South Pointe Tavern
A Casual friendly eatery hits the spot
Photos By Jason Hesch
This quaint little cafe at the southern tip of South Beach’s luxurious South of Fifth neighborhood is a casual and intimate tavern where an informal atmosphere meets exceptional quality. Nestle away from the hustle and bustle of South Beach you can enjoy the wonderful Miami weather while leisurely enjoying a relaxing casual meal. Bring your dog too because there is dog-friendly puppy bowl for them to lap from while seated at their shaded outdoor French bistro-style tables.
The restaurant is located within walking distance of the beach. It’s a great casual spot to go to before or after a day at the beach, but without that beauty feeling. On the corner of South Pointe, with a wrap around terrace, the space feels like home showcasing barn-board and exposed brick-clad walls, rustic elements with vintage touches, nautical inspired lighting to create a warm ambient atmosphere. The space is complimented by a white marble topped bar with an extensive display of wine and spirits. The artwork displayed inside South Pointe Tavern pays homage to some of the most creative personalities of the mid-20th century, from Picasso to the Rolling Stones; highlighting icons such as Andy Warhol, Basquiat, Jack Kerouac, Sophia Loren, Brigitte Bardot, Bob Dylan and Catherine Deneuve to name a few.
South Pointe Tavern opened in December 2016 and is the brainchild of Steve Temes, Jordan Levy and Martin Cabrera who have worked in the dynamic restaurant world for over 17 years. South Pointe Tavern offers the largest selection of whiskey’s and tequilas in Miami Beach with an emphasis of rare, hard to find items sold at a reasonable price. The tavern serves a custom cocktail program created by Robert Ferrara of Distilled Hospitality. Focusing on a menu built up of variations of classic cocktails, the team constructed a tightly curated beverage program including Old Fashioneds, Negronis, Whiskey Bucks, Margaritas and High Balls. Also available is carefully curated wine and bubbly section from the regions of Southern France, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the United States.
The Menu is concise and simple with interesting cocktails and artisanal small plates set at an approachable price. They have a range of varied food items from seafood and deli sandwiches salads and flatbreads. Their plates are good for light snacking, not too heavy, and good for sharing. You can find a wide array of imported charcuterie and cheese.
The Tacos of The Day (MP) are really fresh. Served in a flour soft tortilla with your choice of shredded beef, chicken or shrimp and topped with fresh fresco cheese and lettuce. It also comes with a side of sweet potato chips and a sweet pico de gallo sauce. By the way, the shrimp was of ceviche style quality.
We ordered the Mushroom, Onion, Thyme Flat Bread ($12). This dish came on a pita bread. I really liked this twist on flat bread because it added more crunch and crispiness than the typical flatbread. Did I mention it was garnished with thyme?
Tuna Crudo ($16) was served with a heaping portion of Tuna, Ponzu, Radish, Bell Pepper, Avocado, Jalapeño, and Chive.The jalapeño added a zesty flavor.
If you are not up for leaving the beach, just come here for your Zak the Baker pastry fix. We tried two parties, the cheese danish and the chocolate croissant. The danish was fabulous and the croissant was airy with large chunks of chocolate.
The hearty Turkey BLT ($13) came wrapped in a spinach wrap with Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, Roasted Bell Pepper, Mozzarella, Avocado. It was sold to us as their most popular item.
To finish things off we ordered a shrimp cocktail (MP) with three big ass shrimp! and a spicy house made cocktail sauce and horseradish garnish with a slice of lime.
And to wash this lovely food all down with ordered a summery drink called the Unordinary Spritz ($14) made with Hendricks, Aperol, Florida orange juice, Prosecco. A fizzy refreshing fruity drink.
I highly encourage to check out South Pointe Tavern. Breakfast is available as well for you early birds.
Located at 40 South Pointe Drive, 109, South Pointe Tavern will be open seven days a week. Monday – Thursday 11 a.m. – midnight, Fridays & Saturdays 11 a.m. – 2 a.m. and Sundays 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. For more information, please visit www.southpointetavern.com.
