Isabelle’s Grill Room & Garden, the much-anticipated companion to The Commodore, the newly-opened cocktail lounge at The Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, Miami is now open. The chic new restaurant, sure to be a welcome addition to the South Florida andCoconut Grove dining scene, features the inspired, elevated cuisine of Corporate Chef Paolo Dorigato, Executive Chef Abel Veulens, Sous Chef Miguel Fajardo and Sous Chef Kannon Swaris. Operated by LDV Hospitality(the team behind Miami Beach’s acclaimed Dolce restaurant and award-winning Regent Cocktail Club), Isabelle’s Grill Room & Garden is named in honor of Isabella Peacock, one of the Grove’s earliest settlers. In fact, Isabella and her husband Charles founded Coconut Grove’s first hotel, the Bay View Inn back in 1882. “Coconut Grove is a historic place with a charm and spirit all its own,” says LDV Founder and PresidentJohn Meadow. “With Isabelle’s we wanted to embrace that, and pay tribute to it, while creating something that also looked forward stylistically and conceptually. Coconut Grove is going through an exciting culinary renaissance and we’re thrilled to be a part of that. Isabelle’s is a place where people will feel that sense of history while enjoying food, drink and service very much in sync with the times.”
Dinner, served daily, offers an assortment of land and sea options. With such proximity to water, great Raw Baroptions are a must. Classics abound: Oysters, Jumbo Shrimp, Lobster Cocktail, Jumbo Lump Crab Meat, Market Ceviche, Tuna Poke and the ubiquitous Seafood Tower. Starters, meant to be shared, include items such as the Beef Carpaccio with crispy mushrooms, arugula, pecorino and fresh horseradish; Jumbo Crab Cake with celeriac, apple remoulade and upland cress; and Spanish Octopus with baby artichokes, fingerling potatoes, olives and spicy romesco. A variety of Saladsare on offer including Roasted Beets with Greek yogurt, apples, oranges dressed with pickled mustard seeds and Isabelle’s Salad with endive, radicchio, arugula, candied pecans, craisins, pecorino, d’anjou and honey mustard vinaigrette.
Main Courses range from Lobster Pappardelle with house made pasta, garlic, spinach, cherry tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil and Kurobuta Pork Chop with herbed crushed potatoes, roasted peppers and broccolini to Seared Striped Bass with leeks, couscous, baby carrots and beurre blanc and Grilled Jumbo Prawns with saffron risotto cake, jicama slaw and mango chutney. Burger lovers, prepare for Isabelle’s Cheeseburger with smoked tomato aioli, brandied onions, Nueske’s bacon, cheddar, lettuce and tomato.
From the Grill options include a variety of prime, aged cuts. A la carte grill options are all served with garlic confit, blistered tomatoes and upland cress plus a choice of chimichurri, red wine, au poivre or bearnaise sauce. Sidesinclude truffle fries; grilled asparagus; creamed spinach; wild mushrooms; Brussels sprouts, bacon; roasted carrotsand Isabelle’s mac & cheese.
Breakfast and lunch are also served daily with a Sunday brunch in the works.
The stunning bar, adorned in brass, stone and rich stained wood, overlooks the charming outdoor garden terrace and is the perfect spot for pre-dinner drinks. Enjoy signature cocktails like the The Peacock with Absolut Elyx, lavender, lemon and blood orange purée; The Boulevardier with bourbon, Cocchi vermouth and Campari; Aperol Spritz made with Aperol, prosecco, lemon twist; and Il Diavolo with tequila, jalapeno and lemon. For a more traditional flavor, classic cocktails include Margarita; Limonada; Negroni and the Cucumber Mule. Beer by the bottle, red, white and sparkling wine, and prosecco are also available.
The restaurant is comprised of a warm palette of rich, stained woods, burnished brass, cognac leather, and hints of white with deep green accents which create a space that is classic and stylish while utterly modern and welcoming. Adjacent to the restaurant is the trellised outdoor garden terrace decked with over-sized planters and lush green landscaping, natural wood tables and white and taupe woven chairs with plush cushions. The hanging pendant lights and up lighting adds an artful illumination to the space. This outdoor oasis will be a most-sought after destination for dining, cocktails, private events and social interaction. Through studied eclecticism, Isabelle’s celebrates heritage elements in the details of seating, bold pattern floors, lighting, and local photography by Joseph Nicastri and fine art pottery from Marsha Silverman. Seating is as follows: 175 inside, including 60 seated in the private dining room, and 71 on the courtyard.
The outdoor garden terrace along with the private dining room are available for private events.
Isabelle’s Grill Room and Garden is located at 3300 SW 27thAvenue at The Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, Miami. Breakfast is offered daily from 7AM – 11AM. Lunch is offered daily from 11AM – 3PM. Dinner is offered Sunday through Thursday from 5PM – 10PM and Friday and Saturday from 5PM – 11PM. Guests that valet will enjoy a discounted rate of $7. www.isabellescoconutgrove.com
Follow Isabelle’s on social media @isabellescoconutgrove
For cocktail connoisseurs, Happy Hour seekers and locals on the hunt for a perfectly-made drink in an unpretentious, welcoming setting, visit The Commodore. Located just off the lobby, The Commodore features both a regal indoor bar and lounge, a tropically lush covered patio, a compelling cocktail list of classics and new innovations, and a bites menu designed to pair well with their featured spirits.Open Sunday through Tuesday, 5PM to 11PM; Wednesday and Thursday, 5PM to midnight; Friday and Saturday, 5PM to 1AM. Happy Hour can be enjoyed daily, 5PM to 7PM. Live music every Friday and Saturday night, 9PM to midnight.
