So what they had advertised on their website is not at all what is available in the restaurant. I was given tickets to present for breakfast which was included in my hotel stay. I was charged $35/day for this, when the online menu and menu in-person states that the breakfast buffet is $26. Note that only breakfast was served here during my stay last month. Older reviews and pics talk about lunch and dinner which wasn't available. The eggs were old and needed to be refreshed. Not much to choose from compared to what they had listed on the online menu. read more

A decent, fairly standard buffet in the Royal Palm's breakfast restaurant. It follows the usual COVID precautions. They could really up their game by not letting the scrambled eggs sit in the hot table for so long. Also, I really wish they served their coffee in ceramic mugs instead of paper cups. The staff is wonderful. Pedro and everyone else here is friendly, helpful, and attentive. They seem to really hustle to make sure guests are not waiting for anything such as coffee or juice refills. read more

Florida Cookery - a view of a dining area - New American Near Me - Miami Beach, Florida

Breakfast buffet was very small selection. French toast, powdered eggs, potatoes and some toast and pastries. Poor quality food but I will say our waiter was so nice! He tried to help but it was not fixable. Will not go back. read more

I can't give a full review as we did not end up eating there although we did go. Just be aware that the menu on their website is not what they actually offer. We went there for breakfast based on what we saw online only to be presented with something really different in person. So do check before you go! FYI particular their breakfast menu is VASTLY different than what's online. read more

Ok I'm totally bias on this one. Chef Mueller had Composition in Reno a few years ago. I loved his weekly changing small plate menu. So much I believe I ate there weekly. When I discovered we'd be driving near his current restaurant in Miami Beach, I made a point to stop in, eat and say hi What a great open air restaurant. It's all the way to the back of the hotel next to the pool along the ocean. Very modern decor that will soon be having some renovations. When we arrived Chef met us and had us seated. I asked for suggestions. He recommended just about anything on the menu. We shared a couple of plates. The bacon cheeseburger was just as juicy as I remember- two napkin juicy. The fish tacos were huge, crunchy and buttery. I have to say better than the ones at DJ Clams in Key West. Topped the afternoon off with the chocolate bomb. I could have sampled the entire menu to bring back memories of his flavors. The service was fantastic, waters always full and empty plates picked up quickly. I recommend if in the area check it out and say hi to Chef Mueller read more

See all

Great service , awesome buffet. Sweetest fruit. Being a southern lady , Oatmeal is a staple,so I'm always an oatmeal sceptic in restaurants, but , it was delicious. The coffee, the bread, the meat, the eggs, quesadillas, oops I'm too full. read more

Florida Cookery - New American Near Me - Miami Beach, Florida

See all

Let me start off by saying I have yet to have a meal here but I have had several signature cocktails and let me tell you they were all a tasty success! My favorite was the Janeiro, if you like a little bubbly in your drink like I do, than you will want to make this your first selection. This cocktail not only delivered on taste but smell as well with a few crushed leaves of rosemary topping off the little pool of prosecco bubbles The light scent of rosemary right before you take each sip is so refreshing and adds another dimension to this drink. The Floridian was also a great sipping experience and offered a sweeter pop to my palate. The decor of the bar and restaurant is a straight up modern take on a Mad Men vibe. That vibe is carried out not only in the restaurant but throughout the breeze way of the James Hotel as well. So if you are looking for a chill place to take down a few libations and appreciate a retro surrounding, then stop by the James Royal Palm Hotel. I can't wait to return to the FC to sample their delicious menu offerings. http://www.florida-cookery.com/menus/dinner/ read more

Florida Cookery - Mad Men decor vibe - New American Near Me - Miami Beach, Florida

See all

What can I say!? This place is great!!! We had dinner reservations there in celebration of our 17th anniversary. The entire staff makes sure you feel welcomed and comfortable. The restaurant itself is located in the James Royal Palm hotel. It's a very sophisticated and inviting atmosphere. We were warmly greeted by the hostess upon arrival. The teamwork between Jaela, Matthew and Davis, was outstanding. They made sure everything was well at all times and helped to make our anniversary special. We ordered the empanada appetizers, as well as the guava glazed ribs. Our entrées were super delicious. Especially the grilled Cobia with a yuca patty accompanied with one of the most flavorful curry sauces I've ever tried. My compliments to the chef! For dessert we tried a chocolate cake with a delicate frosting and some coconut flakes. The generous piece of cake came with salted caramel ice cream, an assortment of honey roasted nuts and some caramel sauce. It was simply divine. Our overall experience was excellent and I would recommend this restaurant without hesitation. read more

