Michelin Starred Chef Michael Beltran's Ariete Hospitality Group Set To Open First Restaurant In Miami Worldcenter November 28

Buckle-up Miami, after nearly a decade of construction, Downtown Miami’s new $4 billion, 27-acre Miami Worldcenter mixed-use development, will welcome its first tenant on November 28 when Michelin Starred Chef Michael Beltran’s Ariete Hospitality Group (AHG) opens Brasserie Laurel. Brasserie Laurel will deliver upscale French-inspired Miami cuisine with a focus on local, seasonal ingredients and will provide a wide array of table-side service for some of their signature dishes. The quality of food preparation and service will be at the levels of Ariete where it is no secret that the drive is to deliver world-class hospitality and maintain the highest of standards.

Miami Worldcenter, which is currently coming alive in phases, will feature a diverse mix of residential, commercial and hospitality uses complemented by a total of 300,000 square feet of retail, restaurant, and entertainment space. Brasserie Laurel will join other recently announced tenants slated to open at Miami Worldcenter over the next year such as Sephora, lululemon, Savage x Fenty, Ray-Ban, Posman Books and Lucid Motors, as well as dining and entertainment concepts Bowlero, Sports & Social, and Chicago’s Maple & Ash and etta restaurants.

AHG is known for their growing family of restaurants and bars including Ariete (Michelin Star), Navé (Michelin Guide mention), Chug’s (Bib Gourmand recipient) and The Taurus all in Coconut Grove; The ScapeGoat in Miami Beach, and most recently The Gibson Room on Coral Way.

“We see Laurel as Ariete’s younger sister, and if I had to share one thing about the ideology behind this menu, it would be that it’s a new approach to French brasserie food. Think Frank Sinatra, Dizzy Gillespie, La Tour d’Argent in Paris. Music will be swanky; food will be refined, but unpretentious, and wine and cocktails will be plentiful,” said Chef Michael Beltran.

At the helm of the kitchen is Executive Chef Ashley Moncada, formerly Chef de Cuisine at Ariete, bringing in 8+ years of experience in the industry and who has been until most recently, an integral part of the Michelin awarded team at Ariete. Having worked in France, Australia, New Zealand, UK, and South Africa, Chef Ashley, at her young age, has gained world experience, from shopping and preparing fresh produce in the French Alps, to cooking in an African game reserve, her skills will certainly be an asset, and the driving force behind the brasserie’s kitchen.

From escargots, frog legs, and beef Wellington to crêpes Suzette, you will find these classic French dishes accompanied by full-bodied red Bordeaux, crisp Champagne, refreshing Sauternes, among other pairings. “The wine offering is unequivocally French, but not exclusively; you will also be able to find some Spanish and Italians among Old World style wines available at Laurel,” commented AHG Wine Director, Adrian Lopez.

The cocktail program embodies a theme that runs throughout AHG: reworking the classics in a way that no one else has, a way that makes them uniquely their own; it’s a signature style of AHG Beverage Director, Tom Lasher-Walker. Taking ingredients, in their purest form and transforming them into delectable cocktails, is unquestionably the epitome of fine drink making.

“My philosophy is always to bring inspiration from the classics and creating perfectly balanced beverages, those are the styles that will stand the test of time,” mentioned Walker. From two versions of the House Stinger (vodka or cognac), a Miami and French inspired - Beneath the Sheets- with aged rum and pineapple, to a late 1800’s beverage known as the Corpse Reviver Royal with gin, bubbles, and absinthe; and if absinthe hadn’t made enough of a come- back, then Brasserie Laurel will make sure to bring it back in style. The absinthe fountain, while not a novel contraption, will certainly be an entertaining element that you will find behind their bar.

Brasserie Laurel’s interior is inviting and elegant, yet youthful and incorporates a touch of classic French aesthetic. The dark wood, gold, and deep blue elements give it a polished and vibrant look that showcases the quality and finesse of the dining experience.

“Our team is thrilled to welcome our first restaurateur, Brasserie Laurel, to Miami Worldcenter. Ariete Hospitality Group exemplifies the quality of tenants and the experience we are curating for Miami Worldcenter’s residents and visitors,” said Nitin Motwani, Managing Partner of Miami Worldcenter Associates. “Bringing life to the retail, food and beverage, and entertainment components of Miami Worldcenter’s master plan is critical to transforming our 27-acre site into a thriving open-air destination, and we look forward to the group’s additional concepts slated to open soon.”

