Nestled amidst Miami's glitzy Worldcenter, Brasserie Laurel serves up a chic Parisian vibe with a Floridian twist, featuring exquisite French classics and a vibrant atmosphere.
"The Deal: $60 Tue-Sat If you’re a sauce person with a particular interest in French fine dining, Brasserie Laurel will deliver dishes that showcase a mastery in saucery. The pork collar alone (which is on the Spice menu) is reason enough to visit this place multiple times throughout August or September—it’s one of the best cuts of pork we’ve ever had on top of one of the best sauces we’ve ever had. If it’s not clear by now, this is a Miami Spice menu for people who love sauce, but just know that the Downtown restaurant is pretty formal and looks like it was designed by someone who wears a three-piece suit to sleep. So maybe not great for a loud, fun dinner." - ryan pfeffer, virginia otazo, mariana trabanino
"Think of it as a French take on chicken and waffles, only with foie instead of fried chicken, canelé instead of waffle, and a tangy berry reduction instead of syrup. The foie is scored and seared on either side until the outside is caramelized. It’s topped with cocoa nibs that add a barely bitter chocolate flavor, and surrounded by vinegary berry gastrique. When you eat the creamy, fatty foie with every sweet and acidic component of this dish, your brain stretches like a dog after a delicious nap as it tries to absorb all the flavors at once. " - virginia otazo, mariana trabanino, ryan pfeffer
"If you’re a sauce person with a particular interest in French fine dining, Brasserie Laurel will deliver dishes that showcase a mastery in saucery. Just don’t expect an actual laid-back Brasserie experience. The very formal restaurant inside the perpetually under construction Miami Worldcenter looks like it was designed by someone who wears a three-piece suit to sleep. But if you’re just here for the food, it won’t disappoint. The pork collar sits on a shiny, crimson pepper sauce infused with guava—a beautiful color we’d use for hair dye, nail polish, or to replicate a murder scene. The steak bavette comes in a faultless bordelaise sauce, and the parisian gnocchi is piled on a typhoon of buttery goodness. So maybe don’t come here for a fun dinner, but do come for perfectly executed French food with hints of local Miami ingredients throughout. Food Rundown photo credit: Sofía Grad/Ariete Hospitality Group Parisian Gnocchi These toasty, velvety, buttery puffs are like edible Egyptian cotton sheets. They’re topped with fried leeks thin as dental floss for a little crunch. It’s the kind of heavy dish that warrants buying thousand thread count sheets for the nap you’ll want to take after. photo credit: FujiFIlmGirl Foie Gras Think of it as a French take on chicken and waffles, only with foie instead of fried chicken, canelé instead of waffle, and a tangy berry reduction instead of syrup. The best way to eat it is to combine everything in a single forkful and pretend you’re in Paris having a delicious bite before catching a matinee. photo credit: FUJIFILMGIRL Escargot The puff pastry to escargot ratio is accurately calculated to have just enough buttered pastry for each herby snail. Is this the royal equivalent of a bowl of cereal? photo credit: Sofía Grad/Ariete Hospitality Group Grilled Pork One of the best cuts of pork we’ve ever had on top of one of the best sauces we’ve ever had. Order this. photo credit: Sofía Grad/Ariete Hospitality Group Wagyu Steak Bavette The steak, while great, is really only here as a tool to help mop up the delightful bordelaise sauce it comes with. photo credit: Sofía Grad/Ariete Hospitality Group Calabaza Mille-Feuille More like a trois-feuille instead of mille, this dessert is light and has a lemony punch. We only wish there were more feuilles for texture so it eats less like a raw merengue." - Mariana Trabanino
"It’s early days for this clean-cut brasserie, located in the construction-clogged Miami Worldcenter. An expansive patio, high ceilings and plenty of seating all around set the stage for a tight menu of French classics that most kitchens have long since forgotten. On sparkling Bernardaud porcelain, Chef Michael Beltran delivers a hefty dose of nostalgia with escargot drenched in garlic butter, foie gras with berry gastrique and lobster with veal sweetbreads. Though rich, the cooking – and the environment, for that matter – manage to feel decidedly of the times. Know that these luxuries come with a price and are meant to be enjoyed, so anyone hoping to grab an easy omelet or burger with fries in between shopping will be disappointed." - Michelin Inspector
"Foie Gras We weren’t trying to put two foie gras dishes on this list. But Brasserie Laurel’s foie gras is easily one of the most balanced dishes in the city. The foie is scored and seared on either side until the outside is caramelized. It’s topped with cocoa nibs that add a barely bitter chocolate flavor, is plated alongside a caramelly canelé, and surrounded by vinegary berry gastrique. When you eat the creamy, fatty foie with every sweet and acidic component on this dish, your brain stretches like a dog after a delicious nap as it tries to absorb all the flavors at once. " - ryan pfeffer, virginia otazo
