Matador Room

I am a HUGE JGV fan, like almost a groupie.
I visited matador room a few weeks after they opened and enjoyed my dinner there until I saw a cockroach run under my legs. I tried not to make a big deal about it and told the wait staff but I was not at ALL apologized to. I also later contacted the restaurant and hotel to inform them of my experience but no one cared. I dont like to shame businesses but this is a high end restaurant, I expect a certain experience and level of service. Not to be inconvenienced by vermin and then be shooed away.

Beautiful place, atmosphere, hip people. But I would have to pass on going again. Food tends to be toward the spicy side, and menu is very varied. For example, a truffle pizza and arroz con pollo was our meal, (it’s family style) but I wouldn’t normally have those two things together. It just didn’t taste right. Menu is all over the place — no consistent theme. Food was good but not great. Cocktails weren’t amazing. I asked for a mojito, I didn’t even see the mint leaves on my drink. It was just a green drink with ice and a regular glass cup. Nothing fancy, nothing special. Yet you are paying $ 18 for one. I think it’s a tourist trap quite frankly.

Not a fan. Been here 3 times and food and mostly (especially) service is getting worst. Lunch food took almost an hour to get to the table (most simplest food) green juice took 20 min. Bagel was stale .
Servers look like they are walking dead. Dinner experience was better. But would not come here for lunch ever again. By the way I also am staying on the property so it’s not like I am just visiting here to complain… Not impressed

The smell of the hotel beautiful ambience, The feel of the hotel makes you feel like you’re in Miami the palm trees all-​around gives the Miami feel.

I was so impressed with the service, food and overall décor of this place I had to save it for my 600 th review. From the moment u walk in… u know ur walking into a place that’s not ordinary. My visit happened during those rare nights in miami when the weather is chilly, but we still wanted to take advantage of the beautiful outside terrace by the pool so our waiter brought one of the heaters and it was just right. We tried the grilled octopus, the sweet pea guacamole and the Arroz con Pollo, accompanied by a crisp prosecco. All our dishes were very well executed and service was top notch. A true delight and wonderful evening.

A chef Jean George restaurant that was amazing. The waiter was great and very informative. He recommended everyone order multiple items and share family style. This is what we did. The food and tastes were amazing. Try a little bit of everything and you will not be disappointed.

Great food. Truffle pizza and tuna tartare were awesome. So was another truffle fried bite app. Scallops and pea guacamole were also good. I didn’t love the pig but I don’t think that was the chefs fault. The meat is too rich and greasy for me. The spicy margarita really had a kick. I ordered another shot of tequila to help dilute the spice. My friends enjoyed their drinks but I tend to prefer wine and the wine list didn’t disappoint. We were happy with the Faust Cabernet. We sat inside. I would have preferred outside. It is a cool trendy spot. It is worth exploring the hotel to go to the bar down stairs to see the mini ice skating rink and bowling ally in the basement. We were a party of 4 and we split 8 or 9 dishes which was perfect. When you look at the menu, the first category on the left side had the smallest portions and they got progressively bigger.

The ambiance is beautiful, our waitress was amazing the way she explained stuff alone made your mouth water. Chef Jeremy ford personally came out and explained some of our complimentary appetizers to us, he’s on top chef right now and I can’t wait to see if he wins! My favorite was the grilled carrots, bacon Brussels sprouts and the prime filet which came with garlic carrots and purée. Amazing! We got a lot of other things and shared, I can’t remember everything we had but I didn’t eat a thing I didn’t like. Also the hotel lobby smells like heaven! Can’t wait to come here again when we visit Miami.

I was really excited about going to brunch at the Matador Terrace to celebrate my boyfriends birthday with my cousin and her husband. Unfortunately all we could do was feel embarrassed for the server that we continually had to remind about the items we placed for order. The food came out lukewarm and serving size for the Matador Breakfast was sub par. Server didn’t even ask about what drink I wanted with this item. The coconut pancakes were nice though. Maybe my expectations were too high? We all ended up ordering a pizza after our meals because we were still hungry. I wouldn’t go back. It’s definitely not worth the service charge included and overall experience wasn’t great.

