Elevate Your Private Dining Event at Donna Mare
Picture this: your closest friends gathered around a candlelit table, the sound of laughter mixing with the gentle rhythm of Italian music, while wood-fired aromas drift from our open kitchen. This is private dining at Donna Mare Italian Chophouse, where every celebration creates lasting memories.
Some moments deserve more than just a reservation. They call for a space that feels like your own. Where the music, the menu, and the mood are crafted entirely around your vision. Whether you're marking a milestone birthday, sealing an important business deal, or simply bringing together the people who matter most, Donna Mare transforms your private dining in Miami, Florida into an art form.
A Culinary Destination, But Extraordinary
Nestled adjacent to the legendary Cadillac Hotel & Beach Club, just footsteps from Miami Beach's shoreline, our restaurant serves as your personal Italian escape. Here, the energy of the city meets the warmth of a famiglia gathering, creating an atmosphere that's both sophisticated and genuinely welcoming.
The Soul Behind Your Celebration
Executive Chef Luigi Marco Iannuario didn't just learn to cook, he was born into it. Literally. His mother was stirring sauce in their Milano kitchen when he made his entrance into the world, and that same kitchen became his sanctuary, his classroom, his destiny. Under his nonna's patient hands, young Luigi mastered the sacred rhythms of Italian cooking: selecting perfect tomatoes at market, rolling pasta just-so, eventually commanding the family dinner table. Today, after earning accolades like "Best Young Chef" in Cremona and leading kitchens from Milan to Miami, he brings those cherished traditions to every private dining experience at Donna Mare.
Every private dining menu is crafted with intention, featuring:
- Housemade pastas rolled fresh daily in our glass-enclosed pasta room
- Premium dry-aged meats, including USDA Prime cuts aged up to 30 days
- Fresh-caught seafood delivered daily from local waters
Signature dishes like our Salmon Puttanesca, Lobster Chitarra, and the beloved Donna Mare Chicken Parmigiana reflect time-honored Italian recipes with a modern, elevated twist. Our famous wood-fired pizzas emerge from ovens fueled by a 50-year-old mother yeast, created the same day Chef Luigi was born and nurtured through the decades by his grandmother. This living legacy transforms simple dough into pizza poetry, blending traditional Neapolitan techniques with generations of family wisdom.
Choose from à la carte offerings or chef-curated prix fixe menus tailored to your private event. Each dish carries the soul of Italy's sun-kissed coast, where simple ingredients become extraordinary when treated with respect and love
Make It Interactive: Signature Pasta Workshops
Private dining at Donna Mare isn't confined to what arrives at your table, though rest assured, that alone will be extraordinary. We invite you to make your gathering truly interactive with our signature pasta workshop, a 90-minute immersion into the art that defined Chef Luigi's childhood.
Your guests arrive to a glass of prosecco and possibility. Under the guidance of our culinary team, hands dust with flour as everyone learns to mix, shape, and cut pasta using techniques passed through generations. It's messy, it's joyful, and it's exactly the kind of shared experience that transforms acquaintances into friends and friends into family. The workshop culminates in a three-course feast featuring your handmade creations, with optional wine pairings that complement each dish.
This isn't just a cooking workshop, it's a private journey into the heart of Italian family tradition, where stories are shared and memories are made over handcrafted pasta.
Private Dining Spaces & Options
Our thoughtfully designed 182-seat restaurant offers flexible private dining arrangements to suit your needs. The space features a centrally located olive tree, deep green earth-toned plush banquettes, and warm wood elements that ground the room in Italian heritage. Golden velvet drapes and brass and leather chairs layer in urban sophistication, all sensual, inviting, and rich with possibility.
Private dining experiences include:
- Italian wine tastings from our all-organic, Italian-leaning collection featuring indigenous grape varietals and small producers
- Elegant aperitivo hours with small bites and playful cocktail presentations like our theatrical "When In Roma"
- Custom floral and tablescape design for your private event
- Resident DJ entertainment available Friday evenings
Perfect for private celebrations:
- Birthday, anniversary celebrations, bar or bat mitzvahs
- Corporate dinners and networking events
- Rehearsal dinners and engagement parties
- Bridal showers and baby showers
- Holiday gatherings and family reunions
Full Restaurant Buyouts for Exclusive Events
Hosting a bigger event? We offer full buyouts of the restaurant for weddings, brand launches, or exclusive gatherings that require complete privacy and flexibility. From intimate dinners to milestone celebrations, Donna Mare becomes your own Italian-inspired sanctuary by the sea.
Your Invitation to Something Extraordinary
The beauty of private dining at Donna Mare lies in its flexibility. Corporate dinners find the perfect balance of professionalism and warmth. Rehearsal dinners capture the joy of coming together before life's big moments. Anniversary celebrations and family reunions unfold with the kind of ease that only comes when every detail has been thoughtfully considered.
We believe that great hospitality means understanding not just what you want, but what will make your guests feel truly cared for. It means sourcing sustainable Florida oysters because quality matters. It means keeping our wine program entirely organic because respect for ingredients extends from kitchen to cellar. It means greeting regulars by name and making newcomers feel like they've always belonged.
Most importantly, it means creating space for pleasure, the kind that comes from slowing down, savoring each bite, and being fully present with the people around you.
Reserve your table today, and discover how our private dining experience can elevate these moments at Donna Mare Italian Chophouse.
