RF
Robert Freeman
Jun 23, 2026
If I am being candid, my dining experiences in Fort Lauderdale have mostly ranged from almost pleasant to completely forgettable. Now don’t get me wrong - there are certainly good restaurants … but few create an experience that lingers long after the check arrives.
Cafe Vico is one of those rare places.
Although I am a native Californian, I spent a decade in Las Vegas. From the moment I walked through the doors, I saw and felt something increasingly rare. The best old-school Italian restaurants were never merely places to eat. They were stages for conversation, laughter, family stories, friendships, and bottles of wine that somehow emptied faster than anyone intended.
Cafe Vico understands these traditions.
I must confess that I arrived with more skepticism than optimism. Perhaps it was the Southern California snob in me—but I found myself wondering, “How good can a strip mall restaurant really be?”
The first surprise was the room itself. The walls are covered with countless photographs, which would normally send my inner minimalist searching for the nearest exit. Yet somehow it all worked. The effect was warm, nostalgic, and deeply personal—less decoration than history. It immediately brought to mind not only vintage Vegas … when Italian restaurants were institutions rather than concepts, but also the Brown Derby in Hollywood … where every photograph carried a story.
Better still, the atmosphere was fully matched by the food.
Chef Marco, whose own story is as interesting as the restaurant he has built, personally selected our bottle of Chianti, opened it tableside, and poured it correctly. That may sound like a small thing, but proper wine service has become something of a lost art. More importantly, it reflects a philosophy. Details matter here. Hospitality matters here. Chef Marco has that increasingly rare gift of making guests feel less like customers and more like old friends who simply have not visited in a while.
Then there was Eclair—yes, that is her real name, and, like her namesake, she was sweet, warm, and impossible not to love. Welcoming, accommodating, and remarkably efficient, she deserves special recognition because I may be a wee bit high-maintenance (but I am always fun!)
Our server, Chris, was equally impressive—young, polished, knowledgeable, gracious, and highly efficient. He navigated the dining room with the confidence of someone twice his age and represented the restaurant beautifully.
In an era when so many restaurants are bound and determined to be fashionable, Cafe Vico has chosen instead to be timeless. It understands that great dining is not merely about food - It is about making people feel welcome, cared for, and part of something larger than a meal.
I shall return to those crowded walls once again - a glass of Chianti in hand, surrounded by hospitality that cannot be manufactured, and an atmosphere that cannot be copied.