Whether you are a Miami visitor, a part-time resident, a long-time veteran, or a unicorn native of our food-loving city, there’s no doubt that you have at least once wrestled with the age-old question: Where should I eat? Boasting roughly 61 restaurants per 100,000 people (as reported in a 2017 study by finance website SmartAsset.com), Miami is a bona fide foodie haven. For the purpose of this post, we would like to help you answer that very important question by focusing on one of our all-time most favorite and food-filled neighborhoods of Miami: Brickell.
Brickell, the Financial District of Miami, has undergone a true renaissance in the last decade. Ask any local and they’ll tell you, it is absolutely incredible to see how much Brickell has changed over the past ten years. Its most recent years have unveiled a total transformation of the bustling financial district with the addition of several luxury condo developments (including 1010 Brickell, SLS Brickell, SLS Lux, Brickell Heights, Reach, and Rise) and a mammoth, $1.05 billion outdoor shopping center called Brickell City Centre. Across these years of growth, the Brickell food scene has gone from mediocre to downright magnificent. And while many eateries have come and gone, a select few have stood the test of time. Check out below our very own list of the top 10 Brickell restaurants (in no particular order) encompassing all types of cuisines, ages, and price points. From the latest and greatest to longtime classics, these are our neighborhood favorites…
La Petite Maison
1300 Brickell Bay Dr, Miami, FL 33131
Opened in 2017 under the same ownership of Zuma in Downtown Miami, La Petite Maison is an upscale French eatery with other locations in Dubai and London. This gem is located on the ground floor of Brickell House, and across the street from Jade Residences. Cozy banquettes and a sophisticated setting make the perfect atmosphere for the reliably outstanding meal and service you’ll enjoy here. Exquisitely fresh ingredients and uncomplicated cooking styles are the highlights of their classic French menu, including escargots, octopus carpaccio, and a whole roasted chicken with foie gras. From the impressive wine list and hors-d’oeuvres to the spectacular main dishes and “Les Desserts”, not a detail is overlooked. For elegant fine dining and fantastic food, La Petite Maison promises not to disappoint.
Quinto La Huella
788 Brickell Plaza, Miami, FL 33131
Quinta La Huella is the signature restaurant of the EAST, Miami, and an urban reinvention of the Uruguayan beachfront eatery, Parador La Huella. Offering beautiful decor, both indoor and outdoor dining options, and a trendy locale, this neighborhood favorite specializes in grilled meats but offers something for everyone. Adding to the warm and eclectic ambiance are a wood parrilla at the center of the kitchen, a wood fire oven, and a sushi counter. Even the most simple dishes on the menu here are carefully prepared with ultra flavorful and fresh ingredients. Make sure to try the Chili Parador on the specialty cocktail list and make a reservation for their lavish Sunday brunch paired with bottomless Rosé.
The River Seafood Oyster Bar
650 S Miami Ave, Miami, FL 33130
Established in 2003, this one’s an oldie but goodie. Touted for years as one of the best happy hour spots in Brickell, offering 1/2 off oysters, $3 beers, and $5 for glasses of house wine or single mixed drinks, it may oft be overlooked as one of the best options for reliably great food. Serving a combination of both local and exotic seafood in a relaxed setting, this neighborhood mainstay is unsurprisingly a great choice for any occasion, from business meetings to date night. There was quite a bit of concern and many circulating rumors when the construction of Brickell City Centre came too close for comfort, but we know we’re not alone when we say we’re thrilled that River Seafood Oyster Bar remains, and is now in walking distance of our favorite shopping.
Komodo
801 Brickell Ave, Miami, FL 33131
No best restaurants list would be complete without a super-sexy and swank Asian-fusion restaurant, bar, and lounge, and Komodo sets a higher standard for all 3. Moonlighting on the nightlife hit list, this 300-seat neighborhood favorite serves an almost club-like atmosphere, with indoor/outdoor dining across 3 stories. Known for its outdoor floating “birds nest” seating, the signature menu items include the Peking Duck, Tuna & Toro Roll, and the Lobster Dynamite. While the food is outstanding, the presentation and “scene” are always on point. A must-do for special occasions, or any classy evening out in Brickell.
