La Sponda Opens at Vita at Grove Isle: What Owners Should Know
Gioia Hospitality Group opened La Sponda inside Vita at Grove Isle in September 2026, bringing a public restaurant back to the private island off Coconut Grove.
La Sponda, a waterfront Italian restaurant from Gioia Hospitality Group, opened in September 2026 inside Vita at Grove Isle, the new condo building on the private island off Coconut Grove. For owners on Grove Isle it adds a waterfront restaurant on the island itself, and a stream of outside diners to a community that has sold itself on privacy.
What opened
Gioia Hospitality Group is the father and daughter team of Thomas and Kassidy Angelo, known for Daniel's Miami in Coral Gables. La Sponda is built around regional Italian cooking, with seafood, pasta and steaks, and sits at 4 Grove Isle Drive.
What it means for Grove Isle owners
A restaurant that takes outside reservations changes the daily rhythm of a private island: more cars at the entrance in the evening, but also a walkable amenity that few Coconut Grove buildings can offer. Buyers comparing units on the island should ask each association how restaurant guests are routed and parked, and whether the restaurant's operation shows up in shared costs.
Two very different buildings on one island
The island holds an older tower complex and a new luxury building, and Own.Miami's records show how far apart they are.
- Vita At Grove Isle, developed by CMC Group and finished in 2025, had 5 MLS closings in the last 12 months at a median of $9,350,000, or $2,479 per square foot. Its 17 active listings ask a median of $8,950,000.
- Grove Isle, the 167-unit complex completed in 1981, recorded 20 sales on deeds between October 2025 and September 2026 at a median of $1,570,000. MLS closings over the last year had a median of $842 per square foot.
For Grove Isle, the City of Miami's 40-year recertification records list the building's 2021 recertification cycle as not approved, and Own.Miami's Financeability Index rates lending there as limited. Both matter for a buyer who plans to finance: lenders look closely at an older building's safety certifications before approving a condo loan.
The wider Coconut Grove market
As of October 13, 2026, Own.Miami's Coconut Grove market report counts 220 condo closings in the last 12 months at a median price of $1,225,000 and $868 per square foot, with 176 units for sale, about 9.6 months of supply. That is close to the line between a balanced market and a buyer's market.
Frequently asked questions
Where is La Sponda?+
Inside Vita at Grove Isle, at 4 Grove Isle Drive on the private island off Coconut Grove. It opened in September 2026.
Who runs La Sponda?+
Gioia Hospitality Group, the father and daughter team of Thomas and Kassidy Angelo, known for Daniel's Miami in Coral Gables.
Sources
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