Miami Beach is buzzing about this long-awaited Israeli restaurant from a celebrated chef

Miami Herald

03-03-2025

One of the most anticipated new restaurants of 2025 is ready to open its doors in Miami Beach.
Israeli-born chef Michael Solomonov, a five-time James Beard Award winner known for his award-winning Philadelphia restaurants, is preparing to open Aviv at 1 Hotel South Beach on March 14. The restaurant, in the former space of Jose Mendin's Habitat, has been redesigned by Post Company, with 132 seats, indoor and outdoor seating plus a private dining room.
Reservations open at 10 a.m. March 3 for Aviv, which Solomonov says will offer Israeli cuisine inspired by 17 years at Zahav, an Israeli gem considered to be one of the best restaurants in the country. But local influences will play a role in its development.
'This is the product of two decades of exploration and trying to tell the story of Israeli cuisine,' he said. 'What we've learned is that when you try to exactly copy and paste it or replicate it, it doesn't work. We value the sense of place and time. So Miami influences helped us establish the menu.'
Miami Beach bears similarities to Tel Aviv. Both cities are considered cosmopolitan and diverse and boast a warm climate and world-renowned beaches. They both also offer robust nightlife options.
Solomonov's business partner Steve Cook, a restaurateur with whom he formed the hospitality group CookNSolo, said that Miami's similarity to Tel Aviv played a big part in the restaurant's evolution. CookNSolo also includes the restaurants Lilah, Laser Wolf, Federal Donuts & Chicken and Dizengoff.
'Going back 17 years, one of the things we talk about a lot is how southeast Pennsylvania and its growing season is nothing like Israel,' he said. 'Miami is a lot closer to the kind of climate you find in Israel. It's cool to be working with produce that's not in season in Pennsylvania most of the year.'
Tel Aviv's culinary influences tend toward the Middle East, but in Miami, Cook and Solomonov are looking to Caribbean touches to make the menu standout. Chicken might be marinated with guava, for example. Key lime could find its way onto a dessert. And Solomonov will make use of South Florida fish like buttery pompano, a local delicacy he'll serve with sea bean tzatziki.
'You lay it on top of charcoal and get the skin crispy,' he said.
The menu will also include saluf, a Yemenite flatbread that will be baked to order, served with the chef's signature and ridiculously creamy hummus. One particularly alluring mezze is the haloumi baklava with quince and pistachio, and an entree specialty includes a ribeye shishlik with grilled tomatoes and sumac onions.
Because this is a restaurant in Miami Beach, a lot of attention is paid to cocktails, too. The Zhoug is a twist on a classic margarita with a bit of spice, and the Black and White Cookie is reminiscent of the famous cookie itself.
Both Solomonov and Cook are optimistic about Miami's years-long upgrade as a culinary destination, despite the fact an earlier unsuccessful attempt to establish a footing in the city with Dizengoff and Federal Donuts, which closed in 2018 after only six months in Wynwood. The problems stemmed from constant construction in the changing neighborhood, particularly in front of their location on Northwest 24th Street, which deterred car and foot traffic.
'It was a bit early for Wynwood,' Cook said. 'And we were on an island with those businesses. We live in Philadelphia. We didn't have a local presence on the ground.'
The partnership with 1 Hotel, an idea that Solomonov said surfaced four years ago at a pop-up he ran during Art Basel, has been a different story.
'When we opened Zahav, no one was knocking on our doors offering other opportunities,' Cook said. 'We've been fortunate to get to pick and choose. Finding a partner like 1 Hotel, I understand how special their approach is.'
Solomonov echoes his praise for the group's new partner — and the changing Miami culinary arena.
'The Miami food scene has developed so much in the past few years,' he said. 'Is it the most exciting place in the U.S.? Maybe.'
Aviv at 1 Hotel South Beach
Where: 2341 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach
Opening: March 14
Reservations: Resy; reservations open at 10 a.m. March 3
Hours: Open daily for dinner at 5 p.m.
More information: www.avivsb.com