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Miami's Top 7 Most Romantic Restaurants
By Bertha Morales
March 2021
Food can be quite a seductive experience, at least for me it always has been.
At one point or another I might have embarrassed my daughters when I am enjoying an extraordinarily delicious meal and say “this is a culinary orgasm” (sorry girls). But when on a date night, there has always been either a burst of laughter or a smirk, and an agreeable nod.
I do believe the start of a fun and romantic evening could begin with a delicious dinner, and Miami is a fantastic backdrop for romance.
Beautiful structures and interior designs, water views and the ocean breeze, pink and orange colored skies, fantastic music, and overall pleasing surroundings make it all possible for that couple looking to have a perfect night. But when you get all that with an outstanding menu, delicious cocktails, and exceptional service, the night is off to a good start.
Following are my favorite top seven most romantic restaurants in the Magic City.
3101 NE 7th Ave. Miami
305-702-5528
Michael Schwartz's Amara at Paraiso isin a beautiful setting on Biscayne Bay with indoor and outdoor seating, and waterfront view. The menu includes Latin-American inspired dishes cooked with a wood grill and charcoal oven. This restaurant is so romantic, they even offer a marriage proposal package that includes the best seats in the house, a photographer, and a special menu.
500 Brickell Key Dr. Miami
305-913-8358
La Mar by Gastón Acurio at the Mandarin Oriental on Brickell Key is not your typical hotel dining experience. Their Japanese-Peruvian fusion cuisine, breathtaking waterfront views of Biscayne Bay, and excellent service will surely make your evening begin and end with romance. An after dinner digestif, and a walk and romantic conversation poolside may lead to a steamy overnight stay.
2889 McFarlane Rd. Coconut Grove
305-774-3332
Miami has several hidden gems and this romantic secret garden is not the exception. Located in the historic neighborhood of Coconut Grove, steps from Cocowalk, this refined bistro has been luring lovers for a romantic night out for over 10 years now. The garden surrounds diners with flourishing plants and flowers as they dine under the shade of tree canopies by day and starry skies by night. A fabulous menu includes seafood and raw bar, as well as casual favorites – fish, steaks, salads, pasta and rotating specials. And you don’t want to miss their delicious cocktails. I can assure you this will be a fantastic place to visit and enjoy a delicious dinner in a romantic atmosphere, where you will find both great service and quality.
9610 Old Cutler Rd. Coral Gables
305-668-8788
A drive into Matheson Hammock Park will lead you into a tucked away coral rock structure and an amazing waterfront dining experience. Chef Adrianne Calvo knows how to do it right! The menu has plenty of seafood choices and a variety of other delicious options, as well as an extensive wine and whiskey library. Starting my dinner experience before the sun sets is always my favorite time to be in a beautiful setting as is Redfish by Chef Adrianne, that way you get to experience it by day and night. But whatever time you decide to visit this romantic restaurant, you are sure to enjoy their flavorful cooked to perfection entrees, extraordinary service and beautiful surroundings.
4385 Collins Ave. Miami Beach
786-507-7902
Situated in the courtyard of the Soho Beach House, this Italian-fabulous restaurant is awaiting couples wanting to enjoy a delicious dining experience in a romantic atmosphere. You may start your evening with an aperitivo in their fourteen-seat bar before moving on to dinner. Your surroundings will include beautiful folliage, the fragrance of seasalt in the air, the sounds of the ocean, and trees filled with white lights to illuminate your night. Miami is full of spectacular restaurants in some of the most unique hotels and resorts. Miami is a city where people with refined palates from all over the world live and visit, and Executive Chef Sergio Sigala knows how to meet their expectations.
1 Washington Ave, Miami Beach
305-673-2800
Smith & Wollensky is known for its USDA Prime dry-aged steaks, premium seafood and award-winning wines. With several locations within the U.S. and other international cities, Smith & Wollensky South Beach is like no other. Located in the southernmost area of South Beach known as South Point, this restaurant offers indoor and outdoor seating with a spectacular view of the cruise ships waterway. You will feel you can almost reach out and touch these beautiful ships as they cruise on by while you dine in their beautiful outdoor area. Beautifully romantic, this restaurant is perfectly located to enjoy a wonderful dinner followed by a stroll through South Point Park, sit by the bay and watch yachts and cruise ships go by, walk to the Pier, or sit by the beach. There is no escaping romance in this beautiful restaurant and its surrounding area.
1700 James Ave, Miami Beach
305-673-1010
"It all started in Miami in 2001 when Casa Tua Miami Beach was created as a welcoming place for friends, family and guests from around the world, where simplicity would meet sophistication, and individuals with a zest for life would come together." Casa Tua has since expanded with locations in Aspen and Paris, as well as their Italian kitchen, Casa Tua Cucina. Today Casa Tua Miami continues to be a couples’ favorite for their exceptionally romantic atmosphere and their fantastic food. Couples looking for a romantic evening that will stimulate their palate and all their senses choose Casa Tua for a fantastic date night.
