Otto & Pepe opened September 12 in Miami’s vibrant Wynwood Art District. It comes from South Florida hospitality veterans Gabriela Chiriboga and Samuel Ghouzi, who founded 1-800-LUCKY, the multi-concept Asian food hall also located in Wynwood. They’re billing it as Miami’s first pasta bar, with a focus on house-made pastas and natural wines.

The menu was created by Italian chef Viviana Varese, known for her now-closed Michelin-starred restaurant Viva in Milan and for W Villadorata Country Restaurant on the Italian island of Sicily. Rounding out the team are wine expert Karina Iglesias and mixologist Matias Iriarte. 

Varese’s involvement happened organically. While Chiriboga was traveling through Italy, she dined at chef Varese’s restaurant, W Villadorata, and became inspired by the menu, which she described as a love letter to traditional Italian flavors. When Varese walked through the dining room to touch tables, her dog Otto approached Chiriboga. The canine-assisted culinary meet-cute got the two talking, and it eventually resulted in Otto & Pepe.

The spacious patio is a popular choice for antipasti and drinks.

The 147-seat restaurant was conceptualized by Saladino Design Studio and features a mix of natural woods and warm tones across a series of unique spaces. There’s an enoteca at the entrance that holds an array of wines curated by Iglesias. The selection highlights Italian regions and varietals, with additional labels from France and Spain, and bottles are available for dining-in or to purchase and take home.

The dining room and pasta bar are joined by an expansive garden patio adorned with lush foliage. The garden is meant to entice visitors to start or end their evenings with a drink, and it boasts a special antipasta menu and drink selection focused on pre-dinner cocktails and postprandial nightcaps.

Otto & Pepe’s dinner menu is broken into four categories: red sauce pasta, white sauce pasta, more pasta, and not pasta. Pastas are made in house and featured in dishes like tagliatelle alla Bolognese, cacio e pepe, and fusilli al pesto basilico. Not-pasta dishes include a pistachio and basil salad and a tomato and pepper gazpacho with stracciatella cheese. Meals end with a choice of two desserts: tiramisu and brioche with gelato.

“Pasta reigns supreme on Otto & Pepe’s menu, where each dish pays homage to classic recipes and the Italian principle of respecting the raw ingredient,” Varese said in a statement. “As Miami is home to world class gastronomy, it is an honor to introduce these culinary creations that invite guests to savor genuine taste and flavors.”

The enoteca stocks a robust selection of wines available to drink on site or take home.

Iriarte’s beverage menu is loaded with cocktails that range from Italian classics like the Americano and Negroni to house specials, like a Strawberry-Balsamic Spritz and an Orange & Macadamia Mimosa. A couple of the more unique options are the Pepperoncino Margarita, which calls for pepper-infused tequila, and the Caprese Highball, which channels the classic salad into a cocktail by enlisting tomato water and a fresh basil cordial. There are also several low-alcohol choices that put vermouth in the starring role.

Chiriboga and Ghouzi said that Otto & Pepe was born out of their passion for pasta and a desire to create the ultimate gathering place for locals and tourists alike. And they’re excited to bring authentic Italian cuisine, and chef Varese, to the heart of Wynwood.

Varese won’t be sticking around forever. After ensuring that Otto & Pepe’s kitchen is operating like a well-oiled machine, she will start working on a new restaurant project in Lake Como in northern Italy. 

An error in the number of seats at the pasta bar has been corrected.