Laurel is located at 698 NE 1st Avenue Suite G-170 at the base of Miami Worldcenter’s Caoba residential tower along the development’s 7th Street pedestrian promenade. Also debuting at Miami Worldcenter over the coming months, adjacent to Laurel, will be two other AHG’s concepts, Chug’s Express and El Vecino. The ‘ventanita’ from Chug’s Express will serve Chug’s Diner favorites such as croquetas, pastelitos, and coffee from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Meanwhile, El Vecino will be a high-end first-class cigar bar serving a full liquor bar and light fare such as mussels, an assortment of meat and cheese, a grúyere burger, foie torchon, and a selection of snacks.

Miami Worldcenter is a new $4 billion mixed-use destination in the heart of Downtown Miami. As one of the largest private urban real estate developments currently underway in the United States, the project occupies 27 acres spanning ten city blocks and offers world-class retail, hospitality, commercial office and residential uses. Several phases of the project have already been completed and occupied, including three residential towers and a significant portion of the retail component, with a hospitality development slated to open by the end of 2022. The project is being developed by master developers Miami Worldcenter Associates, led by Principal Art Falcone and Managing Partner Nitin Motwani, in partnership with CIM Group.

Images via FujiFilmGirl

The Coconut Grove Restaurant Scene Is Buzzing Amid New Restaurant Openings Including A New Concept From David Grutman

Coconut Grove is alive and buzzing amid a variety of new restaurant opens that are bringing one of Miami’s most historic and beautiful neighborhoods back into its heyday. In December Major Food Group opened Sadelle’s, a breakfast-centric haven, power-lunch hotspot, and energetic dinner destination located in Park Grove at the former Tigertail + Mary space. Nearby, reclaiming its role as the epicenter of Miami’s Coconut Grove commercial district, the newly redeveloped CocoWalk is now 100% leased with the announcement of the new openings including The Key Club from David Grutman’s Groot Hospitality and a new concept from Ariete Hospitality.

The Key Club, which is set to open at CocoWalk in the upcoming weeks, is an energetic American grill. It’s menu will feature items such as seafood, steaks, salads and will offer a sushi component with an upbeat, party atmosphere. The restaurant is designed with nautical and nature vibes with indoor and outdoor seating. They are currently hiring for management, FOH and BOH positions. Groot Hospitality is the restaurant group behind Swan, Papi Steak, and Komodo, as well as nightlife destinations such as LIV.

Other recent openings include modern American restaurant Botánico Gin & Cookhouse, which opened in November, and Duck N’ Sum, a modern Asian restaurant serving classic flavors such as steamed bao buns and garlic noodles. Then, in December, Sushi Garage unveiled its unique culinary experience inspired by classic Japanese flavors created by Executive Chef Sunny Oh.

Ariete Hospitality Group, the culinary creators behind some of Coconut Grove’s most popular restaurants such as Ariete, Navé and Chug’s, will also open a new restaurant on property this year. Set to open in spring 2022 is Narbona Natural Foods & Farm Market, the 8,253-square-foot specialty market that will feature a butcher shop, fresh pastas, and a bakery along with a selection of gourmet cheeses, craft beers, wines, and coffees – all produced on its farms in South America. This will become Narbona’s second location to open in South Florida.

In addition to the new and exciting dining concepts, world-class cinema Cinépolis makes its highly anticipated debut with the opening of a brand-new movie theater this winter, marking the return of the neighborhood’s only movie theater.

“Our goal with the newly renovated CocoWalk is to reinvigorate the lifestyle destination and offer a more curated experience to those who live, work, and play in Coconut Grove,” said Michael Comras, CEO and President of The Comras Company. “The return of Cinepolis, the top shops already open and our upcoming restaurant debuts by several of Miami’s leading hospitality groups will further enhance the lifestyle, dining and shopping experience the new CocoWalk has to offer.”

The new restaurants join an already impressive and extensive line-up of curated national, regional and local concepts currently open at CocoWalk such as PLANTA Queen, Mister 01 Extraordinary Pizza, Sweetgreen and ice cream outpost Salt & Straw.

Images via CocoWalk

The First Restaurants Opening In Downtown Miami's $4 Billion Miami WorldCenter Megaproject Are Announced

The first four restaurants coming to Miami Worldcenter, the $4 billion, 27-acre mixed-use development transforming the heart of Downtown Miami, have been announced. The development’s ownership has completed leases with Chicago-based steakhouse Maple & Ash, set to open its first location in Florida; etta, a neighborhood restaurant centered around a wood-fired hearth; Laurel Brasserie and El Vecino, both concepts by Miami chef Michael Beltran. The leases combine to over 30,400 SF of indoor and outdoor space along Miami Worldcenter’s open-air entertainment promenades and mark the first tenants to lease space in Miami Worldcenter. All four concepts are expected to open in 2022.

