the cypress room

chef and entrepreneur michael schwartz is a stickler on doing everything right. so when his cypress room opened in the design district and it wasn’t the big success he had planned on (the figurative bar was very high), he decided to retool it  into a more casual atmosphere in keeping with its name ‘tavern”, along with a lower priced menu, and brasserie type fare.  we went there in the former iteration and, as you may remember, named its burger one of the top three in miami, and decided to check out the “new” cypress tavern, 3620 n.e. 2nd avenue (t.305-520-5197). his right hand and brand director, jackie sayet, calls it an “approachable, elevateddiningexperience” with which you’ll see i agree.

best finediningin miami. the cypress room is like nothing you've ever seen in miami. it has a lovely old florida vibe (music, decor...) with phenomenal food to match. the tasting menu is definitely the way to go if it's your first time at this restaurant.

the intimatediningroom setting also packs a wow-factor, complete with glistening chandeliers, a mint green banquette and even some wall mounted deer heads, that is perfectly complemented by a classic menu filled with rare cuts of meats and unique, hard-to-find vegetables adding to the nostalgic feel.

great design district restaurant. we have had dinner here twice and both visits were great. though thediningroom is small, it is beautiful. dark paneling, pink floral wallpaper and old florida photos adorn the walls. we had to wait for our table for about 20 minutes on a busy saturday night but, it was well worth the wait. on a weeknight we were seated as soon as we arrived. the hostess was very friendly and gracious both evenings. the bartender (christian) was a pro. he made beautiful cocktails and was very accommodating. our server on both occasions was extremely knowledgeable of the drinks, food and wine. (they decant all of their red wines !) the food was outstanding. some highlights: frog legs, roasted beet salad, the rotisserie item (which changes often), the cote du boeuf (for 2) and all of the desserts (the chocolate was our favorite). this is truly an exceptional restaurant and deserves accolades. probably the best restaurant in miami. we will definitely be back.