One of the best restaurants in Latin America is now open in Miami — with a secret bar

One of Latin America’s 50 Best restaurants has landed in Miami.

Niño Gordo from Buenos Aires, which has fused Argentine grilling with Asian influences and an urban hip-pop, comic book aesthetic, is now open in Wynwood.

Lead by co-creator German Sitz and head chef and co-owner Pedro Peña, Niño Gordo is located next door to the restaurant Pasta. This is the first U.S. location for the brand, which opened in Buenos Aires in 2017.

Peña, who was inspired to create the menu through his travels in Korea, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam and Hong Kong, said via email that he and Sitz had been considering opening a second restaurant in a new country for awhile.

“We felt Niño Gordo had evolved into something bigger than a local favorite — it became a statement,” he said. “We were ready to bring that energy abroad. Miami felt like the right match: culturally layered, fast-paced and on the rise as a serious dining destination. It’s a city where people crave bold experiences, and that’s exactly what we offer.”

Wynwood, of course, offered the perfect backdrop for a brand steeped in arts and comic book culture.

“It’s a neighborhood in constant motion, where people seek experiences with character,” Peña said. “Niño Gordo doesn’t fit into predictable spaces; it needs a setting that embraces the unexpected — where aesthetic, intensity and creativity can thrive. In Wynwood, we feel the freedom to fully express ourselves.”

The restaurant, which was ranked at no. 34 on Latin America’s 50 Best, is highly theatrical, a 74-seat space that mimics a comic book atmosphere. There are four rooms inside the restaurant, each with a different design and energy, including the main dining room with red hanging lamps and quirky fish tanks; the gold room, which is wrapped in golden mirrored panels from walls to ceiling, creating a glow; and a diner-style bar lined with cartoon characters.

Hidden behind a vintage cigarette machine is the fourth space, Dekotora, an intimate, Japanese-inspired sushi and cocktail bar. Inspired by coastal Japanese fishing villages, the bar features changing wall projections and a menu that includes crudos, makis, nigiris and a special omakase experience.

Christine Wiseman curated the cocktail menu in Dekotora and Niño Gordo, with highlights like the Neon Skyline (shiso-infused Patron and Mijen shochu) and the Electric Midnight (Toki Japanese whisky, tamarind, curry, coconut and lime juice) for Dekotora and twists on classics (red bean Old Fashioned, cherry blossom negronis and a papaya salad daiquiri) for the main dining rooms.

The menu offerings in the other dining rooms are a little different than what you’ll find on the Buenos Aires menu. In Miami, the plan is to use as many local ingredients as possible as well as reimaginings of some of Niño Gordo’s popular dishes, like beef tataki now made with tuna. Diners will also find brand favorites like the katsu sando, recreated with shokupan bread, beef, tonkatsu and Japanese mayo; a creative version of Peking duck; and fried rice with crab and lobster.

“The Miami menu honors the essence of Niño Gordo: being rooted in a local culture,” Peña explained. “In Buenos Aires, that anchor was the grill and open fire. In Miami, it’s the variety and quality of local ingredients.”

The restaurant is opening at a time when Wynwood is quickly filling with new concepts (many of them Italian) and heading into the long summer season, where tourists are in short supply. But Peña isn’t worried about the restaurant attracting diners and said summer might be the best time to work out any kinks that may crop up.

“Summer gives us room to breathe,” he said. “Instead of rushing into the spotlight, we get to build slowly — train the team, perfect the flow, listen to feedback and evolve organically before the city kicks into high gear. We also believe that when the city slows down, there’s more room for soulful concepts for places that aren’t trying to ride the hype and build real community, one table at a time.”

Niño Gordo

Where: 112 NW 28th St., Miami

Hours: Niño Gordo hours 6 p.m.-midnight Wednesday-Sunday; Dekotora hours 6 p.m.-1 a.m. Wednesday-Saturday

Reservations: OpenTable or 786-889-8093

More information: www.ninogordo.us

This story was originally published May 16, 2025 at 4:30 AM.