Fort Lauderdale’s waterfront plaza is getting a new spot to splurge on pasta and prime cuts this fall, as Barchetta, a swanky Italian chophouse, readies its debut beside the Omni Fort Lauderdale. The roughly 3,000-square-foot restaurant is set to serve handmade pastas, premium seafood and Italian steakhouse-style cuts with Intracoastal views. Led by Fort Lauderdale native and Le Cordon Bleu-trained executive chef Cristian Mosquera, who oversees the hotel’s broader culinary program, the project rounds out the Omni’s full lineup of dining concepts and is aiming squarely at both locals and the steady flow of convention and cruise crowds.
According to Miami New Times, Barchetta will take over the plaza next to the hotel, with a menu built around in-house pasta, fresh fish and classic chophouse steaks. The outlet notes that Barchetta is slated as the final restaurant in the Omni Fort Lauderdale’s dining lineup and quotes the hotel’s food-and-beverage director describing the concept as “our interpretation of Italy’s waterways.”
Fort Lauderdale Native Helms the Kitchen
In a press release, Omni Hotels & Resorts identified Mosquera as the hotel’s executive chef, noting his Le Cordon Bleu training and previous roles helping open other Omni properties. The company says he has had a hand in shaping menus across the property’s seven dining concepts and will be running Barchetta’s kitchen once the doors open.
Design Nods to a Vintage Barchetta
The restaurant’s name, Italian for “little boat,” carries through to the design, which leans into mid-century automotive style cues. As detailed by Miami New Times, the dining room will feature a red vintage motorcycle perched above the back bar, rust-velvet banquettes, powder-blue chairs and a glowing plaid ceiling panel. A glass-front wine wall and classical accents are set to round out what the outlet describes as a slightly retro, waterfront-forward room.
Part of a $1.3 Billion Convention-Center Rebuild
The Omni Fort Lauderdale opened in late 2025 as the anchor of a roughly $1.3 billion public-private expansion of the Broward County Convention Center, a project that includes a waterfront ballroom, a multi-acre plaza and the 801-room headquarters hotel. Those details are outlined in regional tourism materials from Visit Lauderdale.
What It Adds to the Local Scene
When it opens, Barchetta will slot in alongside the Omni’s existing outlets: Reef 76 Kitchen & Bar, Fair Ketch (which houses Topgolf Swing Suite bays), Leeward Market, Hidden Key, High Tide and the 29th-floor Ibis Sky Lounge. Together, the collection gives the complex a mix of coastal seafood, sports-focused entertainment and rooftop cocktails, according to the hotel’s dining pages. Within that mix, Barchetta is poised to serve as a higher-end Italian option on the waterfront that could appeal to convention groups, cruise passengers and nearby residents.
Timing and Reservations
So far, Omni and the restaurant have described Barchetta’s debut only as happening “this fall,” without sharing a firm opening date or reservation details. Prospective diners will need to keep an eye on the hotel’s website and local dining coverage for the official opening announcement and booking information.
