Palme D’Or

I had a bumpy ride during my first visit in 2013. Ultimately, I went with a FOUR STAR rating because I enjoyed most of the food. Three years later, I hoped they got those «bumps» under control and boy was I disappointed. I will jump to the end of the story and tell you this much… when the maître d’ came by to find out how everything was, we shrugged and said it was OK. He looked surprised and asked «JUST OK?» Yes, just OK we replied. He offered to buy us a round of drinks. Wow. That’s it? There you have it. No interest in constructive criticism? Let’s just buy this couple a drink and what? That’s going to make it all OK? He gave us his card in case «we ever need help with anything» WHAT? Yes, help me understand what happened! This was one expensive dinner and a HUGE waste of money.
There is no question about it; Palme D’ Or is striving to be something they are not… yet. I do applaud the effort, but despite being at this for a while, they are still firing blanks at every angle. This is the kind of faux dining that gives fine dining a bad name. Chef de Cuisine, Gregory Pugin, comes with the kind of experience Miami desperately needs… Michelin rated: formerly at Le Cirque (one of my favorites), Robuchon, and Veritas… ahhh my kind of language. He even just got named into the Herald’s #Food50 list. Color me confused.
There was a large party of about 12 in the middle of the restaurant and just one other table seated. Odd for a weekend night. Service began immediately and was, once again, pleasant to start.
The menu has changed. You now have the option of a four, six, or eight course chef’s tasting menu. Sweet! I liked where this was headed. We chose the six course ($ 115pp). Everything on the menu sounded incredibly promising. I could not wait to get started. The house brioche was served first. Warm and lightly salted on top, I loved it. In fact, I paced myself so I wouldn’t «spoil my dinner» (even though I wanted to eat it all! In hindsight, I should have).
THE SIX COURSES
Everything is listed in French and these are the English descriptions listed on the menu. I wish I had space to write about them each in detail, but as we know Unilocal limits the characters. I was ready to be blown away. Instead, I felt like I was left at the altar. So many empty promises. Heartbreaking.
Beets, Iberico Ham, Black Truffle, Mache
Marinated Scallop, Avocado, Mango, Golden Osetra Caviar
Creamy Polenta, Sea Urchin, Hon Shimeji Mushroom
Razor Clam, Garganelli Risotto, Chive Emulsion
Seared Foie Gras, Mangoes-​Apples-​Passion Fruit– Compote, Olive Cake, Duck Sauce
Flamed Black Truffle Pie, Pork Belly, Onions
Maine Lobster, Facon Cassoulet, Sausage, Duck Gizzard Confit, Lentil Sauce, Perigoudine
Potato Scaled Dover Sole, Jerusalem Artichokes, Crosne Legumes, Emulsion of Artichokes
Japanese Kobe Beef Tenderloin A5+, Jerusalem Artichoke, Beet, Black Truffles, Potatoes, Bordelaise Sauce
Assorted Cheese from the cart
Almond Degustation: biscuit, ice cream, tuile, crème
Dessert cart
There was a certain redundancy with ingredients constantly repeated throughout the menu. Courses were either plated by a two year old or a seasoned chef. With few exceptions, the food underwhelmed me. Some lacked seasoning and depth, some were under-​cooked, and truffles lacked that captivating aroma (and smelled musty instead). How do you mess up a dessert cart with flavorless chocolates? It looked pretty, but that’s it.
HIT: polenta– this was absolutely perfect. Loved the taste, texture, and presentation.
MISS: beets-​mostly a plating ode to Joan Miro with its neatly placed ¼″ truffle circles and beet cylinders. Someone forgot this was supposed to be edible.
JOKE: the ($ 35pp supplement) «Kobe» took 34 minutes to get as we sat there waiting with no apology or acknowledgement. 34 minutes! No way was this authentic Kobe. I swished the mushy mess in my mouth left and right and wanted to cry.
Like last time, service started off right and disappeared towards the end. Wine list was always presented to my husband (am I invisible?). They have added a cheese cart (and I did love every single one I had), but then just served them on a plate without any companions. And… wait for it… they finally got stationery to write down the cheese descriptions for me (read my last review for the full cheese story), but it was scribbled messily and as an after thought.
Palme D’ Or hides under the Biltmore umbrella while catering to diners that are perhaps looking for a one time fine dining experience (birthdays, anniversaries, etc.). Sadly, they might be falling for the smoke and mirrors. I will travel for amazing dining and have a lot to compare this restaurant to, regardless of cost. My verdict is NO way, no how. Was Chef Pugin not there that night? How does a chef with Michelin experience execute such a failed dinner? This was not worth $ 490!
If Palme D’ Or is going to play in the big leagues and charge for it, then they have to FULLY deliver. End of story.

