We’ve Got The Miami Beach Party and Reservations You Need For Art Week
Presented by
Chase Sapphire
There's a lot to keep track of at Art Week, from art fairs and concerts, to parties and whether or not NFTs are still a thing. But, you'll also want to eat some of Miami’s best food. That's where we can help. On Thursday, December 7th, we’re turning the Americana Lawn at Loews Miami Beach Hotel into the dinner party of the year—a collaboration between Miami icon Los Felix and Mexico City’s legendary Contramar. At this sold out event, get your fill of ceviche and tostadas at the raw station, dance your way to the taco station for grilled meats and vegetables, and keep the party going with curated desserts, cocktails, and wine.
This is Miami, so the party doesn’t stop there. Chase Sapphire Reserve cardmembers are invited to join us at The Infatuation's Dining Concierge in the Chase Sapphire Lounge on Friday, December 8th and Saturday, December 9th from 11am to 3pm, where we’ll help you book exclusive dinner reservations at seven of our favorite Miami Beach restaurants. It’s not a Chase Sapphire experience without food, so we’ve also curated selections from local hotspots Krüs Kitchen and Los Felix for you to enjoy while you wait. For the full experience, grab some of Peel’s banana-based soft serve and stop by ChillHouse for a manicure to cap off the perfect weekend.
As always, we’ll also be there to give expert restaurant recommendations for every situation—whether you're in the mood for Italian, want sushi at a chef’s counter, need a spot in South Beach, or just wish to feel like you're at a private dinner party. Check out the full list of restaurants we can help you book, with reservations only available with our concierge in the Sapphire Lounge during Art Week.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings
Even though the menu changes occasionally, we always know what to expect at Macchialina: Italian dishes (mostly pasta) that feel like a final draft, edited to near perfection without so much as one superfluous fragment of parmesan on the plate. Food aside, Macchialina is just always a thoroughly enjoyable experience—which makes it all the more valuable in South Beach, a neighborhood where it's too easy to have a thoroughly unenjoyable experience. But at Macchialina, the service is excellent, the drinks are great, and the restaurant's indoor and outdoor seating is exactly where you want to spend a night eating Miami’s best pasta.
Abba Telavivian Kitchen is an Israeli restaurant in South of Fifth that offers an excellent weekend brunch or lazy lunch—especially if it's a nice day and you want to eat outside. The brunch menu includes a great shakshuka or Jerusalem bagel, while the lunch menu has great options like crispy falafel and roasted local fish. But if you get stuck on the causeway and miss the 4:30pm lunch cut off, don’t turn around and go home. Dinner here is tasty too, especially if you order the shawarma spiced wagyu.
If you’re looking for a fancy night out in South Beach involving raw fish, you can’t go wrong with Azabu. It’s cozy and dim, with indoor and outdoor seating, as well as a special private dining room called The Den where the restaurant’s omakase takes place. If the tasting menu isn’t the move, you can still have a great dinner just ordering things like thinly-sliced sliced hamachi jalapeño and the nigiri platter a la carte.
Tropezón is an Andalusian gin and tapas bar on Española Way. And not only is it worth weaving through the street’s omnipresent crowd of tourists, but it’s one of our favorite spots in South Beach. The space—a 50/50 split between a bar and dining room—has a snug interior featuring lots of wood and legs of jamón hanging from the ceiling. In other words: exactly the kind of spot where you can spend a couple hours grazing on small plates and sipping gin. They have a selection of infused gin, ranging from mango to nori and shio kombu. The food menu is mostly tapas, like a yuzu kosho tortilla and pan con tomate, but there are also larger entrees like a coffee-rubbed ribeye and arroz al horno. Whether you come to drink or eat (or, ideally, both) this is the reservation to make next time you need a fun night out involving gin.
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings
Eating at 27 is like having an open invitation to the coolest house in Miami, where you can eat, drink, and never have to worry about making Old Fashioneds with crushed ice after running out of the four “good ice cubes” you have in your freezer. The two-story space has outdoor seating and a few dining rooms, each of which is furnished with the kind of vintage tropical decor that will make you feel like you’re eating in the house of a very hip abuela. The menu bounces from Florida to the Mediterranean with pit stops in Latin America, Korea, and the Atlantic ocean. It’s designed to be an ode to some of Miami’s great cultural influences. It’s good to prioritize seafood here—any crudo, ceviche, or daily catch is always delicious. But we’ve also enjoyed the kimchi fried rice, griot, and smoky jerk chicken with plantain hummus. The menu changes often, so there’s also a chance you might not see all of those dishes during your visit.
photo credit: Patrick Michael Chin
This spot is Permanently Closed.
Even though Miami is about as south as you can get in this country, good Southern American food is tragically hard to find. That’s why we really like South Beach’s Joliet—they don't overcomplicate the classics. You can get a plate of Johnny cakes with a side of pimento cheese and thick slices of ham. And there’s not a single truffle involved in the sweet cornbread. Joliet's crisp dining room is covered in art and plants, and the pool-side outdoor seating is lovely if it's nice out. Come here for a slightly more sophisticated South Beach option that’ll still deliver something good and fried.
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Orilla is a rare version of sexy South Beach, the one that lives in most people’s heads. The Argentinian restaurant is a place where you can dress up a little, sip martinis, and cut into a perfectly medium rare steak. When it comes time to order, focus on red meat and cocktails, because that’s what Orilla does best. Steak options include a New York strip, rib eye, bone-in prime rib, and the occasional special, like a huge tomahawk. The meat hits the table presented simply, with an edge-to-edge pink interior and a great chimichurri for dipping. Toss on a few sides like french fries provençal, mashed potatoes, or tender roasted Brussels sprouts. Or, if you come on a Sunday, get the parrillada special, a shareable platter and shrine to protein that comes with flank steak, New York strip, lamb chops, chorizo, and chicken.