Marion, a new Mediterranean-inspired cafe, market, bakery and oyster bar, plans to open Sept. 14, promising to bring the mastery of an experienced chef to the Brickell area.
Owners Mathieu Massa and Michael Ridard, of Bâoli Miami, are launching the new restaurant, at 1111 Southwest First Avenue, one block south of Mary Brickell Village. The space was formerly occupied by Hoxton Miami.
“I am very excited to bring the flavors of my home in the South of France to my new home, Miami,” Massa said in a release.
Rendering of Marion’s interior
Marion’s execuctive chef, Jean Paul Lourdes, has worked at three-star Michelin restaurants in Paris, Tokyo, London and Hong Kong. The pastry chef, Christina Kaelberer, has worked under Michelin-starred Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten as executive pastry chef of Market in the W Boston and Spice Market in New York.
Among the dishes will be light watermelon gazpacho and Mediterranean fish flown in from the Spanish coast, cooked over ancient Japanese charcoal; milk-fed veal served with oregano, spouting broccoli and clementine; grilled quail served with orange glaze; raw seafood platters including lobster, shrimp, clams, mussels and crab legs; and desserts such as lemon and olive oil madeleines, Italian meringues, and sugar and spice doughnuts.
Gabriel Orta and Elad Zvi of Bar Lab, the duo responsible for the Broken Shaker cocktail bar and 27 restaurant and bar, will bring their take on cocktails to Marion’s spirits menu, the restaurant said.
The 4,680-square-foot space, including a 1,411-square-foot terrace, a main dining room, private dining room and a chef’s table, was designed by well known New York interior designer Robert McKinley, who has designed such New York locales as Sant Ambroeus, GoldBar and The Surf Lodge.
Marion’s features will include a 45-foot line of grills, rotisserie, raw bar, charcuterie and a baking station with house-made breads and desserts.
As part of the decor, walls will be draped in whites, creams and pale pinks, with imported French lace curtains, vintage cream enamel and brass sconces adding a 1950s touch, the restaurant said. The Mediterranean ambiance includes brasserie furniture from Drucker, a manufacturer that has outfitted restaurants in Paris since 1885.
Marion will serve dinner only starting Sept. 14, and will be open for both lunch and dinner starting Oct. 5.
The new restaurant is among a slew of eateries launching in the next two months, including Brasserie Azur, a French Mediterranean dining spot opening Saturday in Midtown Miami and Apeiro Kitchen & Bar, a Mediterranean restaurant now under construction and scheduled to open Oct. 15, also in Midtown Miami.