Great upscale forming dining experience. One of the few old-​school classy restaurants in Dade County. Love it. Impeccable service, classic dishes, and all around class

Very good service and meal presentation. It is a gourmet French restaurant so the fish I ordered looked more like the bait that was used to catch it. Both bites were delicious. The wine selection was also very good. You could get a good bottle of wine of any grape varietal for under $ 100. Appetizer and dessert were well prepared.
Lighting and background music give the place a pleasant atmosphere.

DO NOT GO!!! Save your stomach, wallet, and sanity. The food is mediocre, the service is atrocious, and management is horrible. I would not serve this food to my dog, nor worst enemy. The service is better at pretty much ANY 1-​star restaurant in the area. The Biltmore should be ashamed to be associated with these criminals.

Only the visit to the Biltmore, have dinner in a fancy table facing the huge swiming pool, between all the mirrors and waiters calling you Messieur and Madamme is worth it. Desserts and plac saved the dinner because expectations when you go to a 5 diamond restaurant are high. Maybe it was the Miami spice menu but I found a quality food, well-​cooked but nothing else… very traditional, no innovation at all, maybe it is supposed to be this way but I expected more. Only Rabbit and desserts were somehow surprising. Amazing selection of wines. We had a Merlot from Chile at the reasonable price of $ 65 a bottle. If you are dating someone, go there, your chances of being considered a romantic will grow, my wife felt as a princess… hahahaha

Very pleased with our dining experience here overall. The service was impeccable, the food was very good, and everything was pitch perfect «nice French restaurant.»
We ordered off the Miami Spice menu. Though initially wondering if the food would be sufficient, it turns out that the Miami Spice portions are substantially larger than their tasting menu portions.
I chose the squid ink capellini for an appetizer. This was «merely» good — the cappellini and sauce had essentially congealed into one mass. But the taste was solid. All the same, I wish I had picked one of the other options. My entrée, the duck, was excellent.
But the highlight of the meal was the dessert. I ordered the selection from the cheese cart (this was an upcharge on the Miami Spice menu). Just absolutely wonderful. The roquefort was ridiculously, ludicrously, good.

My boyfriend and I dined at the Palme d’Or for his birthday in June during a weekend stay at the Biltmore Hotel. Our initial experience was somewhat of an annoyance and set a negative tone: Just a few hours before our 7pm dinner reservation, we were called by the Palme d’or restaurant to confirm and were informed we would need pants before dining and they were unwilling to make an exception. This was of some annoyance as we were not told this when we made the reservation a month prior and had to spend about an hour and half driving to nearby Merrick Park to shop for some pants, just to wear for dinner. Having been informed the attire was business casual, I again was annoyed to arrive and notice, not one, but two men in chambray shirts. What standard of business casual is that? I had the mind to say something about it, but my boyfriend told me to let it go and enjoy the experience. I will say, I felt the staff did paid us proper attention after I informed the hostess of my annoyance by having wasted our time with the pants shopping excursion. I did appreciate the attentiveness and by the end of the mal it did make up for the time we spent out from the hotel. Our waiter, Abdel was very professional, nearly bordering on stuffy, but eventually lightened up and even smiled by the end of the meal. He was very knowledgeable about the menu offerings and helped walked us through, eventually leading us to decide on the 6 course menu at $ 115 a person, and explaining in detail each plate when it came to the table — which we both really enjoyed. We started off each with a cocktail, both were perfectly made. Seems odd to note, but once you try it you’ll know why I do, the table bread is AMAZING! I don’t even eat bread, but when this hit the table, the aroma was immediately tempting and the taste was unmatched. Buttery, warm, and lightly salted, easily the best bread I’ve ever had. Apparently in such high demand, we were informed the Chef only prepares one per table upon our request for a second helping. We began the meal with a proper amuse bouche, literally one single mouth full of a tasty preview of the Chef’s offerings to come. I can’t recall what it was, but it had a delicious and zesty foam on it. First Course — I chose the Crabe Royal, a tangerine roached alaskan king crab, which surprisingly was served like a wrap. Lite yet delicious. My boyfriend, the Salade Tiede — warm potato salad with smoked salmon, he said it was amazing and didn’t offer to share! Second Course — I chose the L’Oursin, the creamy egg and sea urchin, warm and distinctive, unlike anything I’ve ever had. Hilarious note: do not eat the salt bed, as I mistakenly found out after assuming it was something edible and gave it a try. Another waiter got a big kick out of that when I told him what I had done. My boyfriend, the Calamar Poelle — seared calamari, iberico chorizo, ink sauce, piquant and unique for his tastes. Third Course — I chose the Foie Gras, delicious but an extremely small portion. My boyfriend, the Les Ris de Veau, seared sweetbreads, asparagus, quail egg, and iberico ham — we were both surprised to be told this «sweetbreads» is in fact the pancreas, which was a first for us both, but none the less savory and enjoyable. Fourth Course — I chose the Le Homard du Maine, maine lobster — severed on two plates, the lobster was covered in baked cheese, just amazing. My boyfriend, the Le Cabillaud D’ Alaska, the Alaska Black Cod, sumptuous and not fishy. Fifth Course — we both chose the $ 35 supplemental Le Boeuf Kobe du Japon — japanese kobe beef — hearty but a small portion. Dessert Course — I chose the Éclair au Chocolat et Grand Marnier — a winning combo as its served with ice cream. My boyfriend, the Le Chariot de Fromage, selected cheese from the cart — each were amazing but hard to handle after all the other food. Then you’re brought, courtesy of the chef, your choice selection of macarons, ice creams, and various chocolate squares. Despite the very small portion sizes, by the end of the meal we were, to even our surprise, stuffed! We also felt much more relaxed at the end of the meal than we did at the beginning, as the atmosphere is a bit stuffy and our waiter Abdel was little stoic, but at the end more people were talking and Abdel managed to crack a smile here and there and join in the jokes we were making about all the food. The bill was extremely expensive, $ 416 after tax and tip. Not a place to go on a casual whim, unless God bless, you got it goin on like that. The experience was good enough that we paid it a second visit the next month in July, but this time using a meal deal we found online! Definately worth the experience, even if just for only one time.

