A prime T-bone carved for two, Florida black grouper finished with Kaluga caviar and bucatini cacio e pepe under black truffle are on the dinner menu at Barchetta, the coastal Italian chophouse that Omni Fort Lauderdale has opened on the Intracoastal Waterway. The restaurant sits at 1880 SE 17th St., on the waterfront plaza between the Omni hotel and the Broward County Convention Center, near the 17th Street Causeway.

Omni announced the opening on Oct. 1. Barchetta serves dinner Tuesday through Sunday and is closed Mondays.

The Menu

Executive Chef David Caceres runs the kitchen, and the menu is built on three things: handmade pasta, seafood and prime steak, prepared with imported Italian ingredients and Florida seafood.

The Bistecca Fiorentina is a prime T-bone meant for two. Frutti di Mare brings together mixed seafood with Florida black grouper and Kaluga caviar. The pasta list includes bucatini cacio e pepe finished with black truffle, and the restaurant's own menu adds a seafood tower and veal Parmesan. Desserts include limoncello panna cotta and a caprese cheesecake.

Behind the Bar

The bar follows the Italian aperitivo tradition. The Pomodoro Negroni uses gin washed with tomato and basil, along with Campari and sweet vermouth. The Day Drift mixes Prosecco, lemon, St-Germain and J.F. Haden's lychee liqueur, which is made by Tropical Distillery in Miami. Spritzes, Italian wines and classic pours round out the list.

The Room and the Name

Barchetta means little boat in Italian, the word for the small open boats that work Italy's coastline. It is also the name given to a style of lightweight, open-top Italian sports car, and the restaurant draws on both meanings. The dining room uses warm reds, wood, stone and leather, with clean lines and bright Italian-inspired artwork.

Part of a Growing Waterfront Hotel

The Omni Fort Lauderdale Hotel is owned by Broward County and connected to the convention center, and it opened last December. Barchetta joins the hotel's other dining and drinking spots: Reef 76 Kitchen + Bar, Fair Ketch, Ibis Sky Lounge, Hidden Key, Tide Coastal Kitchen and Leeward Market. Omni says the restaurant added about 52 jobs.

The location also puts Barchetta steps from the convention center, which serves as the transportation hub for the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show from Oct. 28 through Nov. 1.

Plan a Visit

Where: Barchetta, Omni Fort Lauderdale, 1880 SE 17th St., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316.

Hours: Dinner Tuesday through Sunday, 5 to 11 p.m., and until midnight on Friday and Saturday. The kitchen closes at 10 p.m. each night. Closed Mondays.

Reservations: Through OpenTable, linked from barchettafll.com. The restaurant posts updates on Instagram at @BarchettaFLL.

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