Cafe Catula is one of those places I keep coming back to again and again. I've been here for happy hour, dinner dates, and even business dinners, and it never disappoints. The food is consistently excellent. Some of my favorites are the pasta dishes, especially the Miami Ravioli and the pasta with lobster both are absolutely delicious. The steaks are always cooked perfectly and well-seasoned, which is something you can't always count on at restaurants. And my personal favorite dessert is the guava dish, which is the perfect way to end the meal. I could honestly go on and on about the food and drinks. Everything I've tried has been great, and the drinks are just as good. One of the things that really makes the experience special is when the pianist is playing. It creates such a warm and elegant atmosphere. The decor is also beautiful, with sculptures and paintings throughout the restaurant that give it a really unique and artistic feel. If you're looking for a place for a nice dinner, a date night, or even a business meal, you can't go wrong with Cafe Catula. read more

If I was writing this review about only the bread and water service then it would be 5 stars across the board, because that's all we received for the first 35 minutes of our dinner. We dined here on Saturday night. We were running a few minutes late, but within their accepted window. The hostess told me that was fine. Upon arrival, the hostess said it would be 10-15 minutes before our table was ready. I noted there was an available table by the entrance, and she said we could sit there now instead if we liked. I said that's fine, as long as won't be forgotten/ignored. She insisted it would be fine. At 5 minutes we received bread and water. The gentleman said he was not our server, but one would be here shortly. And then at 10 minutes nothing. 15 minutes went by and I flagged the guy that gave us water and asked if we could have a server. He said of course and apologized. At 20 minutes we went back to the hostess stand to inquire why no server had seen us. She offered us a table in front of the bar instead, which essentially set the clock back to zero. A couple minutes later the guy with the water came by with more water and bread, but we just wanted to order. It took 10 minutes from being seated before we finally saw a server, which if you're keeping score is a total of, yep, 30 minutes. At this point I was over being hungry and had lost my appetite. Ordinarily I would have walked out from the experience at the first table, but my man was still hungry and I was not about to starve this amazing human being because of my principals. Hubs ordered a cocktail and we placed our dinner order finally. We both opted for the Miami Spice. I went with the crab cake for the appetizer, and branzino for my main. My man did did the pumpkin soup and paella. It's a personal pet peeve when the food shows up before cocktails, as I think they really help open the appetite, and honestly make everything taste better. After about 10 minutes our appetizers showed up yet no cocktail in sight. Finally it arrived and it was so strong it was impossible to drink. In our 20s we would have been thrilled at the booziness. In our 40s? Not so much. We each tried another sip after it had watered down, and even then it still packed a Kool-Aid man punch and we struggled to make a dent in it. Now the food here is actually really good if judging based on taste alone. The pumpkin soup was exquisite, and my crab cake was delicious! I loved the guava aioli. Alas, a great meal is more than a combination of ingredients. The preparation is also key. And this was lacking. The crab cake looked like it had been pan-fried perfectly, but instead the outside was a soggy disappointing mess. My bet is they either: 1. Batch make and reheat these, likely in a microwave 2. Messed up another order and gave me one that had been laying around for awhile, or 3. Rinse it under water before serving for some bizarro reason When the entrees came out there was literally steam coming from hubby's paella. It was fresh and ready! And omg, it was perfection on the tongue! My branzino? Le sigh. The fish was excellently prepared. The mashed potatoes? COLD. Veggies? About the same. I guess they made mine and left it sitting while the shrimp paella and fish finished up. These details are what makes a meal excellent, and it's disappointing to see so many things neglected in a place that otherwise executes really flavorful and creative food. This meal could have easily been 5 stars if it wasn't for these lackadaisical oversights. We rounded out the dinner on an upswing at least. I had the Crêpe Caribeño and my Mr opted for the Tres Guayaba. The crêpe was filled with coconut and dulce de leche, with a brulée finish on top, and a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. It was decadent but surprisingly not overly sweet. The Tres Guayaba was saccharine sweet for me but my man loved it! Now, this place had already left a bad taste in my mouth. But what made it even worse was the next day I went to have my leftovers (half of the branzino and mash/veg. I took 3 bites and on the 4th somehow managed to find the largest thick fish bone that lodged up and stabbed deep into my gums in the fleshy spot behind the two front teeth. It took 3 tries to yank this sucker out. Idk how such a big bone got missed by their kitchen. I am lucky I didn't swallow that because it absolutely would have been an ER visit. That shit was traumatic. read more

