By: Shayne Benowitz
When you’re out and about at all the art parties, events, fashion shows and more during Art Basel Miami Beach 2019, you’ll need to stop and refuel. Take a breather and satisfy your cravings at some of Miami Beach’s many fantastic restaurants. Find some of our favorites, below!
Mandrake
Brought to us by the owners of Brickell’s Kiki on the River, Mandrake Miami is a sophisticated restaurant and lounge with a modern Asian menu. Here, giant turquoise doors with antiquated Chinese door knockers lead the way to a hidden Asian palace; one with a lifesize gold gorilla statue, a hallway clad in vintage Chinese wooden gates, Japanese cherry blossoms and striking quotes in neon lighting. The 5,000-square-foot space has a sushi bar, a formal dining room and a lush outdoor garden. Go here for everything from high-quality sushi, maki rolls and nigiri from NOBU alums, to Izakaya-style shrimp and scallop wontons and larger entrees, like a 28-day dry-aged tomahawk ribeye steak with mustard seed, gochujang, rocoto negi and shiso chimichurri sauces.
The Villa Casa Casuarina
Sushi By Bou
Hidden on the second floor of The Villa Casa Casuarina (the former “Versace Mansion”), Sushi By Bou is an exclusive omakase sushi bar in South Beach. Here, guests can pull up a seat at two small sushi counters and choose between a 12- and 17-course omakase menu. Before or after your meal, enjoy handcrafted sake cocktails and rare Japanese whiskies in the G-Lounge, or take advantage of the “self-service” sake vending machine.
The Jim and Neesie
Part of Generator Miami, The Jim and Neesie is a lobby bar-restaurant that serves New American fare by Chef Daniel Roy. At The Jim and Neesie—which is named after a fictitious couple and designed to look like that couple’s living room—is where “servetenders” whirl around taking orders and making tableside cocktails, like the Negroni Supreme with raspberry- and pistachio-infused Tanqueray 10 Gin, Bell Pepper Campari, Cocchi Di Torino and a lavender mist. In terms of food, don’t miss the cacio e pepe, oysters, citrus-roasted carrots with a Moroccan-spiced yogurt and crispy octopus with a romesco sauce.
Diez y Seis
Led by Chef Jose Icardi, Diez y Seis is an innovative Mexican concept in the Shore Club South Beach. Overlooking the hotel’s renowned infinity-edge pool, this indoor-outdoor spot is a tribute to Mexican Independence Day, which is celebrated on September 16th. (Diez y seis is “16” in Spanish.) Diners can revel in tortillas made in-house, a specialty tequila and mezcal bar, custom mezcal carts, sharing plates and more.
Cocktails at Lure Fishbar
Lure Fishbar
Perfect for your Art Basel adventures, the iconic Loews Miami Beach Hotel sits in the heart of all the South Beach action. That makes Lure Fishbar, its award-winning seafood restaurant, a must-try during all the Miami Art Week fun. Clad in nautical chic décor, this chic restaurant serves creative appetizers and plates like deviled eggs with caviar, crispy rice cakes with spicy tuna, sushi rolls, bucatini pasta with butter-poached lobster and more. Pair it all with handcrafted cocktails like the Life Boat, which is made with Union Mezcal, strawberry, passion fruit, Blanc vermouth and bitters.
Byblos Miami
Byblos Miami is one of Miami’s most popular restaurants, both for its delicious Middle Eastern and Northern African cuisine and it’s colorful, almost mystical decor. Spread across two levels, there is a bar on the bottom floor and a restaurant on the top floor with hanging tapestries, bright blue velvet couches and delicate light fixtures. Start with the spirit-infused cold tea trolley, which rolls right up to the table, and move on to duck kibbeh, lamb ribs, Cornish hen in lentil sauce and Middle Eastern fried chicken with tahini, za'atar and hot sauce. End with a dessert of stuffed baklava and mint ice cream, and you’re in for a treat.
The Bazaar by José Andrés
Jose Andrés knows a thing or two about Spanish cuisine, and his signature Miami restaurant, The Bazaar by José Andrés, proves it. Located inside the SLS South Beach, this fine-dining haunt serves a playful twist on traditional Spanish fare. Some popular dishes include: patatas bravas, croquetas, the Catalan-style pa amb tomàquet (tomato bread) with manchego cheese and Andres’ take on a Cuban sandwich—one with Dijon mustard, a Swiss cheese foam and Jamón Ibérico. For a real treat, don’t miss the deconstructed Key lime pie dessert that looks like a sandcastle, or the liquid nitrogen caipirinhas made tableside. Both are a sight to behold.
27 Restaurant & Bar
27 Restaurant & Bar
Created by the same team behind the Broken Shaker, 27 Restaurant & Bar pulls from South America, the Caribbean and even the Middle East to create an eclectic menu of signature dishes. Sharing a property with Broken Shaker, the restaurant and upstairs bar is housed in a historic two-story house. Go for dinner or weekend brunch and feast on dishes like kimchi fried rice, “Gabe’s arepa platter” with four homemade Colombian corn cakes, shakshuka and a chicken tagine with bulgur couscous.
Lucali
Brought to Sunset Harbour from Brooklyn, NY, Lucali is both a pizza shop and a wine bar. The small, but memorable menu packs a punch with pizzas and calzones made with thin, handmade dough, a few salads and desserts—all of which keep calling guests back for more. Pizzas come piled high with toppings, and the Nutella dessert pizza is served warm and sprinkled with powdered sugar.
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