Buckle-up Miami, after nearly a decade of construction, Downtown Miami’s new $4 billion, 27-acre Miami Worldcenter mixed-use development, will welcome its first tenant on November 28 when Michelin Starred Chef Michael Beltran’s Ariete Hospitality Group (AHG) opens Brasserie Laurel. Brasserie Laurel will deliver upscale French-inspired Miami cuisine with a focus on local, seasonal ingredients and will provide a wide array of table-side service for some of their signature dishes. The quality of food preparation and service will be at the levels of Ariete where it is no secret that the drive is to deliver world-class hospitality and maintain the highest of standards.

Miami Worldcenter, which is currently coming alive in phases, will feature a diverse mix of residential, commercial and hospitality uses complemented by a total of 300,000 square feet of retail, restaurant, and entertainment space. Brasserie Laurel will join other recently announced tenants slated to open at Miami Worldcenter over the next year such as Sephora, lululemon, Savage x Fenty, Ray-Ban, Posman Books and Lucid Motors, as well as dining and entertainment concepts Bowlero, Sports & Social, and Chicago’s Maple & Ash and etta restaurants.

AHG is known for their growing family of restaurants and bars including Ariete (Michelin Star), Navé (Michelin Guide mention), Chug’s (Bib Gourmand recipient) and The Taurus all in Coconut Grove; The ScapeGoat in Miami Beach, and most recently The Gibson Room on Coral Way.

“We see Laurel as Ariete’s younger sister, and if I had to share one thing about the ideology behind this menu, it would be that it’s a new approach to French brasserie food. Think Frank Sinatra, Dizzy Gillespie, La Tour d’Argent in Paris. Music will be swanky; food will be refined, but unpretentious, and wine and cocktails will be plentiful,” said Chef Michael Beltran.

At the helm of the kitchen is Executive Chef Ashley Moncada, formerly Chef de Cuisine at Ariete, bringing in 8+ years of experience in the industry and who has been until most recently, an integral part of the Michelin awarded team at Ariete. Having worked in France, Australia, New Zealand, UK, and South Africa, Chef Ashley, at her young age, has gained world experience, from shopping and preparing fresh produce in the French Alps, to cooking in an African game reserve, her skills will certainly be an asset, and the driving force behind the brasserie’s kitchen.

From escargots, frog legs, and beef Wellington to crêpes Suzette, you will find these classic French dishes accompanied by full-bodied red Bordeaux, crisp Champagne, refreshing Sauternes, among other pairings. “The wine offering is unequivocally French, but not exclusively; you will also be able to find some Spanish and Italians among Old World style wines available at Laurel,” commented AHG Wine Director, Adrian Lopez.

The cocktail program embodies a theme that runs throughout AHG: reworking the classics in a way that no one else has, a way that makes them uniquely their own; it’s a signature style of AHG Beverage Director, Tom Lasher-Walker. Taking ingredients, in their purest form and transforming them into delectable cocktails, is unquestionably the epitome of fine drink making.

“My philosophy is always to bring inspiration from the classics and creating perfectly balanced beverages, those are the styles that will stand the test of time,” mentioned Walker. From two versions of the House Stinger (vodka or cognac), a Miami and French inspired - Beneath the Sheets- with aged rum and pineapple, to a late 1800’s beverage known as the Corpse Reviver Royal with gin, bubbles, and absinthe; and if absinthe hadn’t made enough of a come- back, then Brasserie Laurel will make sure to bring it back in style. The absinthe fountain, while not a novel contraption, will certainly be an entertaining element that you will find behind their bar.

Brasserie Laurel’s interior is inviting and elegant, yet youthful and incorporates a touch of classic French aesthetic. The dark wood, gold, and deep blue elements give it a polished and vibrant look that showcases the quality and finesse of the dining experience.

“Our team is thrilled to welcome our first restaurateur, Brasserie Laurel, to Miami Worldcenter. Ariete Hospitality Group exemplifies the quality of tenants and the experience we are curating for Miami Worldcenter’s residents and visitors,” said Nitin Motwani, Managing Partner of Miami Worldcenter Associates. “Bringing life to the retail, food and beverage, and entertainment components of Miami Worldcenter’s master plan is critical to transforming our 27-acre site into a thriving open-air destination, and we look forward to the group’s additional concepts slated to open soon.”

Laurel is located at 698 NE 1st Avenue Suite G-170 at the base of Miami Worldcenter’s Caoba residential tower along the development’s 7th Street pedestrian promenade. Also debuting at Miami Worldcenter over the coming months, adjacent to Laurel, will be two other AHG’s concepts, Chug’s Express and El Vecino. The ‘ventanita’ from Chug’s Express will serve Chug’s Diner favorites such as croquetas, pastelitos, and coffee from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Meanwhile, El Vecino will be a high-end first-class cigar bar serving a full liquor bar and light fare such as mussels, an assortment of meat and cheese, a grúyere burger, foie torchon, and a selection of snacks.

Miami Worldcenter is a new $4 billion mixed-use destination in the heart of Downtown Miami. As one of the largest private urban real estate developments currently underway in the United States, the project occupies 27 acres spanning ten city blocks and offers world-class retail, hospitality, commercial office and residential uses. Several phases of the project have already been completed and occupied, including three residential towers and a significant portion of the retail component, with a hospitality development slated to open by the end of 2022. The project is being developed by master developers Miami Worldcenter Associates, led by Principal Art Falcone and Managing Partner Nitin Motwani, in partnership with CIM Group.

Images via FujiFilmGirl