Call Me Gaby

Should You Book Call Me Gaby?

Yes — and if you've been before, there's still a reason to come back. It's a place that holds its ground on repeat visits, which in the Miami Beach dining scene is less common than it should be.

Chef Andrea Amelio's menu draws from the Italian coastal tradition — the kind of food that puts the emphasis on clean technique, good sourcing, restraint rather than spectacle. If you're thinking about where this fits relative to, say, dining along the actual Amalfi Coast, venues like Borgo Santandrea on the Amalfi Coast or Il San Pietro di Positano represent the source material. Call Me Gaby is Miami's readable translation of that tradition, accessible, warm, reliably executed without the price tag of a resort hotel dining room.

The room itself is part of the calculus. Washington Avenue sits in the heart of South Beach, Call Me Gaby's setting reads as relaxed-coastal rather than scene-driven. Visually, you're getting a space that leans into the neighbourhood's beach-adjacent energy without leaning into the volume and chaos that defines nearby tourist traps. If you're arriving for the first time, you'll notice the room's proportions feel designed for conversation, not something you can say about much of Miami Beach's dining stock.

A Word on Takeout and Delivery

Italian coastal cooking can travel well or badly depending on execution. The question for Call Me Gaby is whether the kitchen's output holds up off-premise. Pasta dishes and seafood-forward plates, the backbone of this cuisine, are notoriously unforgiving in delivery containers: pasta overcooks in transit and sauced fish loses its texture. If you're considering ordering in rather than dining on-site, reserve that for the more forgiving end of the menu (think antipasti, heartier preparations, items with structural integrity). For the full experience of what chef Amelio is doing here, the room is the right call. This is food that's designed to be eaten where it's made, not reheated in a clamshell container. Delivery is a functional option on a low-effort evening; it's not how you evaluate the kitchen.

Booking and Getting There

Call Me Gaby carries an Easy booking difficulty rating, which means you won't be fighting a 6 AM release window or refreshing a reservations page three weeks out. That said, Miami Beach weekends fill faster than weekday dinners, so if you're planning a Friday or Saturday visit, book at least a few days ahead. For a solo visit or a walk-in lunch attempt, the odds are considerably better. The address at 22 Washington Ave, Miami Beach puts you in a walkable part of South Beach, if you're already staying on the Beach, you don't need a car. For broader Miami context, see our full Miami restaurants guide.

How It Compares

Within Miami's Italian and contemporary dining scene, the closest peer comparison is Boia De, also Italian, also contemporary, priced at $$$. Boia De has a more tasting-menu-adjacent feel and tends to attract a more chef-focused crowd; Call Me Gaby reads as more accessible and less appointment-dinner. If your group wants Italian coastal without the formality, Call Me Gaby is the easier, lower-pressure choice. For something at a higher price point and a different cuisine entirely, Cote Miami (Korean Steakhouse, $$$) and Ariete (Modern American, $$$$) offer distinct formats. If you're building a broader Miami itinerary, ITAMAE (Peruvian) and L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon Miami (French) round out the city's more technically ambitious options. For hotel and bar context around Miami Beach, see our Miami hotels guide and our Miami bars guide.

Pearl Picks, More to Explore in Miami and Beyond

If Italian coastal is your format, the source material is worth experiencing directly: Borgo Santandrea on the Amalfi Coast and Il San Pietro di Positano represent the tradition at its origin. For ambitious dining in other U.S. cities, Le Bernardin in New York City, The French Laundry in Napa, Lazy Bear in San Francisco, Single Thread Farm in Healdsburg, Smyth in Chicago, and Emeril's in New Orleans all offer points of comparison. Browse Miami experiences and Miami wineries to build out your trip.