Pura Vida Miami has officially opened its largest location to date, right in the heart of Coconut Grove along Grand Avenue. But this isn’t just another pretty pastel-hued café with matcha on tap—this white, bright, and ginormous café just debuted a concept that’s been years in the making: Gelato by Pura Vida Miami, a health-conscious spin on the classic Italian treat, made entirely in-house and free from gluten, refined sugar, and additives. (Yes, even the cones are gluten-free.)
As soon as word spread that Pura Vida Miami was launching a gelato bar, fans of the healthy chain were ecstatic. One even wrote to our New Times food editor, “I’m on my way right now as soon as I saw it on Instagram!” It’s a significant milestone for the Miami-born brand, which has quickly grown from a tiny South Beach café into a 34-location wellness juggernaut. Now, with a healthy Italian-inspired gelato bar under its belt, the company is expanding its offerings while staying rooted in its core mission: clean, high-quality ingredients and an all-day menu designed to suit a range of dietary needs.
The Scoop on Gelato by Pura Vida Miami
In line with the brand’s approach to wellness, Gelato by Pura Vida Miami is making gelato using “consciously sourced ingredients to provide a lighter, more nourishing alternative to traditional gelato.” The gelato is made fresh daily, is sweetened with trehalose instead of refined sugar, and is entirely gluten-free. Some of the gelato flavors are cream-based and made with dairy, while others are sorbet-based, which are dairy-free.
The gelato comes in flavors like salted pistachio, chocolate hazelnut, vanilla, dark chocolate, “PB & J,” “Panna Cotta Pistachio,” and “Welcome to Miami” (Just like Pura Vida Miami’s smoothie made with passion fruit, mango, and banana). Every scoop of gelato is served in either a cup or a gluten-free waffle cone (some are even dipped in house-made chocolate). To-go pints are available, as well….