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Pao

4.3 (320 reviews)
Ultra High-EndAsian Fusion
Closed 6:30 pm - 11:00 PM
Updated 3 months ago

Pao Photos

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PAO ATMOSPHERE

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Trendy
Classy
Upscale
Moderate noise

Recommended Reviews - Pao

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Reviews With Photos

Melissa C.

Pao at the Faena Hotel was an incredible experience. We came to celebrate a friend's birthday and the entire night felt like elevated fine dining done right. The service was phenomenal from start to finish. They truly went above and beyond to make us feel celebrated and taken care of. The live music added such a special touch and made the whole evening feel even more memorable. We tried almost everything on the menu and honestly, almost every dish was a hit. The food is served more family style and meant to be shared, which made the experience even better. One of my favorite dishes was the tobanyaki, it was so delicious. Surprisingly enough, the fried chicken ended up being everyone's favorite. We literally kept asking them to bring out more. The only dish that didn't quite hit was the grilled duck. It was everyone's least favorite and felt like it was missing seasoning and flavor compared to everything else. Overall, the food, service, ambiance, and energy were all top tier. This is definitely a special occasion kind of place and one I would absolutely return to.

Unicorn
Laken C.

Our dining experience at Pao by Paul Qui was absolutely amazing from start to finish. The atmosphere felt luxurious yet welcoming, with beautiful décor that elevated the entire evening. Our server Vladislav was incredibly kind, attentive, and knowledgeable. He explained the menu thoroughly and even shared details about the restaurant and dishes that we wouldn't have known otherwise, which made the experience feel extra special. The food was outstanding. The Kare Kare Tiger Prawns with Bok Choy were packed with flavor and beautifully presented tasting deeply satisfying. The Unicorn stood out as the most fascinating dish on the menu. A sea urchin shell filled with grilled sweet corn pudding, sake aioli and chile de árbol. The Whole Fish was cooked to perfection, with a wonderful gingery flavor and just the right amount of heat from the Thai chili. The Grilled Duck was also delicious with it's celeriac purée and duck truffle jus though it was slightly on the fatty side. On top of everything, the service truly stood out. The staff was incredibly accommodating when we weren't aware that we would be bringing our small dog along for vacation which we deeply appreciated. Overall, Pao delivered an exceptional dining experience with delicious food, kind service, and a refined atmosphere.

Lauren G.

A great experience from start to finish. The service is impeccable and the vibes are perfect for a date. I love a restaurant that serves an amuse bouche, so they earn points just for that. It's a splurge at nearly $50, but the Unicorn is an unbelievable and unique dish. There's uni, something in between creamed corn/soup, topped with lobster foam. If they have it on the menu, the branzino was the best I've ever had.

Ana A.

Amazing food. Delicious drinks. Great ambience ! Beautifully presented food and the interior is just as beautiful. Service is 10/10!!

Kare kare
Kelsey A.

A really great spot! My only complaint is that the service was exceptionally slow. But our server was very kind and so we weren't too frustrated, just hungry! The drinks weren't my favorite (a little sweet for my taste) but the food was good! The nigiri was great- and I highly recommend the hamachi and the seared sake toro. The kinilaw (ceviche) was my favorite bite of the night. The Aguachile was also good, but more run of the mill. The kare kare was perfectly good, but I might skip it next time. The cocoa pod was excellent, a real highlight in a dish. The ambiance of the restaurant is very beautiful and made the night special, despite the wait.

Almira F.