See all

We stayed at the hotel and got the breakfast buffet one morning. Was overpriced for what they had and food was just alright. The server we had (wish I could remember his name) was absolutely wonderful though. read more

Me and my husband where here for breakfast for various days on our stay at the Royal Palm. I don't usually do many Yelp reviews but the service here by this guys was so excellent I had to complement Pedro and Edwin have very excellent customer service it made us feel so welcome we came everyday. All there team are great!! Very good teamwork Highly recommend. read more

The ambiance is nice very polite staff but a small menu & the octopus was not good. The pomegranate cucumber mojito us divine! Good desserts as well read more

See all

I never would have come across Florida Cookery had it not been for a recommendation from Miami blogger Food For Thought who is a big fan of Chef Kris Wessel from his previous restaurant, Red Light. I'm very glad I did though as this may be the best spot on South Beach for great food without pretension or (much of) a scene. Florida Cookery is located in the James Hotel, although "hidden" may be the better term here. There are no signs once you walk into the hotel and you have to walk all the way to the back then up two flights of stairs to find it. Once you do though, you're rewarded with a cool, sleek modern space overlooking the pool with the crashing waves of the Atlantic in the distance. Add in friendly and attentive service and music and patron noise at the right level and you have one of South Beach's most pleasant hotel dining experiences. The only issue with the location is perhaps the world's longest walk to the bathroom (which is outside the restaurant, down a flight of stairs and a long hallway.) So if you're decked out in traditional South Beach attire with the 8-inch stilettos, you may want to pee before you go. The menu is fresh and local, with a nod to the diverse heritage of Florida cooking (think pecan-dusted grouper w/ grits, gator empanadas, creole oxtail). Yes,probably half the restaurants in South Beach make this claim. But while most charge the same amount ($15 apps, $25+ entrees), few do it this well. It's also one of the rare restaurants where I would have been happy eating anything on the menu. And on a recent Saturday night, it was inexplicably only about half-full. So get in before the secret gets out. Here are my thoughts on what we ordered. You can find more photos on DishEnvy. Oxtail, Oyster & Alligator Empanadas (2/4) If you're into empanadas (who isn't?) these are a solid way to start your meal. The oyster was a little strange, but the lemon cayenne sauce makes everything better. Kris' Biscayne Blvd Shrimp (3/4) Grilled and covered in a spicy tangy sauce somewhat reminiscent of Worcestershire that you'll want to lick out of the bowl. Fortunately it comes with baguettes to soak it up so you won't have to. Goat Cheese Broiled (2/4) Great mix of hot/cold elements with the baked goat cheese and hot tomatoes against the cool arugula and cucumber salsa. Really transforms a basic sounding salad. "Florida is the South" Pecan Dusted Grouper (3/4) Sweet pecan, salty cheese grits and citrusy sauce. It's surprisingly a fairly light but it packs a ton of flavor nonetheless. Key Lime & Tomato Mahi Mahi (1/4) The tomato and lime combined for a dish I found a little heavy on the acid. You do get a nice cut of mahi mahi, but there are too many great options here to settle for this. read more

I won't even elaborate too much like I normally would. Stark decor. Stale bread. Terrible bartender. Calabasa Hash is full of grease/oil. My veal vaca frita was 3 tiny triangular patties. First off, vaca frita should be shredded, one should be told upon ordering that it isn't your typical vaca frita. My portion on my plate looked like an appetizer compared to everyone else's dinner at my table. I ate my vaca frita in 5 or 6 bites maximum. Not impressed and doubt I would go back. Terrible Saturday night meal - Top 5 worse meals in my book for the whopping $90 per head at my table. read more

hotel food never gets me that excited. we ordered the fish tacos as we wanted to stay really close to our hotel (this place is in our hotel.. as close as you can get) since we had to catch a flight soon thereafter. the fish were obv fried at an earlier time as the outer layer was not very crispy and the fish was not flaky. it would've made a huge difference if they had just fried to order. the serving size is very large, three tacos per order. and for ~$18 ($16?). if i had to do this over, i'd have gone elsewhere, but due to my circumstances i had to visit this establishment. service is also MIA at times read more