Although Cafe Catula is a fine dining restaurant, the vibes here aren't stuffy in any way. This is a chic, classy and inviting eatery. The art vibes here are fabulous. This art inspired theme restaurant does not disappoint. The statues and artwork on the walls are absolutely stunning. The staff here is satisfactory but not exceptional. We arrived around 3:30pm for a very late lunch and were pleasantly surprised to get a very nice prefix lunch menu filled with wonderful options for $26.00 or $32.00. The restaurant started us off with warm, gooey bread, served alongside a delicious garlic butter and a tomatillo pesto sauce - very scrumptious! We ordered the following: Three salads, 2 house salads and one cesar salad. The house salad wins this course. The cesar salad was terrible, no dressing, no croutons. Very strange. For our mains we ordered: Grilled chicken breast a la livornese, served Picatta or Marsala style. I opted for the Chicken piccatta that came accompanied by the most delicious ziti. I absolutely loved it! The spaghetti & meatballs. This dish left something to be desired. Little to no sauce on the plate and the meatballs were too dense. 3rd main was the Spaghetti a la Carbonara. which was very good but begged for more egg inside. We all got the same desert Crepe. 2 we ordered with Nutella and 1 we ordered with Dulce de Leche. Both were equally delicious and served with ice cream. I've been to Cafe Catula before and I remembered loving the vibes, the food and the culture, that feeling still stands true. Cafe Catula has stood the test of time and will hopefully continue to do so. I look forward to coming back and trying something new. read more

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YES. if you're on the fence, DO IT. you have to try this gem!!! So delicious. I'm biased, I've been coming here for atleast 10 yrs,NVR have I had a bad experience. Whether a table of 20 or a table for 2. It's a 10/10. I went in for Miami Spice, WOW!!! ITS A MUST!!! EVERYTHING was a 10/10. Service, food, piano player. read more

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We have eaten at Cafe Catula a few time and have not been disappointed. The food has always being on point and flavorful. The servers have being pleasant and well verse. As well as the ambiance of the restaurant. I would recommend this location specially for lunch menu. read more

I NEVER go out on Valentine's Day but let me tell ya - this restaurant changed my mind. What an excellent experience. I didn't take pictures of the drinks or apps, but the mains and the desserts were too pretty to ignore. Everything was delicious and flavorful, the staff was attentive, and the live music was lovely. Also the drinks were perfectly balanced. We made a reservation and were seated right when we walked in. I'm not sure if it's always, but they had valet parking right outside. I can't wait to come back and try their regular menu. So so good. O read more

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I have been to Cafe Catula several times and it never disappoints. A couple of days ago, we went for lunch and ordered from the Miami Spice menu which was very varied. I ordered a delicious garbanzo soup, branzino with penne pasta, and Nutella and crepes for dessert. It was all amazing. The pink sauce on the pasta was perfect, I cannot think of a single item that was not excellent. If I had to point out anything it was their usual slow service, even when the restaurant is not full. Otherwise, I recommend Cafe Catula. read more

I absolutely love this restaurant! My family and I have been going here for quite some time. The food is very tasty, they have decent proportions and the service is always good. The servers are kind, and attentive. The restaurant itself is very clean but it can get noisy on holidays (like most places.) However, we don't mind because the food is great! It is definitely one of our go-to restaurants! read more

Cafe Catula - Fav - Seafood Near Me - Miami, Florida

Cafe Catula: A Lunch Option Cafe Catula offers lunch specials priced at $30, which reflect the restaurant's focus on quality and flavor. The lunch specials include a variety of dishes to suit different preferences, from steaks, salads and pasta. The ingredients are fresh, and the presentation is incredilbly done. One notable option is their catch of the day, which is well-cooked and seasoned, served with a side of pasta. The service at Cafe Catula is attentive, and the staff aims to meet customers' needs. The ambiance is both cozy and elegant, suitable for casual lunches or special occasions. Overall, Cafe Catula's $30 lunch specials provide good value for the quality and experience offered. It is a recommended place for those seeking a satisfying meal in a pleasant environment with great art decorations. They also offer valet parking at no cost. read more