Luke’s Lobster
701 S Miami Ave #353, Miami, FL 33131
Feel free to dress down for our next neighborhood favorite. Located on the 3rd floor of Brickell City Centre, Luke’s Lobster is a modern-day version of a New England seafood shack, offering delicious Maine-style lobster rolls served in wax paper-lined plastic baskets and with buttery, toasted buns. While the lobster roll itself is enough to keep us coming back, they also serve crab and shrimp versions, along with soups, salads, and a truly tasty cole slaw. The chain’s first location opened in the East Village of New York City in 2009, and now can be found in major cities across the country. Being that coastal Maine is near and dear to our own hearts, we have to admit that this casual dining treasure brings us right back to our favorite memories from up North. The only thing that could make this place any better would be if they served our favorite Maine whoopie pies from Cape Whoopies for dessert. We dream about a someday collaboration between this beloved lobster roll company and the best gourmet whoopie pies to satisfy our New England cravings all in one place…but in the meantime, we’ll take a lobster roll, please!
Fi’lia
1300 S Miami Ave, Miami, FL 33130
Along with good food and a warm, inviting atmosphere, this Brickell restaurant serves up an unbeatable location, perfectly situated at the base of the SLS Brickell Hotel and Residences on the happening South Miami Ave. James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Schwartz delivers his take on Italian, with handmade pastas, pizzas, and small to large plates. The wood grill and hearth add to the bright, friendly interiors, in which diners enjoy honest Italian food with the promise of only the freshest ingredients. Fi’lia is an excellent choice for unpretentious group dining, happy hours, and brunch!
Nusr-Et
999 Brickell Ave, Miami, FL 33131
For an extravagant night on the town, this meat-centric hotspot delivers over-the-top presentation and outstanding service with some of the most impressive cuts of beef around. Nusr-Et is named for its Turkish-Kurdish chef and restauranteur, Nusret Gökçe, who became an internet sensation for his unique methods of preparing meats by “suavely” cutting and sprinkling salt, resulting in endless videos, memes, and the world famous nickname, Salt Bae. When the upscale Brickell location first opened, reservations were fully booked for months in advance, and the viral chef was commonly seen serving guests in his celebrated fashion. While his time is now shared amongst other restaurant locations, Nusr-Et remains a neighborhood favorite for a memorable evening with dinner (and a show!).
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
600 Brickell Ave, Ste 150, Miami, FL 33131
We were beyond excited when we heard the news that Fleming’s was coming to Brickell. Not only is it a perfect fit for a high-end business/financial district such as Brickell, but we just simply love their food. The classic and nationally acclaimed steakhouse opened its doors on March 26th, 2018, offering guests an award-winning wine program, hand-crafted cocktails, seasonal specials crafted by local chefs, along with prime cuts of meats, chops, poultry, and more. Featuring both indoor and outdoor seating, artwork from local artists, a 12-foot high glass wine room, and vaulted ceilings, Fleming’s at Brickell World Plaza delivers elegance, sophistication, and comfort, all in one. Open for lunch, dinner, happy hour, and late-nights from Thursday to Sunday, it’s an ideal choice for any occasion. While it’s new to the list, we’re already fairly certain that Fleming’s Brickell will remain a neighborhood favorite for years to come.
Tacology
701 S Miami Ave, 4th Floor, Miami, FL 33131
Our love for Tacology is as much about the tacos as it is about the vibes. Located on the 4th floor of Brickell City Centre, its bright, fun, and colorful setting are perfect for a group dinner, happy hour, or for a lunch break and cocktail while shopping. The concept features “mercado-style dining”, where you can choose from various stations of authentic and artistic Mexican food, including tacos with homemade corn tortillas, ceviches, and salads. All your ordering is done via iPad, so servers bring your dishes just as soon as they’re ready. There’s also a huge TV screen in the dining room which made Tacology a hit around World Cup time. Our advice: order the crabmeat tostada and the oversized spicy margarita…delicious!
Perricone’s Marketplace and Cafe
15 SE 10th Street, Miami, FL 33131
Going two decades strong, we can’t imagine a Brickell favorites list that wouldn’t include this iconic neighborhood mainstay. Offering some of Miami’s best Italian cuisine in a rustic and casual setting, a true Italian marketplace with a deli and desserts, and reliably great delivery service, Perricone’s really does seem to have it all. They also have a delicious Sunday brunch and a beautiful setting for parties, showers, and other special events. Make sure you get on their email list for reminders about $10 Fiocchi Fridays and $10 Cashew Encrusted Salmon Salads, or dine in person on Pasta Thursdays for $10 and $12 dishes. Bravo to proprietor Steven Perricone for serving Brickell’s best across decades of surrounding changes. No matter how many restaurants come and go, we just can’t quit you, Perricone’s…and we’d never ever want to.