Saturday 7pm - With the amount of time I've been to miami both on the beach and the other side ( brickell, downtown ), this is the first time I've seen a Michelin mention Asian restaurant. In fact , the chef is also Filipino like me and hence was excited to try this restaurant. I like exploring and trying high end ones , this one is in the Faena , a gorgeous hotel that I've gone to previously and tried the Argentinian steakhouse . Pao's esthetics is classy , elegant , open , with high ceilings and well decorated . The spiral staircase leading was reminiscent of the one at beauty and Essex in nyc . As soon as you reach the top , you're immediately greeted by friendly faces , the hostesses. As we waited for the rest of the party to arrive , we decided to sit at the bar ( my favorite activity ) and had the mixologist make us some cocktails while people watching ( it is miami after all )! Now the food, we ordered family style with some recommendations from the waiter. We had the kinilaw, aburi, grilled greens for starters , followed by the fried chicken ( crowd favorite ), then the pancit negro, tobanyaki , braised greens ( my favorite ) and tobanyaki . 5 people , a bottle of wine and 6-7 cocktails , all in , we paid $160 ( not bad ) . I like the idea of the elevated Filipino dishes and don't want to be as critical , rather encouraging but memories are often based on stimulants and while the kinilaw , pancit negro , fried chicken and tobanyaki were flavorful , I was hoping for a more home cooked taste ( not presentation). I would love to come back again or try his other restaurants to have a better basis of comparison. Highly recommended for a southeast Asian type of cuisine in a beautiful setting with good service.

Clam chowder
Jason P.

Great experience! Went for a work dinner and there was a prefixed multi course menu. Everything was phenomenal and the service was on point. The only downside was the portions were extremely small (like main course of duck was two bitches small). The actual restaurant was also beautiful!

Downstairs room
Olga S.

Top notch experience minus a bit of a wait to be seated for our reservation. Service is super professional almost too much so. Not a lot of options to choose from on the menu but that tells me they do things to perfection. All our requests were met and I wouldn't expect anything different for a high end spot. I wanted to try a bit of their sushi as well as other options. I'd say the dessert was the highlight so save some room.

Julia S.

FOOD: As someone who grew up eating Asian and Asian fusion food in SoCal, I personally felt like the Asian fusion could have been executed better outside of the raw fish dishes. The dishes truly are just one to two bites per person, so definitely an occasion spot. Thinking about the uniqueness of the dish, the quality, and the price point, I'm not sure if I'd return because I thought the food to be just average. The most worth it dish was the fried chicken in my opinion. SERVICE: this was the best part of the restaurant. Service was very attentive and they gave some great wine recs too AMBIANCE: it's faena, so expect it to be pretty

Unicorn
Essie L.

Food: unique, full of flavors and textures, good variety Service: responsive and helpful Ambiance: huge unicorn centerpiece with palm tree wallpaper in a dark environment

Salmon
Claire S.

We had an incredible dinner at Pao. From the moment we walked in the restaurant, the service was impeccable. Our waitress, Olga, helped pace the meal perfectly, and she made outstanding recommendations. The few pieces of salmon I ordered were outstanding--even though there are other more "interesting" dishes on the menu, the fresh fish here is worth ordering. I'd also highly recommend the bread service, as well as the cucumber salad and the fried chicken (especially paired together). I will honestly dream about the cucumber salad. For dessert, you can't go wrong with the corn ice cream sando. Yes, it sounds strange, but it is delicious. Pao is a lively and beautiful restaurant, so it's perfect for a fun group dinner or a date night. I can't wait for our next meal here!

Elyka A.

Lovely experience here, great service and food that can be accommodated for a gluten allergy. Nice large outdoor terrace for when weather is nice. Will definitely return when in town.

Deconstructed vegan flan
Rajiv K.

Actually made reservations at a sister Faena restaurant, which to my surprise didn't honor a miami spice menu they had on their website. That turned out to be a happy little accident, because I ended up at Pao. The interior is very classy. Well spaced out. Good aesthetics. They have an outdoor terrace as well, but it was closed tonight. The place had a good flow of traffic and a great supporting staff. Lead server Vlad took amazing care of us from attentiveness to menu guidance, and the second server was very detailed and helpful as well. Food was presented nicely, with good plating. Used plates and silverware were refreshed regularly by default. Ingredients such as the fish and spices were of high quality and the uniquer, yet familiar recipes hit the spot. They were able to handle my dairy sensitivity without any issue and honored the miami spice menu. Bathrooms were clean and kept clean throughout. Upon reseating napkins were folded and seat tucked in. Highly recommend and would return. A true five star experience.

Dessert

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5 days ago

Fabulous dining experience. Service was impeccable. Highly recommend the chicken, scallop, and king crab greens.

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Beautiful place and amazing food. Best service ever by the way. I definitely recommend this place and for sure will be back.

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Pao Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Pao

Is it ok to bring our 4 yr old daughter here? She dined at some fine dining restaurant here in LA before?

