Semilla Eatery & Bar — Restaurant in Miami Beach

Went for an early dinner (around 6:00 pm) ..... I stood for several minutes outside reading the menu (I'm sure someone must have seen me) .... saw a couple of items I found interesting so decided to try it .... walked in and absolutely nobody acknowledged my presence (it was almost as if I wasn't there) ... after standing a while, I had to approach the very inattentive staff I sat at the bar (Nobody asked if I wish to sit at the bar or at a table ... so I figured sitting at the bar was ok) Ordered a beer .... the bartender just asked if I wanted something on draft or a local beer .... I chose a local but he never explained if it was lager or an IPA or whatever .... brought whatever he wanted I ordered the Seabass carpaccio which was TOTALLY bland ... absolutely no flavor ..... I had to add lots of lemon juice, salt, pepper and hot sauce to make it somewhat edible (They need to learn from La Petite Maison in Brickell which has AMAZING carpaccio) ... also, it was sitting in small pool of water and it took an extraordinary long time to be served considering there was no cooking process ... IT'S RAW FISH !!! I mean really ?!?!?! At no point did the bartender ever come to offer water, check on the food, check on the beverages, etc etc. really poor service ! When I advised him of the poor food quality he pretty much said "he's not the cook" ... he just serves drink (had absolutely no interest in my concern) or did he advise manager .... Even after I told him that I needed the tobasco to make it somewhat edible (PS he also told me that he doesn't eat raw fish so he wouldn't know but If I would have asked him he would recommend the ravioli .... again poor service) while I was eating the waiters were discussing, in high vocal tone, restaurant affairs (In reference to scheduling and such) using very foul language including the "F" word

The place is really nice with an open kitchen in the middle .... if only the service and food...

Drink: Dark “N” Stormy Smoky and sweet, subtlety strong that knocks you on your feet.

Starter: Roasted Cauliflower Cooked to perfection, cauliflower can have a surprising meatiness to it, looking at you my Vegan/Vegetarian friends. Make sure to lather the cauliflower crown with the bed of earthy tomato sauce and chimichurri cilantro salsa mixture to give it its full effect.

Entree: Truffle Summer Pasta FYI: I had to get it GF for my Celiac belly. Usually it’s served with fusilli pasta but they were serving conchiglie (think conch shells). These were undercooked or rather way too Al dente. Cooking GF pasta takes patience, skill, and understanding. I don’t take away the excellence of the chefs but GF cooking isn’t always for everyone.

Dessert: Red Berry Pavlova Sweet, berry, custardy, and zesty. Wow, what a fusion of flavors and textures that send your mouth on a ride of magical pleasure. The server suggested it and I’m grateful she was so spot on. This is made for two or three to share. It’s so rich that it settles pretty heavy after an already hearty meal. I am ashamed to say that I couldn’t finish it, maybe it’s just me, but I could have used a couple of extra mouths to tackle this heap of delectableness. sigh

Forewarning Semilla includes tip in the final bill. This is typical of Europe and the chefs, staff, and owner being French they have integrated this into their billing. I actually don’t have a problem with it but was indeed surprised only because we are not accustomed to that in the states. Just keep an eye out for it. Unless you want to tip even more than the 20% gratuity included then go for it!

That doesn’t take away from Meryline, my server, she moved nonstop and didn’t skip a beat.

Ambiance: Music is a bit on the louder side but boasts a very sociable clientele who all seem to be regulars. French dominate this space, almost every table I walked passed were speaking French. The decor is cozy...

Title: We Found a Live Worm in the Broccoli!!!

I used to love this restaurant. I had been coming here with my family countless times, enjoying the food, the atmosphere, and the overall experience. In fact, I even left a glowing review before, praising how much I loved this place.

But everything changed about 6 months ago when my family and I, including my mother who flew in to visit, dined at Semilla. As always, we ordered a lot of food, including their signature broccoli dish, which comes in a very large portion. We couldn’t finish it, so we took the leftovers home.

What happened next shocked me. The following night, just a few hours after our dinner, I opened the takeout container to have some of the broccoli—and to my horror, a large, live white worm crawled out of it. I was absolutely disgusted. I couldn’t believe that a restaurant I had trusted and loved could serve something like this.

At first, I didn’t want to leave a public review. Instead, I tried to reach out directly to the head chef via social media. I sent messages to different platforms, hoping someone would acknowledge this serious issue. But no one ever responded. No apology, no explanation—just complete silence.

I let it go and moved on, until today when I was reminded of my old positive review on Google Maps. Seeing it again made me realize I couldn’t let this experience go unshared. So, I deleted my previous review and replaced it with this one.

To all future customers—be aware of what you might find in your food here. My experience was beyond unacceptable, and the restaurant’s lack of response...