Fontana Restaurant

I came here on a Saturday with a party of 5. First let me start off by saying that the scenery was wonderful. Our server was delightful and very attentive. I don’t remember his name but he had great recommendations. The manager came out a few times to make sure everything was perfect and rest assured it was. The food was incredible. We ordered the bruschetta, salmon, filet mignon, and the caesar salad with grilled shrimp. Chef David was not there that morning but Chef Pépé was and he did an incredible job. The food was all delicious and I have no complaints. If you’re at the Biltmore or simply visiting I highly recommend dining here. 5 stars!

If I could give more than 5 stars I would!
My husband and I went for their Christmas brunch and everything was perfect from the first minute we entered the hotel until the last minute we left.
The food was outstanding, they had a large choice of seafood which was definitely a big plus for me, main dishes were great as well and my husband was amazed by the pasta he had.
They had a very large selection of desserts, all so delicious that they will make you forget about your diet!
Service was very attentive and nice.
Thank you for this unforgettable experience!

What a disappointment! Previous meal was very good but this was the antithesis for our table of four.
The evening started off badly when we sat at the table for ten plus minutes twiddling our fingers. Finally we were acknowledged and bread was placed on the table to numb our minds and detract us from the exiting and future poor service we were about to experience at this wonderful hotel.
Waiting another fifteen or so minutes our server came over for our drink order. One of our guests made the mistake of asking the server for a drink menu which gave him the excuse to saunter off for another ten minutes. By now I was burning and kept in check the eruption going off in my head. By the time he returned I quickly blurted out my drink order so that he could not escape again.
So faux pas one: acknowledge guests no later than 5 minutes after seating and politely ask ««May I offer you a Drink?». If one asks for a drink menu (which should have been provided at the same time as being seated), promptly bring over the drink menu and ask from all others their drink order while the other member peruses the drink menu.
After our delightful wait and after previously hearing about the specials (20 minutes earlier), we placed our order. I had the bruschetta with tomatoes and avocados which was essentially toasted Cuban or French bread with a «spread» made up of that mixture. The spread was essentially guacamole and it just did not work to the point that I give this appetizer a 0. If I would have wanted a guac spread I would have ordered it at a Mexican restaurant not an Italian influenced one!
Although in the past I have salivated at wanting to try their lasagna and chicken parmigiana, my love for pappardelle forced me to go with their special of pappardelle with large chunks of filet mignon overpowered by a sweet red wine sauce. Yuck! What a disappointment.
My wife had the «Spartan“chicken parmigiana without any plated accondiments and she too expressed disappointment. Our friends too were unimpressed and lamented at the fact that they wanted us to go to The Forge but brought them here instead promising a good dining experience.
We will not be back. One bad dinning experience in service and flavors detracts from all previous experiences.

Great for Sunday brunch. One if my favorite places in the Gables, Fontana restaurant food is good and the ambiance outdoors is beautiful. If you are in Coral Gables go have breakfast or lunch there!

We came here for Miami spice lunch and it was a great experience. The menu was well selected, portions were really satisfying, dishes made with care and tasty, I loved the maccheroni with oxtail meat, so creamy and tasty.
We sat outside, is a must if you go there, a bit hot but very beautiful, peaceful and calm enviroment, that‘s what you are paying in this place. We were lucky not to have any mosquitoes!
Very recommended.

This restaurant at the famous Biltmore Hotel in the City Beautiful is extremely expensive and the food could be more gourmet and definitely better served and presented. This is a high class hotel, beautiful and prestigious, restaurants must be top notch.

Came for the Miami spice lunch. It was really crowded so we had to get a table outside but they’ve got giant fans everywhere so it wasn’t bad at all. Had the Meatballs, pasta with oxtail, and coconut and mango sorbet.

The restaurant is very beautiful, but the food is expensive and not that good, although they have a pretty wide selection of wines

Beautiful restaurant set in the historical Biltmore hotel. We set on the outside patio, next to a bubbling fountain surrounded by lushly green. Nice atmosphere for a romantic dinner. We went on a Tuesday, and it just our party when we first got seated, so we felt we were having a private dinner with 3 attentive servants.
Then the experience got even better when they brought out the bread. Best bread I’ve had, very fresh and tasteful. For me, the free bread at a restaurant is a deal breaker.
We did the Miami spice menu. Surprisedly the dishes were good portion. We enjoyed our appetizers and entrée. I had steak tartare with cornichona, anchovies. There was a quail egg on the top! My friends got Calamaro Ripieno (calamari stuffed with spinach). We enjoyed that as well.
Our entrees were the short ribs and sea bre filets. Very tasty, presentation could be better.
Our desserts were disappointing, my friend got Torte do Mele Tiepeda E gelato alla Valiglia, and it was literally an apple poptart with a little cup of ice cream on a huge long plate. There was nothing else to decorate and spice up the look of the dish. The poptart was sliding back and forth on the plate when the waiter brought it so ghetto. Our orange blossom cream brûlée was ok, the glazed sugar was crispy.
So overall, the ambiance was amazing, food was tasty. Desserts were ok. But Miami spice tents to have very basic desserts in most restaurants. I would recommend going there and order off their regular menu and just skip the dessert

Another word for pricey «exorbitant» best word I could find to describe brunch. The food was «adequate» nothing spectacular although the Champagne did flow freely. The usual food selections, nice carving station, seafood items, great salmon, and plentiful salad. The desserts vary and worth the extra calories. First class waiters very attentive and accommodating. But honestly $ 118.00 per person ouch.