Yes you can bring your daughter if she has a taste palette for the resto. The staff is super friendly and accommodating and I'm sure will do well with well behaved children.

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

Jaya at The Setai

Jaya at The Setai

3.9
(851 reviews)
0.9 mi
$$$$

Came here for a fabulous brunch on Father's day. Made the…read morereservations in advance through an app and appreciated the valet ready in the front. We had comfy couch seating next to the live jazz band and the picturesque water decor. The place is spacious but gets crowded. Our server was the best as there was no need for anything. He came with it all before even asking. The food was absolutely delish and the variety was abundant. There was every variety available it seemed and everything from omnivore and vegetarian and everything in between existed. From fresh seafood, to dim sum to sliders, to the fresh meat, fish and lamb cooked to your choice and brought to you. There was also caviar, crepes, fresh made to order eggs and omelets, sliders, fruit, fresh sushi, and it just goes on and on. Not to mention all the desserts...from the Basque cheesecake to carrot cake, to matcha, I mean you really get all that and entertainment in a beautiful setting. They also gave out free hats to all the Father's. My family and I enjoyed pur full bellies and the whole ambiance of brunch. You must come!

Was there on a Sunday for a business dinner, sat at the bar first for an amazing experience. Your…read morebartender lady was very professional and very courteous. We proceeded to go to the outside dining room area where we sat around the center water site, the dinner was outstanding so was the service. Also the value for the experience was very fair. I will definitely be coming back. This place is an example of good service, beautiful location and great value Other restaurants in the Miami Beach area should take note.

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Jaya at The Setai
Scottish Salmon
Scottish Salmon
Vegetarian Curry

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Vegetarian Curry
Nobu Miami

Nobu Miami

3.5
(1k reviews)
0.8 mi
$$$$

It was always a dream of mine to visit Nobu and live out my inner Drake experience. We decided to…read morehave our mini-moon at Eden Roc so this was the time to finally splurge and try out Nobu since it's located inside. First, let's talk ambiance. The place is absolutely beautiful. Just walking in you feel like you have been exported to a Miami design Asian inspired dream. It's very dimly lit which is honestly a vibe. It's romantic and intimate. There's some chill house playing in the background. Depending on where you sit you get a view of the sushi chefs making the food so ver authentically Asian. Honestly the vibe carries a lot of the experience. Now - I was not a huge fan of our waitress. We expressed we just got married and she kind of treated it like it was just another day at the office. Which valid for her - but for us this is a special outing and I would have preferred to be treated accordingly and given some guidance as she knew it was our first time here. Definitely a big reason I knocked off a star. The drinks were DELICIOUS. I love a good cocktail that gets you tipsy, has a medley of flavors, and makes you forget that there's alcohol. So definitely I can imagine Happy Hour being lit at Nobu. Now for the food. Honestly it was 50/50 for me. Again, I'm being critical given this is a pricier experience. The Dry Miso Whitefish and the Crispy Tuna were AMAZING and enough to make me want to come again. However, the item I was most excited for was the Wagyu Dumplings and it was MID. I was like did I just pay $50 for ground beef?? It was the most expensive item and probably the worst IMO. The vegetable tempura was perfectly breaded but lacked any flavor. So overall, Nobu is a great date night experience but you need to know what to order and what to avoid so you don't just throw money out the window. And don't expect special treatment because you're spending money because everyone else is too I guess. Perhaps if we were Drake and Cardi B our experience would be different... I'm excited to try Nobu in Atlanta (our hometown) to see how the experience holds up.

I absolutely love Nobu! The fact that there's a hotel too, so fun…read more The staff has been so kind and allowed me and my coworkers to eat without a reservation! The host and manager allowed for us to have a quick bite and that really made the beginning of dinner start so well. I always order the yellowtail and my daughter loves the steak skewers. I got the "rock seabass" which is TO DIE for. The ambiance is fantastic, right next to the ocean and the energy in the room is fantastic. Bustling. It is on the pricier side but it is well worth it. Parking is found in the valet area.