It here I’d nothing dull in this place
Food is sufisticate and really tasty, sometime a bit spicy but still a kind of tasty spicy
All employees white dressed, very polite

Sometimes I have to wait several hours or days before I can come up with the words to describe a really great restaurant experience and this is no different. What’s really great is there so many different seating options with the same delicious food. There’s «fancier» indoor seating very trendy stylized and sleek, or tropical outdoor seating with the glowing pool and island Music and vibe.
Because we are from out of town and wanted the warm Miami air we chose to sit outside. We were not disappointed. Our server named Lily was not only well-​informed she was bright and delightful. For the most part we gave her full reign over the menu and she steered us in the right direction with: A delicious charred Octopus, bright and yummy Pea guacamole, spicy tuna tartare with tiny crispy rice balls, two different kinds of delicious tacos one mushroom and kale, and the other short ribs. Both were delicious in every way. Although we were mostly satisfied because everything was so unbelievably delicious we forge forward with suckling pig that came in three squared portions that was easy to share because we had three guests at the table. The pig was so tender and flavorful I highly recommend this dish. Lastly she brought the chicken and rice with Crackling. We were pretty much full by this point but had to nibble away because it was super delicious as well. In the other reviews people mention the expense of cocktails. Yes the cocktails are very expensive and because I had a few drinks before dinner basically panicked about what to order so I ordered an old standard cosmopolitan, which happened to be the best cosmopolitan I’ve ever had to do to the delicious fresh squeezed lemon and Cointreau. Bottom line is this restaurant comes with high recommendations for a reason; it is from start to finish, exceptional! The food choices on the menu were innovative and tantalizing. I Highly recommend coming to this restaurant for the different vibes and feelings with fantastic cocktails and exceptional delicious Miami food. Eat inside for a very romantic experience, or outside for a laid-​back Miami island vibe… But definitely eat here. As we were leaving the restaurant and hotel/​bar seem to be coming alive with lots of people all dressed up with lots of women wearing super high heel shoes. We felt like we were getting an authentic Miami tourist experience.
Lastly we happened upon a gorgeous concierge name Nicholas who sent us to a «dive bar» we had no business going to because we are not hip and kind of old but he told us to go there without blinking an eye. I’ll have to say that Nicholas was the icing on the cake, when a hotel has top-​notch open-​minded attractive concierge you feel like you’re in the real deal he is pro.

Ever heard of the perfect egg? Neither had I until I had the most amazing Eggs Benedict at Matador this past weekend!
It was my second time there after a spa so take note my experience is solely based on brunch/​early afternoon experiences and not dinner. In any case, this has undoubtedly turned out to be one of my favorite spots to come to and I can’t imagine why not. The ambiance is very Miami… very chic Miami might I add. Beautiful al fresco patio with greenery draping from the ceiling and lining the walkway and lots of white– crisp and clean.
They’ve got «The Pineapple» (3) Three ingredients: tequila, pineapple juice and lime juice for $ 30. Is the copper pineapple worth it? Eh. I always say try things once– do it for the picture if anything, and I did. I much rather their pineapple juice which I had on my first visit though. Crunchy Mexican Spiced French Toast… awesome. Crunchy on the outside with a very smooth consistency on the inside– somewhat creamy yet not overly sweet and served with two apple slices. Not as spicy as I expected though but that’s a good thing– I figured spice and Mexican and was thinking it’d been a little more intense with flavor. Eggs Benedict has me like ben-​addicted –The poached eggs couldn’t have been more perfect– and in the past I’ve tried the sweet pea guacamole and the Cuban turkey sandwich– all of which I would order again. Service wasn’t bad nor was it bad looking… not that it matters, but the waiter looked like latin heart-​throb Chayanne soooo I didn’t complain.
No doubt the masses will soon start flocking to Matador for Chef Jeremy Ford (Top Chef Season 13) cause that’s just what people do when they discover awesomeness but I’m just glad I’ve had the chance to try some real special meals including one prepared by Chef Jeremy himself at a private Seed, Food and Wine dinner and am looking forward to coming back here for the night vibe and a dinner menu.

Matador room at the Miami edition is one of my favorite restaurants in Miami Beach to visit for lunch after a spa morning. It’s outdoor dining area is beautiful and the cuisine by chef Jeremy Ford (top chef season 13) puts the icing on the cake.
The sweet pea guacamole is great, definitely different as per the sweet peas but it’s a delicious combo, if you’re a guacamole fan, give this one a try.
The roasted Cuban turkey sandwich is bursting with flavor. Packed with ham, turkey, gruyère, aged cheddar and homemade pickles. The side of string fries are crunchy and the rosemary sprigs give it a great subtle taste.
To drink with lunch I usually order their fresh pineapple juice.
At brunch I’ve tried the Mexican French toast, it’s crunchy outside and creamy inside, comes with two spiced roasted apple slices and syrup.
Service has always been great which is a big plus.

