Wish

So sad to learn it closed. I had a very memorable romantic dinner at Wish. And the food was exquisite! It’s too bad that top notch restaurants like this one close down.

Its difficult for me to write a review on a place that I had nothing. No seriously… nothing. So, back story, my friend and I had some time to kill, so we ran across Wish, and decided to just grab a glass of wine. We first attempted to hit the bar, but the bartender quickly made us sit outside. It was approximately 4:30pm. So we sit outside. Again, we only wanted a drink. We sit down, ask for a wine list, and we get it… and although the list is very small, we make the decision to split a bottle of wine. We order it and the waiter went on his merry way.
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Yeah, thats how long we waited until we decided we were going to get up and leave. We never got the wine. We would see the waiter speaking to other waiters… probably telling them to get the wine, or what not. So, we literally got up and left. It is a VERY rare thing for me to do. But considering we were sitting there for a good 10 – 15 minutes without getting wine, and there was NO ONE else at this place, we left. I’m sure the food is great, and the wine would have been amazing. Will I go back, who knows. But perhaps… if they actually bring me my wine.

This review is for the bar next to the lobby, since the restaurant area has closed indefinitely.
We went to South Beach for an evening and visited the bar before heading to dinner on Lincoln. The bar inside was small and simple and a glance at the menu showed all drinks to be $ 15. Thanks a lot, Spring Break. Our bartender, a super-​cool dude from Puerto Rico originally, made *the best* mojito, hands down. It was refreshing and perfect for the Miami humidity. Proper muddling and the correct amount of soda water are key; but this guy could obviously do it in his sleep. It was just too easy to order one more!
Don’t you think it’s important to taste at least two different drinks off the menu before making a decision about the bar? We do, so we tried a completely different drink this time, a Mochatini. I know many of you are sick of the tacky excesses of the martini movement, and yes, it can be silly (think Cougartini @ Charlie Palmer), so it’s good to know you can still find a good cocktail at Wish. I should’ve taken a picture of the menu, but I was in a mood and didn’t want to fumble around with my iPhone like the geek I am in a cool place like this. Our bartender recited a few ingredients: Absolut vodka, Kahlua, crème de cacao and I think something else (sorry), along with a lime-​sugared rim, a little Miami touch. Most places would’ve added coffee or actual chocolate, but not Wish Bar — and it went down smooth. No caffeine or chocolate to dilute this cocktail!
A note for the people coming to Wish Bar hoping to get some food too: though the restaurant is closed, they still have a kitchen that will make select items from the Wish menu, about one page of food. You can still bring your food and drink outside once you get your food at the bar, but there is no official «restaurant» anymore.
We would definitely come back, because the drinks are good and the service even better.

My long over due review is finally here!
Came here while on vacation… for one of my birthday dinners.
not to sure if I would come back here… food was great but not sure worth returning.
Service was excellent… so was dessert!
Love their light up menus which is very creative! Pretty ambiance.
After reading all the Unilocal reviews I wish… WISH would have met my expectations.

How much more poetic can you get? I mean, the place is called «Wish»! As soon as I read about this then-​brand new restaurant in Sobe, Miami, I KNEW I just had to celebrate my milestone 29^th birthday here (**wink**).
Everything is so unique at Wish. Our cocktails were served with neon glow ice cubes that had me imagining I was drinking some wonder potion. When you open the menu, it lights up as if it were a book containing magical spells. The outdoor dining area is decorated in shades of ocean and sky blue, framed by tropical trees and plants around the perimeter, and the onyx sky overhead. No wonder marriage proposals and special occasions take place here — Wish is truly special.
My husband reserved the very best table for my birthday, right in front of its circular water fountain. God, I don’t know how it didn’t occur to me to cast a coin into the fountain and make a wish! I guess I was just so overwhelmed with happiness that the vibe of this beautiful restaurant helped create! When Julius got up and excused himself, I was actually holding back tears of joy and swallowing lumps that welled up in my throat — on my milestone birthday, I just felt so blessed! Not sure if I would be overcome by these emotions if I were sitting in Chili’s or something!
OK, before I get all weepy and mushy, let’s get down to the nitty-​gritty: the food. Because it was my birthday, Julius let me order my faves: Risotto and Lobster Ravioli. Just the fact that this restaurant had my two absolute favorite entrees in the world scored boocoo points with me. The risotto was heart-​attack worthy (rich, dense, and buttery– just the way I love it!) And the way Wish prepared the lobster ravioli was the best I ever had: foam on top and pea purée on the bottom, it was decadent! We also ordered another appetizer, but by this time, I was on my second wonder potion and it was really kicking in!
For our main courses, Julius had the jidori chicken, which he describes as juicy and satisfying (but still compares it — and all others he’s ordered — to the first time he had a jidori chicken foodgasm in San Diego’s Starlite!)
As for me, what caught my eye on the menu was the chef’s special vegetarian dish. It provided no description, but everything so far was
so why wouldn’t this be too? And here’s what’s really crazy: I’m Filipino, and it is traditional to eat pancit (a noodle dish), on your birthday to symbolize long life. And guess what Wish served to me? Their version of pancit! It was presented differently but tasted exactly like how Mom makes it. I was floored! I never dismiss coincidences /​signs in life, so I looked at this as a very good omen :)
So why doesn’t Wish get the full 5 stars? They almost blew it on the birthday dessert. Julius had requested them to bring out a special dessert with a candle in it, so I could blow out a candle and make a wish. I ended up ordering my own dessert (the molten pistachio chocolate cake — yummerz!) and you would think they would be keen enough to place the candle in it — it would’ve been perfect because it looked like a mini cake anyway! However, they didn’t, and I saw Julius exchange angry words with the waiter. They did end up bringing me out a little crème brulee with a candle and a mini Happy Birthday message piped onto a piece of white chocolate. So I ate 2 desserts that night! Quick tip: If you’re planning something special for someone, make sure you reconfirm everything with the staff first!
So was Wish everything I could wish for? With the most magical setting that brought this girl to tears, my 2 ultimate favorite dishes on the menu (plus the surprise Filipino birthday dish!), and getting to eat not one, but two desserts… just about! (BTW, does anyone know where I can buy some neon glow ice cubes?)

