Francesco: A Peruvian Breath of Fresh Air in the Gables
Among the many offerings for Taste the Gables 2025, Francesco stands out like the stars of the next-door Actor’s Playhouse’s theatre repertoire. Open in its current location on Miracle Mile since 2024, walking into Francesco is like a calming breath after escaping the hustle of Downtown Coral Gables.
We were invited to dine at Francesco’s to enjoy their menu featured in Taste the Gables, Coral Gables’ annual showcase of over 70 restaurants with specially priced meals the entire month of July.
After being greeted and escorted to our table by the friendly staff, our server Guadelupe shared the restaurant’s Taste the Gables dinner menu, along with a few recommendations for cocktails and dishes. We arrived during the Francesco “Happy Bites” happy hour (4:30 pm to 6:30 PM), which features special pricing on their house cocktails and select glasses of wine, beer, and liquors.
Naturally, we had to try their signature “Peruvian Spritz”, a Pisco-inspired, refreshing twist on the quintessential summer cocktail with passion fruit juice. Guadelupe also brought us the classic Peruvian cocktail, Pisco Sour, to try as we decided upon our menus.
You can’t go wrong with any of Francesco’s Taste the Gables options this year, though we had some favorites. Amongst the starters, the Tuna Acevichada, is a must try.Featuring seared yellowfin tuna with a rich (but not spicy) aji amarillo leche de tigre and glazed sweet potatoes, this starter was so good, we found ourselves using our table bread to sop up as much of the leche de tigre as we could. We also enjoyed the Cured Salmon Bruschetta, which offered light and delicious bites of salmon and dill cream cheese.
For our main courses, we went with Guadelupe’s recommendations: Aji de Gallina and Salmon Nikkei. Aji de Gallina is a traditional Peruvian comfort food: shredded chicken in a rich (yet somehow still light) sauce of aji amarillo and boiled potatoes, served with white rice. It is one of my favorite Peruvian dishes, Francesco hits the mark on it.
The Salmon Nikkei is also delicious; it is a better option for a lower-carb, veggie-rich dish that does not skimp on flavor.
Francesco has an extensive wine list that is not to be missed. We enjoyed a glass of Spanish Albariño with our starters and main courses, on the recommendation of ourserver.
For dessert, we tried both options: the Lúcuma Cheesecake and Turrón de Chocolate. The Lúcuma Cheesecake brings together a Peruvian fruit (a yellow dense fruit that tastes like maple syrup and sweet potatoes) with an American timeless dessert, creating a rich, unique sweet treat. The Turrón de Chocolate is much like a delicious brownie and is served with vanilla ice cream.
No matter what you choose at Francesco during Taste the Gables, you will not be disappointed. The pleasant, calm ambiance, along with the delicious food, makes this a must-try restaurant in Coral Gables, no matter the season.
278 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables, FL 33134
open for lunch (12:00 pm to 3:00 pm) and dinner (5:00 pm to 8:00 pm).