Bulla Gastrobar — Restaurant in Palmetto Bay

UPDATED THURSDAY OCTOBER 5 2023. We returned today after a long hiatus from Bulla because the staff had changed and we actually were not at all happy with the attitude, food was served cold and just terrible.

Been away from Bulla for a little over a year.

TODAY HOWEVER we decided to give them another try, and are BEYOND happy!

We were served by DARIO who was outstanding...and all new staff again in keeping with the same high standards as when they opened!

Food and drinks were spot on. We will return for sure!

Meet the best restaurant team in #Miami, and food to absolutely die for!

Went to the newly opened @BullaGastrobar at the Falls shopping center yesterday.

To say that the staff there takes pride in what they do and really care about their patrons, is to way underestimate the high level of care and commitment to make the whole dining experience memorable!

As every business owner knows, your customer's experience begins with the person who answers the phone or greets people at the door.

When I called to see if they had a table for 2, and shared that we have tried many times to eat there and could never get a table, she said that the tables which were available were those in direct sun ... yet ... the sun was setting soon so we should not be too uncomfortable for too long, and encouraged us to come over. She was right, by time we sat down, sun began to loose its punch and by the time we finished dinner, it had long since set. She nailed it!

Next came Jonathan, our waiter. WOW! Talk about happy energy and loving his restaurant! We are going to return just to have some of his sunshine rub off on us!

He cared sooo much about my dairy allergies that he made it a point of telling us how much his Chef and the restaurant owner took pride in making sure that everyone was satisfied and had the best food and experience possible.

He then went over the menu with us AND brought put the Chef AND his managers to meet us to insure that I was absolutely happy and well taken care of!

Chef JP Jaramillo immediately shared what could be altered or substituted and then came back with the perfect meal tailored just for me. It was absolutely spectacular! See picture. It looked gourmet and was beyond delicious. Filling yet light at the same time. Spinach salad with a light dressing and rough cut beets, meat medallion sliced. WOW sooo delicious!

He and Jonathan shared how the owner of Bulla will meet with them, visits and eats at all of his restaurants to insure quality control, and that he's the owner of our favorite Peruvian restaurant Pisco y Nazca! Makes sense given that there too the service and food raise the dining experience bar!

Jaramillo also returned several times to insure that I was happy with the food and that we both were enjoying ourselves!

We ordered from the Miami Spice menu (my meal was tailored for reasons noted) and Frank enjoyed the seafood rice. Our appetizers were out of this world spectacular, Frank took home his churros and they made the best passion fruit sorbet (dairy gluten free) which thankfully wasn't very sweet and was fabulous delicately tart!

The food was so delicious and fresh.

The service was genuine and caring.

NO WONDER this place is always slammed.

Oh ps, if you were wondering, YES they followed all covid requirements re distancing, sanitizing, masks, etc from what we experienced last night.

We will clearly be returning and as restrictions lift, will come with friends!

Here's the list of names as a quick recap of this AMAZING team at this exceptional restaurant:

Emalie phone/in-house reservations Jonathan was our waiter Elissa is the manager Jorge is the GM Chef JP...

I had previously praised this restaurant for its food and service from Maria, and she should be praised, she’s the best. Today’s experience however was very disappointing. I got home late from work and decided to place a pickup order and was given an estimated time of 40 minutes. When I got there to pick up the food I was given only the sides and was told that that was my whole order and they refused to check the bag, I had to take it and open it myself to show them the main item in my order was missing. The nice gentleman went back to check on my order and let me know it would take 2 more minutes as it wasn’t ready. I was totally ok with it as I know certain dishes take longer than others. After about 10 minutes, someone else came up to me to let me know my order would take about 10 more minutes as the dish takes time. I mentioned that it was strange for it to be taking that long since we took 50 minutes from when the order was placed to when we arrived at the restaurant. After we asked if it was just starting to be made now she let us know that it was being made again as the cook unfortunately had burnt it. She asked us where we were parked to signal to us when the food was ready. We waited for about 18 more minutes before I decided to call the restaurant and ask if it was ready as I hadn’t been informed yet. The lady at the hostess stand checked and my food was ready and someone who appears to be part of management came to bring me my food and instead of apologizing for the delay and for half of my food being stale at this point he asked if someone had explained what happened. I let him know that it appears to be that the kitchen was distracted as there was a fully staffed kitchen and an empty dining room (only about 4 tables and 2 people at the bar), he was taken aback by my reply and tried to cover the mistake. After all the wait, the food was mid at best and all the potatoes were soggy and cold. I eat from this restaurant at least once a week and I’ve never had such an experience. I am not a confrontational person but the service here was horrible and you can tell the reason why. Management, instead of fixing problems, just try to cover them and try to make it seem like you’re the problem. I know people make mistakes and things get forgotten, the issue was how it was handled. I’m very disappointed in what happened today and the reason I’m writing the review is in hopes of having management read this and self reflect...

Edit:

This is an edit from my recent experience.

I feel somewhat conflicted writing this review due to my previous positive experiences at Bulla in The Falls. I had really enjoyed both the lunch and brunch during Miami Spice and thought it would be nice to meet up with some old friends for the Miami Spice dinner on a Saturday evening. Our group consisted of eight people, and I understand that such a large party can put added pressure on the staff, especially since I’m a hospitality graduate and sympathize with the challenges of the restaurant industry. However, the night got off to a rough start. While waiting for some guests who were running late, several people in the group began ordering drinks—some from the regular menu and others intending to order from the Miami Spice menu. When the drinks arrived, we explained that a few of them were meant to be from the Miami Spice offerings. This is when the atmosphere took a sudden and unexpected turn, becoming tense and almost accusatory, as if we were trying to order a higher-tier spirit not included in the Miami Spice menu. After sorting out the drink issue and exchanging the ones made with premium spirits for the standard versions, the tension lingered unnecessarily. It felt as though the entire ordering process had turned hostile, despite this being a simple misunderstanding. The food itself was good, but the discomfort caused by such a small miscommunication about the Miami Spice menu seemed excessive. This was especially surprising since I had physically come in the previous Thursday to place a reservation specifically for the Miami Spice dinner. More clarity should be provided to diners that they need to explicitly state they're ordering from the Miami Spice menu, and the staff should approach any mix-ups with more understanding rather than aggression. I was embarrassed to have recommended Bulla at The Falls to so many people because I genuinely enjoy supporting local restaurants, but this experience left me hesitant. At this time, I don’t think I can recommend Bulla, especially considering the variety of other excellent options available during the Miami...