Toro!
I had a great meal the matador room when meeting some friends who were visiting Miami. I was surprised how easy it was to get a reservation with the buzz surrounding the guy from top chef and the new Edition hotel. I think the high price keeps some people away but if you avoid the $ 30 cocktails the meal wasn’t not that astronomical.
Drinks. We had Estrella, a nice beer from Spain. $ 7. We had enough to drink before dinner that we were more just looking for food than the cocktails which id be willing to sample on my next visit.
Food was good. Memorable items included the chicken tacos, and the avocado «pizza».
Service was good except the guy at the host stand was a little odd.
Can’t wait to come back.

First visit to matador room and I was so pleased with it. The cocktails are delicious (but very pricy) felt like I was back in NYC. But the food was average in terms of cost, but amazingly delicious. We had the Brussel spouts, which were not the best I’ve ever had but we’re good. The truffle Pizza with fontina cheese was to dieeeeeee and worth every calorie. The avocado pizza with jalapeño was equally as good. Short rib tacos, were delicious. And the corn with manchego Cheese was the most amazing corn combination I’ve ever tasted. Sautéed mushrooms were also amazing. Overall the experience was great. Awesome service, great ambiance, music and crowd. I hope to come back again.

I’ve been here three times for dinner before chalking up a review. The Edition is one of our favorite hotels at the beach, we come here for drinks on the terrace, desserts at The Market and a few times I’ve had business dinners at Matador. I’ll start by saying that a number of Jean-​Georges restaurants are on my list of favorites in New York, particularly Perry Street. So I hold a special fondness for his brand. But Matador just doesn’t deliver like his other places. Ergo the 3 stars.
The first times we ate here everything we ordered was bland, small, overpriced. No wow factor. For example, the sweet pea guacamole. Ay Dios Mio. No. Just no. Small and rather tasteless really. The calamari. Honestly lets leave the friend calamari to Chili’s. It’s gross there and only slightly more appetizing at Matador. NOW, you may be a huge fan of this but at this price point do you really want to order fried calamari (disclaimer here, I let others order the first time we ate here). Jamon Iberico, it’s super hard to mess up pristine perfection and it’s not that they ruin it, entirely, it’s just not awesome. So thinly cut that you can’t peel it off the butcher paper and mostly just fat than actual jamon. Again, for the price and experience, skip. You want good jamon at a reasonable price point/​value go to Salumenria in Wynwood.
What does work:
The grilled octopus –delicious and very tender.
The tacos — kiiiiiilllls me to pay this much money for tacos. Really, it does. However, I’ll say that the Chipotle chicken tacos are yummy with a good amount of heat, which in Miami, oddly it’s hard to find good spicy food. It’s not super spicy so don’t let that warn you away.
Maitake Mushrooms with Goat Cheese — Wow! What a great dish! Great flavors and unique. I’d go here just to order this little dish.
The warm chocolate cake: If you love chocolate my friends all raved about it. I’m not a love chocolate or die person but even still recognize this is a finely done dessert.
The atmosphere:
Elegant, quiet and I daresay a little boring, and I say this loving minimal spaces. I think maybe they were trying to mimic a bullfighting ring? But that got me thinking that I’m the bull or the cow and in this restaurant, not good to be either of those creatures, I’m just saying. BUT it is elegant and «grown up» honestly Miami is such a party city it seems a miracle to find a place where you can go to dinner in a suit.
When it’s not hot or when there aren’t swarms of gargantuan mosquitos the patio is divine. They get the breeze off the beach, it’s beautifully appointed and has the requisite sexiness that Miami Beach is known for, and the grounds are beautifully landscaped.
This is a reat place for business dinners, events, high-​end birthday get togethers or a special date.
Service:
Meh. Just meh. Nothing special, nothing to point out negatively, just meh. I really wish I could count on more customized and noteworthy service given that it’s a Jean-​Georges but in a resort city the fact that you can get 2 out of 3 right (good, atmosphere, service) I guess that’s a good thing.
Oh, one solid negative: I took 15 minutes to order a drink at the bar. This is super consistent. Two date nights we had to go find someone to take our order. I don’t how staff gets paid here but they most certainly aren’t keen on selling drinks and getting a good tip (maybe that’s b/​c they already include it?). Turns out that the terrace bar tender also makes drinks for the tables outside and so we waited for 2 tables of 15 to get their drinks. Even the waiters were annoyed about waiting for their drinks. That could be improved, particularly when they are selling $ 18 drinks.

