Bunbury Miami — Restaurant in Miami

Another unique hidden gem in the area and one to be a favorite amongst locals for sure. This joint is quirky hipster but yet artistic, quaint and classy all at the same time and it's so unexpected because from the outside facade you have no idea what you're about to walk into, in a good way. One of the waiters took the time to give me some insight on the owners top tier taste in decor and exceptionally artistic ideas...it shows when you take the time to appreciate the details in every corner of the restaurant. Having said that, good decor alone won't get you a five star rating but food and service sure as hell will. Furthermore ambiance was also on point because I'm a sucker for live music and I happened to walk into a musician doing his thing on stage. The waitstaff and host are delightful, welcoming, attentive, personable, sociable and warm, every single one of them, check. Now I've been meaning to pay them a visit for a while and seeing they were also a participating Miami Spice menu is what did it for me, felt like a sign from the universe. The brunch menu is for $30 and only good on Saturday and Sunday so let me share what I ate and drank…

POMEGRANATE MEZCALITA: refreshing, not overly sweet and just what I needed to start my meal. Made with, obviously, pomegranate juice, also lime juice, triple sec, grenadine and Mezcal. They also had a $25 mimosa deal for brunch, not part of Miami Spice menu of course.

SPINACH BUÑUELOS: imagine a crab cake but made of spinach, that's the best way to describe it. Light, flavorful with a somewhat spicy Bunbury sauce to dip in. They also have an empanada as an option. I didn't think much of it but I'm sure a vegan would probably like this more than me.

EMPANADA: now the waiter wanted me to try the empanada because he did mention that those are some of the best empanadas in town and he wasn't lying at all. I have to admit, that was one of the most delicious empanadas I've ever tasted in my entire life and I'm not even a big fan of lamb meat. The secret or trick, he explained, is that the the meat is Sous Vide and it makes sense why you don't taste that very unique taste lamb cooked in other methods has. Blend that tender meat with mozzarella cheese and stuff in that perfectly baked dough and mamma mia, finger licking goodness. This is a MUST try, no exceptions.

BACON CHEESEBURGER: they have an avocado toast and a Benedict as the other two options but I was there for the burger. This is brunch and the burger was precisely a brunch burger because of the fried egg on top. Juicy beef patties, caramelized onions, melted cheddar cheese and crispy bacon in hot buns with a side of French fries. This was just perfect after a night of cocktails. The burger did not disappoint and it's very filling, so much I took half home.

DELICIA DE CHOCOLATE: talk about one of the most decadent, rich and sinfully yummy desserts I've had in a while. Homemade chocolate cookie, chocolate ganache, almonds, caramelized orange slices, vanilla ice cream and a shot of cream caramel. The shot of cream caramel is the icing on the cake, no lie and it isn't overly sweet when you mix it all together which is perfect for me since I don't have a sweet tooth per se.

Now I do have to come back for dinner because that menu looks appetizing to say the least and skirt steak is what do they best around here so needless to say, I have plenty of good reasons to come back and recommend this...

Heard many good things before trying it out for the first time.

First impression of the restaurant is odd because windows had like sort of newspaper on their windows; normally when you see that it's either they're not open yet or they've totally closed but we did made a reservation 30 mins prior arriving so it must be open!

Upon entering the restaurant, my second impression was like oh no we have a 6 month old baby with us and there's only high chair tables then out of the blue host opens up a shelf door-AMAZING! Don't be put off by the graffitied little building. I believe it was formally a gas station.

An eclectic location with amazing food, cozy decor and ambience. You can sit inside surrounded by walls of books (typical movie style, Harry Potter sort of thing) and antique tables that were once personal desks. Nothing matches but everything looks and feels like being in a cozy private library with soft lights. Live music (my friends 6 month baby was loving it!). You can sit outside and enjoy the cool evenings; they have a Dj. Food and wine is exceptional!

We had to try their most talked baked empanadas; so we did. (1) Four Cheeses with Smoked Bacon (it was okay but not my favorite), (1) "Bunbury" Prosciutto-Mushroom-Brie (my favorite!), (1) Hand Cut Beef with Chimichurri (delicious but for being an Argentine restaurant; your chimichurri sucks - I would ve expected a little better), (1) Braised Lamb - touch of Mozzarella (delicious), Shrimp Balls (amazing combination of flavours), Bunbury Burger Bites (asked for medium cooked and waiter brought extremely well done even though we mentioned it twice - he didn't care less at all), and Grilled Vacío (this time around he did bring it medium cooked - thank God!).

All in all, flavorful and addicting! The portion is on the small side but it's perfect if you are indulging in their many other delicious bites and empanadas. Oh the empanadas are to die for! They have a vast selection of great wines. On the walls, I definitely spotted 3 of my favorite wines which I tried in my trip to Buenos Aires and La Patagonia.

Highly recommended! But service was...

I'm not sure why it took us so long to finally check out Bunbury. I've heard consistently from friends and coworkers that this place serves great food and I couldn't agree more.

First of all, the location is not really on a busy strip or a plaza. It's smacked right in downtown Miami across from a Midas body shop. The entrance is fenced in so you might pass it not realizing that it's the actual restaurant, especially at night. But once inside, it's actually pretty spacious offering both indoor and outdoor seating area.

Now let's talk about the food. First thing that came out was the complimentary fresh baked bread with their delicious homemade spread. Trust, the spread was so addictive that we had to get a couple of rounds :) For starters, we got a variety of Empanadas and the Shrimp Balls. Both freshly made and piping hot. I highly recommend the Braised lamb and Prosciutto Mushroom Brie empanadas. For the 2nd course, we got the Duck "Magret" and the Grilled Vacio to share. Again, both impressive! The pan seared duck was prepped very well. Not too gamy and moist with light crunch from the toasted skin. It came with fresh arugula and sweet potatoes. The steak was also cooked to perfection. It was juicy and had a nice char from the grill. This dish came with delicious truffle mashed potatoes.

The prices were pretty reasonable too. However, the empanadas were $4.50 each. Yes, it's pricey but considering the size and quality, it's worth it. The duck was $18 and steak was $24 and both portions were enough to share. I've been to high end restaurants and paid more for quality food. I believe Bunbery is in the same caliber without the attitude and frills. For me, I rather eat at a casual place like...