NOMA Beach at Redfish — Restaurant in Coral Gables

Last night, Dec. 27th, we visited Noma Beach by Redfish Restaurant at Mathieson Park in Coral Gables. My husband suggested going to a fish restaurant. We dine out very frequently and there are many choices. He suggested we go to Joe’s Stone Crab in MB which we like but I suggested coming to Noma Beach by Redfish because we are familiar with this park and the neighborhood since we live in Coral Gables. We owned a Catering & Event Production company for 33 years in Coral Gables. We already retired. We catered a few weddings here in Mathieson Park. In 2015 our son was married in the park and dinner followed at the Redfish Grill Restaurant on premises. We also dined in a couple of times after that because I loved their Sea Bass which is not even on the Menu anymore. After 2017 when Hurricane Irma stroke, they closed. The other day looking to new experiences in dining, I came upon Noma Beach as being open in the same place. However, yesterday was a bad choice to go for dinner 👎🤦‍♀️. The place itself is very nice as decor goes. Their clientele was very nice. But everything else is a disappointment. Their menu is very short, not much variety, $$$, I didn’t order appetizers thinking to be to much food but to my surprise when my entree came, Risotto Fruta di Mare, it looked more like an appetizer than a main course. (Pic attached). Fancy plate but the amount of risotto was skimp with 3 small shrimps and 3 mussels. The quality and taste was super. We even commented with our waiter Joel who just listened but had no comment of his own about such a small portion. My husband joked saying ‘…maybe they ran out…’. We even asked if the restaurant had a different owner, his answer was ‘…same owner but different Chef…’ he just shrugged his shoulders. I don’t think he said anything to the Manager who I believe was there, a total indifference to a patron’s concerns, this is why I decided to write this review because to us, your satisfied clientele is what makes your business prosper. We don’t mind paying the price if the food is worth it, but this was extreme. I ordered a glass of Sangria because my husband wasn’t going to drink, it came in a small wine glass, it was tasty but 2 sips and you are done. The best dish out of the whole dinning experience was that my husband ordered the whole Snapper, MP, and although we think a bit overpriced at $65 it was the best thing we were having after everything else been mediocre. His fish was tasty, nicely presented, with just some small portion salad on the plate. At this point, we were regretting choosing to come here today. But, we ordered dessert, Chocolate Mousse with Chocolate Cake, again, served in a small martini glass, tiny piece of cake and some trimmings ($18) ridiculous! 🤦‍♀️ Having been in the food industry for so many years, we learned that food & service go hand in hand. So, as for service… we were not impressed…. Although polite, we didn’t feel well taking care of. Another waiter came by and offered my husband a water refill, my glass was empty, but he only asked my husband, not me, he poured his glass and left. When my husband’s fish came in I asked our waiter for another plate to put the bones, he came back with a dessert plate.🤦‍♀️ We needed to ask for wet towels for our hands, he said ‘sure… some hot water & lime…’ which sounded perfect. He came back with 2 rolled napkins wet and smelling like clorox. Again…. We don’t mind paying $$$ if we are satisfied, but the bill felt astronomical for what we ate!! To finish off the bad choice in restaurant we made, we visited the Bathroom, the napkin dispenser was empty, the garbage container was over flowing with dirty papers that you couldn’t close the lid. The only thing that stood out to my husband was the nice liquid hand soap. We had just recommended this place to a friend & business associate who asked us for her son’s wedding. We thought of our prior experience in years past. But we will retract our recommendation to her or anybody else after yesterday’s visit. Total mistake coming to Noma Beach by Redfish, except...