Excellente cuisine, tacos aux champignons, gambas épicées, flet de bœuf avec sauce verte, cadre merveilleux, service paraît. À recommander.

We came here for a friend’s Bday dinner on a Saturday night. The Edition hotel looks absolutely amazing and Matador is no exception. The pool area is also stunning, I am sure day partying here would be fun.
For some unbeknownst reason my friend requested a table outside and I regretted it immediately. Despite the multiple fans blowing it was not enough to overcome a Miami summer night — several of my buds were drenched in sweat by the end of dinner. Tip: Definitely sit inside unless it’s Winter!
The food here is tapas style so it’s great to try out a bunch of things. My favorite was the grilled octopus although the short rib tacos were also great. My friend ordered the copper pineapple which was pretty good but had a TON of ice. It’s kind of a gimmicky drink if you ask me. They do have a pretty nice wine list here though.
Overall I thought the food was good albeit a bit pricey for a tapas place although what you would expect on Miami Beach. It’s definitely a cool new spot to go for a nice dinner and party in the Basement after.

Matador, MataDON’T… at least, not yet.
ABC Kitchen in New York is one of top three my favorite restaurants. J&G Grill was another local favorite (when Bradley Kilgore-​now at Alter– was there). All have Chef Jean-​Georges in common. I resisted the urge to visit Matador right when it opened. Word on the street was «they opened before they were ready.» Finally, the time felt right to visit my third Jean-​Georges venture and IT. WAS. DISAPPOINTING.
Was I really at the former Seville Hotel? It’s so cool to have grown up here and see its transformation through the years. While I have a lot to say against the Delano-​led «if it’s South Beach it must be all white» décor, they really did a beautiful job with the hotel and restaurant interiors.
Matador Room is a sunken circular room with high ceilings, inside the hotel. Our party of four noticed how muggy it was in there right away and hoped it was just because of the constant opening of the doors to the exterior area. It wasn’t. It only got hotter as the night went on. The poor staff walked around wearing head to toe white suits and kept sweating up a storm. After an hour or so of mentioning it to our waiter and manager, someone came by and confirmed there was a problem and they were trying to work on it. By then, we were ready to move on and left to have dessert elsewhere. Anywhere. As long as the AC was working!
But let’s rewind. Still initially excited to try this new restaurant, we dove right in ordering quite a lot of items off the menu.
The house HOT SAUCE– Sitting inconspicuously next to a small and dainty flower arrangement (similar to those at ABC), is a small bottle of their hot sauce. If you like it hot, this is it! Loved it!
Sweet pea GUACAMOLE– Great with or without the peas. Not sure the peas add anything.
SUCKLING PIG– NOT like the one at ABC I love so much and a little on the dry side.
FLORIDA COBIA– Good
CRISPY EGG SALAD– Marcona almonds and white asparagus: good, but we were expecting the egg to flow out once cut. Instead, it sat there firmly… overcooked. Unless it’s meant to be that way? Doubt it.
HUDSON VALLEY FOIE GRAS– Seasoned just right, but the texture was painfully off. I’ve never had «grainy» foie gras before.
ARROZ CON POLLO– Gutsy to have this on the menu in (the very hispanic) South Florida. The chicken and chicharron topping tasted right on point, but the rice was significantly overcooked.
BLACK GROUPER TACOS– Great! Then again, it would take a lot to mess these up.
IBERICO HAM AND CHEDDAR FRITTERS– great!
AVOCADO PIZZA– I like salty. I usually put salt on my salt. This one? Beyond salted. Avocado-​jalapeño-​cilantro-​­lime-​onion pizza was promising. In fact, I knew I was ordering just off the photos alone I had seen before even arriving. If you look closely at my shot, you can see the sea-​salt grains on it. Couldn’t finish it.
WHITE GULF SHRIMP in AGUA DIABLO– Bananas and almonds. Different. I now know I don’t want bananas anywhere near my shrimp. Ever. Again.
We ordered everything in stages given Matador adopts the lazy «everything comes out when it comes out» theory. This way, we somewhat had control of pacing our dinner out. Our waiter was nice, but often flustered. I can’t say I blame him. He had to keep wiping the sweat off his forehead as we talked to him all night.
Several of us were in touch with someone from management often throughout the night as well. Because of this, the restaurant graciously sent out the fritters and the egg salad as an apology: a nice gesture on their part. Some other things were also taken off our bill. While nice and all, I just wish we would have been able to enjoy the night (mostly) flawlessly and happily paid for it all. One of the managers said he would give me his card in the hopes I would e-​mail him my concerns. OK. Sure. Still waiting for the card.
Several weeks later, we realized that our bill wasn’t split and charged in half as we had requested that night. We had been in such a rush to leave, no one noticed. Instead, both couples got charged for the entire dinner. It’s the dinner that keeps on giving. Again, our waiter just probably couldn’t concentrate given how hot it was in there that night and rang it up twice.
Lately, I’ve had a bad string of new restaurant visits. South Florida is H O T (and I’m not talking about AC this time around)! I feel like everyone wants to be down here and thinks they can get away with opening just any restaurant without truly researching the Miami market. That’s a big mistake. Miami has the attention span of a toddler in a candy store who chugged a Coke for breakfast. Unless something changes soon, I don’t give Matador too long in our city. Much like Beachcraft, you cannot go on «celebrity» name alone. Get to it Matador. Bring us some of that Jean Georges’ magic!

