ViCa Hospitality Group is known for popular spots like Cienfuegos and 130° Steakhouse in Mérida, Mexico. On October 27, the company made its stateside debut with Rò Steakhouse, a new concept that merges the best of the two restaurants.
Rò is situated inside Alhambra Tower in Coral Gable, Fla. The 7,000-square-foot space seats 130 guests indoors across the dining room and bar, and an outdoor terrace will open later this year. There are also private and semi-private dining rooms for celebrations and other events.
The restaurant was designed by Arkham Projects and built by Ram Construction Management, and it combines contemporary architecture with natural touches like bronze, stone, and wood. It’s meant to exude a natural, cave-like atmosphere, seen in elements like curved roof panels that mimic natural rock formations.
The 7,000-square-foot space seats 130 indoors and more on the terrace.
ViCa partners Carlos Aguirre and Victor Ferraez chose Coral Gables for their first United States market because they say it embodies exactly what Rò represents: a community with deep roots, strong identity, and a genuine appreciation for craftsmanship and hospitality.
“From day one, we felt that Coral Gables could truly adopt Rò as its own,” said Aguirre, noting that the restaurant was designed to feel like a piece of raw, primal luxury tucked inside the city. “Coral Gables, with its architectural beauty, its sense of neighborhood, and its appreciation for quality, was the perfect place for our U.S. debut. Our goal was to build a place for locals, where people can disconnect from the world and step into a one-of-a-kind fire-driven experience. Coral Gables gave us the ideal home for that vision.”
The kitchen is run by head chef Marcelo Palacios, formerly of Prime 112 in Miami. His menu begins with a selection of hot and cold starters, such as rock shrimp and hamachi tiradito, and raw bar preparations like oysters and tuna tartare.
Steaks are cooked over fire and range from eight-ounce filets to a 36-ounce tomahawk.
There are a few tacos on the menu, plus seafood dishes like grilled octopus and whole roasted branzino. Other options include spicy rigatoni, a Berkshire pork chop, and a burger topped with caramelized onions and brie.
The stars are the steaks, cooked over fire and available in a variety of cuts, including filets, bone-in rib eyes, a porterhouse, and a 36-ounce tomahawk. Diners can choose from six accompaniments, including chimichurri, truffle butter, and habanero chile sauce.
There’s an onsite wine cellar that houses an extensive collection of bottles from around the world. Guests who want to ensure their favorite wine or spirit is always available can reserve one of 20 private lockers and keep their personal stash on hand for business meetings or special occasions.
There’s also a raw bar and cold starters, like this hamachi tiradito.
Rò Steakhouse is less than a month old, but Ferraez explained that ViCa Hospitality already has more plans in the works for the U.S.
“We’re exploring opportunities to bring Rò to other landmark buildings in key cities, following the same philosophy that made Coral Gables special,” he said. “We also have additional concepts in development, some more elevated, others more casual, but all built around the same pillars of craftsmanship, fire-driven cooking, and sensory experience.”
Nothing specific has been announced yet, but Ferraez said their vision is “to continue expanding thoughtfully, choosing cities where our concepts can become part of the community, not just another restaurant opening.”