Florida Cookery - fish would've tasted better had they fried it to order. tasted like it had been fried earlier in the afternoon. also, too many jalapeños. - New American Near Me - Miami Beach, Florida

A huge fan of the New Orleans Hot BBQ Shrimp at the Red Light in Miami (a menu item I had heard the chef brought with him to Florida Cookery), I was ready to love this place - and we started with a large order of the bbq shrimp. The flavors were just not there at all and the normally delicious buttery, lemony, peppery, spicy, savory sauce I had my chops set for was instead this charcoal-grey colored watery, nearly flavorless mess I didn't want to sop up with the fresh baguette (that they don't serve here!). The shrimp looked grey and undercooked. Here's the deal. Forgetting the lack of seasoning in the sauce, Florida Cookery has made a very unfortunate lighting choice, using orange tinted ceiling lights (perhaps LED) throughout. This basically causes any food item with a naturally brownish orange tint in natural light (like shrimp, or fish that has been pan seared for instance) to appear charcoal grey/beige at night - not colors one normally thinks of as mouthwatering One of our guests pulled out her bright orange wallet, and it looked dull beige in this lighting. Our other guest was wearing a pastel blue shirt - it too looked beige. The green beans were charcoal green...you get my point. Eating is a visual experience, and sadly this food needs more help than just changing a few light bulbs can provide. I had the conch chowder (it was 90 degrees outside on a July evening, dining al fresco, what was I thinking?). This serving bowl sized dish of "chowder" had a cornstarch shine to it, and the corn kernels were far larger than any conch in the dish. They ground the conch from what I could tell so there was no typical chewy texture from this conch chowder. They should rename this "corn chowder with ground conch". It was pleasantly spiced, but they need to rethink the size as a starter (and rethink the price while they're at it). The pecan crusted grouper was the highlight. (Meh.) I've had better fish dishes in chain hotel dining rooms. I REALLY wanted to like this restaurant. The $$$$ price point is not at all justified based on my experience tonight, and I don't plan to give them another chance. Service was good. (We arrived at 8 PM on a Saturday night and there were only a handful of people in the large poolside dining outdoor dining room.) FLORIDA COOKERY - PLEASE HAVE A LIGHTING SPECIALIST HELP YOU FIX THIS! GREY FOOD IS NOT APPETIZING AND IT'S KILLING ANY CHANCE YOU HAVE OF MAKING IT HERE. PLEASE ADJUST YOUR MENU TO TASTE MORE LIKE THE FOOD AT RED LIGHT - BECAUSE THIS FOOD HAS NO SOUL WHATSOEVER. YOU'RE GIVING FLORIDA CUISINE A BAD NAME (In my humble opinion.) read more

We went during Spice Week, so our experience might be quite a bit different than the average reviewer. My wife and I went with the pre fix menu options. I had the conch chowder, oxtail, and chocolate lava cake. My wife had a tomato arugula salad, the fresh yellowfish, and key lime pie. Every item was delicious, interesting, and worth the money spent. The service was great. We ordered a couple pisco sours (off the drink menu) which were actually kind of terrible, but I don't fault the Florida Cookery for that (and god bless the concierge who ran out for a bottle of pisco since they had run out earlier in the week). Overall it was a great eating experience, and we'd go again on another week to see if they hold up outside of Spice week. read more

Awesome!!! We went for a late lunch.. Sat outside overlooking the pool and ocean... Very relaxing. Te place has a very relaxed and clean vibe.. not pretentious or trying to hard to impress. The menu is really really creative! We wanted everything! Ordered the conch chowder (family recipe from 1948) and the shaved hearts of palm salad. Both were presently beautifully and tasted even better... Then got "Schrager" burger.. 2 thumbs up! GF got the special fish sandwich.. Fresh and perfectly cooked.. Dessert was the kicker.. We got the banana, caramel, pecan bread pudding.. It was insane! One of the best desserts I have EVER eaten..Don't pass on it!! Just opened and I'm sure it will be an instant hit.. Go for lunch or dinner.. you will not be disappointed. read more

