Acclaimed Wynwood Italian restaurant Pasta, opened by acclaimed Peruvian chefs, abruptly closed after just two years, shocking its customers.
Provided by Pasta
Pasta, the Wynwood restaurant from Peruvian chefs Juan Manuel Umbert and Janice Buraschi, announced on Tuesday, Nov. 10, that it had closed for good after just two years.
In an Instagram post, the owners thanked customers and staff but did not share a reason for the closure or specify the restaurant’s final day of service.“Sadly, our time in Miami has come to an end,” the restaurant wrote. “After just over two years, our doors have officially closed.”
Among those responding in the comments was Lee Schrager, who wrote, “What a loss for the city. You guys were amazing.”
From Lima to Wynwood
The husband-and-wife team brought Pasta to Wynwood in Oct. 2024 after opening their original restaurant in Lima. Before launching the business, both studied at Le Cordon Bleu in London and traveled through Italy, later working in New York restaurants before returning to Peru. Their first Pasta was a 25-seat restaurant.
For Miami, they expanded into a 77-seat space with an open kitchen and counter seating where diners could watch the chefs prepare dinner.
Brown leather banquettes lined the dining room, while the kitchen team made pasta alongside housemade cheeses and sourdough. In its November 2024 review, New Times described Umbert rolling and shaping dough at the front window in the afternoons.
The kitchen made its own stracciatella, ricotta, and spicy ’nduja.
The menu included pappardelle with a 15-hour braised beef cheek ragù and mushroom-filled agnolotti with 36-month-aged Parmigiano Reggiano. Peruvian ingredients appeared in dishes like oyster tempura with ají amarillo and gelato made with lúcuma or chirimoya.
Buraschi’s desserts earned attention of their own. New Times’ early review called out the cheesecake made with mascarpone and gorgonzola, along with a Sicilian pistachio tart served with unsweetened mascarpone cream. The kitchen also made its own stracciatella, ricotta, and spicy ’nduja.
From left: Peruvian chefs, Juan Manuel Umbert and Janice Buraschi, own and operate Pasta.
Lima remains open, with Medellín coming next
In the farewell post, the owners thanked the customers who shared meals with them and became friends, as well as the employees who helped run the restaurant.
“To our amazing team, thank you for being part of this little dream of ours,” they wrote.
The closure ends Pasta’s Miami run, but the owners say diners can still visit the Lima restaurant. They also announced that a Medellín location is coming soon, directing followers to @pasta.colombia for the Colombian restaurant.
Pasta. 124 NW 28th St., Miami. Permanently closed.
