This new Mediterranean restaurant just opened at a boutique hotel in Miami Beach
The Balfour Hotel, formerly The Lord Balfour, is home to Cleo, now open in the South of Fifth neighborhood.
Cleo is led by Executive Chef Camila Olarte who has worked in the kitchens at such restaurants as Los Fuegos by Francis Mallman, the Michelin-starred The Surf Club Restaurant by Thomas Keller and Keller's three-starred spot The French Laundry in Napa Valley.
A graduate of Gato Dumas, a top culinary school in Colombia, and Le Cordon Bleu in Lima, Peru, Olarte said her goal at Cleo is to 'celebrate the rich traditions of Eastern Mediterranean culture and a lively communal spirit.'
'Our approach is rooted in creating dishes that inspire conversation and connection, transporting guests to a summer-like escape,' she said.
Cleo, which has indoor and outdoor dining, serves family-style dishes that highlight Greece, Morocco and the Levant region (Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Israel). Expect pita bread and dips like moutabel, made with grilled eggplant, tahini and lemon juice and topped with pomegranate seeds and muhammara, with hot peppers, tomatoes, walnuts and pomegranate molasses.
Mezze is key here, from spicy cigars (pastries filled with spiced lamb and labneh) to lamb kofte and wagyu beef skirt steak kebabs. You'll find seafood here, too, notably grilled branzino.
Since it's in a hotel, Cleo also serves breakfast, with items like Nutella French toast, Turkish eggs and a Mediterranean breakfast with soft eggs that's served with flatbreads.
Cleo also offers specialty cocktails, including the 3 Coasts Martini with French vodka, Italian aromatized wine and Spanish sherry and garnished with olives. The Que Syrah Syrah is a spicy twist on sangria with wild strawberry cordial, pink peppercorns and syrah, and the Basbousa Ramos is a new take on a gin fizz, with Amalfi lemon, saffron, almond and coconut. Happy hour runs daily with $10 signature cocktails, half price wines and $5 Mythos beer.
Cleo
Where: Balfour Hotel, 350 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach
Hours: Breakfast 8:30-noon; lunch noon-3 p.m. daily; dinner 5-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 5-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday; happy hour 3-6 p.m. daily
Reservations: OpenTable
More information: cleomiami.com or 305-913-6552
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