See all

Well, I came to Florida Cookery after my NYC transplant friend requested I take her somewhere new, fresh, and with "fabulous drinks." Florida Cookery was a good choice. They have a very unique menu in that everything is Florida-inspired in the least expected non-traditional way. Why? Because when you think Florida food the last thing that will probably come to mind is SWAMP. But I had things I've never tried before, like frog legs and alligator empanadas, both surprisingly delicious for my first time ever trying them. The oysters with the fire-passion mignonette sauce--I have no idea what it is, but it blew my tastebuds away. Some more expected Florida dishes like the vaca frita were spot on--so soft and tender, I barely had to chew it. The pecan-crusted grouper was also a winner. I especially loved the cheese grit cake it came with. Fries were perfectly crisp and the ketchup is homemade! The service was great and very accommodating. As far as drinks, I highly recommend The Floridian. Delicious! The restaurant was a bit quiet for a Friday night, but I'm looking forward to returning when all of Miami catches on the greatness of this place. read more

This was a really weird experience. We went on a Thursday evening and the place was completely dead. When we got there at 7pm there were 2 other couples in the whole place. When we left there were maybe 6 total. The bus girl was useless and very awkward about taking dishes, wiping the table, etc. First waiter didn't know the menu when I asked about an ingredient. He went to go ask. He finally came back with a waitress cause they were going to share the duty. The new waitress was awesome. Knew the menu, made the proper introductions, etc. Too bad the food didn't live up. The apps were yummy. But the entres were mediocre. My Fiance's fish looked like hotel food swimming in butter. My wild boar was in a dish that made it very awkward to cut. It was a bit fatty but tasted alright. Now we know why they had to run a Gilt City coupon. read more

I have dined at The Florida Cookery twice, once for weekend lunch and now again for dinner. The restaurant is tucked away in the back of The James Royal Palm hotel on the second floor and has a nice ambiance with an ocean view. The patio in particular is gorgeous looking out over South Beach and the Atlantic Ocean. The menu looks great, but the food is underwhelming especially for the price. You are going to get a good meal, do not get me wrong, but with the focus on local sourced and inspired dishes (they serve alligator for instance)... you are expecting something more memorable. The flavors are a little bland and the execution seems a a bit off. You just want something more from the space and the experience. The 2nd time we had dinner was during Art Basel and the restaurant was one of the few on the beach that had availability during the madness of Basel. The wait staff has been attentive and friendly and has accommodated two long meals which was great. I really would like to see the restaurant up its game and justify the price, or look to be more accommodating to locals with a lower price point. read more

My family and I dined at the Florida Cookery for New Year's Eve. Although it was overall an alright meal, it was the service (and dessert) that really shined here. We were seated around 8pm on New Year's Eve and were not assigned a server. So we waited around at our table for about 15 minutes before informing the front of the house. Immediately, he asked what we'd like to drink and was committed to making sure we had a lovely meal. He stopped back a few other times just to check in and make sure everything was going smoothly. He was quite charming and a joy to chit chat with. Once we got our server, we were very happy. He was charming and gave nice recommendations. We ordered the guava-glazed ribs which were sweet and satisfying. The empanadas were crispy and flavorful. But no one was really over-the-moon with their entree. My cobia was alright, but completely forgettable. The best part was honestly the desserts: the banana donuts were heaven and the key lime pie were both satisfying and delightful. Our server, Israel, picked them out for us and we were just beyond the moon with how yummy they were. The ambience was fun; beautiful colors, warm woods and funky music. A warm, cool vibe that's not over-the-top or obnoxious. It was a modern, yet mid-century, yet creative and classic Miami Beach vibe all at once. So overall, the dining experience was nice. Again, good service and some bright spots with the food and ambiance. But overall, I think I left a little disappointed. Maybe it was because we had such an unforgettable, AMAZING dinner at Yardbird the night before, and I was expecting the same thing. I'd love to go here again and see if the food improved, but as is, it feels like a solid 3.5 star place with a lot of potential. read more

Went here for lunch and had the catch of the day ( seared tuna ) with some tea. It was all very good and super fresh. We were greeted and seated right away. Someone got drinks for us right away and the manager came by to tell us about the menu since the server was busy, he also took our order. The food was out with a timely manner. Very pleased with the service and food, would definitely come back and recommend to try. read more

