Photo by Antonio Cuellar
Located in the heart of Miami’s artistic Wynwood neighborhood, Mayami Mexicantina & Bar, which combines the words “Maya” and “Miami,” offers authentic Mexican cuisine in a spectacular 10,000-square-foot indoor and outdoor space.
Enter the 200-seat restaurant and lounge to an amphitheater-like room lined with stone sculptures, wood accents and carvings, monumental stairs and traditional mural paintings — all inspired by the Mayan Revivalism of the Art Deco period. The venue even features a ziggurat-shaped ceiling replicating the inside of a Mayan Pyramid.
Photo by Antonio Cuellar
Opened last October by owner Philippe Kalifa and helmed by Executive Chef Juan Carlos Flores, formerly at Brickell’s renowned Cantina La Veinte and Coral Gables’ Plomo Tequila & Taco Bar, Mayami’s menu offers a wide variety of authentic regional Mexican dishes made with fresh, artisanal ingredients. Open for dinner, lunch, happy hour and weekend brunch, signature dishes includes Guacalote, made with avocado, corn and queso fresco; Fundidos de Queso — melted chihuahua and gruyere cheese served with either rajas (poblano chiles), truffle or seasonal mushrooms; Carnitas de Salmon Tacos with salmon, guacamole, and chicharron de mar (crispy salmon skin); Volcán de Res Tacos with steak, cheese and green onions; and Filete Negro, filet mignon, black lime, mashed potatoes and chapulines (deep-fried grasshopper — a must-try Mexican flavor that offers surprisingly good flavor and texture to the dish). The menu also features a wide variety of gluten free, vegetarian and vegan options such as Tetela de Berenjena, made with heirloom masa corn, eggplant and maitake mushrooms; Rajas Con Crema Tacos, made with roasted poblano peppers, caramelized onion, corn and sour cream; and Aguachile featuring roasted tomatoes, smoked cucumber and chiltepin, a spicy pepper native of Mexico.
Mayami’s cocktail menu offers Mexican-inspired drinks that include favorites like Blood Moon, made with Patron Reposado, Chinola Maracuya Liqueur and Peanut and Desert Pear Syrup and Yellow Warrior made with Jack Daniels Honey, Ancho Reyes and Angostura. There’s also a variety of unusual insect-infused mezcal shots such as the Escorpion Real, made with scorpions and spices; Mago Maguey, which incorporates worms and herbs; and Noisy Cricket, blending crickets and peach.
This restaurant, bar and music venue most certainly adds a new layer of excitement and energy to the area. From the food to the drinks, you can be assured everything they serve is authentically Mexican and mouthwateringly good.
Mayami is located at 127 NW 23rd Street, Miami. For more information, visit www.mayamiwynwood.com.