Jamon Iberico Pata Negra Restaurant — Restaurant in Miami

We got invited to a birthday dinner here. I'm quite shocked that we've never been before. Apparently, Jamon Iberico Pata Negra has been open for years and it wasn't the easiest place to find either. Our Uber drove in circles for a while but we somehow realized it's inside Neo Lofts. What? There's literally no other restaurants in this area or at least within walking distance and yet there's this hidden gem on the 1st floor of a condo building.

Walked in and it was busy. We had a reserved table in the back and it was ready when we arrived. The service was old school here. The staff greeted everyone with a smile and the servers immediately offer water and didn't mind answering questions about the menu. We felt very welcomed.

We ordered a pitcher of Sangria to start. Its $26 but you can also just get a glass for $7.50 each. The pitcher was enough for 4 people so we just shared and it's definitely not watered down. I felt loopy after one round but of course, we got another...LOL. Since this was a tapas restaurant, we ordered a bunch of items from the menu so we can all taste. There were 4 us in my group so this was a great idea but we ordered way too much food :) Here's what we ate: Cured Spanish Sausage, Galacian Style Octopus, Patatas Bravas, Fried Calamari, Fried Chickpeas, ¼ Roasted Suckling Pig and a Paella Rustica Valenciana. Folks, there wasn't a single dish that we didn't like. Everything was simply superb and the portions were big too. Trust, we were painfully full but managed to finish everything except for one order that was missing, the Spanish Omelet. Thank God they forgot cause I don't think we had enough room because there was also a birthday cake coming.

We truly enjoyed our 1st time here and it will not be the last. Love the food here and plus its also affordable. Most tapas are $12 each and the paellas vary but ours was $24. The paella is definitely a must. It's chunky full of meat and seafood. Just let it cool down first because it's piping hot. Let's just say I learned...

Close your eyes and this place will take your taste buds on trip to Spain for dinner. The food here is nothing short of excellent and I'm SO glad we found this place. The service, quality of ingredients, flavors, portions, and cooking quality.

The chef came out from the kitchen a few times to ensure everyone was enjoying their food and said hello to everyone. The staff also seemed happy and hard working. I got the impression that the owner of this business is engaged and cares about his people; subsequently he has dedicated employees that do a good job and care.

If I sited every dish it would be a super long review. Suffice to say that you won't go wrong with any dish here. First and foremost, the restaurant's a namesake. They have excellent quality and cuts of jamon. We loved the cuts they gave us and the flavor was fresh and quality.

Some notables: Octopus is hard to cook "right" but these guys made it perfectly; not chewy at all. The chickpeas have a unique smoked paprika note with sausage and was very yummy. My husband "tests" many Spanish restaurants by their Sangria. He said this one is the best and most authentic he's had in South FL. The manchego had the fine grains of "good" manchego. Everything was excellent. These guys know what they're doing.

Funny enough I tell my husband "Wow. This table bread tastes great. It has that distinct flavor of the breads from Spain. It's like the ones we get from the bakery in the morning in Spain". Low and behold my husband reads that they import the bread from Spain. Genius! I could taste it and genuinely didn't know prior.

Outside the place appears inconspicuous and you wouldn't think it's anything at first sight but, really, the food is excellent...

I time traveled to Spain without leaving Miami. First impressions. Starting at the valet for $5 dollars to the obscured front door I could sense a Spanish cullinary adventure awaiting for me to experience and make judgement. The restaurant design, layout, and decor was eclectic like if I arrived at a 200 year old modern day restaurant in Madrid. Small and quaint, the servers, food, wine and later conversing with the master chef and owner Felipe, born in Spain, I instantly "loved" this place. There is so much rich restaurant history and experience here that goes all the way to fine dining establishment in NJ. The famous retired from special events huge paella pan proudly hangs on the wall. To top it off on certain nights they provide Flamenco, old school. This restaurant is incorporated with a outside entrance in a tall residential building very close to the miami river. If you can't travel to Spain this weekend and want to time travel I highly recommend this place. Carpe diem, as life passes everytime we blink. A special thank you to my friend, my brother, Pablo, for opening a portal to experience Spain without the cost of airfare! Selfishly, please reserve and don't bring a party larger than 4 people since I am looking for the quaint ole Madrid Spain experience....