Florida Cookery - Seared Tuna, catch of the day. Very yummy! - New American Near Me - Miami Beach, Florida

I'm surprised this restaurant has an average of only three stars. The food was excellent, the service was excellent and the space was great. Our waiter was so kind and jovial. We had a great evening with him. We ate empanadas, seafood chowder, caesar salad, the cobia entree and the another fish (that I now can't remember-ack!), and the flan for dessert. Wine and coffee, too of course. The flan was really not great, but the churros it came with were delicious. Everything else was delicious. Inventive enough to warrant the prices. We even used a 20% off food deal from yelp, which was cool. I liked this place a lot and can see myself coming back. read more

I went with my husband and sister (visiting from out of town). I had a gilt city voucher that expires this Saturday may 25 (our waiter, however, without even looking at the voucher said that it was no longer valid. I think he could have been a little more respectful of the fact that patrons know more especially when it's written on the voucher.) Unfortunately, I waited last minute and needed to make sure I took advantage of deal. At the end -the deal was not a deal. The service was ok and the food that we ordered was not spectacular for the price we paid at the end. The Gilt City voucher was for 78 and the "deal" was one app to share, two salads, two entrees and side to share. Not bad I thought and the only limitation was not ordering gaucho steak. Then there was my sister who had to order from menu without the deal and she ordered the veal chops (which were so chewy and hard to eat) she had to change to grouper (to the chagrin of the waiter it seemed) She also ordered the shrimp and a cocktail. At the end they charged her the price if the lobster (that my husband ordered as part of gilt city) the waiter tried to explain that was the minimum they had to charge for the additional person outside of the voucher (what a load of...) but we didnt complain - simply signed the 104 dollar bill and vowed to never come back to Florida Cookery. I would not recommend. Too bad - it's a nice ambience and the decor was well done. read more

We came here on a Wednesday night and the place was pretty much empty. We were one of four tables in there, however, that did not seem to help us out when it came to getting good service. It took a very long time before someone came and took our order. We ordered the empanadas to start off with, then I ordered the chicken lemon soup and goat cheese salad as my entree. About 40 minutes later, they arrived with all the food (instead of empanadas first). I dug in to the bowl of chicken lemon soup first. I've had the Greek version of chicken lemon soup, so I was expecting some version of that. Not the case. It was as if they had taken a glass of water, squeezed a lemon in to it, and then threw in a few chunks of chicken. It was completely flavorless. At $9 for the bowl of soup, I expected a little more. The homestead goat cheese salad was good. Overall, this place is relatively pricey for the level of service you receive and the quality of the food - especially considering all the other great restaurant options in the area. We went to Khong River house the next night, where our bill was relatively the same, and had a completely different experience. The service there was amazing and the food was fantastic and well worth the prices. If you are staying at the hotel and do not want to leave, this place will do in a pinch, but do not order the soup and don't have high expectations. read more

My wife and I went to dinner here with some friends while we were in town. The service was very good. They even made sure to get a fan put next to our table, as we were eating outside in August. The wine list offered plenty of selection, and the drinks were good as well. The food was very good. It was well prepared, and utilized a lot of local ingredients. We were able to share amongst the four of us, and we all enjoyed it. Overall, it might be a bit pricey for what you get, but we would certainly dine here again. read more

The service can't be beat. Servers are energetic, attentive, fast and uber-friendly. The wine list is a bit shallow -- no cabs or merlots on this list. The menu is an interpretation of Florida cuisine and quite approachable; I was thrilled to see and try the octopus on the appetizer list. All in all, not bad at all. Happy to return. read more

I liked it. The place is gorgeous and the restaurant has patio seating which is great for Miami (when is not 100 degrees out). We tried the Miami Spice menu and the portions were good and the flavors were amazing. Creative and fun cooking. I def have to be back and try more from their regular menu. Not sure if they serve brunch but it would be an ideal place for brunch. The hotel is gorgeous i cant wait to stay there. The service was great, very friendly and good recommendations from our waiter. Good times. read more

Amazing experience. I really enjoyed my meal and the atmosphere. The only weird thing was the choice in music. I am not sure what was going on but I got over it fast. Best part was my Palm Spring Salad and Orange Confetti Stone crabs read more

