Novikov Miami — Restaurant in Miami

Extremely Disappointing Experience – Ruined a Special Celebration

We had an absolutely terrible experience at this restaurant, and I feel compelled to share it so others don’t make the same mistake.

Yesterday, we came here to celebrate my friend’s 35th birthday—a milestone and a very special occasion. Her husband had planned a surprise, choosing what seemed to be a high-end, premium restaurant with top-tier service. To make this even more special, her parents had just flown in after several years apart, and we were all looking forward to a wonderful evening together.

For context, my friend is nine months pregnant and about to give birth any day now. The last thing she needed was stress or negativity—this was supposed to be a joyful, peaceful night. Unfortunately, this restaurant completely ruined it for her and all of us.

The Restaurant’s Setting – Far From 5 Stars

Our table was originally booked outside, yet we were seated inside without any explanation. We didn’t argue and just took our seats, but from the very start, the atmosphere was a disaster. The interior was completely unimpressive, resembling a standard American diner rather than an upscale fine-dining establishment.

Worse yet, the music was blasting at nightclub levels. We couldn’t hear each other across the same table, forcing us to shout our birthday wishes instead of sharing a normal conversation. It was frustrating and completely inappropriate for what was supposed to be an elegant setting.

The Food – Overpriced and Underwhelming

The food was decent, but nowhere near worth the price. • We specifically ordered A5 Wagyu with mushrooms and truffle, expecting a luxurious dish. Instead, we received a plate full of rice, some mushrooms, and a few tiny, barely visible pieces of meat. This dish alone was priced at $80, which was absolutely outrageous for what we received. • Other dishes, including salads and appetizers, were shockingly small and thinly portioned. For the prices they charge, this is laughable. • Rather than serving each dish to the person who ordered it, they dumped everything in the middle of the table, leaving us to rearrange and redistribute the food ourselves.

We understand this restaurant tries to position itself as fine dining, but in reality, it is far from it.

The Service – A Complete Disgrace

The service was the most infuriating part of the entire night. • The waitstaff was rude and dismissive, but one waiter, in particular, stood out as downright awful. • He was tall, had a short haircut, and was extremely rude and abrupt in his responses. • His attitude ruined the mood for everyone, and worst of all, he made my pregnant friend uncomfortable on her own birthday.

It is unacceptable for any restaurant, let alone a so-called “premium” establishment, to treat guests like this—especially on such an important occasion.

Final Thoughts

This restaurant completely failed in every possible way—from the atmosphere to the food to the appalling service. Instead of a wonderful birthday celebration, we left angry, disappointed, and frustrated.

We will never come back here and will strongly advise everyone we know to stay away. If you’re looking for a high-quality dining experience, do yourself a favor and...

I went to the beautiful Novikov Miami and we had an amazing time celebrating a friend's birthday! Novikov is described as "a sophisticated world-renowned Chinese-Japanese concept, situated on a lively corner of Downtown Miami with a spectacular view of Brickell Bay. The Miami outpost emulates the original, critically-acclaimed London restaurant by showcasing Asian cuisine in a glamorous and high-energy setting. A regular stop in London for celebrities such as Rihanna, Leonardo DiCaprio and Prince Harry, Novikov Miami’s stunning décor, interactive dining experience and distinctive open kitchen make it a must-see destination."

Our very knowledgeable waiter Eduardo pretty much ordered everything for us! Ha! Each dish was amazing and you could taste every single ingredient in every bite. It can get crowded so I recommend reservations. The service is great, decent portions, great presentation and the price point $$$...You have the option of eating outdoors as well.

Things that we considered on the menu...King Crab & Truffle Soup, Dim Sum Thai Pork and Toasted Cashews, Dim Sum Duck Foie Gras, Dim Sum XIO Long Truffle & Pork, Dim Sum Saffron Sweet Corn, Tamarind Glazed Salmon, Yuzu Miso Black Cod, Robata Grilled Branzino, Snapper Two Ways, Peking Duck and sooo much more!

For drinks they had eclectic cocktails such as Wasabi Martini, Agave Picante, Tokyo Mule, Oaxacan Sun, etc.

DRINKS Novikov Bellini - Vanilla Infused Vodka, Prosecco, Passion Fruit, Yakult -- My friend got two glasses so it's safe to say that they enjoyed it!

A glass of Rose - Nice and cold.

As I stated before we left it up to our waiter to choose our dishes excluding one side dish that I chose.

APPETIZERS Wagyu Skewers - Wagyu beef skewered and grilled perfectly cooked. Tender with a delicious sauce and just the right toppings to pair with. Soooo good!

Spicy Prawn Moneybags - Handcrafted steamed dim sum stuffed with prawns & red chili, a hint of ginger and garlic -- We tasted everything listed above. Fresh, tasty and light. The two sauces on the side hit the spot.

MAIN Sweet and Sour Mango Chicken jalapenos, cashews, mangos, sweet peppers, the sauce and lightly fried chicken. Perfection!

Roasted Duck Bao Bun --- Tender, moist, fatty and flavorful duck on a fluffy, savory mildly sweel bun..

SIDES --- Duck and Shrimp Fried Rice - Perfectly cooked and so flavorful.

Ginger Baby Bok Choy --- Now I chose this side and while it looked pretty shockingly it lacked flavor in all areas. It had the perfect crunch but this needs updating. I was shocked because the rest of the dishes tasted delicious.

DESSERT Coconut Panna Cotta - Pineapple Compote, Passion Gel, and Coconut Streusel -- OMGGGG....This is one of those desserts that you have to eat all together to get the experience. It was so light and refreshing...different flavors and textures all in one bite. Yummmmoo!!

Rating: A - It would receive an A+ but something as simple as the ginger bok choy needs improvement. I can't wait to try the...

We had high expectations for this place given the reviews. And it looked interesting and whimsical when we entered. But it didn't live up to expectations and we don't plan to return. We had the Miami Spice menu.

There were two of us for dinner. They paraded us around the restaurant and we finally stopped at a table for six. It sure wasn't an intimate dinner. Service was fairly prompt but a bit rude. I asked for the Miami Spice menu and the waiter told me to scan the QR code on the printed menu. Of course the Miami Spice menu wasn't online, so he had to bring us paper copies. We ordered cocktails and made our selections for each of the three courses.

The cocktails were interesting and good. I liked the pouring at the table for the old fashioned.

For first course we had the Thai dumplings and the shrimp bao. The dumplings were good... flavorful, well presented. The bao was really pretty but it lacked flavor and the textures were overwhelming - super soft sticks-to-the-top-of-your-mouth on the bread and super crunchy too much breading on the shrimp. It didn't really taste like anything and the crunch vs softness seemed to compete versus compliment. The shrimp on the bao were so hot that they burned our mouths.

For the main course one had the tiger prawns and one had the steak. The steak was good, the best protein of the night. The tiger prawns, served in some carcass, were tasteless, undercooked, and they had a strong smell (were they getting old?).

For dessert we had some mix of ice cream, pistachios and a slathering of green stuff. It was a confusing dessert and sadly the best part was the pistachios.

The place was very noisy, Service timing was odd. Dishes were served one at a time which caused one of us to wait for the other's dish before we ate a course. We had the same dessert and they came out together. The waiter never seemed happy to be doing his part though he appeared and disappeared at the right times.

We are glad we tried Novikov and we appreciated the Miami Spice tasting menu as it let us sample several items. None of the food was compelling enough for us to return particularly given all the fabulous...