Kiki bills itself as a fine dining establishment with modern Greek food in a waterfront setting. The restaurant opened last April 2017. It is frequented by high rollers, celebrities and wannabes. Situated right next door to a place with a similar concept is Sea Spice. The restaurant is not situated in the best part of town and it is not easy to find, at 450 NW North River Drive. Once you walk through the door you will find yourself in a 200 seat, indoor/outdoor picturesque, romantic oasis. There are actually three distinct areas, each with unique elements. The relaxed outdoor terrace, with draping vines and colourful bougainvillea, a sunset river view and a sophisticated interior dining room with ceiling to floor windows, making it easier to see the yachts passing by. Eater voted it the most beautiful restaurant in 2017. Sit dockside, sip rosé, and pretend you are a somebody. They even provide a gondola service that you can book with dinner. Couples can reserve a private boat which will come equipped with an elegant picnic basket stocked with an assortment of freshmade items, and you can enjoy a moonlit boat ride. Price upon request.

Kiki is a passion project by the Opium Group. They hired executive Chef Steve Rhee of Milos Miami to helm the kitchen. However, I much prefer the food at Milos, even though the concept is similar. The food here is more of an afterthought.

The meal is rushed (although our servers very VERY nice), after all they have to get as many seatings as they can, and they over salt everything, so the more thirsty you will become the more you will order ridiculously priced drinks. Many of the ingredients that they use in the kitchen come directly from Greece.

Here the prices are high, especially if you order any dish that is market price. They will always upsell you a big piece of fish that is way too large (which they also seem to do at Milos). Some dishes were good, like the tender grilled octopus (just cut back on the salt), and the Greek salad that uses juicy tomatoes and a creamy feta cheese. The fish baked in a salt crust was a little tough yet this method should provide a tender, juicy fish. We were told the branzino would be $58 and be prepared either grilled or in a salt crust for a two-pound fish, yet when the bill came they added an additional $15 for the salt crust. This was unacceptable, why not just be upfront? They also add a 20% gratuity to the bill as well. Let me decide what I want to tip, this is just one of my pet peeves, and some many restaurants in Miami do this! The scallops were just mediocre and the vegetable plate was small and undercooked. For dessert, we ordered the s’mores that you cook tableside. It was a gimmicky dish that wasn’t very good.

They are opened for lunch every day but Monday and I can see the appeal in coming during daylight hours, enjoying the beautiful views and all the boaters. Apparently they offer a lunch special at $24.99 for a three course meal. The restaurant has elements of a nightclub, and on weekends or Sunday brunch when the place becomes a party, with a DJ and a lot of drunk people enjoying themselves. An expensive party at that, where they charge bottle service for outside tables, and your tab can be between $3,000-5,000 for the privilege of being dockside. Opt for an inside table on these days and still experience the vibe.

If I had a yacht, it would be the perfect place to make an entrance.

Happy dining,
Shanea

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