It seems as if every once-sleepy section of Miami Beach is newly aflame and the Park Avenue and 23rd area is no exception. The opening of Vintro Hotel & Kitchen, a boutique hotel with a fabulous restaurant of the same name, is just the fuel the neighborhood needed. The Vintro is the very definition of a tiny boutique hotel.
They’ll proudly tell you there is no gym, no spa and not much more than a plunge pool. But it’s a short block from the ocean, the rooms are cute, Paul Smith wallpaper lines the hallways, and the bar and restaurant are happening, happening happening. There is something about the place that mirrors the heady excitement of South Beach’s halcyon days. Maybe it’s the look and feel of the place, which is decidedly Deco, but not a rehash of everything we’ve seen already before.
Maybe it’s happening bar in the lobby, which serves a long list of wines from all over. Or maybe it’s the “kitchen” a small restaurant with high ceilings that make it cozy, yet grand, and likely to be filled with both fresh and recognizable faces this season. And the food, by Executive Chef Keith J. Suarino, is stellar. The menu is the bereft mix between Mediterranean and American favorites like Fire Roasted Brussel Sprouts with aliments and beeswax honey. The menu is divided into unique sections like “barely touched” for mouth-watering ceviches, “flavor” for Goat Cheese Croquettes, Charcuterie Boards and Meatballs. The “from the sea” section changes daily and featured a perfectly cooked whole Branzino served a la plancha and Cobia the day we were there. Everything else we tried was simultaneously unique, yet classic— which is a tough feat to pull off.
There were a few things we have our eye on to come back for too including the Mushroom risotto with truffles, Grilled Lamb Chops with quinoa and the Jumbo Shrimp with rosemary, garlic and smoked tomatoes. Can’t wait! Vintro Hotel & Kitchen (305)
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