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We went to this restaurant because of the Miami Spice Menu and we were very impressed with their selection on the menu. I had called previously to ask if we needed a reservation and the person who answered said we did not. It was early when we arrived it was almost 7 pm and noticed it was quite full. First of all when we entered the restaurant we were greeted by the hostess and asked to wait for a table which was being cleaned. She briefly accommodated us to our table and we were attended quickly with the menus and also were told our waitress would be coming very soon to take our drink and food order. We ordered our drinks first and shortly afterward they arrived. I had a very delicious pineapple margarita and my hubby had the Cabernet which he also said was excellent! My husband decided from the Miami Spice Menu and I ordered from the regular menu. I ordered the salmon with a delicious sauce & mashed potatoes and my hubby had the appetizer which was the yuca with a mozzarella sauce and it was so good! He ordered the churrasco meat and for dessert a crepe with Nutella sauce and ice cream! I must say the meal was wonderful and the restaurant's ambiance was very cozy and pleasant. We enjoyed our dinner together and we had a very good time.. They have a valet parking system. read more

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I've had Cafe Catula on my list of places to try for some time now since it is close to my house and has mostly positive Yelp reviews but because it is known to be pricey, I had been putting it off. The other day when my better half and I were driving by, we happened to notice a sign for their happy hour special with $6 tapas and drinks so we decided to give it a try. It wasn't a horrible experience but it also wasn't impressive enough to warrant a return trip, which is disappointing since we are always looking for new spots to frequent in the area. The first thing that I found to be off-putting is that in order to receive the happy hour special pricing, you need to sit either at the bar or the outside tables. We chose the bar simply because Miami summers do not make outside seating an ideal choice. I don't get the rationale behind limiting specials to a certain area of the restaurant. Either offer happy hour pricing or don't but to dictate where you can sit to enjoy these specials is, in my opinion, a bit on the silly side. I was hoping, however, that the food and service would make up for the inconvenience of having to sit at the bar but no such luck. The happy hour menu consists of a handful of tapas and drinks. There were also some non-happy hour options listed above the happy hour specials. We ordered a glass of merlot, a margarita, manchego cheese with guava marmalade (no happy hour pricing), mild chicken wings, and chorizo Argentino. The margarita was just okay. The manchego cheese was good because...well because manchego cheese is good cheese but for $10, we expected something more than 9 thin slices of cheese with a small container of guava in the middle. I could have gone to Publix and created the same exact thing with a lot more cheese and for a lot less money. If it had been $6 like the other tapas maybe I would not have been so disappointed but I just felt like this was a prime example of what I had heard about them from so many others as being unnecessarily pricey. The chicken wings were even more disappointing. The "mild"'sauce was more of a medium and the chicken did not taste good at all. I've had better wings from pizza places and with more meat on the bones. The chorizo came with french fries and this was probably the best thing we ordered. The chorizo was tasty and the fries were nice and crispy but if I never had it again, I don't fee like I would be missing out. The ambience or the restaurant is nice. There is art on the walls and a piano that probably adds a nice touch when somebody is playing it. We ate early on a Monday evening just before 6 so it wasn't very crowded at all. The service was just okay, nothing particularly great about it. It's possible that some of their regular dishes are more impressive than the tapas but at their regular menu pricing, I'm not sure it's worth the risk. I was hoping to be impressed enough by the tapas that we might be inspired to return for a regular dinner but it looks like our quest to add a new spot to our regular dining list has failed for now. I'd rather cook at home than spend a small fortune on a mediocre dining experience. If you feel like splurging on dinner in this area, there are definitely much better options, like Osteria (off Sunset Drive and just before 107 ave), that would be more likely to leave a good taste in your mouth that is worthy of the small dent in your wallet. read more

