CASA L'ACQUA Ristorante Italiano: Chef Bevilacqua's Cottage on 7th Avenue

CASA L'ACQUA Ristorante Italiano is chef-owner Giuseppe (Joe) Bevilacqua's Delray Beach kitchen, now settled into a multilevel cottage on 7th Avenue after opening six years ago on Atlantic Avenue and relocating roughly a year and a half later. That move gave the restaurant its current setting, a converted house rather than a typical dining room, just steps off Atlantic Avenue.

Handmade Pasta, Branzino, and White Truffle Risotto

Reviewers single out the spaghetti carbonara and pappardelle with clams and calamari, alongside a branzino some diners call the best in the Boca-to-Delray corridor. The kitchen also turns out Dover sole with brown butter lemon sauce, veal piccata and parmigiana, an herb-crusted rack of lamb, and a risotto finished with white truffle, with complimentary bruschetta and bread service with Parmigiano chunks to start and homemade ricotta cheesecake or tiramisu to finish.

An Intimate, High-Energy Dining Room

The cottage setting brings white tablecloths and an upscale feel, though the tightly tabled indoor room runs loud on busy nights, which is why regulars often request the outdoor seating instead. Bevilacqua's influence extends beyond his own restaurant, too—his former executive chef Mattia Teagano now co-curates nearby Casalina, carrying some of Casa L'Acqua's culinary DNA into that kitchen as well.

Good to Know

CASA L'ACQUA Ristorante Italiano is located at 9 SE 7th Ave, Delray Beach, FL 33483. It remains one of downtown Delray's go-to spots for chef-driven Italian cooking.