I'll start off saying this place was probably closer to 2.5 stars rather than 3 stars. Well, where do I start. I will say that I really wanted to love this place - and honestly the place wasn't all that bad and I'll even say that if it was a stand alone it would probably have been ever better. Looking back on my meal, the thing that really got me was the value - terrible value (more on this later). We started with the ceviche and conch "fritters". I don't know exactly what a fritter is really but these didn't look like conch fritters - they looked like conch fingers. Now that I am typing it maybe it said conch fingers - oh well. The ceviche was excellent and the fritters were meh at best. They weren't crispy at all and you could barely tell there was conch in them. Joe's fritters are WAY better. The main dishes were solid - I got the snapper special and my friend got the grouper. The grouper took a while for the flavor to come out but the snapper was pretty solid. We tried the key lime pie for desert. It wasn't really a traditional pie - no graham cracker crust - it was in like a little bowl thing - it probably has a name, but I don't know what its called. It was tasty enough, but the crust was stuck to the bottom. We also got a glass of wine each. Oh - I almost forgot - at the start they asked if we wanted sparking or still water. Silly me thought this was going to be like so many places now where they bring you some good water for a couple of bucks per person - wrong - we got a bottle of water for who knows how much. I felt like a sucker (cue cartoon picture of my head turning into a lollipop). I should also mention the bread. Really pretty poor for a place that aspires to be great. It seemed like sliced cuban bread or something. One serving wasn't even toasted or warm - the second serving was toasted and a bit better. Anyway the bill came out to be about 160 bucks (18% added in). I am not scared of an expensive meal, but this just didn't seem worth it at all. I don't really eat in the hotel restaurants around town very often and I think this might be why. Again, while the food wasn't awful and the service wasn't awful there are so many better places to go with better prices. PS - the music was great!!!!! read more

Did Valentine's dinner here. The driveway coming up was a disaster because the roof of the hotel is large enough to cover one car, despite that the drive way can hold up to 30. Talk about a poor redesign... Got in around 10-10:30 due to the rain. We were late for our reservation and the hostess told us to just have a cocktail at the bar because there was a wait due to being late. Went to the bar for about half an hour, 10:30 rolls around and I go up to ask what's going on, and there must have been 15 empty tables in the restaurant. You've got to be kidding... We loved all of the food, everything we had was great. Lobster, wild boar, shrimp, and conch chowder. We ordered a second beer and she brought out an entirely different beer. Not even the same color. The waitress pays no attention. The decor is really off in here. It's like are you trying to be Modern? Deco? Rustic? The food was so good, but everything else just sucked- read more

Found a Gilt City coupon and ended up using it the last day it was vaild (over Hip Hop weekend to boot)....after seeing "eh" reviews about this place I was hoping the 1 1/2 hours we were stuck in traffic were going to be worth it. It was a girls night out, just my Mother and I and we were greeted by two lovely women at the hostess stand. It was very empty for a Saturday night, but we didn't mind that at all. The atmosphere is awesome, open air, open walls, fans blowing air, so there was no stagnant humid feeling. The decor was very organic looking, natural to go with the theme of Florida farm to table food. The cocktails were great - fruity, fresh and fun (my Mom had something with strawberries and rum...I just had a red sangria - with assorted berries in it - a nice change up from the typical apples and grapes!). I started with a quail salad...not great, the quail was small and delicate, so it was overcooked and tough to cut off the bone. Skip it. My Mom had a crab salad, it was light, refreshing and pleasant, a great starting dish. As a main dish I opted for the pecan crusted grouper. It was amazing. It was topped with a butter sauce to die for! BEWARE: If you are a health nut, this is NOT the dish for you! Between the buttery sauce, pecans and the delicate fish, it tasted like I was eating a praline. Melt in your mouth goodness. I think there were veggies (fresh string beans) but who cares? The fish was delicious. My Mom had a special, the pork chop, braised with local veggies and served with a cheddar polenta cake. Quite tasty and the portion was HUGE...we took the rest home and made fajitas the following night....and they were delicious too! Overall, aside from the disappointing quail salad, the food was great. I would definitely go back for the grouper, drinks and to try some of the other "Florida" menu items. Like most places in South Beach the food is OVERPRICED. It's not just this restaurant, it's EVERY restaurant. I wouldn't go out to eat without my Gilt City voucher...teachers don't get paid enough to indulge, so Gilt City keep up the good work! If it were read more

