Pelican cafe

Haven't been on Ocean Drive in yearsbut must have to say we had an excellent time . We went to Miami Beach for an Expo and decided to hit the Drive for dinner and came upon this Italian Resturant that was fabulous !!!!!!!Started off with Kale Cesar salad that was very large portion and complimented it with a Margarita pizza . The main dish was the gnochi sand they were amazing . Never had them before baked and crispy on top , a must have dish .

Always on the hunt for a good breakfast spot in South Beach so we stopped by Pelican Cafe one day after seeing their good reviews on Yelp. Service was good. The fact that you can sit on Ocean Drive and people-watch is always a great selling point. My truffle omelet was good but not the best I have had. Coffee was very good. Prices are on the higher end when you're eating on Ocean Drive but I think this is a decent option for breakfast if you want to sit and relax while watching interesting people go by.

I came here on a Tuesday evening during spring break in March. The restaurant was fairly packed. However, the wait time was not long. My group sat at a table on the second level so we had a great view of the main street and were able to people watch all night. The table we sat at was up the first set of stairs into the right on its own semi-private balcony area however, it was behind the handrail so we had to squeeze behind this tiny little space just to get to the table, which was kind of awkward. We also had a speaker right behind our heads, which was very loud, however we didn't mind it too much, but I can see others being irritated with this. Our server, Julio was absolutely wonderful! He was very energetic and passionate, and is an excellent waiter. He gave us some great recommendations, and was very attentive, even though he seemed to be very busy with multiple other tables. We got the free bread and oil and vinegar for our appetizer, and my coworkers ordered the king crab and I ordered a truffle pizza for myself since I am vegetarian. They do seem to have a decent amount of vegetarian options, but not many vegan options... If any at all. Our food took a little while to get us. However, I give them a little grace with this since it was spring break and they were super busy, so it was absolutely understandable. I ordered myself a glass of wine to drink, but realized that if I checked in on yelp, I also got a free glass of Prosecco or a free aperol spritz. I don't drink either one of those, so I asked the waiter if I could get my wine for free instead of doing either one of those drinks for free. After checking with the manager, Julio said they could make a one time exception and give us a glass of free wine instead of the two options listed, however, they wouldn't be able to use the coupon for that. So we all ended up getting a glass of free wine, which was so kind of them! They also accidentally brought out the wrong dish for me originally however, Julio fixed it immediately and was profusely apologetic... Which was so unnecessary, but totally appreciated! The truffle pizza was phenomenal, even as leftovers, and my coworkers said they did like the crab, but they wish there was more included for the price they paid. They also commented that they wish they would be able to get regular butter instead of the butter sauce that is available with the dishes.Overall, I would definitely come back to pelican! It's a little bit on the pricier side ($70 for my pizza, a glass of house Cab, tax, and tip) but then again you're on South Beach so most options are!

After spending multiple days on a cruise eating mostly stocked food, I was really excited to try Pelican Cafe for some fresh fare. It was good. I was surprised to find out that this is an Italian restaurant. We came around 10am, we ate breakfast items and I never would have guessed it wasn't "American" food.I had the avocado toast (added spinach) and I tried eggs, hash browns, and potatoes from others and it was so good. They basically made guacamole and topped the toast with it. Mine also came with choice of protein. I chose smoked salmon and it was amazing. It was exactly what I needed.I had a Blood Mary and I didn't like it. It tasted like sweet tomato juice. I added hot sauce and salt to mine and it was more to my liking. I am used to, and prefer, a Bloody that is on the spicer side and tastes more of vinegar/salt. This was my second of three that I had and I surmise that this is just how they make them here. I don't really fault them for that but just being honest, I didn't like it.On one menu the Bloody Mary's were priced at $16 but we were charged $18 each. We also asked for still water, and we got bottled, that cost us $7 a bottle. Maybe it was a miscommunication, but with the other price discrepancy, I have to make note of it. Like many of the restaurants in South Beach, outdoor seating is mandatary. Pelican had a great outdoor seating area. The service was great. They accommodated 8 of us on the fly nicely, the restaurant itself was funky, they had fans blowing and the restaurant had a really cool vibe.

Fun fact: the Pelican is owned by Renzo Rosso, the founder of Diesel. Don't be surprised when you see servers sporting Diesel attire and boxers for sale at the front desk. It's no surprise that the space has stylish touches. The menu seems to be focused heavily on pasta, though you'll find fish, pizza, and steak. The menu was a bit strange. There was a dinner menu, an all day menu, a wine list, and cocktail menu - all separate from each other. Our table was covered with menus. We tried the squash blossoms, lobster ravioli, pasta pomodoro, and an assortment of desserts. I didn't love the squash, but I think it is because I generally don't love heavily fried foods. The pasta was great though, and the dessert was even better. It was the most fun dessert I've ever had, served in a spinning wheel. It turned every head! My only qualms were with the valet and lack of hostess. The valet was disorganized, so we didn't use it, and I couldn't even find a hostess station so I didn't know who to go to for my reservation. Once we sat down though it was a pleasant meal with a beach view to boot.

It's interesting to have an Italian food based option in Ocean drive Miami , definitely an alternative to the whole giant cocktails and fried food scenario. I got to try appetizers and salads on a beautiful Saturday. The welcoming was great , smiley servers were at the entrance and I was seated right away. The ambiance is very clean and neat and I loved the burrata. Will definitely go back to check on other items. Recommended

Brian was a great bartender. The bruschetta was tasty and the bread (made in house) was scrumptious. What a great hidden gem off of Ocean drive. It is perfect to be able to enjoy a setting at south beach without all the craziness.

We had an amazing experience at the Pelican Cafe. Giovanni, was so welcoming, so attentive, and so kind. The entire wait staff was equally wonderful. We thoroughly enjoyed our meals that were tasty, plentiful, with a lovely presentation. The Pelican Cafe will definitely be on our list the next time we are in Miami. Thank you Giovanni! We look forward to seeing you soon! Your new loyal patrons.

High-quality ingredient.Best Italian food in Ocean drive, south beach.Great service.

Very good food.Majo was a very good waitress. I'd recommend 10/10.Very good place to be