New York Pasta Chain Opens Coral Gables

Diners in Coral Gables can now eat at a New York City institution without leaving South Florida. La Pecora Bianca opened its first location outside New York City on Monday at the Shops at Merrick Park. The 300-seat restaurant focuses on housemade pastas and features several dishes created specifically for the Miami market.

Mark Barak, the restaurateur who founded the brand, said the team chose Coral Gables after careful consideration. “We’ve been very deliberate about where La Pecora Bianca goes next, and Coral Gables felt right,” Barak said. He noted that the area has a real appreciation for restaurants that are beautiful and energetic but also become part of people’s everyday lives.

The menu retains the ingredient-driven cooking style that built the New York following. It includes more than ten housemade pasta varieties. Miami diners will also find exclusive items such as a giant carbonara raviolo, lobster spaghetti fra diavolo, and a tomato-and-melon carpaccio. The restaurant stocks Italian wines to accompany the meals.

Urban Robot, a Miami-based firm, collaborated on the interior design. The space draws on traditional Italian architecture while adapting to the local indoor-outdoor lifestyle. Designers softened the brand’s signature sage-green palette into mintier tones. They added coral and sun-kissed yellow accents to fit the South Florida aesthetic. Handmade terracotta tiles, arched doorways, honeyed oak, marble, and brass define the interior.

An outdoor terrace with a palm-shaded garden serves as the main gathering space. The layout includes a wraparound bar with approximately 20 seats and private dining areas. The venue is designed to transition from bright lunches to candlelit evenings. It offers options for quick aperitivos, celebratory dinners, and weekend brunches.

The name La Pecora Bianca translates to “the white sheep.” The location sits at 360 San Lorenzo Ave. in Coral Gables. The restaurant website is lapecorabianca.com.