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Nobu Miami
Nobu Miami
Nobu Miami

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Hakkasan - Miami

Hakkasan - Miami

4.0
(1k reviews)
0.7 mi
$$$

Hakkasan is quite a special restaurant. If you're looking for a very high end dim sum experience,…read morethis is the place. The ambiance is moody and sexy. The service is top notch with extreme attention to detail. We were celebrating my friend's birthday so we went all out and did the Taste of Hakkasan Prix Fixe menu for $175. It was so much food but everything was phenomenal. I especially enjoyed the duck, all of the dumplings, the sea bass and beef tenderloin. But the flavors were great in every dish. Between the two of us, we had a ton of leftovers which wasn't ideal as we were staying in a hotel. We asked for a mini fridge and munched on the very expensive leftovers it in between activities. Although it was extremely pricey, we had a lovely experience and I'd love to go back when feasible.

By far the worst dining experience we've had at Hakkasan, especially on Mother's Day. I was excited…read morethey brought back brunch on sat and sun so I chose to celebrate Mother's Day here. The service was incredibly slow, and our waiter Juan Pablo was unfriendly and completely inattentive throughout the meal. He made Mother's Day brunch at Hakkasan a bad experience. The restaurant wasn't even half full, yet it took forever just to place our order, have dishes cleared, and get drink refills. On top of the poor service, the brunch menu has become extremely limited. They no longer offer the dim sum platters as pictured in the advertisement and many of our favorite dishes including the venison and pumpkin puffs are no longer on the menu. We loved bringing our parents here for dim sum and to celebrate special occasions, but after today, this will definitely be our last visit. What should have been a special Mother's Day celebration ended up being a huge disappointment.

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Hakkasan - Miami
Hakkasan - Miami
Dim Sum basket (Miami spice menu 2022).

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Dim Sum basket (Miami spice menu 2022).
Paperfish Sushi

Paperfish Sushi

4.4
(325 reviews)
1.5 mi
Takes reservations
Large group friendly

We visited this restaurant on Valentine's Day and were so pleasantly surprised by how incredible…read moreeverything was. From the moment we arrived, the ambiance and location created the perfect atmosphere for a special evening. The food truly exceeded our expectations. I highly recommend the Miso Black Cod -- it was phenomenal and had the same rich, buttery texture as Chilean sea bass. Absolutely delicious. The Wagyu Burger was also outstanding -- freshly ground, high quality, and cooked perfectly. We also tried one of their sushi rolls topped with miso and filled with fresh tuna and salmon, and it was incredibly fresh and beautifully prepared. You can really taste the quality in every bite. Our server (I didn't catch her name -- an Asian woman, possibly in her 40s) was wonderful and made our experience even more enjoyable with her attentive and warm service. We truly loved this place and are already looking forward to coming back, especially to explore more of their sushi menu. Highly recommend!

Better of the options in south beach since it is not cliche of a place for the tourists visiting…read morethe area. They need to be a good sushi place to survive in this area but again like most places in the area charge 20% gratuity. This makes employees feel entitled and lose motivation to give good service. These are subsidies for the company to pay employees. The ambiance is actually good for this area. I would give 5 stars if the prices were more reasonable or if they actually had spectacular food. In any other city this would be decent sushi at half the price.

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Paperfish Sushi
Salmon Sake Nigiri
Salmon Sake Nigiri
Passion fruit martini

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Passion fruit martini
Salty Flame

Salty Flame

4.3
(272 reviews)
5.4 mi
Happy hour specials
Takes reservations

Salty Flame in Brickell??? Yeah... they did what needed to be DONE…read more We came for happy hour and accidentally had a full spiritual experience through appetizers. First of all, the vibes were immaculate. We sat outside and it was so peaceful at first because I think we were literally the first people there for happy hour/lunch. It felt like we unlocked a secret level before the crowd came. Perfect weather, great energy, good music, cute scenery... very "main character with a discounted cocktail" energy. Now let's talk FOOD. Every single dish we ordered was SO flavorful. Like somebody in that kitchen actually believes in seasoning and I just want to personally thank them for their service. Even the fries??? And let's have a serious conversation because not all fries deserve rights. Especially those thick overly battered fries that feel like you're chewing on drywall. These fries were thin, crispy, flavorful, perfectly seasoned... exactly how fries should be. No unnecessary jacket on them. Just vibes. The tuna tartare was AMAZING. Fresh, flavorful, light, addictive. I could've ordered another one and acted like it was "for the table." The calamari was cooked perfectly too. Nice and airy, tender, not rubbery. You know how some calamari fights back when you chew it? Not this one. Peaceful calamari. The edamame with the chunky sea salt was weirdly one of my favorite things. So simple but SO good. And the Korean wings??? BABY. Those were "cancel your evening plans and order another round" wings. We don't say "to die for" anymore because positivity, growth, healing... but let's just say I would dramatically think about those wings again later. The drinks were great, the prices during happy hour honestly felt fair, and our waiter was SO sweet and attentive the entire time. Overall, I would absolutely come back. Honestly, if my responsibilities would allow it, I'd pull up to this happy hour every day like it's a part time job!

