When it comes to special occasions, not all restaurants are created equal. For a celebration like a birthday, a promotion or other personal milestone, you want to go all out. And these five spots will certainly help you do that.
(Ricardo Mejia)
Celebrating a special occasion at L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon isn’t cheap, but it’s worth every penny.
(Brinson Renda)
LPM Restaurant & Bar in Brickell transports you to France without a costly plane ticket.
L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon (151 NE 41 St., Suite 235, 305.402.9070) in the Design District is a stunning concept by the late namesake chef that offers both a la carte and tasting options. Compose your own a la carte tasting menu with highlights like crispy langoustine, chilled Maine lobster, crispy skin duck breast and other French-inspired bites, or choose the signature tasting and let the kitchen put together your culinary journey. Either way, it’s not a cheap dining experience – but it’s well worth the premium. An extensive wine list with rare French finds rounds out the meal.
LPM Restaurant & Bar (1300 Brickell Bay Dr., 305.403.9133) is also known for being a lively backdrop for special occasions. The French eatery just oozes cool – you can’t help but stare in awe at the French Riviera-inspired décor. Just as awe inspiring is the extensive food menu, which boasts items like salted Chilean sea bass croquettes, tuna carpaccio, homemade pappardelle and seabream. Save room for unforgettable desserts such as apple tart, white chocolate tiramisu and vanilla crème brûlée.
If French cuisine isn’t your thing, head next door to Osaka Nikkei (1300 Brickell Bay Dr., 786.627.4800) for an occasion to remember. The enormous restaurant is known for its delectable fusion of Peruvian and Japanese flavors, and the whole menu is designed for sharing. Round up your birthday buds and order two to three dishes per person; the more is definitely the merrier as you can mix and match from each section.
Some of our favorites include the crispy quinoa roll, the salmon belly nigiri and all the ceviches. Can’t decide? No problem: The restaurant provides guests with multiple tasting menus and samplers so you can enjoy the highlights. And don’t forget to get a drink or three, as the bar likes to experiment.
(TheRustyPelican.com)
For a celebration with a view, look no further than Key Biscayne’s iconic Rusty Pelican.
One spot that doesn’t need any introduction: Rusty Pelican (3201 Rickenbacker Cswy., 305.361.3818) in Key Biscayne. For years, the iconic venue has been home to many special celebrations, including weddings, holiday parties and baby showers, and for good reason: The waterfront views of the Miami skyline are hard to beat. But the view is just one part of the experience, and Rusty Pelican features a menu loaded with flavor and diversity. Think lobster and shrimp risotto, Atlantic salmon, spicy tuna rolls, snapper ceviche, surf and turf and red colossal king crab. Even the pickiest people in your party will find something to their liking.
Openings
It’s been a long time coming, but restaurateur and nightlife mogul David Grutman has opened three eagerly anticipated concepts on South Beach. Replacing the iconic Firestone Garage building on Alton Road, Sushi Fly Chicken, Winker’s Diner and Toothfairy (all at 1575 Alton Rd.) are designed to be more affordable than his other projects, like Komodo and Swan.
(Courtesy of Toothfairy)
Satisfy your sweet tooth at the new Toothfairy on Miami Beach.
At Sushi Fly Chicken (305.909.0800), guests will find an abundance of sushi rolls, fried chicken and Japanese specialties to nosh on with a full liquor bar to complement everything. Over at Winker’s Diner (305.831.7274), you can expect deli and diner favorites like pastrami on rye, prime rib and milkshakes – and they’re all huge. Finish off with a trip to Toothfairy (305.508.9799), where baked goods are the star of the show. If you only have room for one thing, make sure it’s chef Dallas Wynne’s famous Snickerdoodle cookies. Otherwise, load up on soft serve, cake pop candy bars and twinkies.
Up in North Miami, Paradis Books & Bread (12831 W. Dixie Hwy, hello@pbb.cafe) is quickly becoming a new neighborhood hangout. It’s a mix of a café, wine bar and bookstore; come check out some books and then indulge in tinned seafood, pizza by the slice, and snacks like pork terrine and olive and basil tapenade. You should also consider taking home some freshly baked bread, too. Once you’re there, you won’t want to leave.
Geoffrey Anderson Jr. and Dianne Rubin-Anderson are co-founders of Miami Food Pug, an award-winning South Florida food blog that fuses the couple’s love of dogs and food.