Overall: Nice and okay. The complimentary valet was a plus. I think if you live in the area it's a nice spot to go have dinner but I didn't think it was worth the travel from Broward. I had the lobster pasta and the sauce was really good. But overall the portion size was quite small. The 3 course meal option was nice, and the salad was yummy. Overall, for the price and dine in experience, I rated a 3. Service was okay, not very friendly but not bad either- they were probably just understaffed. It would've been nice to have a side to complement the meal (not including the appetizer) at least considering the cost. Ambiance was nice but not my cup of tea. It was also a bit dark in there :/ read more

Just to start the bread and compound herb butter were incredible. The seafood linguine was excellent and the crepes at the end were delicious. The servers were very helpful and the atmosphere was beautiful. read more

Came for lunch on 10/29/23 after a long hiatus. We had a set menu which consisted of: APPETIZER (choose one): Soup Caprese Salad Escargot Crab Cake ENTREE (choose one): New York strip served with mashed potatoes and vegetables Chilean Sea Bass or Black Grouper sautéed with lobster sauce and mushrooms, served with mashed poatotes and vegetables Carmelized duck served with mashed potatoes and vegetables Black linguine with seafood and a lobster tail in white wine and saffron sauce DESSERT (choose one): Tres Guayaba Coconut Flan Dulce De Leche Crepes I ordered the crab cake, the sea bass in lobster sauce and the coconut flan. Everything was delicious but the sea bass in the lobster sauce was to die for!! I also tasted the Tres Guayaba and I wish that I had ordered that instead of the Coconut Flan, even though the flan was really good too!! Honestly, I've been dreaming of the food ever since and I can't wait to come back!! read more

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What an amazing restaurant!!! I came here to celebrate a baptism and first bday and it was the best venue!! The food is AMAZING!! I had a pasta with pink sauce and prosciutto. My husband had the churrasco which also came with pasta. Cooked to perfection. The staff was the nicest I've seen in a while. Great service. My little one got burned with the soup and was crying like crazy and the waiters all came outside to check up on him, brought him milk, put an oil remedy on him. They were soooo sweet. Honestly what a great experience. I will be coming back here and recommending to all my friends!! read more

Cafe Catula - Seafood Near Me - Miami, Florida

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Great food and service !!! Can't wait to get back for another meal. Wish they did Thanksgiving !!!

Café Catula is one of my favorite restaurants in the Kendall area. The décor is superb with the beautiful artwork on display that is accompanied by a well-leveled background music. The place is excellent for a date night. We tried the croquetas de chorizo and tostones with shrimp to start. The shrimp was amazing. We also ordered the sunset snapper and the corvina aragosta. They did not spare on the crab meat for the corvina, and we loved it. However, the sunset snapper was my favorite, the citrous white wine sauce with capers was the perfect accompaniment for the fish. Each of the entrees came with two sides. For dessert, we had the crepe and it was also delicious. The staff was very friendly and well trained in hospitality. One could tell our waiter knew what he was doing, from the timing of bringing our food to refilling our wine glasses. We will definitely return. read more

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We decided to go to Cafe Catula for lunch since we were near the restaurant. The valet parking was ok only one attendant, he was nice and cordial. The restaurant beautiful , dark , totally surrounded with art pieces. We were greeted by a waiter , no hostess around, he took us to a table and immediately the water boy came with water , bread and butter and a red sauce after this the service was nonexistent. The water boy continued to make sure we had water , he was EXCELLENT! A waitress came to take our order and disappeared , our wine came and about 10 min later our food arrived, food was delicious , tasty , my complements to the chef. The service never returned, the staff gathered in the bar area talking totally ignoring us . Finally we decided to leave. Such a beautiful place and what a horrible service . Will not return. read more

This place caught our eye thanks to their incredible Miami Spice menu. I was incredibly shocked to see how beautiful this restaurant is on the inside. It is incredible well kept and the lighting gives it a very nice cozy vibe. We were quickly greeted by the host and sat at the table. The waiter came over right away and presented us with both their regular menu and the Miami Spice menu. Their regular menu is quite enticing. (We will definitely be back). They do place a bread basket on the table with an herb butter and a red sauce which was so yummy. I decided to go with the grilled sausage for appetizer. It is a delicious Argentinian sausage that comes with fries and a great chimichurri dipping sauce. For entrée I went with the churrasco steak and I was shocked to learn it also comes with your choice of 2 sides! I got white rice and maduros. OMG that steak was huge!!! But with that said, it was so juicy and delicious. Cooked to perfection! For dessert I had the nutella crepe which was a perfect sweet finish to the night. Highly recommend checking this place out! Hit it up for Miami Spice or even for Happy Hour! They have some great deals. Even the regular is quite affordable and the food is great! The waiters are also top notch. It was great to see them work as a team to help customers. read more

