Palmeiras Beach Club: More Than Just a Gorgeous View

Grove Isle is one of Miami’s best kept secrets.  The 20-acre island near Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood has 3 waterfront hi-rise residences, a hotel, a restaurant, a marina, as well as a spa and tennis club.  Despite its coveted location and stunning views of the bay, the club was in a bit of a rut for some years.  That is, until a recent development deal spurred a revamping of the hotel, club, spa, and most notably: the restaurant. The new Palmeiras Beach Club boasts a main dining room, outdoor dining, poolside dining as well as three private lounges and dining areas.

As impressive as the location is, the main attraction is truly the food.  Chef Alfredo Alvarez, formerly of Seasalt and Pepper, has created a stellar mediterranean inspired menu that knocks it out of the park.  Having visited on various occasions I can safely say that I have not had a dish here that I did not like.  That being said, there were definitely some standouts; but with the constantly changing menu it is never guaranteed that a dish will be available on your next visit.

Chef Alvarez puts a twist on classic dishes with an end result of epic proportions. On one such occasion he created a Beef Bourguignon but with red wine linguini. The braised short rib was so tender that you needn’t use a knife and the subtle hints of red wine in the linguini mixed with the hints of charcoal flavor of the beef created an exquisite experience for the palate. Every bite demanded to be savored.

Red Wine Linguini with Braised Short Rib

With a specially installed wood brick oven, the pizza is another definite must try.  My favorite is the Nouvella Pizza: a classic Neapolitan style with roasted pears, Gorgonzola and shaved black truffle. This my friends is the food of the gods.  The sweetness of the roasted pear blends perfectly with the strong Gorgonzola and the shaved black truffle add the perfect finishing touch.  I would eat this every single day if it wasn’t for the negative effects on both my wallet and my body.

Nouvella Pizza

Finally, for dessert, my favorites have been the Brie Tiramisu and the Apple Tart.  The Apple Tart is a delicious classic that you can’t go wrong with (although as far as apple desserts go, the apple pie at Joe’s is way better). The Brie Tiramisu on the other hand caught my attention for its inventiveness.  It had Hazelnut speculoos, mascarpone, espresso, dates, white chocolate, kahlua foam and coffee ice cream. It would have never occurred to me to make a dessert around the generally stronger tasting soft cheese but alas Chef Alvarez did it and did not disappoint.  The subtle hints of brie are surprising but quite delicious.

Brie Tiramisu

Other standouts include the Grilled Spanish Octopus with tomato confit, seaweed air, baby zuchinni, preserved lemon, salmoriglio as well as the Fungi Extravaganza and the Fried Moroccan Artichoke.  In the end, the location is enough to make you want to try Palmeiras, but the exquisite, although pricey, menu will keep you coming back. 

Open 7 days a week for both lunch and dinner.

The Essentials:
Type of Cuisine: Mediterranean inspired
Ideal Occasion: Romantic Date, Splurge dinner / lunch
Best Place to Sit: Outside ~ weather dependent
Ambiance: Casual Dining (outside) Upscale but open and welcoming (inside)
Service: Kind and attentive
Can’t Miss Dishes: Nouvella Pizza and Brie Tiramisu

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Palmeiras Beach Club
4 Grove Isle Dr
Coconut Grove, FL 33133
(305) 858-8300
http://www.palmeirasbeachclub.com/