Liquid nitrogen swirled through the air from Grey Goose ice cream treats, just one stunning pass-around from Lincoln Road hot spot Haven Gastro-Lounge’s one-year anniversary party Thursday.
The soiree first kicked off with a V.I.P. reception at 8 p.m. The first guests received V.I.P. membership cards at the door before joining an intimate Miami
Heat watch party. Haven’s electronic wallpaper projected the N.B.A. playoff game against the Indiana Pacers while guests sipped champagne, featured Grey Goose cocktails and other bar pours.
Chef Todd Erickson used the party as a chance to showcase a new menu. Innovative new bites included cubed watermelon salad, calamari fries with guava dipping sauce, shrimp and grits ceviche spoons, and spider sushi rolls.
Miami Beach Vice Mayor Michael Gongora presented owner Mike Boles with the declaration of May 17 as the official “Haven Day,” as DJs AL B Rotten and Johnny Strokes spun tunes.
At 10 p.m., the bash went public, and curious fans lined up at the velvet rope. The LED walls transformed to display “ONE” logos in celebration of the evening’s theme. Guests spilled from the lounge to an exclusive outside patio, where the normally empty space was transformed for the night’s affair. A red carpet covered the asphalt with palm trees surrounding. Outdoor speakers streamed beats from inside, and the Haven logo was projected in colored lighting on the wall across the way as attendees enjoyed more libations from an added outside bar.
The party continued into the late-night hours, and plenty of local faces dropped in for a congratulatory toast to the survival of another South Beach nightspot.