My wife and I came here for miami spice menu. The main reason this place gets 2 stars and not 4 or 5 it’s because their miami spice portions are TINY. It is seriously should be embarrassing for a restaurant to serve such small portions. The MAIN scallop dish comes with only two average size scallops. The octopus starter was not good and the ambience is extremely stuffy. Will not be coming back here. Leaves a bad taste…

Meh I’ve had better. Dinner was lovely and refined and well thought out. Did Miami Spice menu. Left feeling content but there were a few blips. Chair was broken and I almost went forward. Wine with Miami Spice menu was a French Shirahz ??? Different and a blob of sediment at bottom of my glass. At least I hope that’s what it was.
Staff attentive. Lovely to barge to room if staying at The Biltmore.

I feel old in this place… Food is good! I know that the place should be elegant and all being inside the Biltmore, but please, change the wood on the wall! Smells awful!

The food was amazing and the service was great. Just don’t sit outside! We were attacked by mosquitoes. It was also very very hot! There were outdoor fans but they were pointed at empty tables. I felt so bad for the servers wearing long-​sleeved polyester shirts. Our server kept having to wipe the dripping sweat off his face. Everyone was sweating and then running from the mosquitoes. We really couldn’t enjoy the spectacular food.

If I were writing this review based solely on the food I would have given it five stars. However a restaurant experience involves more than just the culinary aspect but also the environment and service as well. I should point out that on the day I visited it was a Father’s Day brunch. It was scorchingly hot and they were cooling fans pointed at empty tables meanwhile patrons who are actually there sweltered in the heat. there are mosquitoes there of the size of small reptiles and they feasted on our flesh as we try to enjoy our brunch. In my opinion perhaps before opening the entire outdoor area could’ve been sprayed for mosquitoes. Nonetheless it made what could’ve been a memorable and pleasant experience one that was quite uncomfortable and had us eager to leave early

The service, food, and atmosphere were impeccable.

I have mixed feelings about my experience. It was culinary art and the taste testing paired with fine wine was an incredible treat. I had the 7 course chefs tasting and almost everything I ate was delicious.
The portions are about 2 ounces; 4 – 5 mouthfuls if you take small bites. But it’s the combination of flavors on a small plate that truly are artistic.
The food is excellent, but not filling. (The photos on the internet have bigger portions.) My gripe is the attitude. The maître d gave us a preamble that the portions are very small and we’d be hungry with just a few a la carte orders. He was pushing for the 7 course chef’s tasting.
When 2 ladies in our party said that they would not eat many of the courses in this $ 145 combo, the waiter actually said that since the other 4 patrons were getting the 7 courses, he’d have to get permission from the chef. Apparently, it would throw the chef off sequence and he’d get confused or something. I guess famous chefs can get away with such persnickety behavior.
I was fortunate that this was a corporate schmooze. Everyone went along and ordered the 7 courses. I enjoyed the culinary experience, but I just hate being up-​sold and dealing with arrogance. It was a treat, but I will not be returning.

