QP Tapas
Tapas restaurant · Coconut Grove
Mayfair House Hotel & Gardens, 3000 Florida Ave, Coconut Grove, FL 33133
Highlights
Spanish-Japanese fusion tapas like uni risotto & paella
Spanish-Japanese fusion tapas like uni risotto & paella
"QP Tapas exists in that grey area between a restaurant and a pop-up—the team takes over MKT Kitchen in Coral Gables Friday and Saturday nights for dinner. But the way these folks cook, we’d invite them to take over our entire house, every night of the week. Food is the main event here, both because QP is rather limited in what they can do with the space, and it’s just that good. The menu is a mashup of Spanish tapas and izakaya dishes. What, exactly, is that? Well, you can come here for a delicious pan con tomate with anchovies, Cool Ranch-dusted shishito peppers, thick okonomiyaki, and an uni risotto that is, in the best way possible, exactly what it sounds like. QP only opened in September, and is still a work in progress, but this is one of those concepts we’ll be watching like an MLB scout watches a minor league pitcher who can throw a 200-mile-per-hour fastball." - ryan pfeffer
"No two words on a menu made us as excited this year as “uni risotto” (although Over Under’s “shell-tini” was a close second). When we first read the menu description of this dish at QP Tapas—Maine uni fondue, smoked trout roe, chili oil—it kind of felt too good to be true. It wasn’t. This dish is not only as good as it sounds, it’s better. The bowl is one velvety spoonful after another of gorgeous risotto with chunks of uni hiding in every third bite like little surprise parties. And the smoked trout roe and chopped scallions sprinkled on top add texture. The new Spanish/izakaya QP Tapas (currently operating Thursday through Saturday) already has one of the best menus in town. But even on such a stacked menu, the uni risotto is a standout." - ryan pfeffer, virginia otazo
"The Basel madness doesn’t quite extend all the way to Coral Gables, so if you’re willing to make the drive down there, keep QP Tapas in mind for a great weekend dinner. The menu here is an izakaya/Spanish tapas mashup. That may sound a little busy, but this place pulls it off. QP isn’t technically its own restaurant. The team takes over the casual Coral Gables lunch spot MKT Kitchen Fridays and Saturdays for dinner service. Order the uni risotto, which is exactly what it sounds like (and exactly as good as it sounds), and the excellent okonomiyaki made with your choice of mushroom escabeche or chorizo. Alcohol options include wine and sake by the glass or bottle as well as a lovely frozen sangria." - ryan pfeffer
"It’s almost impossible to leave QP without making friends with the folks who run this Coconut Grove pop-up. You’ll bond with them as they drop off dishes like cool ranch shishito peppers and wood roasted lamb belly. But if you really want to branch out, the Spanish/Japanese concept throws fun parties every few months at various locations around South Florida, which they always announce on their Instagram. The events feel like mini food festivals, where people move freely from table to table in search of tapas and second helpings of paella straight from a giant pan. But what sets these events apart are the hosts, who like to introduce you to all of their friends and make sure no one is ever left out. " - virginia otazo, ryan pfeffer, mariana trabanino
"QP Tapas started as a pop-up in Coral Gables. After that lease ended, the izakaya/Spanish tapas bar reappeared for a few months at a wine shop. And now, its latest reincarnation is inside the Mayfair House Hotel and Garden’s fountain lounge, an atrium surrounded by a cascade of tropical plants that looks like (we imagine) the Hanging Gardens Of Babylon. But QP Tapas thrives in its ability to adjust, which is why, even if their next residency takes place on the surface of Mars, we'll probably be singing the praises of the pan-galactic gargle blasters before our ship even breaks through Earth's atmosphere on the way home. photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc Pause Unmute If you’re new to QP, know that this place is one of Miami’s most creative restaurants, where Spanish and Japanese flavors work better together than a fresh divorce and new gym membership. But if you’re one of their many loyal followers who feels personally attacked by the paella’s disappearance (along with the okonomiyaki and uni risotto) from the menu, please understand they’re currently cooking in a kitchen without a single burner. The workhorse at this restaurant is now a wood-fired oven. Where others might let working out of a shared, partial kitchen get in their way, QP is agile in the face of a challenge. The flavors from that paella now exist in dishes like the smoked heritage chicken and pork tonkatsu. The paella spice is rubbed and dry brined into the very fibers of the meat, turning the skin golden. That’s the magic of QP Tapas, a pop-up so exceptional, it deserves a residency inside a place that looks like one of the seven wonders of the world. If you missed them the first two times around, your new priority in life is to make sure that doesn’t happen again—especially while they’re still at The Mayfair House. Food Rundown Yellowfin Tuna Crudo We’ve eaten more crudos than anyone in Miami. So believe us when we say this one is unlike any other. It’s savory from the burnt shallots and rich yet slightly sweet from black garlic. The fish itself is sliced thick but cuts like silk. This crudo isn’t always on the menu, but if you see it, waste no time ordering it. photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc Charred Lamb Belly We sometimes get a little nervous when we read the word “belly” on a menu, because it’s a cut of meat that can sometimes be overwhelmingly fatty. But not with these skewers. The salty fish sauce and sweet date teriyaki glaze balances out the richness of the lamb belly. photo credit: Cleveland Jennings Matrimonio We probably don’t have to explain the joy that a perfectly executed (and intensely garlicky) pan con tomate will bring to you. But do you know what happens when you add white and black anchovies with little dollops of aioli to the equation. Order this to find out. photo credit: Cleveland Jennings Smoked Heritage Farm Chicken This chicken looks like a South Beach grandma who doesn’t believe in UV protection—but at least it did get rubbed down with a generous amount of paella spice before meeting the heat of a thousand suns. The result is a smokey, saffron-infused bird that’s juicy. photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc Berkshire Pork Tonkatsu If there is one dish you must order at QP Tapas, it’s the pork tonkatsu. When it’s sliced, you can see a golden ring of paella spice between the tender pork and the crunchy breading. Dunk it in a tangy tonkatsu sauce and watch this pig fly. photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc Flan Here’s a flan big enough to share—but you won’t want to. It’s thick, draped in a sweet orange sauce, and topped with crushed coffee beans—a dessert and post-meal espresso in one. photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc" - Virginia Otazo & Ryan Pfeffer
