From Barcelona To South Beach: KLIMA Restaurant Opens In Miami

KLIMA Restaurant and Bar—a culinary concept inspired by Barcelona's contemporary gastronomy—has opened an expansive location in South Beach, Miami. Situated just off Collins Avenue in a 5,200-square-foot space, the 70-seat restaurant underwent a $1 million renovation, creating a breathtaking indoor space and a sprawling outdoor oasis.

Co-founder and managing partner of KLIMA Miami, Pablo Fernández-Valdés, is the former CEO of the highly reputable and award-winning Grupo Tragaluz Hospitality Corporation in Spain. About the opening of KLIMA, he remarked, "We are very pleased to finally welcome guests to our inaugural restaurant project that we have been developing over the last two years. The concept upon which KLIMA is based reflects the perfect marriage between our own Spanish heritage and the rich cultural diversity that South Florida attracts." The contemporary menu of  "Barcelona-inspired cuisine" is sure to attract both a local and international clientele.  

Executive chef David "Rusti" Rustarazo delivers an eclectic menu of seasonal seafood, meats, and pasta dishes inspired by the techniques and flavors of Catalonia and the western Mediterranean coastal region. Appetizers include tuna toast with chipotle, leek, and lime; Cinco Jotas Iberian ham with Pata Negra bread and fresh tomatoes; oysters with ponzu sauce and salmon roe; and a salad of bresaola with artichokes and aged Parmesan-Reggiano.

A unique raw bar offers options like white fish ceviche with avocado, Chilean green onion, salmon roe, and togarashi; and a Josper Prime New York strip with smoked eggplant and mustard.  Entrées span the worlds of pastas and proteins, with offerings such as veal-stuffed paccheri with port wine and parmesan, black cod with spinach pesto and haricot vert, rib eye with smoked eggplant and mustard, and chicken terrine with foie and slow roasted chicken reduction.  The restaurant boasts its own "KLIMA Key Lime Pie" for dessert.

While the Spanish cuisine is a confident stand out, the restaurant's magnificent interior design is already creating quite a stir.  The "Soft Woods" theme uses inspiration from Brazil, Sweden, and Spain. Thin slates of beige wood that have been dried and aged for six months are packed across the ceiling while a comfortable entrance lounge features built-in sofas adjacent to wooden and rustic cast-iron, candlelit coffee tables. Dining tables are combined with a Caoba tropical red wood.  Modern artwork selected and imported by Fernández-Valdés and co-founder (and former COO of Grupo Tragaluz Hospitality) Yago Giner are placed throughout the property, including a sculpture entitled Man XVI by artist Jaume Plensa.

KLIMA also appeals to the cocktail and happy hour crowd, with a sleek bar area offering a tailored menu of small plates.  One of Spain's reputable culinary authorities, Albert Ventura, is also serving as gastronomic advisor for KLIMA Miami. Ventura currently owns Restaurant COURE, Wall 47, and El Cercle restaurants in Barcelona.