In my book, Palme d’Or defines a five star dining experience. It is a physically sublime restaurant with impeccable food and service. My wife and I had the five-​course meal, and every plate perfectly prepared and served. A perfect evening.

Best Restaurant experience so far in Miami. This place is classy, elegant, & exquisite. The food is so refined & perfect. The servers are professional of course, everything is done JUST RIGHT. The food came out like a perfectly orchestrated band. If I could I’d eat here everyday. Can’t wait to go back again.

Perfect place for any kind of a celebration. Very romantic. We ordered the 7 course meal that consisted of 7 different small services, we were offered a couple more complimentary tastings on top the 7 courses. The food was excellent and more than enough; we were feeling quite full towards the end :)
The service was efficient, very attentive and yet friendly.
Yes, it is a bit on the pricey side, but well worth it when you want a perfect evening.

Wow, what service! Everything was perfectly timed. The food was outstanding, everything was just amazing.
We had the buffalo steak, which was really quite delicious, and the pineapple crêpe suzette. Be forewarned that the menu is not a la carte, you must order a 5 or a 7 course meal. This was a little unfortunate for my boyfriend who arrived not all that hungry… but I think he found it was worth it!

Very underwhelming. We opted for the full tasting menu instead of the better priced Miami spice menu and out of 5 courses only 2 were good, 1 excellent. The others were overdone and odd flavor combinations. The stricter french dishes were well executed but some latin fusion dishes were just tasteless and pretentious. For the price I expected memorable — but the only thing I recall is the high bill. Brunch is far better.

After hearing poet, critic Jen Karetnick mention that the Palme d’Or is the best value of Miami Spice we decided to try it. Even if you feel the cuisine here is on par with the best of other Prime restaurants, Palme d’Or’s sublime white glove service, elevates it above and beyond. A team of at least six impeccably trained and debonair wait staff were somehow there when we needed them and not when we didn’t.
We loved everything but particularly recommend the escargot appetizer (even though I didn’t think there was much they could do to separate it from the traditional, trust me they did) and spending the small surcharge for the fromages (with truffled honey). They serve a steak tartare and oven fresh bread as part of every meal, both were excellent. Overall this beautiful restaurant and hotel is as close to dining in Europe as you will find in South Florida.

Awesome! We just went there for Miami spice. The bread as starter is amazing! The chef sent a tiny beef tartare that was delivious! Then we both had different dishes to share, cause everybody on your table has to have miami spice menu as well.
Service is great and desserts so yummy! Can’t want for next year’s miami spice to go back, we had tap water and menu for two + taxes and tip was $ 100. Awesome for a special ocassion. Unfortunately we cannot afford it very often: p

Dined here on a Saturday night with 1 guest.
Service– achingly slow. more than 3 hours for 5 courses plus a couple of extra bites.
Why are hispanic servers referring to me and my guest as Monsieur and Madam? Had to refill our own wine glasses. Water glasses weren’t refilled regularly.
Wine– decent selection. Bad luck that our first bottle was corked. Promptly replaced.
They had no sommelier on duty during peak dinner time on a Saturday night. It would have been helpful to discuss their list with somebody who had actually tasted their offerings. I think the absence of a sommelier at a restaurant which represents itself as a purveyor of haute cuisine is inexcusable. If they are going to offer bottles in the $ 1000 — $ 2000 range, they’d better staff the restaurant with somebody who is able to provide commensurate knowledge and service.
Food– most of it was very good. The lobster was mushy. The smoked foie gras was excellent. The seared foie gras was sprinkled with rock hard grains of granola. I thought I broke a tooth the first time I bit down on one. I had to scrape them off to the side. Their bread was really substandard– saltless and spongy. All of the courses are extremely small. The deconstructed key lime pie was a good idea gone wrong. Dried out meringue, streaked across the plate and stiff domes of custard combined for a really poor execution. I didn’t eat much of their boring bread– so even after multiple courses over 3 hours, I left the restaurant hungry.

Nothing short of spectacular. The service was excellent. The food was divine. Having the 5 course tasting menu was enough food for this chow hound, although I think I may starve myself so I can enjoy the 9 course menu next time. I would like to see what Chef Pugin does with Kobe beef. This type of dining was sorely lacking in Miami. My hats off to you Palme D’Or. You have found a local who will come back over and over again. I will spread the word.