We went here for my Mother-in-law’s bday last night. The service was great, you have several staff members waiting on each table. All of our food was great! I especially liked the lobster & shrimp meal, we added a half order of pasta on the side & it was plenty of food to share between my husband and I. The final touch was the tiramisu with the bday candle. This was the BEST tiramisu I’ve ever had!!!

If it wasnt for the ambiance and history of the hotel we might have just walked out. Food wasnt remarkable, its mediocre which was a shame. My red snapper which was the special of the day had obviously been frozen awhile. The seafood pasta was bland and was lacking in flavor. Service was friendly but superficial, lacking sincerity and lines were rehearsed.

Not entirely sure I should be reviewing this restaurant and not Palme d’Or for Sunday Brunch at the Biltmore, as it was spread between the two restaurants, but considering I checked in at the hostess stand on the Fontana side, I’ll stick with that.
First up, this is not a cheap brunch, at $ 85 a head + tax and gratuity you’ll be looking at $ 107 a pop, or more if you tip generously (we did, the staff was amazing, but more on that in a bit)…but considering we spent ALL DAY (yes, 10:30am — 4pm) enjoying mimosas, bloody marys, bellinis, beers etc, on top of the wonderful buffet, well lets just say we got our money’s worth!
ATMOSPHERE —
Well, it’s the Biltmore right. I’d actually never been here before, but was very excited when my friends in town requested that we do Sunday brunch here. Tons of history, and some even took time away from the brunch to check out the building and take a mini tour! Once seated we were initially right next to the fountain outside on the sprawling courtyard! So picturesque and beautiful. We did change tables a few time due to weather, but none the less each location within the courtyard was stunning!
FOOD —
This is where I’d be willing to go 3.5 stars. Sadly the breakfast stations were a bit disappointing as was the raw bar, but overall the food was decent, the desserts were OUTSTANDING.
The buffet is set up in two areas, breakfast and desserts together on one side, and the «lunch» options inside Palm d’Or. After some eggs benedict I checked out the raw bar but found the oysters to be a bit off and the crab claws a bit watery from sitting around too long. The crab legs were definitely better though, and the caviar bar was fantastic! On top of that, salad, sushi, paella, carving station, pasta station, you name it, they have it!
DRINKS —
You’re typical buffet fare of mimosas etc. Nice touches though — there is a better champagne option if you don’t want to mix with orange juice, there is a bloody mary bar so you can customize to your liking (including amount of vodka), there was a Sam Adams station so you could just grab your own, the bellinis came in multiple flavors etc etc. Honestly, great drinks!
SERVICE —
This took the cake for all of us. Due to the confused Florida weather we moved tables twice. Once out of the sun, once out of the downpour, and both times the staff was accommodating and helpful. Between Hilda, Cesar, Dayan and Ruben we couldn’t have asked for a better team who graciously kept our glasses full (they may have kept bringing over more and more drinks without being asked), took all the pictures of us that we wanted, and were happy to accommodate our needs with the giant portable fans etc etc. Honestly, the staff made our day! We never felt rushed and really made an amazing day out of coming here!

My family and I love Sunday brunch here, especially the Christmas brunch. But I honestly will have to rethink spending future Christmas Day’s here.
From the offset, service was severely lacking. We were at the worst table in the restaurant, surrounding by 2 doors that guests entered thru to get to the buffet (that they moved inside due to the impending inclement weather).
Our server, Araceli made it perfectly clear she was not interested in waiting on us. She didn’t bother to share with us where the food stations were located, what came with the brunch, etc. I guess because we said we have brunched at Fontana before she felt she didn’t have make an effort.
What made it worse was it was if Araceli went out of her way to avoid coming to the end of the hall where we were located to see if we needed anything. We had to constantly ask to have our plates removed, other tables received fresh silverware and we received none. We had to ask for refills on our drinks (OJ, champagne, soda etc). In fact I’ve been waiting 20 minutes for another bottle of Pellegrino so I figured I’d knock this review out. No came over to see if we needed anything. We even had to ask for our check. I guess since the gratuity is included, there was no need to put in any effort.
To quote my brother, «This service SUCKED».
Oh the food? Very condensed compared to past brunches I have attended here. Not as many offerings. I suppose that is because the executive decision was made the night prior to move the buffets indoors due to the threat of rain. Understandable, but disappointing all the same. Nothing stood out except the oysters, and I suppose that’s because I was there when they replenished them.

Phenomenal dinner on a glorious night sitting next to the fountain. Salad Mista was big enough to share with one or two others. Black Ink and white pasta with seafood was full of flavor with generous portion of lobster, shrimp, mussels and clans. But the memorable part of the meal, other than the company, was the incredible risotto with fresh shaved white truffle, and pistachio gelato as good as what I’ve had in Italy. I’m getting hungry again wiring this.

