Meet Daniele Dalla Pola | Sophisticated Connoisseur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Daniele Dalla Pola and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Daniele, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
It has been about 3 years since the idea of an original modern tiki bar came up in my mind. The thought process behind opening Esotico in Miami is I wanted to bring something that Miami was missing at the time.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
When it comes to my art, it’s the challenges that fuel that make me the most proud and excited. All the brands that I have created are based on the lifestyle I live everyday. So choosing these challenges came easy to me, the decision making in my art was natural for me. From the creation of Rum brands to designing glasses/bar tools and the opening of my restaurants/bars: they all come from inside of me. Everything around me inspires me and my mind can work around it. Just a word, picture, a place to visit inspires me. All my dots in my life connected into this brand, all my experiences, travels, business connected here.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Having been in Miami for many years, there are a few key spots one must hit in Miami. This includes visiting Miami Beach, Wynood, Downtown Miami and the historic Calle 8. A visitto  cafe la trova – in Miami Beach, Gitano and The Faena hotel. This includes having some time to shop in Midtown and having taking a stop to enjoy Miami’s best Artisan pizza, Spris Artisan Pizza or a pre-dinner  cocktails at the standard hotel. After some shopping I would travel south with my friend and hit local hotspots like Lincoln Road by the beach for a chance to grab a drink and people watch at Segafredo. Then to switch up the trip I’d head west to the historic Calle 8 to see how Miami came to be while having the chance to dive into the best lasagna in town at Salumeria 104. Finally, I would have to introduce to my friend to Miami nightlife. Personally, I would skip the busy street of Wynwood and head to Esotico for authentic tiki-inspired drinks and food in the heart of Miami’s Arts + Entertainment District.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Taking the time to think about what the Shoutout series is all about I was able to recognize that my success is somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of my supporters especially in these difficult times. Once of the greatest lessons I have learned in my career is to never judge a book by its cover. Many time working behind the bar table or tending to a table you build an expectation based on looks. Time has taught me that you will never know how amazing a customer will be based on how they look, but based on the experience you share with them.

Website: https://www.esoticomiami.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/esoticomiami/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Restaurant/Esotico-MIAMI-1872797603020845/
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/esotico-miami-miami
Other: https://www.instagram.com/danieledallapola/ https://www.facebook.com/daniele.d.pola