The service was so, so, so, so BAD!!!!!!!!!! It took 20 minutes to get a glass of water, one hour for our food to come and our drinks to be served. We told the manager that our service was slow and she told us that it "wasn't the service, it was the kitchen." The food was just OK. We each ordered the burger or the BLT. It was a decent meal for a ridiculous price. $50 each for a burger and a pitcher ($75 a pitcher!). Will not be coming back here. read more

We recently dined here for breakfast. They serve breakfast until 11 which is good while on vacation. They have a limited menu or breakfast buffet option. The breakfast buffet is very limited only toast, pastries, potatoes, eggs, make your own waffle station, bacon, one kind of cereal, oatmeal, and 4 varieties of fruits and Greek yogurt. This is by far the smallest breakfast buffet I have ever seen at a Marriott. Also, the service was horrible and the prices are high. Once we were seated, we had to track down our waitress (don't remember her name, heavy set short Spanish lady) for assistance and she barely checked on us. I don't recommend this place for breakfast, there are many more options on South Beach that are convenient and tasty. read more

We stayed at the Royal Palm hotel and only ate here because we had vouchers for the breakfast buffet at Florida Cookery. The food itself is what you would expect for a continental breakfast buffet at SPG properties - cereal, bagels, fresh fruit, smoked salmon etc. The service is pretty hit or miss. There are some rockstars on the staff but oftentimes we had to wait quite a while for coffee, water and juice. I wouldn't recommend paying out of pocket for breakfast here - only worthwhile if you're reservation includes it. read more

Been meaning to check out this newest installment from Kris Wessel (formerly of Red Light in the Upper East Side neighborhood) for several months since its opening at the newly updated James Hotel on the Beach. I applaud the effort to bring back "unpretentious Florida cuisine", despite the fact that there's still a bit of pretense here given it's South Beach. The menu takes some cues from Red Light (Biscayne Blvd. Shrimp), and offers some new features as well. Frog legs, alligator and several fish options are complemented by vaca fritta and ceviche to round out a real Florida menu. Cocktail menu was interesting and really well executed. Wine list was tight but really overpriced. Service was attentive and not obtrusive. The food was solid, portions were generous, but the bill was steep too (with 18% gratuity automatically included - I hate that but I understand on the Beach). Overall - it was a good option for Miami Beach locals, just not the tremendous "value" I was hoping for. We'll be back again. read more

The food and service were fantastic. We had a mixture of the Miami Spice menu, and assorted items from the general menu (hint: the alligator, oxtail, and oyster empanadas are to die for, and the conch bisque is amazing). Wine selection was amazing, and the pairings were superb. Staff was courteous, friendly, and very knowledgeable. Our only issue was the price, the food was quite a bit over priced, but that's par for the course for Miami Beach. read more

Unwittingly or not (I'd like to think I keep my wits about me!) I have been a follower of Kris Wessel since 1996 when he opened Paninoteca on Lincoln Road - it was near where I lived and it was right smack in my budget and it was an ordinary sandwich brought to the level of gourmand fare - it's closing made me clutch my pearls. I just had to up the ante and pad my purse because I could still enjoy the miracles on a plate that Chef Wessel weaved at Liaison on Espanola, but that too only lasted a few years. Chef Wessel's move to Bal Harbour was a bit out of my reach both geographically and economically and an unfortunate experience (extremely bad service) at Red made me think he lost his touch; or at least he was out of touch with customers such as I (on a budget). I think Chef Wessel's return to the south Florida culinary scene, which is now growing by leaps and bounds, is soon to be crowned with his finest of glories at Florida Cookery. The food is priced what you expect for a Sobe exclusive deco haunt that can set you back just by valeting the car; but it isn't outrageous and there is definitely something for everyone. My companions and I went for the Spice Menu and we were more than pleasantly surprised. In addition to any previously written encomium to Chef Wessel a big shout out to Jasmina the hostess on hand and our server Rebecca; they exude the old world charm of customer service with such a smile and panache that you felt like you were dining with friends. Considering this and my last few experiences at The Federal I'm so pleased that there is at last a trend in Miami to have restaurants that serve such delicious unique food with such great service - we South Floridians so deserve this. The Oxtail was melt in your mouth and woulda made abuela cry - it is so better than anything you ate at home. A conch chowder was sublime with its underlying flavors of corn and cilantro and the key lime pie; a pleasant pleasing little unctuous disc topped with a homemade meringue (and touted as being a 1928 original South Florida recipe) was a divine end to a very happy meal. My only caveats (and I will return to give it that fifth star, I just know it!): Dining was poolside and The James is SORELY in need of some mist lamps - the few fans are simply not adequate to ameliorate the humidity; and eating something hearty like oxtail leaves one a little sweatier than desired. Inside the James and separate from Florida Cookery, the interior bar seems a little cold and more suited for an airport lounge - a little more lighting and a smile on the bartender are surely in order. read more

