Tinta Y Cafe - Miami Shores — Restaurant in Miami Shores

Passed this cafe several times, had a meeting cancellation and decided to stop in. I received a friendly greeting. When asked if it was for here or to-go I responded I'm just here to do a bit of work, and was carrying my laptop bag. The hostess said sure have a seat. I had a brief conversation with the waitress/hostess about it being my first time here, never did she say, we're a great electronic free cafe.

After ordering my coffee, I pulled out my laptop. A man, not my waitress, came from the back and told me about the policy and pushed a small sign towards me, which I had not read and was not on every table. I responded "oh I didn't realize, I said I was coming to work when I walked in". His response was, "well I'm telling you now, and the only place you can have your laptop is outside and there aren't any seats left." While he was professional, the message was not polite. I was amicable and compliant, and no one said good bye on my way out.

It's great to know there is a local electronic-free place to go. But I do wish the expectation would have been set by mentioning this policy when I walked in, or when I literally stated "I am here to do a bit of work", or when I stated "its my first time here". It's all about setting expectations, and the delivery of policy, lacked finesse. I felt, and was, kicked out and rejected. There are politer ways to say "well I'm telling you now". And now as I read the reviews, it seems I'm not the only one who feels this way. There are too many amazing and welcoming restaurants in this city, and whatever your niche, its about the delivery and expectations being set that keeps customers coming back. I probably would have considered returning for an electronic free experience had the man been just half a step more polite, but now I'm in no rush for a second round of the experience Tinta Y Cafe...

This review is for the pop up restaurant that is in this location in the evenings.

The service was top notch! Friendly, informative, professional and efficient.

The food was Michelin star quality! Everything was incredible. Probably the best meal I’ve ever had! Everything is locally sourced (as much as possible).

We ordered a glass of wine and a local beer. For appetizers we ordered the Almaco Jack Crudo. It was amazing! They use a hot coal to rub on the edges of the fish that gives it a Smokey flavor. Absolutely incredible! We also ordered the Canaveral White Shrimp Chawanmushi. It’s several layers! The shrimp was amazing! The egg custard at the bottom was a bit too salty for my taste, but my son thought it was perfect. Finally, we ordered the Grilled Sebastian Oysters. I’m not a big oyster fan, but I could eat these everyday! Grilled with a brown butter chimichurri sauce and ramp purée and fried hazelnuts- this was perfection. Set in the shells, on a rock and shell bed, the presentation was beautiful.

For dinner we ordered the smoked swordfish. I like swordfish, but it’s not my favorite because it’s not as soft as most fish. Not in this case. This was the softest, most flavorful swordfish I’ve ever had! They slow cook it for about 30-40 minutes. It goes on a low flame the minute we put our order in and slowly cooks the entire time we’re enjoying our appetizers and drinks. Set atop moujean tea turnips, caramelized baby fennel, and wilted spinach, this dish will never disappoint even the toughest critics.

Our bill was not that bad either. There is a 20% service charge, but this does not all go to your server! It’s split 4 ways, so your server is only getting a 5% tip. Please tip your server cash on top of the service charge.

I would love to return and try the spiny lobster. I highly recommend this place for a...

The food here is amazing and everything is of great quality, but the one thing this place lacks is customer service. Some time ago I was there at approximately 11:30am and I knew this place stopped serving breakfast at 11:45 so I made it a priority to be seated by 11:35, yet no one came to my table until 11:50am. At that time I tried to order from the breakfast menu, but was immediately turned down. Instead the chef vehemently refused to prepare anything from the breakfast menu, despite the fact that I was seated with ample time to order. I voiced my concerns to someone I see often here who listened for minutes, to only tell me the same story, that it was pretty much my problem and my fault that I did not place the order before 11:45, no exceptions. Being a Miami Shores resident I visited this establishment frequently, sometimes up to 4-5 times a week, always tipping 25% because I enjoyed the food that much and wanted to help a local business thrive, but to be treated the way I did that day has left a very distasteful memory of a place I once looked forward to. That interaction illustrated a lack of customer service. The solution was simple, I did not want a free meal, I am here to pay for my services and support their business, yet I was incessantly told they simply could not do it despite the fact I was there with ample time, it was my problem. The burden is on the customer at this place and they made it clear they could care less about any one customer, because they simply have enough business...