SLS Lux Rooftop Pool Deck is Officially Open
After months of delay, I’m happy to announce that the SLS Lux rooftop deck is FINALLY open. Located on the 57th floor and in the heart of Brickell, the rooftop deck offers sweeping, 180-degree views from east to west. It features a rooftop pool, hot tub, and BBQ area, and will be open from sunrise to sunset.
However, before you race over to SLS Lux with your towel and swimwear in hand, keep in mind that the rooftop deck is a residents-only area of the building. Along with the 45th-floor Sky Lounge, only residents of SLS Lux may use these amenities; hotel guests are not permitted on these amenity levels.
The video below showcases the rooftop pool deck at SLS Lux by drone but was shot months ago, before the tiling was completed and pool deck furniture delivered.
Echo Brickell Penthouse Re-listed for $42M
After being taken off the market for three months, the Echo Brickell penthouse is back…once again listed for a cool $42M. The sprawling, two-story penthouse encompasses the entire 56th and 57th floors of Echo Brickell. It was custom designed by world-famous architect Carlos Ott and features over 9,000 interior square feet, 4 bedrooms, 7.5 bathrooms, a den, service suite, and indoor lap pool and spa overlooking Biscayne Bay.
Below is a video of the Carlos Ott penthouse at Echo Brickell: https://www.miamicondoinvestments.com/property/1451-brickell-av-ph1-miami-fl-33131-a10521016.
Miami Commissioners Vote to Regulate Shared Bikes (and Whatever Happened to the Scooters?)
It was just over one year ago in June of 2017 that Lime (the California startup formerly known as LimeBike) rolled out its dockless bike-sharing services in Key Biscayne as the company’s first U.S. city launch.It wasn’t long before the program expanded to cities all over the country and further across Miami, including suburban neighborhoods as far as Kendall and Miami Lakes.Competitors like Ofo and Spin surfaced soon after as the concept gained popularity. The idea was simple – download an app, find a nearby bike using location services, input your payment info, and pay as you go.Whereas Citibikes requires riders to return their bicycle to a docking station upon finishing their ride, Lime and Oto allow riders to leave them anywhere.
The convenience offered by the dockless programs is a huge hit with riders, but with that convenience also comes the dangers of abandoned bikes all over the city.Stray bicycles have been seen blocking access to public ways, along busy sidewalks, in the front yards of private homes, and in some rare cases, dumped in the ocean or hanging from trees.With Miami traffic being amongst the worse in the country, the demand for the program is clear, but lawmakers in many cities have struggled to regulate it.The difficulty lies in protecting public safety without stripping away the programs’ key feature.
Last Tuesday, July 10th, Miami city commissioners voted in favor of 3 different resolutions aimed at regulating the bike-sharing programs.The resolutions include $100 fines for unattended bikes left in county rights of way, with removal by the Department of Transportation and Public Works.The county was also asked to prepare studies that will help determine the needs of future regulation, and whether or not to create designated parking areas for the dockless bikes.
As for the dockless electric scooters, which appeared to have taken over Brickell almost overnight and then were suddenly gone only weeks later – the two providers (Bird and Lime) temporarily pulled out after receiving cease and desist letters from the city, citing violations of Florida statute.A spokesperson for Lime shared that over 10,000 residents and visitors of Miami made nearly 30,000 scooter trips between April and June.Lime general manager for Miami, Jed Fluxman, said in a statement, “With such strong ridership, we are committed to serving the community for the long-term and will temporarily pause operations in order to work with the City of Miami on fair, sensible regulations that cement Lime’s place in the Miami community for years to come.”While the timing is uncertain, it appears this won’t be the last of seeing Brickell bankers and professionals donning suit and ties aboard electric scooters, nor is there any end to dockless bike programs in sight.
UNA Residences: A Short Film w/ Architects Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill and Developer Vladislav Doronin
Get your popcorn ready! The developer of UNA Residences, OKO Group, has released a short film starring architects Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill along with Chairman and CEO of OKO Group, Vladislav Doronin. The duo architects share their inspiration for the building’s design while Doronin describes the amenities and lifestyle that future residents of UNA will get to enjoy, from its bayfront pool and marina to its world-class spa…and everything in between.
Brickell Flatiron is really getting up there these days! As of today, construction of the 64-story, ultra-luxury tower has reached the 42nd floor. To put that height into perspective, the height of Brickell Flatiron has now eclipsed that of nearby 1100 Millecento. The video below was taken last month and construction of Brickell Flatiron has been moving at a pace of one floor per week.