Sunday brunch? Oh HELL yes.
Is it pricey? Oh HELL yes. But for a super splurge meal? Yeah. I dig it.
It’s all you can eat buffet style and I sure did take advantage of it. My dining companion Johnny T and I both did. I’m not exaggerating when I say we were there for just shy of 3 hours. Strategy. Taking breathers between each courses is the only way to do it. And even then you will waddle away in a great deal of pain. But without regrets. Well, maybe regret that you couldn’t fit in any more desserts. That was my regret.
A delightful spread full of seafood including 3 varieties of caviar, sashimi, oysters and shrimp cocktail. Savories like eggs benedict, omelets to order, bacon, potatoes, and more. Salads and sides like pasta, cheeses, veggies, etc. Carving stations! Breakfasty sweets like pancakes and waffles and oh so so SO much more. Your will burst. Trust.
And I didn’t even talk about the desserts. Oh sweet lord these desserts. Lemon meringue tarts, chocolate fountains, ice cream sundaes, pies, tarts, mousses, chocolates, marshmallows, caramels, fruit, cakes, cookies… I could easily go on. Unfortunately I couldn’t fit as many as I wanted in my gullet, despite my best efforts.
Oh, and did I mention the bottomless mimosas and champagne? Yeah, those too.
$ 85 per person. Definitely a splurge but for the quality and the sheer volume of food you get, it’s almost KIND of a steal. Just be sure to come hungry, pace yourself, and only take what you REALLY want. It’s easy to fill up on stuff you’re just curious about.

I dined at Fontana last week intending to try their Miami Spice menu. Unfortunately, the menu had changed that evening, and the new menu wasn’t appealing, so we ordered off the regular menu.
We started out with the Fritto Misto (fried calamari, veggies, shrimp) and created our own «carpaccio» type appetizer. We had cured beef, 18 month Parma prosciutto, and truffle pecorino. Both appetizers were incredible. We devoured all of it!
For the main course we ordered the Pesce Spada (a very thin slice of swordfish crusted with pine nuts and a fennel salad), a ½ portion of the Gnocchi, and the Black and White pasta with squid ink and chunks of lobster. I enjoyed my entrée (pasta with lobster) even though it needed a bit more salt, but my chef friend hated his swordfish. I tasted it and agreed it was awful. The fish tasted «old» and freezer burned. It was disappointing that a restaurant of that caliber would serve old fish. I suggested he return it, but he didn’t want to wait for anything else. The Gnocchi was pretty good… we loved the cream sauce.
For the grande finale, I ordered the banana Crème brûlée and my friend ordered the Chocolatissimo. Both desserts were awesome. But the Crème brûlée was my favorite.
Overall, we had a decent meal with excellent service. I’d be willing to try Fontana again. My friend, not so much!

I decided to take my family To this restaurant as it was participating in the 2014 Miami Spice event. It is located inside The Biltmore Hotel which is a very nice location.
We chose the inside seating as it was too hot to eat outside at their outdoor seating area. The valet parking is $ 12.00; however, if you get your ticket validated it will be half price.
The pros:
The location of the restaurant.
The desserts were really good.
The cons:
1) My husband’s silverware was dirty, he had to send it back.
2) One of our two servers had dirty nails (I noticed it while he was pouring my water) I was grossed out.
3) The miami spice menu– not very good. Not much of a selection although my appetizer which was the lamb meatballs was good. Unfortunately, my entrée which was pork shank was horrible.
I hate to say it but this restaurant left my family and I disappointed :(

We enjoyed a delicious Miami Spice dinner at this restaurant located in the beautiful Biltmore Hotel. Nice tropical décor inside and outside. We sat inside because outside was humid and people were smoking.
The only negative aspect of sitting inside was the noise level, a little too loud. Service was Excellent!

I will always remember my time at La Fontana. It was here that I had precious White Truffles from Alba, Italy. With prices of up to $ 3500/​pound, I had to have it. The dish cost $ 75 and the chef comes out and shaves precious, previous, slivers of this beautiful delicacy. BEST MOMENT EVER!
The food here is very good, very Italian, and very pure. I devoured my White Truffle (I had it with Fettuccini, but you can request Risotto) in no time. That dish, coupled with a bottle of a Super Tuscan (Ornellaia) wine for only $ 65 just made my night. For appetizers, I had the Tonna Tartare which was as light and fresh as can be.
I don’t think I can remember anything else except my white truffle…
Service was adequate — we had a waitress who clearly was attending to more tables than proper service could afford. Well, automatic gratuity is added so no wonder there.
If you do get a chance to have dinner outside, go for it. La Fontana’s courtyard is just magical — with Spanish columns and a water fountain as a center piece, you just feel transported to a different time. Imagine this being Zorro’s house and having dinner in a lovely, but grand, casita. Dining for two here is definitely a ‘romantical’ experience. When you go there during colder times, La Fontana does have outdoor heaters, and if available, you can ask to have one placed right by your table.
If you ever get a chance to dine here, I would highly recommend it.
FYI — For those staying at the Biltmore, La Fontana serves breakfast as well.