Watr at the 1 Rooftop — Restaurant in Miami Beach

I last night dined at Watr with high expectations, having made a reservation through Resy as a valued Amex client, a platform I consistently rely on. The food and drinks at this place were truly exceptional, but the service(hostesses) left much to be desired. I do not usually write this much about the experience but this one was so unexpected attitude that we had!

Upon arrival, we were greeted by a hostess whose attitude was perplexing and unwelcoming. Despite having requested a table by the poolside, we were initially seated directly in front of the DJ set. The music was so loud that we could hardly hear ourselves think, let alone enjoy a conversation.

When I expressed our discomfort, the hostess responded dismissively, implying that we were overly sensitive to the noise and that some people do not mind it! She literally said that! After some back-and-forth, we were taken back to the entrance and told we could sit in the dining area for dinner. However, since we were only there for drinks and a light meal, I reiterated my request for a poolside table. The hostess’s smile at this point felt more mocking than accommodating, making us very uncomfortable! I did not mind it at this point but!

We were then instructed to order from the bar and wait in the pool area. To our surprise, most of the tables there were empty, yet we were left waiting. Observing the hostesses continued laughing and seemingly making fun of us only added to our frustration. Feeling discriminated against possibly due to our accents or some other reason was extremely uncomfortable !!! When we looked at them they all turn their faces away!

After seeing empty tables, I went to the entrance again and confronted the hostesses about the delay and empty tables.

They offered excuses about lacking servers and waiting for other guests to leave etc…Thankfully, a lady who appeared to be a manager( I am guessing) intervened. She recognized the unfair treatment and promptly arranged for us to be seated at the requested table.

But I have to be honest, Victor, who served us the food, was amazingly nice and respectful. His professionalism and courteous demeanor were a breath of fresh air and significantly improved our dining experience.

In conclusion, while the culinary experience at Watr was outstanding, the initial poor service from the hostesses was a significant letdown. I hope the management takes steps to ensure that all guests are treated equally and with the hospitality they deserve. Victor’s excellent service deserves special recognition and is a testament to the potential of this...

We wanted to find a rooftop dining experience in Miami. When I found Watr at the 1, I had no idea what to expect. We were pleasantly surprised.

The Lyft driver dropped us at the hotel entrance. We walked unto the lobby lounge and were immediately impressed by the decor. I think the lounge is called Drift, which is appropriate because it felt like a beach with a lot of driftwood. It is very upscale but organic.

We took the elevator up to the rooftop. The restaurant is placed by the elevators. If you go through the restaurant, you come to the pool area. That is completely open air with glass walls on the sides to view the beach.

Walking back into the restaurant area, the roof is retractable, and they had it open when we were seated. There is also a nice bar up there for those who drink.

I believe our waiter was Peruvian. He was very good in general but difficult to understand at times, which is why I am not quite sure about his country of origin. He has been in the stated since 98, so his accent is not that thick, just difficult when he gets excited.

My wife ordered the edamame and truffle fries as the two appetizers. Both were good for what they were, but nothing extraordinary to report.

My wife ordered the Baked Truffle Lobster Roll. This was exceptional. She raved about it all night.

I had the Seafood Ceviche. I did not originally order the Taro chips. When it came, the waiter indicated that I really didn't need them since the corn added a crunch to the dish. I am so used to eating Ceviche with some sort of chip that I ordered them anyway. This was a wonderful dish. And between the Ceviche and the chips, there was a pleasant spicy heat to it. I kept eating this until way past my fill because it was so delicious.

This is also a spot to be seen. Scantily clad young ladies posing for attention were all around.

We ate at some great restaurants in Miami during this trip. We have one more tonight, but if I could only recommend one from the last 5 days, it would have to be Watr at the 1 Hotel. It was a little on the pricier side, but if you want to splurge on one impressionable dining experience, this is my...

Today we visited your rooftop area after a lovely morning walk and arrived around 11:10 AM. Upon arrival, there was no staff at the entrance, so we asked at the bar whether it was okay to sit down even though we were not hotel guests. The bartender kindly confirmed, so we chose a table, ordered drinks, and later two meals.

Our server was very friendly and professional, and we truly enjoyed the experience at first. Unfortunately, it was significantly affected by an unpleasant situation. Just as our meals were brought out and we had begun eating, a woman in a navy dress approached us with an iPad, asking for our phone number and personal details. Her tone and attitude were cold and condescending, and she stated she needed the information because we had not entered “properly.”

What made it especially uncomfortable was the timing, we had already been there for around 40 minutes, with both drinks and dishes on the table, and had just taken our first bites of food when the woman approached us out of nowhere. We weren’t simply sitting there without ordering anything, so the interruption felt unnecessary and intrusive. We were left feeling confused and embarrassed by the entire situation.

As mentioned, there was no one at the entrance when we arrived. We first asked at reception for directions to the rooftop, and then checked in with the bar staff. We had no indication that there was any other required process.

While we completely understand that every establishment has its own policies, this situation felt like a miscommunication or oversight on the part of the staff, and could have been handled in a more professional and welcoming way. Instead, it left us feeling uncomfortable and unwelcome, to the point that we weren’t sure whether we should stay, despite just receiving our food.

The view, food, and our server were all excellent, but the interaction with this particular staff member, who we assume was a host, unfortunately tainted our experience. We hope this feedback is helpful in improving the experience for future guests.

Kind...