Queen Miami Beach is now the restaurant to top . Its décor is stunning, over the top, but in a stylish way. It exudes glamour, as in Hollywood in its heyday. The food we had was delicious, beautifully presented, and the service friendly and attentive. We went on a Tuesday, just under two months after opening, and the place was full. Miami is loving it. Yes, it’s pricey, comparable to the most expensive restaurants in the city, but it’s worth it. And then there’s a way you can check it out for a lot less.
On the 5th street corridor of Miami Beach, Queen is in the iconic Paris Theater, built in 1945 by famed Art Deco architect Henry Hohauser. The Theater has graced album covers and music videos of Madonna, U2, J. Lo, Christina Aguilera, and Ricky Martin. The entrance still has its marquis, no mistaking the theater provenance. Walk in the door and past posters of movies of Hollywood legends. They would have been right at home here.
Architect and Interior Designer Carlos Rodriguez of Escala Forma did a brilliant job of preserving the look and feel of this Art Deco gem, while imbuing it with a Hollywood glamour. As he said, experiencing it is like a journey, beginning with walking past posters of films of what some call the heyday of Hollywood, then on through a winding passageway, coming upon the Salon and Bar with its plush velvet sofas and chairs in rich Bordeaux, deep blues and rose pink with Art Deco designs and architectural details.
Past the bar enter the Main Dining Room, with 32 foot ceilings, dramatic lighting reminiscent of a stage set, brass detailing, maximalist colors, and chandeliers, both modern and vintage Murano. I had to stop and gaze at the visual splendor before going to our table. My eyes swept over the room and focused upon a dramatic 20 foot high “Iris” made of teak and gold leaf with a fabric wrapped LED light that is the focal point of the intended journey.
The “iris” is above the stage where an entertainer performs nightly. Along the walls, the arches of the tiered balconies remain, where I envisioned well-dressed patrons enjoying their evening at the theatre. Now, one side is a private room with its own entrance, so even the experience of reaching the room is private. In the corner of the main dining room is a porthole type window from which eight diners enjoying the thirteen course Omakase can look out on the restaurant below. Leather banquettes and plush velvet chairs seating 280 and marble and gold tables are well spaced, so there’s a sense of intimacy yet spaciousness.
Chef Julien Jouhannaud, who has overseen several Michelin-starred restaurants in New York and most recently led the culinary teams at Annabelle’s in London, serves as Queen Miami Beach’s Chief Culinary Officer with local Chef Mitchell Hesse, leading as Queen Miami Beach’s Executive Chef. Together, the pair has created a curated menu that marries French techniques with Japanese ingredients The restaurant is helmed by Mathieu Massa, founder of Mr. Hospitality who also oversees Marion and El Tucan.
The menu features classic favorites, but also dishes you seldom find in other leading restaurants now. The sections and some of the less usual dishes include: snacks and small plates such as house smoked bacon ($21); raw bar including a carpaccio surf n’ turf with king crab ($44); sushi and sashimi; maki; omakase; and morikase; Sea and Land including dishes of robata duck a l’orange ($42), hot pot ($65) and robata grilled iberico pork pluma ($49); Butcher Reserve with USDA ($63-$88) and Wagyu ($195 and up to an A5 bone in ribeye ,44 oz for $1100), to which you can add miso plum foie gras and black truffle; sides such as eringi cacio e pepe ($16-$21); and desserts including baked Alaska ($18) and a divine frozen fruits platter served in the actual fruits ($65).
We’ll have to try those next time, as the night we went we had the 10 course chef’s Omakase tasting ($195). Everything we had, a winning combination of vegetables, fish, and one meat dish, was very fresh, of quality ingredients, and tasted like it was made to order. Several dishes are brought out at a time, though diners can choose how they want them to be spaced. But you need to keep in mind that, as other very high end restaurants in town, there’s a two-hour window for dinner.
Dishes included their riff on avocado tart with thinly sliced avocado with a delicate seasoning on a wonderful cracker (all crackers are not created equal), lightly battered and fried oyster mushrooms, tuna nigiri, Japanese eggplant miso with black garlic sauce, crispy shallots, red fresno peppers and cilantro microgreens. Then we went on to an entire filet of crispy and moist branzino that was topped with garlic chips, and asparagus with cilantro and coconut oil. The highlight of the menu was a huge oyster shell with all kinds of sashimi, nigiri and sushi. Meat dish was an oh so tender Wagyu filet with teriyaki sauce. And more – yellowtail aguachile, and beef tartare. Just when we thought the culinary show was over, out came the divine five frozen fruits platter – fresh fruit sorbets served in the fruit itself along with an accompanying chocolate souffle.
And here’s the way to check out Queen Miami Beach for less. Diners can go to both the bar in the Salon, and the other in the main restaurant. The latter also serves light bites including a raw bar, sushi, and caviar until 10:30 p.m. – a large selection- most priced in the twenties. Cocktails are $18-$22, a glass of wine starts at $16 and bottles start at $60 though most cost three figures.
Queen Miami Beach is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 6 pm until late. Note that there is loungy music that, as the night goes on, picks up in volume, so go early if you want a quiet conversation. It is located at The Paris Theater | 550 Washington Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139. Valet Parking is available in the front entrance and public parking garages located at 555 Washington Ave. and 500 Collins Ave. For more information, visit: queenmiamibeach.com or follow @queenmiamibeach on Instagram.
One Response
Thank you for a delightful and descriptive review. And thank you again for the tip!
It would be great to just go for a drink and a snack and take in all the glamour.