The new Traymore Restaurant at Metropolitan by COMO,  2445 Collins Avenue (T.305-695-3600), is unlike most on South Beach. Not surprising since the hotel belongs to uber successful Asian hotelier Christina Ong who owns COMO Hotels, five star sanctuaries of the quietly rich and well traveled.  Probably their hotels you’ve heard of most are the private island resort of Parrot Cay in the Turks and Caicos and The Halkin in London. “Our restaurant is about the people you’re with, not about seeing and being seen,” said the hotel spokesperson. “Silence is the new luxury”, he continued.

The restaurant decor holds true to its Art Deco roots – interesting architectural details such as fluted columns and  a ceiling cut out with cloud pattern along with an elegant color scheme of  gray and white and some gorgeous crescent banquettes. The light is soft and flattering, the loungey music at just the right volume. The well curated menu where fresh, sustainable seafood stars is at the hands of Executive Chef Jonathan Lane. Raised on a farm in Kansas, growing up fishing and hunting, he knows first hand about Farm-to-Table and it shows.  He comes to the Traymore from high profile restaurants in Chicago, Dallas and New York.

If you’re a gin drinker, what’s billed as a Gin Bar alone should be on your “to do” list, what with its 40 different  choices, from an aged variety to craft offerings from Europe and the US.  The menu choices are creative, enticing to a one. There’s also a special  COMO Shambala wellness menu that’s on my list to try for lunch. I even identified the dishes I want to order – chilled soba noodles with raw yellowfin tuna, seaweed and avocado with Japanese inspired dressing and the seared spiced salmon with chopped cauliflower, quinoa and pomegranate salad with smokey eggplant puree.

Our starter was the jumbo sea scallops – fresh, tender and perfectly seared – with pumpkin puree, chanterelles, and a marsala wine reduction. No doubt about it, there’s a top saucier in the kitchen. It made my recent list as  one of the top 12 dishes of 2014.  Almost beating the scallops out for a top 12 was the cedar plank roasted swordfish with baby eggplant, fennel strands, lemon and toasted pine nut sauce. Swordfish can be bland at times; here the exciting, unusual sauce prompted Mr. W to call it a “knockout”.  Don’t expect predictable here. And so, the brussel sprouts with fried almonds and bacon were one of the better preparations I’ve had these days – flavorful, crunchy, a little piquant and bound to be a crowd pleaser with bacon lovers.

A very original take on cannelloni is my recommendation for dessert – shells made of sesame tuile with passion fruit cream and mango sorbet. The dessert menu also features COMO Shambala desserts, a cheese course,  and a well chosen selection of after dinner drinks and teas.

There’s outdoor seating as well on a terrace overlooking the beach path.
Starters average in the high teens; entrees range from $22 to $34; sides average $9; and desserts average $13. I also should point out a seafood plateau which seems to be in much vogue these days along with rawbars. It  not only includes the usual variety of shellfish but also ceviche.

www.comohotels.com/metropolitanmiamibeach/dining/traymore