These new (and renovated) restaurants, hotels, bars, and lounges in Miami and South Florida are opening this fall and have indoor, outdoor, private, and semiprivate spaces for small and large groups, for meetings, events, holiday parties, and business entertaining.
1. Philippe Miami, a modern Chinese restaurant helmed by chef Philippe Chow, will reopen on Ocean Drive in November, joining its sister restaurants in New York and Boca Raton. The 5,000-square-foot space will seat 200 and hold 300 for a cocktail reception. Decor highlights include a red, white, and black palette, an exposed kitchen, and a convertible roof dining area on the second floor, which can be rented for private events. There will also be a private wine room for 20.
2. The South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center is a $51 million multidisciplinary cultural venue opening October 1. Designers Arquitectonica International and theater consultants Fisher Dachs Associates were tapped for the job. In the main building, the Proscenium Theater is a 966-seat center for performances with a fly tower, orchestra pit, and front-of-the-house spaces. In the activities building, there is a 129-seat lab theater for intimate performances and rehearsals, a dance studio for rehearsals, and a 1,000-square-foot cafe. The center's two buildings are joined by an outdoor promenade, which can be used for pre- and post-show receptions, and the backyard concert lawn, with space for more than 700 people for concerts and festivals.
3. Set to open October 15, interactive entertainment venue Chalk Miami Beach will feature classic games like Connect Four, checkers, and beer pong. Within the 6,600-square-foot space will be wireless jukeboxes, ping-pong tables, 12 LED screens for broadcasting sports, and two V.I.P. rooms for private events.
4. Luca Bella, a family-style Italian restaurant, is slated to open in September in the space formerly known as Chef Allen's. The 4,000-square-foot restaurant in Hallandale Beach will seat 200 inside, with additional room on a patio, private room for events, and a 20-seat bar.
5. Amnesia Miami is an 18,000-square-foot nightclub set to open October 21. The space will feature a DJ booth with six moving LED walls, 200 light heads that will move to the beats of the music, high ceilings, and a stage. There will also be a 25-foot-wide dance floor and 70 V.I.P. tables.
6. Grill and wine bar Seasons 52 will open next to Mercato Center in Naples this fall. The 337-seat restaurant will offer 44 seats on the patio and 89 in the piano bar. Private spaces for corporate events and group celebrations are planned. This will be the company's 19th location in the U.S.
7. Starwood’s eco-friendly Element brand will arrive at Miami International Airport in December. Traveler-friendly amenities at Element Miami International Airport include a 24-hour grab-and-go gourmet pantry, a laundry room, and free Wi-Fi. Rooms have work spaces and kitchens. There will also be a palm-lined pool outside.
8. Chicago restaurateur Arnie Lockwood plans on opening Nu Ristorante Italiano in December in downtown Fort Lauderdale. The 6,800-square-foot restaurant will seat 400 both inside and outside, and guests will be able to arrive by boat, foot, or car. A chef has not yet been named, and the exact location and phone number are currently unavailable.
9. Biergarten Boca Raton, a casual restaurant conceived by Arturo Gismondi of Cannoli Kitchen, is slated to open October 1. Inside the 4,500-square-foot space are long communal tables with tree-trunk stools, seating as many as 70 people. Other spaces include a cozy, upper-level V.I.P. room and an outdoor space with benches for as many as 40 guests.
10. Kevin Aoki will open his second South Florida location of Doraku Sushi in the former Abokado space in Mary Brickell Village. The 3,500-square-foot space designed by New York designer Chris Smith will seat 80 and have a sake bar atmosphere. Doraku Sushi is set to open in December.
