Coconut Grove's restaurant corridor added two high-end arrivals this year: AVA MediterrAegean, a Mediterranean and Aegean-inspired flagship from Riviera Dining Group, and 1986 Steak House, a live-fire Argentine concept from Grupo Orfano.
Riviera Dining Group hosted a formal grand opening celebration for AVA MediterrAegean on Sunday, July 5, according to Coconut Grove Magazine. AVA has been serving dinner since a soft opening in late November 2025. The Coconut Grove location is the brand's flagship, following a smaller outpost in Winter Park, Florida.
Greg Galy, founder and CEO of Riviera Dining Group, launched his first concept, MILA, in 2020. The group's Miami portfolio also includes Casa Neos and Claudie.
The AVA space, designed by Lázaro Rosa Violán, features travertine and limestone surfaces, handcrafted ceramics, an open-air terrace, and an indoor dining room inspired by Greek island minimalism. The menu leans on seafood: tuna ceviche, yellowtail crudo with fig leaf vierge, whole branzino spetziota, lobster pasta, and lamb moussaka served tableside.
AVA is open daily for dinner, with brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.
Beyond the dining room, the restaurant houses a private members-only club with its own Japanese-inspired menu, a private cellar, personal cigar and wine lockers, and a rotating calendar of chef-led dinners and tastings, according to Forbes. RDG has also announced two more Miami openings in the pipeline: CASA NEOS Lounge and HONŌ, a contemporary Japanese steakhouse.
A second arrival: 1986 Steak House
Blocks away, 1986 Steak House opened in early May, according to Nation's Restaurant News. The restaurant is operated by Grupo Orfano, a hospitality group with 18 restaurants across Mexico, the U.S., and Argentina. Stefano Cremasco, Grupo Orfano's U.S. operating manager, created the concept, the group's first new brand in 20 years.
The name references the year Argentina won the FIFA World Cup, and the interior nods to soccer legend Diego Maradona. Executive chef Marcelo Daguerre, formerly head chef at Grupo Orfano's PM Fish & Steak House in Miami, runs the kitchen.
"At 1986 Steak House, we have a profound respect for Argentine cuisine and flavors, and we celebrate the best beef in the world using only salt and live flames," Daguerre told Nation's Restaurant News.
The interior features cobblestone floors, high ceilings, big windows, and a four-sided bar, with a dry-aging room and wine displays built into the design. The wine list spans 200 bottles, including 20 from the Cremasco family's own winery in Mendoza, Argentina.
The cocktail program comes from Tres Monos, a Buenos Aires bar ranked No. 10 on the World's 50 Best Bars list. It marks Tres Monos' first permanent collaboration with a U.S. restaurant.