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Tavern N Town . Key West, Florida
By Bertha Morales
March 2019
There are many restaurants to choose from when you decide to go out to dinner, or when you are away from home on vacation, or just on a weekend getaway. And I must admit, I have spent quite a good amount of money stimulating my palate over the years in some of the best restaurants worldwide, while wining and dining international clients, and through my own personal travel.
Now that I am reviewing and writing about restaurants on a regular basis, I am very careful what restaurants I choose to write about. While I am not a restaurant critic per say since I will only write about those restaurants that fit into our “Best” category, and there will be no mention of restaurants that did not make the cut, when and if I write about a specific restaurant, you can rest assured I really did like it.
One of those restaurants I really like is Tavern N Town in Key West. Sure, there may be other good restaurants in Key West. In fact, I have been to some of them. But what I found at Tavern N Town was a combination of essential characteristics I need to have in order to enjoy my dining experience 100%, and I was able to find that at Tavern N Town.
When we walked in at Tavern N Town there were two ladies at the front who were talking among themselves what seemed to be a work-related conversation. The moment they saw us, they immediately stopped their conversation and looked up at us with a smile on their face, and one of them said “Welcome to Tavern N Town”.
We were then escorted to our table and while walking in we noticed a pretty busy bar, everybody seemed to know each other. I figured it was an in-house group staying at the hotel – Key West Marriott Beach Hotel, where Tavern N Town is located. Everyone was enjoying themselves and I was able to overhear two ladies say how great their drinks were. Tavern N Town has a great selection of cocktails, beer and wine.
We were seated and offered menus. Charm and grace were displayed every step of the way from Roy, our server, who is probably one of the best servers I have encountered in recent time. He went over menu items, answered our questions with great detail and we went on to order. “Good choices”, Roy said.
I drink a lot of water and not having more water brought to the table when needed, refilling my tea, or asked if I want a second glass of wine when done, although I more often than not only have one glass of wine, is a pet peeve for me. Having my soup come out warm, rather than hot is a real problem for me. In fact, I want my hot food, really hot and what’s supposed to be cold, …well, yes - cold.
Tavern N Town did not skip a beat on any of the items on my (mental) list of conditions when selecting a restaurant to write about.
Right before we started dinner, people on the table near us who apparently overheard our conversation asked, “Are you with Forbes or the Travel Channel?”, and my response was “No, we wish!” And I went on to tell them we were with “CouplesBest.com, a blog, a travel-related online magazine, a new website with a network of travel writers and travel enthusiasts sharing their experiences on destinations, hotels, restaurants and places of interest”.
…But the best part about our conversation with this very pleasant couple was the fact that they told us they were locals, living in Key West for years and that in the last few years they had been going to Tavern N Town for dinner as often as they could. We were not yet served, and they said, “you will not be disappointed”. They were right!
Our dinner included a perfect crab cake, which we shared, and the best French Onion Soup I’ve had in a long time. Our entrees, Plancha Pink Shrimp & Sea Scallops with Bourbon Mashed Yams and the Lobster, Crab & Pink Shrimp Fettuccini were delicious, and this was so much food and so satisfying we couldn’t have dessert, instead we had a delicious Cappuccino.
I then took the time to speak with Dave Talpasz, Director of F&B Operations and Rodrigo Alvarez, the Executive Chef (who happens to be from Chile, where I have enjoyed some of the best prepared seafood anywhere). They were both very gracious and took the time to tell me a little bit about the food preparation.
I also made it a point to ask for a couple of the other team players, Aaron Yeoman, Restaurant Supervisor and Denis Lebedev, Director of Restaurants. I was able to watch all of them in action interacting with the team during a very busy time in the restaurant. I thanked them and commented on the great job done by our server and how great the food was.
Everyone I met was very gracious, and not just to us, but the rest of the guests. Certainly, everyone we saw seemed to be enjoying themselves, and of course we wanted to hear and see and so we discreetly paid attention, as we so often do when visiting a new restaurant, we may want to write about.
We left Tavern N Town knowing we would want to go back, just like the very nice local couple I had spoken to who said I wouldn’t be disappointed. We were not disappointed at all. And we will be back to this restaurant when we visit Key West again.
You may want to consider Tavern N Town as well next time you visit Key West. In fact, you might want to check out the Key West Marriott Beachside Hotel as well.
Stimulate your palate, stay in a nice hotel, enjoy your travels and be safe!
An Interview with Dave Talpasz, Director of Food & Beverage Operations at Tavern N Town Restaurant in Key West, Florida.
Q: Dave, we know you are the Director of Food & Beverage Operations for Tavern N Town, as well as for all the food and beverage outlets at Key West Marriott Beachside Hotel. But tell us - who are you really? How would you describe yourself?
A: Passionate. I have a passion for everything that I do. With regard to “work”, if I didn’t love what I do, I simply wouldn’t do it. You must be able to wake up every morning wanting to go to “work”, simply because life is too short. When I am not working, I surround myself with my two amazing children – my son, Nicholas (8) and my daughter, Sienna (4).
Q: You mentioned you have worked in the hospitality industry since you were 13 years old. What were you doing at 13?
A: At 13 years old, I was working at a Mexican restaurant in South Florida – bussing tables, bar backing, washing dishes, etc.
