Cafe Vico, Fort Lauderdale

Guests at Café Vico find themselves dining under the watchful eyes of A-list celebrities, both past and present. That’s because nearly every inch of the eatery’s mustard-yellow walls is covered by black-and-white headshots of such famous faces as Marlon Brando and Michael Caine. These photos, along with a plethora of burnished wooden wine racks and baked terra-cotta floors, flow throughout each of Café Vico’s four dining rooms—the VIP room, the Old room, the Middle room, and the Coliseum room—tying the interior into a cohesive, welcoming space.

Chef and owner Marco Vico only enhances the restaurant’s visual appeal with his authentic, handcrafted Italian dishes and old-school charm—according to South Florida Food and Wine, he kisses the hand of every lady who walks in. The menu coddles sensory receptors with many classic entrees such as eggplant parmesan, veal piccata, and osso buco. Its real draw, however, is the fresh pasta, which the chef cuts into thick strips of fettuccini, round ravioli, or fancy bow ties for his attentive wait staff. An extensive wine list supplements Café Vico’s tasty eats with bottles from around the world and more than 20 varieties available by the glass, and a new bar area features live entertainment nightly.