Miami Is Freaking Out Over Pura Vida Gelato. Is It Worth the Hype?

Pura Vida Miami has officially opened its largest location to date, right in the heart of Coconut Grove along Grand Avenue. But this isn't just another pretty pastel-hued café with matcha on tap—this white, bright, and ginormous café just debuted a concept that's been years in the making: Gelato by Pura Vida Miami, a health-conscious spin on the classic Italian treat, made entirely in-house and free from gluten, refined sugar, and additives. (Yes, even the cones are gluten-free.)

As soon as word spread that Pura Vida Miami was launching a gelato bar, fans of the healthy chain were ecstatic. One even wrote to our New Times food editor, "I'm on my way right now as soon as I saw it on Instagram!" It's a significant milestone for the Miami-born brand, which has quickly grown from a tiny South Beach café into a 34-location wellness juggernaut. Now, with a healthy Italian-inspired gelato bar under its belt, the company is expanding its offerings while staying rooted in its core mission: clean, high-quality ingredients and an all-day menu designed to suit a range of dietary needs.

The Scoop on Gelato by Pura Vida Miami

In line with the brand’s approach to wellness, Gelato by Pura Vida Miami is making gelato using "consciously sourced ingredients to provide a lighter, more nourishing alternative to traditional gelato." The gelato is made fresh daily, is sweetened with trehalose instead of refined sugar, and is entirely gluten-free. Some of the gelato flavors are cream-based and made with dairy, while others are sorbet-based, which are dairy-free.

The gelato comes in flavors like salted pistachio, chocolate hazelnut, vanilla, dark chocolate, "PB & J," "Panna Cotta Pistachio," and "Welcome to Miami" (Just like Pura Vida Miami's smoothie made with passion fruit, mango, and banana). Every scoop of gelato is served in either a cup or a gluten-free waffle cone (some are even dipped in house-made chocolate). To-go pints are available, as well..

The gelato menu also features cold brew affogatos, gluten-free chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches made with fresh-baked cookies, and the "Amalfi Serve," classic vanilla soft serve topped with lemon olive oil drizzle, mixed nuts, and Maldon salt.

Gelato Bar on One Side, A Café on the Other

As with all Pura Vida Miami locations, the Coconut Grove café offers an all-day breakfast menu with pasture-raised eggs, avocado toasts, smoothies, juices, wellness shots, açaí bowls, salads, wraps, and bowls with various protein options. Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free choices are prominently featured. Coffee, matcha, and teas round out the beverage offerings.

"We are incredibly excited to debut our flagship location in Coconut Grove, a milestone that marks the evolution of not only our brand but also the city of Miami," Pura Vida founder Omer Horev says. "We carefully chose this historic neighborhood as it is one of the fastest-growing areas of the city, and we found an incredible opportunity to be part of its transformation. Not only will this be our largest location to date, but it will also introduce our new gelato concept — a project we’ve worked tirelessly to perfect."
The Coconut Grove location features floor-to-ceiling design upgrades, including Venetian plaster walls, natural stone finishes, and custom furnishings. A large banyan tree anchors the dining space, and 30-foot ceilings blur the line between indoor and outdoor seating areas. Designed by Chief Brand Officer Jennifer Horev, the space also includes a new market display area with branded merchandise, wellness snacks, and lifestyle products like protein bars and home goods. The gelato bar is built into the main café space, allowing guests to add a scoop to their meal or stop in solely for dessert.

Since launching in South Beach more than a decade ago, Pura Vida Miami has grown into one of South Florida's fastest-expanding café chains. With locations across Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and, more recently, New York City, the company reports employing more than 1,500 people.

The Coconut Grove opening continues a string of new launches and brand evolutions for Pura Vida, positioning the flagship as a potential model for future stores that combine clean dining, retail, and dessert, all under one (very high) roof.

Pura Vida Coconut Grove and Gelato by Pura Vida. 3000 Grand Ave., Miami; puravidamiami.com; gelatobypvm.com