Q: How long have you been working for Tavern N Town and the Key West Marriott Beachside?
A: I moved to Key West and joined Spottswood Companies Inc. in May 2012.
Q: This is the first time you have worked in a restaurant within a hotel environment. What do you like about working in a hotel?
A: The fact that there are so many aspects of a hotel and everyone must work together to be the best, and keep the property running on “all cylinders”! We all share the common goal or culture, if you will, that WE must take care of each other, in order to take better care of OUR guests.
Q: During our visit, we had an opportunity to watch your team in action prior to introducing ourselves, and it was quite obvious that everybody was attentive to all guests’ needs in a very busy restaurant. We even struck a conversation with a couple of your regulars and feedback was very positive. Aside from carrying the Marriott flag, where we know there are always going to be high standards of service, how do you keep your restaurant employees motivated to offer great service?
A: One word – CULTURE. Everything starts “at the top” and works its way through every single associate, then to our guests. Everyone that decides to dine with us at Tavern N Town has options when choosing to go out to eat; WE simply thank them for choosing to dine with us by providing excellent food and excellent service; if one of these aspects lack, the other lacks just the same. We provide an experience on a (very important word) consistent basis. This is what keeps our guests coming back! Consistency – either makes or breaks you.
Q: We made it a point to meet some of your team players at the end of our evening and visit to Tavern N Town: Aaron - Restaurant Supervisor, Denis - Director of Restaurants, your amazing Executive Chef - Rodrigo Alvarez, and Roy - our fantastic server, who we were able to watch handling many other tables expeditiously and with great finesse. Tell us how long have each of these amazing professionals been working with your hotel and/or Tavern N Town?
A: Aaron Yeoman, Restaurant Supervisor - 3 years. Denis Lebedev, Director of Restaurants - 5 years. Rodrigo Alvarez, Executive Chef - 8 years. Roy Svenningsen, Server - 10 years. And I must include our Sous Chef, Chilet Vertus (who actually cooked for you) - 5 years.
Our congratulations to Sous Chef Chilet Vertus. He is definitely part of the reason we will visit Tavern & Town again in the future and recommend it to our readers and our friends.
Q: What is your favorite appetizer, entrée and dessert from the Tavern N Town menu?
A: Appetizer: Lemon Crusted Sea Scallop ~ Vermont white cheddar grits ~ chive butter. Entrée (2 Favorites): Seared Yellowfin Tuna ~ warm rice noodles ~ spinach ~ orange mustard sauce and Balsamic Braised Bison Ribs ~ bourbon mashed yams ~ marsala mushroom demi. Dessert: Havana Banana Split ~ coulis collage ~ vanilla ~ macadamia nut ice cream.
Q: Is there a favorite entrée for your guests, one that you find is ordered more often than the rest?
A: Signature Prime Rib ~ garlic mashed potatoes ~ asparagus ~ horseradish cream.
Oh wow, just reading this makes me want to go back already. I am sure some of our readers will order exactly what Mr. Dave Talpasz’s favorites are. I know I will next time
I visit.
Q: What is the best guest compliment you have received in recent time?
A: A guest of one of the owners of the property was staying with us and had dinner the night before I met him in the morning for a meeting. “Dave, we had dinner last night and nobody knew who we were or that we were guests of the owner. Dinner last night was absolutely amazing; between the food and the impeccable service, everything was top notch. I have been coming for 5 years now, and just to see the sheer volume the restaurant does now versus 5 years ago is a true testament to your leadership.” To which I quickly answered (and always do) – “It is truly the TEAM that has made Tavern N Town what it is today!”
Take the credit Mr. Talpasz, you said it earlier trying to give the credit to others then, as well – “Everything starts “at the top” and works its way through every single associate. ." Congratulations!
Q: We noticed you have a private room. What is the maximum capacity for group dinner in Tavern N Town?
A: We have two private dining rooms; one that seats up to 18 and another that can accommodate parties up to 35 – 40.
Q: Are there any days you would suggest potential guests to visit when it is less busy, but still a great atmosphere?
A: Typically, our slower nights are Sunday, Monday and Wednesday evenings; however, we always recommend reservations - especially in season.
Q: What does hospitality mean to you?
A: On an everyday basis, treat others as you would want to be treated. Hospitality can mean so many different things to so many and most believe that it just pertains to the “industry”. Be kind, thankful, and helpful whenever an opportunity arises. At the end of the day, the two most important things to remember are: “Please & Thank You.”
I saw truly genuine smiles on all their faces, the true desire to please guests, and the professionalism in which they all carried themselves and interacted, not only with guests, but with each other. It was a pleasure to have met them all. ...And it was just a fantastic dining experience from arrival to departure.
Q: Is there anything else you would like our readers to learn about you and Tavern N Town?
A: We never settle. We always strive to be better. At Tavern N Town, we continue to strive every single day and night, to ensure that our guests remember their experience and leave them with the desire to come back! As for myself, the goal as a leader is to develop those that want to learn, to one day be better than I can ever train them to be – that to me is the ultimate reward of being a great leader.
3842 N Roosevelt Blvd
Key West, Florida 33040
305.296.8100