Award-Winning Italian Restaurant to Close in Coral Gables

According to a New Times source, Erba, the award-winning Italian restaurant from chef Niven Patel, will close its doors for good after a difficult summer. Despite the restaurant's recent participation in Taste of the Gables and its scheduled participation in Miami Spice, it seems the high-end spot couldn't survive the heat wave (when restaurants suffer most in Miami).

When Erba first opened in Coral Gables by chef Patel and Mohamed Alkassar, it felt rare and refreshing. Not only was it a pasta lover's dream (eight types, made fresh daily), but it was also deeply personal. Chef Patel told New Times it was a tribute to his early years in Florence, told through fresh, Miami-grown ingredients. It was homey, soulful, and damn good. According to our review, the truffle ravioli melted on your tongue like a love letter, and the housemade focaccia was worth a second visit.

Erba even landed on Esquire's Best New Restaurants of 2023 list. Additionally, chef Patel took home New Times' Best Chef 2024 award. And now, less than two years later, it's over. But here's the thing: the sudden closure is not shocking one bit.

A Brutal Summer For Miami Restaurants — A Michelin Star Can't Even Save You

We're witnessing a brutal pattern in Miami right now, one where excellence doesn’t guarantee survival. Not even close. This year alone, we've said goodbye to award-winning places like Torno Subito, Ensenada, EntreNos, Sereia, and now Erba. All ambitious, ingredient-forward, and award-winning. All gone.

Summer has always been tough for restaurants in South Florida. Tourists disappear. Locals stay home to beat the heat or flee to Europe. The city melts, and so do the margins. But once upon a time, a star rating, a glossy award, or a mention in a national magazine could carry a restaurant through the sweltering slump. Not anymore. And if someone like chef Niven Patel, who has the awards, the talent, a farm to source his own produce, and even the social media following, can't keep the lights on at one of his most personal projects, then what hope does anyone else have?

Hours before news broke of the closure, chef Patel took to Instagram to echo similar frustrations. "There's no sugarcoating what's going on with my mind, body, and soul. I feel defeated...I've faced so many challenges in my career, and right now, it's all about survival," he wrote. "I reflected on what truly defines me, and the answer was cooking. So, I decided to get into the kitchen and pour my heart and soul into it. In all the chaos, the kitchen is my sanctuary."
Although it was always on the expensive side, Erba wasn't just a restaurant; it was a vibe, a space filled with soul music and the aroma of semolina, truffle, and slow-roasted eggplant. It didn't pretend to be Italian, as it was Italian-inspired, but it celebrated pasta with joy and generosity. But this summer has been unforgiving, and Erba, like too many of Miami's most thoughtful and creative restaurants, has been pushed past its breaking point.

So go, if you can, while you still can. Order the mafaldine, dip handfuls of focaccia into the butter candle, let the truffle ravioli linger a little longer, and bid farewell to Erba. Fans of Erba may also enjoy Patel's other highly acclaimed restaurants, including the beloved Ghee Indian Kitchen, which won New Times' Best Indian Restaurant 2020, and Paya in Miami Beach.

This story will be updated once more information is made available.

Erba Miami. 227 S. Dixie Hwy., Coral Gables; 305-712-7788; erbamiami.com.