This Mediterranean restaurant and nightlife spot from New York now open in Miami

A new Mediterranean restaurant from New York has opened in Midtown Miami.

Amavi, from hospitality partners Jonathan Mansour, Igor Dze, Fallou Barthily and Francesco Campoy, is the second restaurant for the brand; the first opened in Manhattan’s Midtown East neighborhood in 2024.

Campoy said that Miami was the perfect place for the restaurant to expand.

“After such a successful year in New York City, we’re thrilled to bring our second Amavi location to life in Miami,” he said. “This magical city, full of beauty and energy, deserves an experience that reflects just that.”

Located in the former Mau Miami, next to the old Sugarcane space on First Avenue, Amavi is a 4,000-square-foot restaurant, with areas for indoor and outdoor dining. The design features Mediterranean influences — stone, tall archways, gold metallic mesh draped from the ceiling —and a 33-foot bar area.

The idea is that Amavi is a place for happy hour early, dining a little later and an entertainment venue as the night deepens, with an elevated center walkway that transforms into a space for live entertainment.

Executive chef Tolga Mutlu will head the kitchen, with help from Chef Alp Karataslioglu, the force behind Amavi New York. The menu features the classic items that have made Amavi New York so successful: lamb chops with pomegranate molasses and sumac; a whole branzino grilled right at the table with Mediterranean herbs; and the famous lobster pasta, which is tossed with basil and cherry tomatoes.

There are also lighter dishes, like a wood-grilled Caesar salad and a variety of mezze platters.

And, because you can’t have a restaurant-and-nightlife-destination without a cocktail program, there are specialty drinks, too, like the Dolce Vento with mezcal and pineapple and a Jardin Margerita with elderflower and hibiscus tincture.

Amavi

Where: 3252 NE First Ave., Miami

Hours: 5 p.m.-midnight Wednesday and Sunday; 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Thursday-Friday; 5 p.m.-1 a.m. Saturday; closed Monday-Tuesday

Reservations: Resy

More information: www.amavirestaurants.com; 305-728-0516

This story was originally published July 14, 2025 at 4:30 AM.