The old man deserves a nice night out.
Miami is cooling off just enough to pretend the calendar’s about to roll over, and the lights strung along Biscayne, Flagler, and Lincoln have started blinking like they’re on evergreens — Christmas is coming for everyone, Christian or not. (The old man is not, though he admits he likes a decorated tree more than a plug-in menorah.) There’s nothing for him to do but hunker down and let the holidays blow over. A lifer in the South Florida grind, the old man has sweated through five decades of real estate headaches, refugee celebrities, gallery openings, zoning fights, and cigar-scented contracts signed over old fashioneds in any of a dozen dimly-lit bars. He’s done a few favors. He knows dives that no else remembers, and can wax rhapsodic over the free pickles on the tables at Wolfie’s when Meyer Lansky had a reserved table toward the back, or the drag queen swinging the iguana over drinkers’ heads at Mac’s Club Deuce. He knows the places where kitchen clatter mixes with laughter and reggaeton and the bars don’t have menus. But sometimes, you want to take someone out somewhere “nice,” right? Make it an occasion. An experience for an experienced man. A gift that a guy who’s gotten around would actually appreciate.
For a grateful Biscayne tippler, luckily, Miami has more than its fair share of Michelin-worthy spots for a holiday meal followed, naturally, by a nightcap even the old man would enjoy.
Everybody deserves at least one nice night out. Here are a few cool candidates that earned a star or two in the latest Michelin Guide.
BOIA DE IN LITTLE HAITI
(Boia De/Gabriela Ospina)
Gabriela Ospina, beverage manager at Boia De.
ONE STAR
The old man likes telling stories about how things used to be: Brickell before the towers, Ocean Drive before Versace. Boia De in Little Haiti is a reminder of a time when Miami could be fancy but unfussy.
The directions to the place on their website include: “You can find us under the neon pink exclamation point next to the Coin Laundromat.” People come here for the food (of course, but also the “terroir-driven” wine list, and one of the most creative cocktail selections in the county.)
“Chef Alex [Meyer] and Luciana [Giangrandi] like to say the restaurant came about naturally, as they built a restaurant inspired by the places they loved, and served the kind of food they wanted to eat themselves,” said beverage manager Gabriela Ospina.
With dishes like crispy tiramisu and drinks like The Jerboni (a kind of Negroni made with the aperitifs Fred Jerbis, Savoia, and Cap Corse), Boia De has become known as a place chefs come to for a night out. Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations are recommended because it’s not huge. You might have the meal of your life sitting right at the bar.
The drinks aren’t super-strong here, but they are delicious.
“Our restaurant works within the scope of low ABV ingredients, pushing our bar team to get creative,” said Ospina. “Our spritz riff was created by Shawn Giorgio, our bar lead. It's called the Snoop DOC, a coconut washed aperitif called Savoia served over orange granita and topped with dry Lambrusco.
“Our other bartender Lucy Hynes put together a confection of a cocktail called The Wormhole, with Madeira, black cardamom syrup, and Ango whip,” said Ospina, “every bit as composed as a full ABV cocktail can be, and you feel a lot better the next day.”
Something else for the stocking: The Boia De Wine Club.
“The wine list is centered around international varietals, boutique wineries, and sustainable/biodynamic/organic practices,” said Ospina. “There's everything from rare Burgundy to table wine from Georgia and everything in between.”
The club takes the picks of the list and packs them into a few options for monthly deliveries. Membership also comes with table reservations, invites to special events, and pairing
recommendations.
LE JARDINIER
(Miami Design District)
The ambience of Le Jardinier is something like an indulgent, mid-century greenhouse.
ONE STAR
L’ATELIER DE JOËL ROBUCHON
TWO STARS
Le Jardinier is a dining room created by Chef Joël Robuchon’s protégé, Chef Alain Verzeroli, which describes itself as “vegetable forward.” Eating or drinking there is a little like visiting a luxurious, mid-century modern greenhouse to sample tomorrow’s crops today. It’s bright and light and feels pleasantly healthy.
Some of the most indulgent things on the menu are plant-based ice cream and sorbets, though don’t be misled. There are also dishes like free-range chicken and beef-hanger steak on the menu alongside whatever herbs and vegetables are in season.
Ana Paula Moraes wants diners in both Le Jardinier and L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon to feel warmth and discovery.
In location and in origin, Le Jardinier sprouts beside L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, the only restaurant in South Florida to have earned two Michelin stars. Both restaurants feel different – L’Atelier is dark, rich, and indulgent, in contrast to the zippiness of Le Jardinier – but both are part of The Bastion Collection and share a behind-the-scenes crew.
“We want guests to feel an immediate sense of warmth and discovery,” said Ana Paula Moraes, the general manager and beverage program director. “We want our customers to take a vacation from the outside world.”
The drinks menu maintains that feeling of “new, different, and delightful” with offerings like a grown-up Orangina, made with Grey Goose L’Orange vodka, St-Germain, mandarin, and lime; and a Nut Cracker, made from Angel’s Envy bourbon fat-washed with walnuts, Jelinek fernet, demerara syrup, blood-orange bitters, and walnut bitters.
“We focus on seasonality, visual beauty, and the way each cocktail complements the dishes and atmosphere,” said Moraes. “Every drink is designed to tell a story, connecting the artistry of the kitchen with the creativity behind the bar. We’ve turned weeknights into a reason to go out again. On Wednesdays, you can experience Jardin Sessions with live jazz and curated cocktails – and from Tuesday through Friday, L’Apéritif is all about great drinks and bar bites.”
(The Bastion Collection)
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, South Florida’s only two-Michelin-star restaurant, was inspired by interactive sushi bars and tapas-style service.
The late Chef Robuchon was inspired to create his modern French studio-restaurant by looking at sushi bars in Japan and tapas eateries in Spain – places where the dining process looks a lot like what happens at a cocktail bar. The cocktails, in turn, take some inspiration from the food, using local flavors and seasonal ingredients to make something special.
(The Bastion Collection)
The Pain Au Chocolate is a winter cocktail infused with the warmth of a buttery chocolate croissant (literally).
Lead mixologist Daniel Niño provides an example: “The Pain Au Chocolate is a signature Scotch-based cocktail,” he says. “We start by fat-washing the Scotch with toasted croissants for 24 hours to infuse the butter; after removing the excess fat, we mix it with cocoa nibs, tea, and chocolate liquor. Finally, we present it on a rocks glass with a chocolate coin and a petite croissant.”
A chocolate croissant in a glass wouldn’t be a bad way to help the old man ring in another year. A nice night in Miami – time and taste, sea breezes and local flavor – isn’t really my gift to give. But at least I can try to pay the old man back for all the Miami living he’s shared with me.
MICHELIN STAR RESTAURANT LOUNGES
Boia De
5205 NE 2nd Ave, Miami
786-209-6310
Le Jardinier
151 NE 41st St., Suite 135, Miami
786-376-0830
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon
151 NE 41st St., Suite 235, Miami
305-402-9070
Grant Balfour is a Miami Beach native, writer, editor, traveler, musician, bon vivant and our official Biscayne Tippler.
