Lafayette and Queen, owned and operated by Mr. Hospitality,  have been on my list for top spots in Miami and now, the renovated Marion, $4 million later, joins their exclusive club. It shares some of the features of the other two – the top chefs from Lafayette and thus the excellent cuisine; entertainment as at Queen (though more of it); and an attractive décor, fancy but less formal and more about fun and special celebrations.

If you’ve been to Marion in the past you won’t recognize this new iteration. You get an idea of what’s in store when you walk in and see an inviting bar to the right and past it the backlit wall of champagne. You’ll have the opportunity to see quite a few unique pieces, all for sale, such as A 6L bottle of Armand de Brignac Ace of Spades Champagne, known as a Methuselah, which is a rare and extravagant offering from the luxury champagne brand priced at $25,000, as well as 2 Jeroboams of Ace of spades Rosé (3L) sold around $16,000. The bottle design is a Signature metallic bottle with a hand-applied pewter Ace of Spades emblem.

The dining room itself isn’t that large, seating 280. There’s a main area and then a step up, the bottle area with plush banquettes. What you’ll notice is a number of large round tables of 8 to accommodate the small groups who come here for a celebration, but more on that later.

The menu features Mediterranean and Asian cuisine. The kitchen is presided over by executive chef  Kylian Goussot whose pedigree includes Michelin starred  restaurants  alongside luminaries like Joel Robuchon and Jean-Georges Vongerichten.We sampled some of their signature dishes starting off with a  delectable tuna pizzetta. Very thin crackers were topped with slices of uber fresh tuna seasoned with truffle aioli, shallots, jalapenos, and topped with cherry tomatoes ($29).

That came out with yellowtail crunchy tacos  filled with guacamole and microgreens that were among the best fish tacos I’ve had ($24). They take pride in their sushi which we sampled by way of yuzu Kosho Lobster:Smoked Lobster, Takuan, Cucumber, Avocado, Crispy Leeks, Beets Citrus Mayo ($28). .A surprise and welcome addition was one of my table’s favorites, the  hand chopped truffle prime beef steak tartare accompanied by potato chips that were shaped like crackers ($28).

For the main dishes we all raved about the branzino. They served the full steamed fish, moist, very flavorful, fresh, and handsomely presented ($51). Our friend couldn’t eat the pork ribs, a specialty (next time we’ll try it), so they sent us a perfectly grilled, tender and tasty prime skirt steak, a reminder that the kitchen which they share with Lafayette, does steak so well ($56 for 10 ounces). Accompaniments were the thin, house made truffle fries, ginger rice, and creamed corn which were all good (sides are priced in the teens).

Somehow we managed to find room for dessert, probably because they looked so tempting. It was obvious there was a French pastry chef in  the kitchen: Nelson Mendoca  who worked beside Alain Ducasse. We liked the sweet temptation sundae – ($34) Salted Caramel Ice Cream, Dulce De Leche, Caramelized Peanut.

Back to the entertainment. Besides the DJ, there are dancers that walk around the room as well as doing their thing atop a raised platform, blinging all the way. When there’s a party celebrating a special occasion, they pull out all the stops with the table dancing, flashing lights, a parade of the waiters and dancers, one carrying a lit up sign with the name of the person feted. And then there’s the mist that they did after 10 p.m. when the music kicks up.

Now if entertainment isn’t your thing and you prefer just to enjoy the food and have a quiet conversation, you can dine on the lovely outdoor terrace with its own bar seating 100 and best to arrive around 7 p.m.  As in many restaurants in Miami, the sound level picks up as the night goes on.

As a fine restaurant, of course they have a list of signature cocktails and mocktails with names like dirty dancing, wild things and basic instinct.  As you can imagine, there’s an extensive bottle. Wines by the glass start at $12 (happy hour) and bottles at $70. Cocktails range from $20-$26.

Marion Miami is open from Tuesday through Saturday from 7 p.m. to late. There’s also a private dining room seating up to 50. Valet parking is $25.

Marion Miami, 1111 SW 1^st Avenue, Miami.