Note Feb.5, 2025: Pickle was sold and is now Babylon. The decor is the same and the food is Turkish, with some of the same menu items as before though with a reduced menu. The chef and kitchen team are new. I went there recently and enjoyed it.

We felt transported to one of Istanbul’s  fine dining restaurants at Pickle in South Beach with its attractive modern décor with warm lighting and glam touches with crystal chandeliers gracing the bar and leopard wallpaper; delectable menu of Turkish, Greek and Armenian dishes; and friendly and professional service that can rival that of any of Miami’s finest. We couldn’t wait to go back—and we did, a week later.

Pickle Miami is the first US outpost of Turkish culinary and entertainment visionary Izzet Capa who has opened more than 80  restaurants, clubs and bars in Turkey. With 200 seats spaced over a bar area, a dining room and garden courtyard with a retractable roof, they did more than dip their feet into the Miami market. They went all out.

The kitchen is under the talented direction of  Chef Yilmaz Guney whose Mediterranean cuisine offers classic and non traditional  dishes.The menu is divided into cold mezzes, salads, hot mezzes, from the oven, main courses, signatures, from the sea and desserts.

We started with their signature lagrimas  picante cocktail which I saw in an advance look at their food and beverage photography and decided it was a “must”. Good choice. Made with Desolas mezcal, Cointreau triple sec, mango, pisco, sweet and sour mix and spicy pickle sauce, it had an exciting balance of sweet and spicy with a frothy consistency. There’s also an intriguing Turkish coffee martini which we plan to try next time.

Choosing from among almost two dozen appealing mezzes was tough. Should we go for an Armenian pilaki with buttery beans and root celery in a spiced tomato sauce,  their signature octopus carpaccio, lobster tempura  or perhaps aisha –garlic yogurt with golden fried beans with chili oil? Mr W ruled the day in this choice. It was the aisha which was tasty, uber creamy and went down like velvet.

Salads tend to be the same everywhere, but not here. Seeing the ingredients in the Pickle signature salad, we chose it – greens, Turkish Tulum cheese, cherry tomatoes, walnut and pomegranate seeds. Not only delicious, it gave us a great new idea for an attractive and delicious salad for a dinner party.

If you’ve never had Turkish manti dumplings, order them. The tiny beef filled dumplings topped with caramelized tomato sauce, garlicky yogurt, sumac and dry mint, are a real  refined treat. Since we’ve had them before, we opted for the Pachanga borek which was one of the stars of the evening. The thin, crispy and buttery phyllo dough is wrapped around a savory filling of cured beef, fresh kashkaval cheese, tomatoes and green peppers, and then fried to a golden crisp. We devoured it, and will surely order it when we go back.

A dish we haven’t seen at any Turkish restaurant, but we were told that Turks say its quality is a test of a good restaurant is the Lahmacun, a crispy thin flatbread topped with spiced ground beef, fresh parsley and savory onions. The chef said their Turkish clients praise the quality here.  There also was an assortment of pide which are like pastry boats filled with anything from cheese to different meats, and is one of our favorites.

For mains there are all manner of kebabs and skewers which we can never resist, done very well here. We had the lamb chops which didn’t disappoint in their flavor or tenderness, and the adana kebab of wood charcoal grilled savory minced beef and lamb served with lavash bread, roasted tomato and green pepper. No doggie bag for us on these, we ate them all. Had we not had so much to eat before the mains, we would have ordered the vali kebab which is a sampler of chicken skewers, lamb chops, adana kebab and shashlik. Next time.

Besides meats, there’s also an assortment of fish including salt baked branzino.

Desserts ranged from profiterole and Turkish pumpkin dessert to baklava and boutgatsa filo pastry filled with sweet custard and served with ice cream.

Besides signature and tradtional cocktails and mocktails, there’s a varied wine offering including Turkish and Greek wines. A glass (5 ounce pour) starts at $14 and bottles at $55.

And before I forget, remember to try their own branded olive oils they serve on the table. They’re really exceptional.

We went on a Tuesday night (from 7:30 to 10), the noise level was perfect for conversation. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday there’a a DJ and singer starting at 9 p.m. I asked the chef about the noise level on weekends. He said not to fear. “In Turkey we enjoy our food first and then party”. We liked that.

For a glass of wine each, two mezzes, two main courses and one dessert expect to pay about $160 plus tax and tip.

Pickle Miami  is open  7 days a week from 5 pm. to 1 a.m. There’s a municipal parking lot a block away. Pickle Miami, 560 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach. For more information, click here.