“Our team is thrilled to unveil a stellar lineup of restaurants opening at Miami Worldcenter, with Maple & Ash, etta, Laurel Brasserie and El Vecino setting the tone for what’s to come. These restaurants exemplify the quality of the tenants and the experience we are curating for Miami Worldcenter’s residents and visitors,” said Nitin Motwani, Managing Partner of Miami Worldcenter Associates. “Bringing to life the retail components of Miami Worldcenter’s master plan is critical to transforming our 27-acre site into a thriving open-air destination, and we look forward to announcing additional retail concepts in the coming weeks and months.

The lavish Maple & Ash offers a modern take on a traditional steakhouse. Two-time Michelin-star Chef Danny Grant presents classic wood-fired dishes while offering diners an elegantly seductive experience. At Maple & Ash’s original Chicago location, the restaurant’s wine list has been named “one of the most outstanding in the world” by Wine Spectator. Maple & Ash will be located along World Square at the corner of Miami Worldcenter’s 7th Street promenade and NE 1st Avenue, and will occupy 15,000 SF of indoor and outdoor space, with ground floor and second floor seating.

Developed by the creative team behind Maple & Ash, etta is a neighborhood restaurant that serves delicious wood-fired dishes, from gourmet pizzas and warm focaccia to crisp seasonal salads and family-style shared pig and lobster picnics. Just as the kitchen is the focal point of interaction within a home, etta’s open kitchen design gives guests the same intimate experience. With two existing locations in Chicago, each etta location features a wood-burning brick oven and a giant wood-fired hearth for spit roasting and grilling. Located along the eastern side of the 7th Street Promenade, etta will feature approximately 11,000 SF of indoor and outdoor space across two levels.

Local Miami Chef Michael Beltran, a 2020 James Beard Foundation Awards “Best Chef: South” semifinalist, will bring his new dining concept, Laurel, to Miami Worldcenter. Laurel will offer diners a novel take on a French brasserie with hints of Chef Beltran’s Cuban influence, which is evident across his multiple concepts, including his revered Ariete. In addition to Beltran’s inventive French-Cuban fare, guests will be able to enjoy a limited selection of Cuban treats from popular Coconut Grove diner Chug’s. The casually chic restaurant will occupy 2,800 SF of indoor and outdoor space on the ground floor of Caoba, Miami Worldcenter’s apartment tower, at the corner of the 7th Street promenade and NE 1st Avenue.

Also developed by the Ariete Hospitality Group, El Vecino will be a high-end first-class cigar bar serving a full liquor bar and light fare such as head cheese croquetas, an assortment of meat and cheese, and pastelitos by Pastelito Papi. The venue will occupy approximately 1,600 SF of indoor and outdoor space joining Laurel on the ground floor of Miami Worldcenter’s Caoba apartment tower.

Retail leasing at Miami Worldcenter is led by The Comras Company, a leading, boutique real estate firm providing retail leasing, asset sales, consulting and development advisory services throughout South Florida. The leasing team is comprised of Michael Comras, Jeff Evans and Michael Silverman.

“Projects of this size, scale and caliber don’t happen often, not in Miami and not anywhere else in the country,” said Michael Comras, president of The Comras Company. “Miami Worldcenter sits just off the intersection of the two busiest highways, surrounded by various modes of public transit, steps from the most prominent cultural institutions in the city, and the FTX arena. That, coupled with downtown Miami’s exponential growth and the influx of domestic and international residents moving in the last year, makes Miami Worldcenter the most appealing location for businesses to invest in.”

As the largest private development underway in Florida, Miami Worldcenter will feature a diverse mix of residential, commercial and hospitality uses complemented by approximately 300,000 SF of retail, restaurant and entertainment space. These include two completed residential buildings: the 60-story Paramount Miami Worldcenter condominium and the 43-story Caoba luxury apartment tower. Approximately 150,000 SF of retail has been completed with tenant build-out work set to commence in 2021, and another 130,000 SF is currently under construction and nearing delivery. Construction is nearing completion at ZOM’s 43-story Bezel Miami Worldcenter residential tower and at the 351-room citizenM hotel, both of which are expected to open later this year.

Miami Worldcenter occupies 10 city blocks within walking distance of Museum Park, home to Perez Art Museum Miami and the Frost Museum of Science; FTX Arena; the Adrienne Arsht Performing Arts Center; and Miami-Dade College’s Downtown Miami campus. It is also adjacent to Brightline’s MiamiCentral station, which will soon offer direct train service to Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Orlando, together with access to TriRail, the Metromover and the Metrorail, making Miami Worldcenter one of the largest and most-connected transit-oriented development in Florida.

To be connected to a licensed commercial real estate broker in our broker network for more information about commercial sales, leasing or availability/ pricing please fill out the form below: