Místico — Restaurant in Coral Gables

It is truly disappointing when your experience is negatively impacted by what I perceived as incompetent/tactless operators and/or a poor business model. There was something off right from the beginning as there is no signage just a banner on the side of the entrance door which is literally to the side of the drive way of the A Loft hotel. FYI the place does not have a bathroom and you have to walk through the hotel lobby to use the hotel’s bathroom. The bouncer said they were closed when we arrived but later asked if we had a reservation which we did. First red flag. I recommend you train the first person a patron sees to be welcoming. He’s not bouncing at a gentlemen's club. He’s obviously not capable so have him work simultaneously with a person that can make that initial interaction a positive one. Once inside we observed there were many other patrons. The space is decorated beautifully and our waitress was courteous. It is shaped like a T so not a good vantage point for many tables who want to see the live music. The food was good but they have a limited menu which I knew going in. Ambiance music was a bit loud as you couldn’t hear the person across from you but the selection was great. At one point in the night a runner or waitress came by and changed the temperature of the light on our table (which we had chosen) without crossing a word. Weird. After paying for the meal we were asked to vacate the table because they needed it. Literally those words. Don’t know if there was a time limit but if you have a vision for how your business is going to work the first group of people you need to communicate this to is your patrons when they make their reservations. Do not just focus on charging the reservation fee per person. As we walked out the hostess said good night. Because of the music we couldn’t hear what she was saying and one person in our party got closer and replied thank you, good night. Immediately the lady that kicked us out came over to ask what was said. Unbelievable. Now at the door there was a mature gentleman and his companion trying to enter the premises and they were asking him for ID which he provided. I guess after not having a reason to turn him down they let him in. It seemed to me like his attire (jeans and a polo) could have had something do with it but there were other patrons inside wearing jeans. If you would like to implement a dress code simply post and communicate it. They spoke in Spanish from the moment we arrived to the moment we left without knowing if everyone was comfortable. Unfortunately the restaurant/piano bar is being operated with the opposite of what the hospitality culture is in this country. If you focus solely on the customer’s experience you will be rewarded organically. I recommend you pay attention to the reviews (I wish I had) or mystery shop the place so you can really know what the customer experience is like. Extremely disappointing when there were many things right that could have made this a...

We visited this restaurant located in the entrance of the A-loft hotel in Coral Gables on le Jeune Road.

Parking is easy as they have valet and we had no line to wait at valet. Arrived around 9:50 pm.

We were greeted by the hostess who took us to our table with no wait.

The concept is pretty cool and unique, low lighting meets boho with elegance with spectacular decoration.

The restaurant has a concept I’ve never seen before, mixing live piano music repertoire that included both smooth and active music vibes. The piano is connected aesthetically with a long table for visitors to space share, in a separate but open section from the private dining tables.

Our server was Fran, very attentive and very knowledgeable on the menu recommendations. She was on point with the dinner and with cocktails throughout the night. After dinner venue gets more active, people gather around the piano and some couples were dancing which added on to the magic of this gem.

Most plates come in tapa style, and the variety makes it easy to meet expectations of every palate.

We ordered:

Cheese board and mixed charcuterie board: three different type of cheeses perfect to pair with charcuterie for starters.

Red shrimp and mango ensaladilla: Cold plate. Good. The shrimp was fresh and salad has a good. The salad could have a bit more of a kick to deliver an ultimate starter first impression.

Croquettes tasting: this plate was absolutely delicious. Comes with their three types of croquettes served in a very elegant style, with sauce accompanying each one of these croquettes(6total) that balance each filling to perfection. This is a must order.

Wagyu steak tartar: to be honest it’s the first time I try steak tartar. The flavor was good; however, a bit too strong for my taste. The couple we were with loved the taste. the only thing I would change is the sourdough toasts that come with it are beautiful; however, they’re too weak to hold the tartar and break easily.

Ibérico secret: tenderness and taste at its finest. A must order too. Juicy all over. Perfect temperature. Must order

Cocktails:

Two faves on the group:

Papi Juancho: mezcal based, Smokey flavor and a bit strong for those who like a stronger kick.

Invéntame: tequila based; perfect balance of refreshment, acidity, sweetness and size. Served in a balloon glass with ice.

Price range for starters/ tapas around 20 and entrees 30-$45 , cocktails around $20 which aligns with Miami fine dining prices.

Great food, great drinks, and over the top amazing experience. Must go and...

We had a reservation at 7:00pm, they asked us to wait because they were still close (we arrived at 7:00pm). While we are waiting a lady came about and told us our table was only for 2 hours, this was not specified when we made the reservation. I have to clarify that this is a place that is supposed to be a place to stay for longer time. Well, we accepted the “2 hours thing” thinking that they won’t kick you out. They said that it was fully sold but when I went online they have plenty of spots available to reserve. The host said there might be an error and that she will call the manager. The manager walked by our table many times and never went to talk to us. Being seated at the table 2 friends came in and they didn’t want them to go in because they were in sneakers, stating that they have a dress code. Dress code that they don’t follow because the manager was wearing a tshirt, and a hat. There were people wearing gym shoes. We were seated at 7:15pm and at 8:50 pm they came and said your time is over you gotta leave, then the waitress came and remind us that our time was over. The DJ and singer was so nice he really wanted us to stay and make it up but we were not able to stay there because they were literally kicking us out of the restaurant. We were consuming, “show” literally just started 5 min before they starting kicking us out. We didn’t even have enough time to order more than appetizers, only 2 drinks! After we paid and on our way out, oh shocker the manager came to us, I didn’t know what was going on with you till now. The host was really rude talking above us when we were trying to explain them how bad the situation was.

I WILL NEVER GO BACK TO THIS PLACE, and will NEVER RECOMMEND IT! They kick you out, they don’t specify a dress code on your reservation, they just don’t remind you once that your time is over, they did it like 4 times. Who wants to go to a place that they only let you stay for 2 hours max? I WAS CONSUMING. TERRIBLE!!!!

See pictures below to see how crowded the restaurant was. It was us and 2 more tables. Wonder if they were...