The stunning results of the extensive refurbishment of the Surf Club hotel in Miami may have been unveiled over a year ago, but its restaurant, also known as The Surf Club, which is under the command of chef Thomas Keller, is only now getting its time in the spotlight. Designed by Martin Brudnizki Design Studio, the restaurant’s classical environment is as rich and refined as one could have hoped. Created with the spirit of Miami’s golden era in mind, the restaurant is elegantly composed of art deco-inspired chandeliers and an expansive hand-painted mural by British artist Gary Myatt, which together gently hark back to another time.
Taking heed of the hotel’s legacy as an exclusive member’s club during the midcentury, the restaurant translates these values into contemporary times. Rather than being separate, the restaurant’s bar is gently incorporated into the main space, thus maintaining an open, yet intimate atmosphere that continues into the dining area. Leather banquettes, eye-catching terrazzo flooring, mirrored glass detailing and pastel-toned upholstery further enable the space to straddle both realms of luxury and comfort. In addition to Myatt’s mural, which depicts scenes of the local landscape and the club’s heyday in the 1930s, the restaurant is also home to a specially commissioned work by artist Donald Robertson and archive imagery of its original state in the bar.
Probably the most Miami-esque aspect of the restaurant is its outdoor terrace, which has been lusciously planted with local greenery and foliage. A perfect spot to enjoy Keller’s exquisite cuisine al fresco, it succinctly sums up the restaurant’s union of past and present. §