Sunset, Salt, and Swagger: Dining at NOMA Beach at Redfish . CORAL GABLES, FL - Golden hour in Coral Gables does its best work at NOMA Beach at Redfish, where the bay turns to liquid bronze and the rooftop draws a good-looking crowd nursing tall-stemmed spritzes. Set inside Matheson Hammock Park—the only true waterfront dining address in the Gables—this modern, coastal-Italian outpost feels purpose-built for date nights, proposals, and the kind of unbothered weeknight that slides into a second bottle. The setting is the flex: a coral-stone landmark, palm-ringed beach, and a rooftop patio with wide-open views of Biscayne Bay. . Linen, leather sandals, a whisper of salt, and a soundtrack that gets warmer as the sun drops. Staff skew friendly and on-the-ball— regulars call out attentive service and event pros who run the rooftop like a private club—though, like many Miami hot tickets, peak hours can stretch patience. . Chef-owner Donatella Arpaia steers the menu toward glossy Mediterranean comfort with seafood first in line. Start with the Hanging Board — prosciutto di Parma, Marcona almonds, fig jam, cheeses and honey—hung tableside like jewelry; it’s theater and appetite-builder in one. The fritto misto (semolina-crusted calamari and shrimp with avocado aioli) is a crisply addictive second act. Prices are Miami-prime but transparent: $42 for that board, $40 for the fritto, $35 for Donatella’s award-winning meatballs, and salads spanning $25–$37. . Those meatballs are a house signature, swaddled in slow-braised ragù—comfort food dressed for a night out. On the lighter side, the Stone Fruit Caprese layers grilled peaches and burrata with basil and prosciutto, a sun-kissed detour that eats like a South Florida postcard. For mains, branzino with lemon-caper butter and gigante beans is the clean, confident order; pasta traditionalists go for rigatoni tossed in a broken-meatball ragù. . Cocktails are where the rooftop gets chatty. The program leans seasonal and agave-curious, with a deep bench of tequilas and mezcals, while the bar keeps crowd-pleasers in rotation—Aperol spritz at sundown, a cucumber-gin number when the humidity bites, and a notably silky espresso martini when the night asks for punctuation. . As for damage: the experience at $31–$50 per person before tax and tip; Miami’s tourism board lists it at “$$$ ($31–$45).” Given the postcard real estate and the coastal-Italian polish, that’s in line with the neighborhood — and mercifully south of sticker shock for a special-occasion table. . Housekeeping for the planners: reservations are wise, the rooftop hosts recurring happenings (think winemaker dinners and themed evenings), Sunset Wednesday–Friday Happy Hour on the outdoor bar is a savvy play for oysters and cocktails with that cinematic sky. . The verdict? NOMA Beach at Redfish is Miami distilled: spectacular water, dressed-up comfort food, and a bar that understands the assignment. Come for the posture, stay for the plates—especially that branzino, the fritto, and the meatballs—and embrace the occasional Miami hiccup as the cost of admission to a front-row seat on Biscayne Bay. It's salt-sprayed, sun-dappled, a touch high-maintenance, and...

We had such a great time! We were 2 couples that went to the bar for happy hour. The bartender was fun and friendly and she had us laughing the entire time! All our drinks were very tasty and she even created a drink for me. A custom made drink just for me!? That was just awesome! We had some happy hour appetizers, which were all very good. She suggested the tuna sashimi saying it was her favorite, so I ordered it and she was right! So good! Everyone was so nice, even the guy that brought the food was sweet! The only challenge we had was actually placing the food order. While she was explaining the menu to us and taking our order, two women across the bar interrupted twice by screaming and waving her arms demanding to order a drink (so rude). The bartender apologized for their interruption even though it wasn’t her fault. Then as she is on the computer putting in our order, some guy asks about when happy hour ends. She said it ended at 7pm, And then raises his phone and puts it in her face and says it’s 6:58! Happy hour isn’t over! Personally, I was impressed that she was so calm and collected about it all. The girl was alone. The only bartender making drinks for people sitting at the bar and the waiters tables. AND she had to deal with rude customers? I couldn’t have done it. We left her a big tip and told the manager how awesome she was and how much fun we had. We are definitely going back, I just hope next time, the rude people stay home

Changed the stars for this recent visit which was HORRIBLE! Went back to see that awesome bartender and she’s not there anymore. No one would say why but big mistake letting her leave! Bartenders there didn’t measure up to the girl bartender we went to see. They seemed like they didn’t even want to be there. Bar was nasty, covered with bees and roaches crawling on the bar top. No excuse for that. Didn’t even want to stay to finish the drinks (which were below average this time). Not going back EVER. Too bad because I like having a beach bar that’s not on...