The developer still has a number of great options still remaining, so if you’re interested in purchasing a condo at Brickell Flatiron, you shouldn’t feel like you’ve missed the boat. Brickell Flatiron is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2019, which I believe will be a brilliant time to deliver a development of this magnitude. I’m predicting that the next upswing for the Miami luxury condo market will begin in October of next year. Brickell Flatiron’s construction crane is the last crane remaining from Brickell’s recent construction cycle.
I took the photo below of Brickell Flatiron on May 22nd from the rooftop of 1100 Millecento.
Icon Brickell Pool Delays Continue (Now they’re saying August)
When will the Icon Brickell pool reopen? At this point, your guess is as good as mine.
Well, December 15th came and went, and the pool remained a construction zone.
In early February 2018, the Icon Brickell Master Association Board of Directors sent a new notice to residents to update them about the large delay to reopen the pool, blaming the delay on “the hurricane and unforeseen construction items”. They also provided a new anticipated opening date of April 1, 2018, barring any significant delays due to weather.
Well, here we are in June. Once again, the reopening date came and went and still no finished pool deck. Earlier today, an agent on the Miami Condo Investments showed a few units at Icon Brickell and was able to snap a few shots of the pool deck along with a short video clip. By the looks of it, there’s quite a ways to go until one can expect the Icon Brickell pool to reopen.
I had been hearing rumblings that the anticipated reopening date had been pushed back to July or August; however, an owner at Icon Brickell notified me today that he has received word from management that the pool isn’t anticipated to reopen until August. I guess we shall see!
If you ask me, they’re planting them Christmas trees around the pool in anticipation of a December 2018 reopening…LOL!
Related Group Pays Off $166M Construction Loan for SLS Lux Brickell Hotel & Residences
Related Group has plenty to celebrate about these days. The development powerhouse announced earlier today that it has paid off its $166.1 million construction loan for SLS Lux Brickell Hotel & Residences, more than a week ahead of its official grand opening, which is slated for June 14th. The loan was issued in September 2016 by TPG Real Estate Finance Trust, the commercial real estate debt platform of TPG Real Estate. In two months since closings began at SLS Lux, Related Group has closed over 400 of the development’s 450 condo residences.
“Paying off the loan is a major milestone for us,” said Ben Gerber, Vice President of Finance for The Related Group. “It speaks to the quality of the product and to the strength of the Miami market.”
“We are thrilled about the completion of our second project with sbe in Brickell,” added Carlos Rosso, President of The Related Group’s Condominium Development Division. “The opening of SLS LUX fulfills our long-time vision of a pedestrian-friendly South Miami Avenue, and buyers are excited to move in and begin living the lifestyle.”
The construction loan for SLS Lux Brickell Hotel & Residences marks the fourth such loan successfully paid off by Related Group over the past 18 months. SLS Lux also marks the fourth project developed by Related Group to open in Brickell along South Miami Avenue (the other three being 1100 Millecento, sister property SLS Brickell Hotel & Residences, and two-tower development Brickell Heights, which is comprised of Brickell Heights East and Brickell Heights West).
Drone Footage of the SLS Lux Rooftop Pool (Video)
While Related puts the finishing touches on the uber-amenities at SLS Lux, I wanted to share with everyone a new aerial drone video showcasing its 57th floor rooftop pool deck and 9th floor garden level amenities deck. Although Related received its temporary certificate of occupancy (TCO) for the upper floors last month, the sky lounge and rooftop pool deck have yet to officially open in order to allow the developer adequate time to properly furnish those spaces. In the video below, you will notice that the rooftop pool has been filled with water and has five poolside umbrellas around it but is missing lounge chairs. On the 9th floor amenities level, it’s good to see that the multi-purpose court is nearly finished.
For those curious about how the inside of this beautiful development looks, be sure to check out my photo tour of SLS Lux, which is filled with hi-res photos of the SLS Lux Brickell Hotel, on-site restaurant and bar, and building amenities. And if you’re curious to see the finishes of an actual condo residence at SLS Lux, be sure to check out my photo tour of unit 2009, which I listed for sale on April 26th and got under contract in just six days!
New Renderings Unveiled for Una Residences
Spa
Earlier this week, the Miami Condo Investments Team was invited to the Una Residences sales center to receive a special presentation for Brickell’s only waterfront preconstruction development. Not only did we have an opportunity to see first-hand the kitchen and bathroom finishes, we also had an opportunity to view the newly released renderings and see for ourselves some of the views that the development will offer.
Pre-sales for Una Residences launched a few months ago and the development has been very well received. The 47-story tower was designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill (AS+GG) and is being developed by OKO Group. Completion of Una Residences is slated for summer 2021.