Four of us came here for dinner on a Friday, in town for a cruise. The place is nice inside, the…read morebar area was crowded but the main dining area was empty. Also, people kept strolling in, looks like they have a private back area. People were interestingly dressed and kept taking photos near the back. The service was okay, it felt like the food took long to come out, considering there weren't a lot of diners there. Two of us had the picanha, it was good but it was à la carte, so I ordered potatoes with like a chili oil topping as a side. Split that with my daughter who ordered the mahi mahi and really enjoyed the mahi. The last person in our party ordered a chicken dish, I think it might have been Asian style; she said it was okay.

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Salty Flame.
Salty Flame.
Salty Flame.
Salty Flame.
Salty Flame.

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Salty Flame.
Sushi Bichi

Sushi Bichi

4.8
(280 reviews)
3.6 mi
$$$

Sushi Bichi is an answer to much of what ails the restaurant field in Miami. Unpretentious, vibey,…read morewarm, incredible value, great food. Everyone on the staff was smiley, friendly and helpful. The Happī Hour menu stands out as one of the best values in the area. I had 2 Classic Mojitos, Shrimp Cocktail, Lumpia Shanghai Roll, Pinoy BBQ Skewers and Kurobuta Corn Dogs from the Happī Hour menu. From the full menu, I had Salmon Tiradito, and the Chocolate Smores Cake a La Mode for dessert. Standouts for me were the Salmon Tiradito which had a beautiful presentation. It comes plated like a work of art with gooseberry, fresno chili, annatto oil, mustard oil, sea salt, white nikirisoy aioli. Wish I had taken a photo. This is the only place I ever order corn dogs (and I ALWAYS order them here) which are made with a Japanese sausage and come with a special spicy mustard that gives it an interesting, gourmet kick. Don't go heavy on the mustard if you're sensitive to spice. Hot! I am told the Chocolate Smores Cake a La Mode is inspired by the owner's son, and it is magnificently-plated and delicious. This is not the campfire version of S'mores. This is the haute cuisine version. You cannot beat Sushi Bichi on quality of food and experience for the price, especially during the Happī Hour which runs 4-6:30pm. You can walk onto the beach after your meal, if you'd like. It's right there. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! Parking tip: there is a large public lot on Collins Avenue around the corner that I've always found a spot in. Short walk to Sushi Bichi.

Food was 10 out of 10. Fresh, flavorful, balanced. Subtle and yet popped. The Sazeko roll (I think…read moreit was) was our favorite. The cilantro cream was a perfect touch. So good that we had to order a second roll. This is also the perfect opportunity to try some prime fish cuts, like otoro and chutoro. Ughhhh it melts in tour mouth. Octopus was also really great! Rainbow roll was also great. We also got the oyster mushroom skewer and the eggplant skewer. Eggplant skewer absolutely outshined the other one. Totally get the eggplant. Dessert was great! Matcha tres leches was a stunner. Mochi came with 4 flavors, banana, passion fruit, mango, and birthday cakes. Best was birthday cake and banana. Ralph was our server. Great presence. Down to earth. Seemed to be having a great time! Also this place qualified for the chase sapphire reserve $150 dining credit. And this place is absolutely worth raking up a bill!

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Nice clean bathrooms!
Nice clean bathrooms!
Happy hour oysters
Happy hour oysters
Crispy rice spicy tuna

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Crispy rice spicy tuna

Pao - asianfusion - Updated July 2026

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