Blue Door Fish at the Delano Hotel

South Beach hotels compete for your travel dollars on a number of fronts but few are as successful in creating a dazzling atmosphere for romantic fine dining than the Delano Hotel and the newly reinvented Blue Door Fish. Already a popular destination for local foodies, the restaurant owes much of its success to the thoughtful stewardship of Michelin-starred Chef Claude Troisgros who runs a successful brasserie in Rio de Janiero and consults on all culinary matters for the Delano. His recent revamping of the menu to bring the focus away from his Brazilian/French fusion fare toward sustainable seafood makes Blue Door Fish a perfect spot for health-conscious diners who still expect their dinners to taste good.

Set at the back of the Delano main lobby, Blue Door Fish is awash in soft light, sparkling with mirrors and the gleam of highly polished dark hardwood floors. By day the space is filled with sunlight  and diners can enjoy the view to the carefully manicured garden and mod swimming terrace. By night, candlelight, moonlight and soft sea breezes make the al fresco dining patio one of the most romantic spots in town. The recent renovations did not dramatically  change what is essentially one of the loveliest public spaces on South Beach, but the hotel feels just a little fresher.

The menu at Blue Door Fish starts with a selection of raw bar items like shrimp, oysters and clams plus Florida stone crabs and halved lobsters. Diners can enjoy fine Osetra or Sevruga caviar and a number of Brazilian-fusion sushi rolls updated with spicy and crunchy components. Because so many locals enjoyed the older Blue Door menu, Troisgros kept a handful of his most popular appetizers and entrees but filled out the rest with new twists on snapper, corvina, wild caught salmon and other sustainable fish. Diners can choose the catch of the day prepared simply on the plancha grill with a number of sauces served on the side or select one of the chef’s composed dishes napped in beurre blanc, spiked with capers and olives or stirred into a heady broth of saffrony bouillabaisse. Landlubbers can feast on prime steaks, rack of lamb and roast chicken. Blue Door Fish is still lovely to look at and deliciously new too!

Blue Door Fish offers all-day dining and a buffet or a la carte Sunday brunch.

Blue Door Fish
1685 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach, FL