Open just a week at my recent visit, Skorpios, a new restaurant has opened its doors in Midtown Miami, at 3252 NE 1st. Avenue. This space was formerly Bocce, but is now home to a Greek/Turkish restaurant, named after the Greek island owned by the late Aristotle Onassis.

Erhan Ozkaya, was previously the executive chef of the famed, beloved, and perennial favourite, Mandolin Aegean Bistro, in Buena Vista. While they can’t replicate the magical garden setting at Mandolin, at least they are serving some familiar standout dishes, as well as, new, elevated and reimagined ones.

The decor is a blue and white theme with tiled floors (unfortunately, the tiles are small and make the chairs a little unstable). There is a HUGE mounted hammerhead shark on the wall. On the outside terrace there is an olive tree, that’s the centerpiece of the patio. There is a full bar at this establishment as well.

The menu showcases a large selection of hot and cold mezzes. They serve warm, freshly baked pita type bread to scoop up all the goodness. The menu includes a selection of daily catches, grilled whole, all simply garnished with olive oil, lemon and oregano. We tried an interesting dish of baked lamb meatballs, served with hummus. There are also selections of salads, flatbreads, baked casseroles and shish kabobs. The chicken is particularly tender and flavourful, served on a platter with roasted tomatoes and sliced onions. Artichokes are in season now, and they did a delightful and tasty poached rendition. The flatbread reminded me of a similar example of one I recently had at Byblos. For dessert, they follow a simple approach to regional fare, serving baklava, berries and yoghurt or a tasty oven baked cheese and phyllo pastry with kataifi, rose water and topped with crushed pistachios.

The staff is warm and friendly and kept checking on us throughout the evening, especially Deniz, our server.

There is a DJ who spins tunes on the weekends. The restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner, as well as Sunday brunch.

Recommend.

Happy dining,
Shanea

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