AVRA Miami, the acclaimed Greek restaurant from NYC, is now open at The Estates at Acqualina™ in Sunny Isles Beach. The debut marks the fifth outpost for the more than two-decade-old brand that opened its first location on Manhattan’s East 48th Street in 2000. Today, it has two more Manhattan locales and another in Beverly Hills. The Miami outpost is a dining experience like no other, with a covered outdoor dining patio overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, AVRA Miami brings the laid back Greek Island vibes and cuisine to Sunny Isles Beach.
A collaboration between restaurateurs Nick Tsoulos, Nick Pashalis, and Marc Packer, Avra isn’t just a place to dine, it’s a destination that transports diners to the whitewashed islands of Greece with its setting and cuisine where incomparably fresh seafood, vegetables and hand-pressed extra-virgin olive oil are the stars.
Avra’s cuisine is inspired by the seaside tavernas dotted all over Greece’s coast and more than 200 islands. The menu offers iterations of fresh fish with familiar favorites such as branzino, red snapper and wild Dover sole as well rarer Mediterranean gems like fagri and lithrini.
Picking your seafood from the ice display that features in-season catch is a signature part of the Avra experience as is deciding how to enjoy it: have it grilled whole over charcoal, deboned and finished with Avra’s signature ladolemono sauce or baked in salt. Or try it raw as a carpaccio or in a ceviche.
Whole Fish
Vegetables and cheeses play a big role with salads such as the classic horiatiki with plump tomatoes, crisp cucumbers and creamy feta, and cooked dishes like spinach rice and baked saganaki cheese.
Avra’s most popular menu items include Avra Chips, paper-thin sliced zucchini and eggplant chips; Chilean Seabass Souvlaki; and Halloumi Cheese that’s grilled and drizzled with the brand’s own honey. Avra’s extra virgin olive oil, hand-pressed at a farm in Greece’s Peloponnese, plays a role in nearly every option on the menu.
Executive Chef Jose David Diaz created dishes that are unique to Avra Miami such as a ceviche with chickpeas and seasonal fruit in a leche de tigre sauce, mussels in a tomato garlic broth studded with crumbled feta, grouper en papillote and Dover sole meuniere with Ossetra caviar.
Designed by STA Architectural Group, AVRA Miami spans 12,000 square feet and has a 330-seat main dining room. The airy space is chic yet inviting with its floor-to-ceiling windows, high ceilings, white color tones and brass finishes. Diners will be able to hear the waves crashing while they eat alfresco and savor oceanfront views. The entryway features a bougainvillea intertwined pergola with the backdrop of three salt stone sculptures that evoke the beachfront setting and were designed by the renowned New York-based artist Fernando Mastrangelo.
Other design elements include a 22-seat, 360-degree bar and an expansive seafood display on ice- similar to ones found at traditional Greek markets. This sleek aesthetic was inspired by the Greek village of Nafpaktos, where Avra’s cofounder Nick Tsoulos was born and brought up.
The wine program at Avra is as impressive as the food with a list that includes more than 1,200 varieties and spans the globe. The highlight is Greek wine and top producers in the country who are increasingly getting international acclaim. But the list also pays homage to regions such as Burgundy, Bordeaux, Tuscany and Napa and features rare bottles like Harlan, Petrus, Romanee-Conti and Colgan. Less-discovered areas- Slovenia, Slovakia, Israel and more figure in too.
For those who want to imbibe by the glass or sip on several different selections, Avra has a robust by-the-glass menu with more than 30 choices.
Lobster Pasta
When it comes to spirits, Avra's options span in the hundreds and include 25 varieties- expect everything from bourbons, ryes, vodkas, gins and rums to tequilas and whiskies- the latter of which includes hard-to-find-American whiskies and Shibui Whisky from Japan, aged either 10, 15, 20 or 25 years. Greek spirits are part of the mix with ouzos and mastichas.
Cocktails are creative and a nod to Greece: Helios Heat with Creyente Mezcal, Diplomatico and fresh Spicy Mango; Santorini with Hendrick’s Gin, Crop Cucumber, Basil, Giffard Pamplemousse; and Cyprus Serpent with Maestro Doble Diamante, Combier Orange, Agave Lime.
Avra Miami is open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday from 5 to 11 p.m., followed by lunch and brunch to come. It is located at The Estates at Acqualina at 17945 Collins Ave, Sunny Isles Beach, FL 33160.
Images via Avra Miami