Editor’s note September, 2018: Perfecto is closed. In its location is Valentia, another Med restaurant, which I like. For the review, click here.

Who would be so bold as to name his restaurant “Perfecto”? The uber charming restaurateur Oscar Manresa explained that he chose the best dishes from his five Barcelona restaurants for the menu of this newly opened Brickell Avenue outpost, 1450 Brickell Avenue (T.305-372-0620)   The verdict? I found myself saying “perfecto” several times during my meal! Perfecto is a Gastrobar, named for combining gastronomy with a bar that’s a focal point.(Another fave of the genre is gastrolounge Haven). So here you find a large tapas menu as well as several large plates, a soon to be expanded list. We zeroed in on the tapas– highly creative in the Catalan tradition, absolutely delicious and artistically presented.  The tapas are large enough for two to share. For starters and on the “don’t miss list” were the salmon cones —a refined take on salmon tartar with petit pois and microgreens held in a crunchy cone (note, in a subsequent visit the order included one rather than two cones). The cones were served in a pebble filled metal pail as if they were flowers in a private garden. Next up was the marinated tomato tartare. A first sight you’d think it was a beef tartare as the tomatoes are finely chopped, molded, and garnished with fried onions and  thin slivers of crunchy breadsticks. A novel departure from the standard heirloom tomato salad that’s so in vogue.

Another wow presentation was the tuna tartare – quinoa, tuna and salmon roe served  in its own “perfecto” can as if it were caviar. One of our favorite dishes was the perfectly fried and super fresh langostinos (large shrimp) with an accompanying Romesco  sauce (red pepper base). If you had any doubts as to whether this was your typical traditional tapas bar and menu, it would be quickly dispelled with what looked like sushi roll, but was actually avocado and crab cannelloni, the outside lush, ripe avocado and the inside filled with crab. At this point we could hardly eat anymore, but vowed to try the sweet peas and snapper in papillote which we were glad we did. The stew like dish came in a transparent paper that is cut open tableside – satisfying and very tasty.  The crowning glory was an eye and mouth popping dessert,  strawberry ice cream 196 nitro, which came to the table smoking. The crumbly, delicately sweet crème catalan was a perfect counterpoint to the sweetness and tang of strawberry ice cream.

And now for the setting: soaring ceilings, walls paneled in a rustic light wood, abundant bouquets of red roses and white hydrangea, a casually chic ambiance, open kitchen and 360 degree bar. And best of all is the fabulous music – cool, loungey with just the right vibe and never overpowering. If they sold the CD of the music, I’d have bought one.

Tapas are priced from $5 to $16 and large plates from $15 to $85 (a 2.2 lb T-bone). Special lunch menus feature a chef’s cream of the day and daily specials with vegetables or potatoes for under $20.  There’s also a selection of vegetable sides and a wine list that does justice to Spanish wines. Café type seating is offered in an outside patio as well. Brickell Avenue really needed a restaurant like this. I  hope  it will be around for a long time and will be able to maintain the good service I found several weeks after opening,  as it will surely be one of my preferred spots.

Photo by William Oberheiser