They created cocktail culture in Miami Beach. Now they’re mixing things up in a new spot

When they sold their beloved Miami Beach cocktail bar Broken Shaker to a European hotel brand earlier this year, founders Elad Zvi and Gabriel Orta of Bar Lab Hospitality called it the end of an era.

Now the new era is beginning, and Bar Lab is back on the beach.

Also the force behind the now-closed 27 Restaurant at the Freehand Miami, the home of Broken Shaker, Bar Lab is opening is Margot Bar & Bistro at Flamingo Towers near the Sunset Harbour neighborhood. The restaurant is a sister property to the group’s Margot Natural Wine Bar in downtown Miami, which is known for its selection of natural wines and low-alcohol drinks.

Zvi calls the new restaurant and lounge “a more grown up Margot” with a full liquor license and full kitchen, 45 seats inside and 20 seats outside.

“All our places are neighborhood places, but this is more of a bistro style,” he says. “It’s a wine bar but not from a French point of view. It’s a neighborhood bistro. You can come in and have an Old-Fashioned or a glass of natural wine and pair it with a burger or charcuterie. We’re going to keep it casual but pay a lot of attention to detail and service.”

Other menu items include steak, pasta, salads and crudo, including ceviche with spicy aji amarillo and coconut; steak tartar; and butterflied branzino with hearts of palm chimichurri. There’s also a wood-roasted half chicken and small plates like falafel and focaccia breadsticks, as well as seasonal ice cream flavors and a bright lemon tart for dessert.

Bar Lab, which created Broken Shaker as a pop-up in 2012, is best known for its cocktails, and here that means drinks like the Flamingo mojito, a spicy mango margarita and the fermented Pimm’s Cup. Natural wine is also on the menu, and you can even buy a bottle to take home at a small wine shop.

And because it’s located inside a condo, Margot Bar & Bistro will also offer a take-out and delivery menu to serve residents.

Staking out another spot on Miami Beach feels natural, Orta said.

“We’re beach people. We go to the ocean,” he said. “We love this neighborhood. We have a lot of friends here. There are interesting people here. . . . This is an iconic neighborhood, and it’s been around for a long time and gone through a lot of transitions and different identities. It’s really a big city in a small neighborhood.”

Zvi agrees, citing the long-term success of the Italian restaurant Macchialina, which underwent a redesign and renovation earlier this year, and the new restaurant Paya from Chef Niven Patel, which celebrates island cuisine, as signs that the Beach is paying attention to local diners.

“I live on the Venetian Causeway, and I ride my bike every morning down Bay Road, and I look at those little houses,” he said. “ That’s why I moved here. I didn’t move to Miami to live downtown or in the Design District. We stopped going to South Beach because of all the changes. But now I feel like it’s coming back.”

Margot Bar & Bistro

Where: Flamingo Towers, 1504 Bay Road, Miami South Beach

Opening: Oct. 3

More information: margotnaturalwinebar.com or @margotbarandbistro on Instagram

This story was originally published October 2, 2024 at 4:30 AM.