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Cute Spanish Mediterranean restaurant with good food. They have an amazing happy hour menu with full bar drinks. Servers are super sweet and friendly. They have a mixed cuisine between Spain tapas and Italian tapas. They sometimes have piano music depending on the night. You are forced to valet which at $5- it's not that bad. read more

Every visit is an incredible experience, and this time we tried the Miami Spice menu. We were pleasantly surprised by the wide variety of options, truly something for everyone in our large group. The portions were generous, beautifully presented, and absolutely delicious, and the drinks were just as impressive. I've dined here many times, and the consistency of both the food and service is remarkable. Cafe Catula is a foodie's gem and one of Miami's best restaurants. If I could give more than five stars, I would! read more

I have had several dishes and they have all been great. They a great variety of dishes. The wine list is very good and not very expensive. Their dulce de leche crepe is the best. I went to Paris and the server, dressed with a coat and tie, made us a crepe table side and was not as good. read more

Parking is $5 valet. Restaurant is on the first floor. The ambiance is good and elegant, beautiful pieces of art displayed throughout the restaurant. My family enjoyed their meal. The only downside was that where we were sitting the A/C vent in the ceiling was dripping water on my mother. Not good. read more

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Love this place, it's a loca gem close to home. Love the eclectic art work and the comfort Spanish food. Amazing Spanish risotto as well. Hosted my wife's baby shower there and they were amazing! Highly recommend. read more

Cafe Catula - Seafood pasta - Seafood Near Me - Miami, Florida

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Hoping for romantic dinner, food was good, ambiance nice, but place is noisy, service was fair and price was on the expensive side.

The entire experience was perfect. The food was amazing. Drinks strong and delicious. Price reasonable. There were several employees ready to serve more water, remove plates, etc. We will definitely return. read more

Cafe Catula - Dessert. Crème brûlée & Nutella crepe - Seafood Near Me - Miami, Florida

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Tasty martinis! Limited but good selection of appetizers. The table was ready for us to arrive. Our server was engaging and very friendly. Will come back for another happy hour. read more

Food is on point as always , service was awesome . Carlos is our waiter and he is awesome , ambiance is nice .

Cafe Catula used to be better. I live in the area and Cafe Catula was always one of our choices for dinning out. After a period of like 2 years of not coming here we decided to give it a try and I was saddened to see that it had changed. The menu now has lots of tapas style dishes for appetizers.... which is fine if you can properly execute the dishes. We had grilled octopus (so so) and fried anchovies (boquerones) which frankly disappointed. Overly breaded and super fried had almost a burnt taste... maybe old oil? I don't know but it wasn't good. Main courses were a hit or miss... the seafood risotto was very good and fresh. Lots of seafood. (Great option). The Branzino was okay a little over cooked... not good,not bad either. Definitely a dish that you can easily make at home. Camarones al ajillo were good. The wine list is budget friendly and a full bar is always a great thing on my book. The bar area is very inviting and great for happy hour. read more

Cafe Catula - Seafood Near Me - Miami, Florida

Cafe catula Tesoro escondido para los habitantes de la zona de South Miami, Westchester y Kendall. Recomendado 100% por la ricura del sabor de los platos y el buen servicio. El parqueo es solamente valet y vale $5. Da un poco la impresión de estar en una galería de arte y como dato curioso todas las pinturas y esculturas están a la venta, por si quieren llevarse a casa algo mas que lo que sobro de la comida. Quería probar el menú de Miami Spice pero quedé atrapada por el menú regular también, así que ordenamos de los dos. Sirvieron pan con mantequilla aparte y una salsita roja que parecía sofrito pero ese detalle de la casa sabia bueno. Sabrosisimos entrantes como las yuquitas con camarones y queso provolone. También los tostones con tuna y risotto. Del menú de Miami Spice: carpaccio de carne. Todos deliciosos y diferentes de lo que uno encuentra en otros restaurants. Quedé muy satisfecha pero con las ganas de volver a seguir probando de sus entrantes fríos y calientes. Acompañamos la velada con par de mojitos: uno de mango y el otro de la fruta de la pasión. read more