I would give 5 stars just for the Arroz Con Pollo. Doesn’t sound like it would be amazing but best dish of the night. And, when you walk into the Edition (it’s inside this hotel), you feel like you’re in Miami — all white, Diddy Music Video-​style. Boss. Haha
However, only 3.5 stars because the whole experience was diluted by how slow service + kitchen. Our server was great but wasn’t even sure what dishes we already received AND sides came at the end of the meal. I’ve never had that happen anywhere.
We ordered something from each section:
–Stone Crab Claws (Paprika Mustard): Just okay. I feel like Joe’s was better & cheaper.
–Cured Meat and Cheese Board: Exactly what it sounds like. Nothing to write home about.
— Sweet Pea Guacamole (with Warm Crunchy Tortillas): This was tasty! I would order again as an app.
— Peekytoe Crab and Corn Fritters (Smoked Chili Tartar Sauce): Not bad as well. Would also order again
— Crunchy Potato Nuggets (Spicy-​Tangy Sauce, Rosemary Aioli): Like the corn fritters… deep fried. so you really can’t go wrong
Pizzas:
*Avocado (Jalapeño, Cilantro and Lime): This is like the avocado toast I make in morning but in Pizza form. Genius.
*Black Truffle and Fontina Cheese: Didn’t get to try this one as there were only 8 slices and like 16 of us but was a hit at the table
*Crispy BBQ Pork Tacos *Red Onion Pickles and Cilantro): I actually really enjoyed this. Salty punch of flavor.
*Scallops (Romanesco Cauliflower, Green Chili Butter and Mint): Prepared perfectly and I Liked the cauliflower paring with scallops
Sides:
*Broccoli Rabe, Soffritto and Lime: Just okay. nothing special.
*Potato Purée with Queso Fresco and Sea Salt: DELICIOUS because I love Quesco Fresco. This was basically mashed potatoes.
*Sauteed Corn with Manchego, Jalapeño & Lime: Street vendor corn is more flavorful/​tastier than this.
Dessert: Skip it all. We tried everything from the churros to Salted Caramel Flan to the Tresh Leches Cake and cookie platter. it all tasted old for some reason or the texture wasn’t right.

Initially, I didn’t understand why this place didn’t receive very good reviews, but then it hit me… The vibe of this restaurant is immediately killed by the kind of people who gather here around the bar, as well as the waiters who aren’t really that passionate about selling the food. Something else that maybe could have impacted the reviews was that the restaurant inside is awkwardly bright. Not very romantic. The good thing is though that the outside deck is BEAUTIFUL and romantic but of course only good when it’s cold outside.
That being said, all the above is based off the external factors, NOT the food. If this was a review just about the food I would give it 5 stars like I initially did. Every dish was so tasty and I personally think it was worth the price because I know that there was probably a lot of love and passion went into the food.
Basically, I loved the food here but unfortunately I don’t see myself coming back here anytime soon because it’s just not my kind of vibe. Unless you’re 40+ and kind of mean, you wouldn’t like this place.

Vongerichten rules! Der Matador Room wird getragen von der superben Küchenleistung des Chefs. Leider kann der Service dieses Level zu keiner Zeit mitgehen. Man wird am Tisch von geschätzten 10 unterschiedlichen Kellnern bedient, Konfusion ist Programm. Hier ist unbedingt im Service Streamlining angesagt, damit der Gesamteindruck, den Ian Schrager durch sein perfekt gestyltes Ambiente und Vorgerichten mit seiner sensationellen Küchenleistung durch einen tölpelhaften Service nicht ruiniert wird. Der sich dann auch noch selbstbewusste 18% Tip (wofür eigentlich) automatisch auf die Rechnung knallt!