Put A Fish Called Avalon Restaurant on your Miami Beach, Florida Bucket List

Where to Eat in South Beach Miami

Photos, story by Jeni Paradiso

Clad in casual elegance, my friend and I sauntered down the famed Ocean Drive in South Beach Miami, to reach the modernized art deco hotel, The Avalon, ready to dine in their attached restaurant, A Fish Called Avalon. If you’re driving, valet parking is included for up to three hours according to the website. Fortunately for me, Miami, Florida is now home via a former Philly gal so it was an easy walk down the street. Shown to our table along their oceanside terrace, we were greeted with the smooth guitar sounds of live music as it drowned out the cacophony of a parade of spring breakers. We were about to enjoy a creative, high-quality dining experience reminiscent of five star hospitality usually found in restaurants of yesteryear. This meal titillated all of our senses from well-made fish with a myriad of flavors to sweet award-winning treats. I will share all but please, order your own because we left nothing on our plates.

Where to be Seen in South Beach Miami

We did not wait long after seating before our server, Marvin, introduced himself to us. As someone who has worked with the restaurant over a decade, his professionalism enabled many perfect signature selections to boast about. As a foodie, having a well made cocktail before appetizers is always a delightful pleasure and a famed for over 15 years gin cocktail called the Ocean View whet my appetite perfectly with Spring 44 Gin, fresh pressed cucumber juice, The King’s Ginger Liqueur and a fresh herbal scent. My friend enjoyed the Avalon Mule, made with Rosaluna Mezcal, Amarena Cherry, Lime and Fever Tree Ginger Beer, donned in a traditional mule cup, we cheered to a gorgeous and yummy night out in South Beach.

The recommended appetizers came shortly thereafter bringing with them, a smooth curry scent from their signature Bang Bang Shrimp and a refreshing Tuna Tartar. This is not the spicy shrimp appetizer you might find in a chain restaurant. This dish boasted large sticky spicy shrimps resting in a complementary and cooling bed of cucumber-mint yogurt accompanied with julienned peppers and onions. The tuna dish offered an Asian flair of many details such as wonton crisps, creamy avocado and a hint of snap from the Tobiko adornment.

Before the main course arrived, we snacked on fresh and creatively prepared salads, first the basic but very robust Avalon Chopped Salad and a perfect Roasted Beet & Crispy Goat Cheese salad. The chopped salad featured a variety of veggies, beans and topped with a sharp Gorgonzola cheese while the beet salad had perfectly prepared beets alongside frisée lettuce and delicious accompanied fried goat cheese.

While awaiting the setting sun, our wines came to prepare us for the melt-in-your-mouth fish entrees soon to come, that gave us a moment to digest. My white wine was a spectacular New Zealand Savingnon Blanc by Whitehaven Winemakers Select while my friend chose a lovely Rose from the Côtes De Provence. In no time, Marvin returned with our entrees but not before the entertainment stopped for a moment to serenade us.

I chose another great selection as per the recommendation of the restaurant team, of the Macadamia Encrusted Snapper while my friend had the Crab & Herb Crusted Black Grouper, although we shared everything. The snapper boasts crunchy pieces of this buttery nut atop a flaky yet melty fish and was dressed table-side with the raspberry Beaujolais beurre blanc sauce and paired with a savory and creamy spinach risotto. The composition of flavors, textures and visual colors was spectacular. The grouper lied on a canvas of wilted spinach with a citrus snap of beurre blanc sauce with smooth butter beans and covered by a fresh crab topping. Both fish dishes were divine, one with a hint of sweetness and crunch, while the other offered an herbal and savory profile.

Once our desserts arrived, we sipped cappuccinos and took a moment to enjoy the artistic compositions of the plates presented to us. First was the award winning Pecan Crusted Key Lime Pie, which I learned won first place in the Independent category at the National Pie Championship, where it bested more than 470 entries in the competition and a very colorful coconut crème brulée, seated in a bath of mango and raspberry coulis that was likened to a brilliant abstract painting. The pie maintained its signature creaminess yet tartiness from the limes but this one added the crunchy sweetness from the pecan crust, taking a deepened expression of the traditional key lime pie. The crème brulée slid down perfectly with is known smooth custard texture but with an added coconut flavor detail, making these desserts a perfect way to end a gorgeous meal in the subtropical weather of Miami Beach.

During a much needed moment to digest our marvelous dinner, we each took a moment to peruse the inside of the restaurant’s modern white and orange interior and its unique portraits created from a multiplicity of porcelain pieces from Italy. The bar was sleek with a cute neon sign and was nicely complementing the more elegant dining room. We had a conversation with the gentlemen at the hotel desk and learned it has served as many backdrops for famous media such as the popular Scarface and 80s tv sensation, Miami Vice. With its top notch hospitality, Ocean Drive location and cleverly arranged tasty plates, I will come back to try the rest of the menu as soon as possible!