This Michelin-starred spot on Miami Beach closed. Now it’s back with a new chef

A Michelin-starred restaurant in Miami Beach that closed in May for a seasonal break after its chef’s departure is back with a new menu — and a new chef de cuisine.

Tambourine Room by Tristan Brandt, which opened in 2022 at the Carillon Wellness Resort in Miami Beach, has reopened with chef de cuisine Logan McNeil at the helm. The original chef de cuisine, Chef Timo Steubing, left earlier this year, although he was there to help steer the restaurant to its third year of Michelin stardom in April.

McNeil, formerly of another Miami Beach restaurant, the Michelin-starred Stubborn Seed from chef Jeremy Ford, brings a “remarkable perspective to the kitchen,” according to Brandt, who in 2013 was the head chef at Opus V restaurant in Mannheim, Germany. The restaurant earned two Michelin stars, making Brandt the youngest chef in the country to lead a two-star kitchen at the time.

“It was a pleasure shaping this new menu together that again pays homage to the storied history of the Tambourine Room,” he said of McNeil. “His creativity and discipline enriched the process, and the result is an elevated culinary experience that reflects both our shared vision and what fine dining can be at its highest level.”

McNeil is thrilled to finally get started at Tambourine Room, which has one seating a night and features a seven-course tasting menu. He says his experience at Stubborn Seed has prepared him to take a bigger role at Tambourine Room.

“I was definitely getting freedom at Stubborn Seed,” he says. “Stubborn Seed is where I grew up, in terms of culinary experience. This move is me stepping more into the spotlight with my own style.”

McNeil and Brandt worked together creating the new menu from afar, although Brandt did travel to Miami Beach for a week so they could work together. Perfecting dishes together and developing a rapport helped McNeil see how his style worked with Brandt’s.

“Trust is extremely important in every collaborative partnership, and it’s especially important in restaurants,” McNeil says. “The chef de cuisine is handling the day to day and sometimes even the big picture stuff. I respect the trust he has in me.”

Some the menu highlights include Key Largo snapper with kombu jalapeño sofrito, zucchini and coconut curry beurre blanc; porcelet and caviar with rose apple, yukon espuma and potato chicharron; and venison tenderloin with confit celeriac, hearts of palm puree, toasted pine nut and fig jus.

The dish McNeil is most excited about is the Kyushu hamachi with mango, carrot and smoked chile oil, the meal’s second course.

“That’s my personal signature dish,” he says. “It really speaks to all the crudo prep I’ve learned, a real specialty of Jeremy’s. When I was working developing the menu with Tristan, this was the one dish that didn’t change.”

The restaurant is also introducing The Lounge, a pre-dinner experience with a new cocktail program with drinks inspired by the neighborhood’s Art Deco history like Le Can Can (champagne, passionfruit and Angostura sherbet) and The Jetsetter (Macallan 12-year sherry oak cask, rhubarb, yuzu and bitters).

McNeil says he doesn’t feel weighed down by the pressure to keep Tambourine Room’s Michelin star.

“It’s definitely in my mind,” he says. “But at Stubborn Seed, I learned to take the pressure and thrive off it. I think I’m more focused on what we’ll do next.”

Tambourine Room by Tristan Brandt

Where: Carillon Wellness Resort, 6801 Collins Ave., Miami Beach

Reservations: OpenTable

Seatings: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday

Price: $185 per person; $115 wine pairing; $80 cocktail pairing

More information: www.tambourineroom.com

This story was originally published September 19, 2025 at 5:30 AM.