Went to hotel with a party of five. We were greeted quickly and seated. Not exactly sure why but the restaurant was giving service on the first floor near the pool, which was fine because the weather was nice. Almost empty dining area but it was only 6 in SOBE so that was expected. Waitress came by with drinks (FYI, the charge is per drink for nonalcoholic drinks, so for those who care it's an extra charge for refills but whatever). The waiters and waitresses seem to work as a team. However, they are not terribly well informed. If someone says they have a food allergy, they aren't kidding. The response to "does this have nuts" should probably be checked on. The waiter looked at us blankly and shrugged. Yeah, remind me to come back here and sue the hotel in case they slip me a macadamia nut when I said no nuts. The waitress was very dense, took our appetizer orders. Then 5 minutes later seized our menus. We had to holler at her we hadn't had a chance to put in our entree order. Her excuse was that she didn't want the paper menus to get dirty and thought we had made up our minds. As our appetizers arrived, I thought a more competent waiter had arrived. Quiet thin African American fella' who was shockingly one of the best waiters we've ever had! Knew the menu and served the food correctly! Ladies first and always always serve food from one side and clear from the other! Omg! A properly trained waiter? We were surprised to find out he was the busboy and not the waiter. The waiter was some idiot who came by twice to dump the food in front of us and even with the food in front of him couldn't explain what the food was (IE. I asked him what the ice cream was that was on the two dessert plates and he says sorbet on one, it was vanilla, and vanilla for the other, it was macadamia nut- oh to sue this place would be so easy, hear that management? Your wait staff wants to take you down). Ah, but the food. Sounds adventurous but was not. Appetizers: oxtail (flavorless), chicken (OK) and alligator (could've been ground beef as it lacked favor and I'm from Louisiana so I know good alligator and this ain't it) empanadas, over salted and sour frozen frog legs served beneath overdressed salad, OK but salty guanababa ribs. I will say that the BBQ shrimp were good though we asked for some bread from the waitress for dipping and it arrived 10 minutes later. Entrees: Grouper "bought and selected from boats". That's it, I'm never going to let anyone order fish in Miami again, those boats must be docked in another area code cuz fresh it was not. (2people ordered). 24 hr chicken - tasted like roasted chicken, not memorable at all. Mashed potatoes were OK. Wild boar requested med to med rare. That boar must've put up one helluva fight, cuz that was one tough piece of meat and was cooked med well done. Now I know there are some squeamish people who think pork needs to be all but leather to eat. But a chef who uses high quality meat and knows what they are doing should have no problems doing med-rare pork. It was unimpressive to say the least. Now at the onset of order we asked the waitress if they could be grilled to order, she said they normally do it well done but we could order med rare. Sigh, if she had just told us no we could've just ordered something else. There was another entree but I don't remember it. Btw, the lighting needs to be improved. As the evening progressed the light was very yellowish and cast a rather unappetizing glow on the food and people. The very beautiful people of Miami turned odd pasty shades. Dessert was a chocolate cake which was ok and a dry pineapple rum cake that seriously sucked the moisture out of your mouth it was So dry. That was a first for me for a pineapple cake. Dinner check had gratuity already included, standard for Miami. Came to $323 for 5 people, no alcoholic drinks and seldom refilled beverages. We slipped the busboy extra cash since he was really good and really hope gets promoted or moves to better situation. Considered the gratuity more than the waitress deserved...waaaay more. read more

A wonderful addition to the neighborhood. Sit outside and have lunch with a spectacular view. The food was so good...this is the spot. South Beach lifestyle. Florida Cookery, beach, nightlife, repeat. read more