mountains and a lake in the background

Black and white logo of an award that Caffe Abbracci has won - Open Table winnder Diners' Choice 2017
Black and white logo of an award that Caffe Abbracci has won - 2017 Travelers Choice Award - Trip Advisor
Black and white logo of an award that Caffe Abbracci has won - American Express Card Member Favorite

About
Nino Pernetti


When he began his first job as a café barista at age 13 in his hometown of Lake Garda, Italy, Nino Pernetti could never have imagined that his hospitality career would take him around the globe to 15 different countries, overseeing hundreds of employees at each stop. Working for international hotel corporations taught him more than just the business side of serving the public, it taught him how to provide memorable experiences for guests and how to coach his employees to do the same. Along the way, he learned half a dozen languages, had some memorable experiences himself, and found that he had a natural gift for relating to people. Opening Caffe Abbracci in Miami, the most international of U.S. cities, gave him the perfect platform to build a truly special restaurant.

When he opened Caffe Abbracci in 1989, Nino Pernetti created a space where everyone would feel at home. He made sure that the Caffe Abbracci team always remembered their guests' names, favorite dish, and how they liked their drink. He wanted his team to be as hospitable as they were in their own homes and to make Caffe Abbracci a place where all his friends and family could gather to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers, and even business deals.

As Abbracci became a family establishment, Nino sought to strengthen the Coral Gables and larger Miami and communities through his passionate philanthropic work. He often used Caffe Abbracci as his charitable vessel, whether by donating food to those in need or gifting Caffe Abbracci Gift Cards to auction fund raisers.

Nino Pernetti was as Italian as they come, and he loved representing his homeland. Nino was always looking to expand the Italian presence in Miami and to help local Italian business owners, however he could. In 2016, he was recognized for his endeavors by the President of Italy who bestowed upon him the title of Cavliere, knight, for promoting Italy abroad.

Nino Pernetti passed away on May 31, 2022, but his ability to unite and entertain guests lives on through Caffe Abbracci and his two daughters, Tatiana and Katerina.

The Team


Caffe Abbracci has 16 employees who have been with the restaurant since it first opened in 1989. Not many restaurants in Miami can boast that kind of staff loyalty, consistency and passion.