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This place is super delicious, I went for lunch snd they have a great deal 3 course menu. We had the fish with capers, white bean soup and for dessert nutella crepe. read more

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Elevated Spanish/European cuisine. I had shrimp creole with champagne risotto, scrumptious. My daughter had filet mignon stuffed with goat cheese, mushroom risotto n asparagus... outstanding. Ambiance is fancy and classy, service is top notch. Plenty of fresh seafood dishes as well as variety of meats, chicken, pasta. My goal is to try every dish, I cant wait to come here again! ohhhh desserts-the creme brûlée is a must. read more

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This restaurant was highly recommended by friends and co workers, but I honestly found it to be very average. I feel like it struggles to have an identity as it's not quite Spanish, not quite Italian, nor is it Cuban yet there is a mix of all three options... I always order Ossobucco if I see it on the menu, so I did just that and it was ok. That summed up our experience really as nothing said wow, but wasn't bad either. Service was on point, so I think 4 stars is deserved. Food alone I'd give a 3 based on this first experience, but willing to give another try in the future. read more

This place has great energy! Our server was a lot of fun! We had margaritas to drink and Oysters Rockefeller to eat ! Drink was delicious and oysters were outstanding! Parking was easy because there is a parking garage right there . We will be back ! read more

Cafe Catula - Bar - Seafood Near Me - Miami, Florida

Exceptional cuisine, service and ambience. Visited first time, returned for a takeout meal as well. Carlos and Joaquin are great, thank you! read more

Cafe Catula - Veal scaloppini - Seafood Near Me - Miami, Florida

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The food is always on point. They have great specials. Service is always slow so make sure you aren't in a hurry. Love the art in the restaurant! read more

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Excellent churrasco and Branzino Special menu is well put together Crepes are delicious read more

My fiancé and I came here with our parents this past Saturday for dinner. As soon as we walked in, we noticed it was LOUD. Like, unbearably so. It didn't get any better once we got seated and noticed that we basically had to shout at one another and could only hear the person sitting right next to us. Not off to a good start. We ordered our drinks and food. My lychee martini was very good, as was my fiancé's margarita. My mom on the other hand tried to order a glass of red wine, and they were out of almost everything. She tried to order one, server came back saying they're out. She tried to order another wine, they were also out. Mind you, this isn't a huge wine list, I think there were 4 or 5 options by the glass for red, so this was pretty ridiculous. She eventually got I think an Argentinian cabernet that was meh. She didn't love it. Food: my Lola steak was good, but it was nothing complicated. Steak with white rice and tostones. Kinda hard to mess that up. My fiancé's snapper was great though. Cooked really well and had a nice sauce with it. Finally dessert. They were almost inedible. The guava thing was super grainy and beyond sugary. I took one bite and couldn't have anymore. And the dulce de leche crepe was so dry! Super disappointed since we all were craving something sweet. Final verdict; will I come back? Honestly, probably not. With so many awesome places here in Miami, I don't see the point of trying this place again. The vibe is cool with the paintings, but it's a pretty small space, which is why I was so turned off by the noise. If I wanted a club atmosphere I'd go to South Beach. read more

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We tried this place for Miami Spice and had the yucca with shrimp and lobster sauce for app and fish with lobster sauce for dinner. It was amazing. That sauce is amazing. The dessert menu for Miami spice was the only let down. Very uninspired and mediocre crepe. Seems like they were skimping on the dessert. I would still recommend for the app and enteee. Also hubby got the skirt steak and it was huge. read more

Food was delicious. Service was on point. Drinks were on point as well. From the moment I walked in till the moment we left, the experience was wonderful. It wasn't very busy as it was a Tuesday night so unsure how the service is when busy. I would recommend and I will be back. read more