This restaurant brought Italian finesse to Surfside but couldn’t outlast COVID closures
The delicate touch required to make and serve fine dining in South Florida has proven too fragile for the blunt force of the coronavirus.
The elegant Le Sirenuse Restaurant & Champagne Bar at the historic Surf Club in Surfside has closed after three years — business irrevocably strained by COVID-19 closures. Like several other Miami-Dade restaurants, it will not reopen after the pandemic.
However, a rebranded version of the restaurant, the Champagne Bar and Terrace at Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club, will continue with Le Sirenuse’s executive chef, Antonio Mermolia, continuing to make his Southern Italian cuisine.
“The adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on the South Florida community, including the Surf Club, have required us to make this difficult decision,” Le Sirenuse wrote in a statement to the Miami Herald. “We are proud of the accomplishment which helped transform the Surf Club and contributed to the overall success of the development.”
Le Sirenuse brought lavish sophistication to the reimagined Surf Club, a Roaring ‘20s club for American elite that was renovated three years ago with a new Four Seasons hotel. It won national recognition, including a Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award nomination in 2019 for best hotel bar and best bar team.
The club also features the first Thomas Keller restaurant in Florida, simply called The Surf Club Restaurant. Keller’s restaurant continues to operate as takeout and delivery, a club representative said.
This story was originally published August 5, 2020 at 3:18 PM.