I truly enjoyed everything I had here! Went on a girls weekend and we decided after reading other reviews that WISH would be our splurge as it is a little pricey. WORTH every penny! I am always on a budget, so I plan my splurges in advance… lol.
We tried… Lobster Ravioli, Herb crusted cod, Seared pork Belly, Roasted port, Steak, Fried Batchoy, Truffle mac and cheese, Risotto, an Edamame hash… OMGOODNESS and there was more… I can’t even remember everything, but every thing I ate (even if it as not something I would normally go for)…I LOVED!
I would definitely recommend WISH to anybody looking for a place to enjoy a meal in Miami Beach. The staff was lovely, drinks (I had some kind of martini/​maragarita mixed together that was FAB!), and the food was amazing.

So i had high expectations for Wish — I was looking forward to dining there our whole trip.
Unfortunately, the garden was closed, so we dined inside. The restaurant itself is cute and the staff was very nice! Our waiter was awesome!
The restaurant was kind of dead — which sort of ruined the ambiance for me.
In terms of the food — it was a real disappointment. The only thing I enjoyed was my bf duck entrée. The plus is that they offer a 4 course menu, which is quite a good deal — but if the food isn’t great — not really worth it in my opinion.
The glow in the dark martinis were cute, and we got to keep the «ice-​cube” — that was my favorite part of the meal!

Date night in Miami beach … good times. Nice ambiance in romanctic setting. Go easy on the food and dont order with your eyes or you’ll have leftovers. Afterall it’s the overall dining experience that matters.

I guess i had bad luck that night, cause it was raining i didn’t get a table at the famous garden outside, it was wednesday. i got a table inside, it wasn”t crowded, i was hangover, dizzy. A boring place, no life. Not my night. I had a gazpaccio, it was good, and the lobster was dry. The smell of the fish was strong.
The menu had lights, but it seemed like a photocopy with lights. In Unilocal it had the best reviews, so i trusted it, what can i say? The most forgettable night of my life.

A very complete and wholesame dinning experience.
I don’t know what they spiked that appletini with, but after that first drink I felt higher than Amy Whinehouse on a saturday night. The blue neon light that permeated the outdoor patio sure helped to amplify the psicadelic feeling of the whole experience.
The service was fantastic, with a polite and mildly cheerful server who played his part very well, respecting the server/​client boundary while being friendly and warm.
As a starter me and my date had the poached seafood which was great. Very complex in its taste but not overly exotic.
For the entrée I had the crisppy skinned chiken. By then I had already downed the second appletini which only increased my tendency to over-​analyse the meal.
The chicken was divine, perfectly seasoned and excellently cooked, just melting effortlessly with each bite.
For dessert I chose the cheesecake a dish that produly completed the gustatory experience with the kind of sugar rush that’s a fitting end to such divine meal.
So to summarize: the first thing to order once you sitdown is the spiked appletini for you and your date. Trust me, you’ll thank me later.

the setting is more than perfect!
The food is great but not the best I ever had.
The server was fantastic, the service was perfect until we realized that we gave him 20% tip above the ALREADY included 20% tip… he could have told us FGS!!!
Anyway, that kinda ruined our night after we realized it.
The lighted menu and cool drinks were amazing and make a great ambiance. Very romantic!
Would go again for sure! Minus the double tipping portion… grrrr!!!

November 19^th it was our anniversary and we ve decided to go for a trip, so we went to Miami. from Unilocal’ s reviews and concierge recommendation i thought «WISH» will be the right place to celebrate our anniversary.
when i took the reservation i asked if they have special for anniversaries? and the hostess said that they do offer 2 complimentary glasses of champagne and happy anniversary dessert. so guess what??? we ve had no complimentary champagne and no happy anniversary dessert + the food wasn’t t great and the prices were really expensive comparing the food quality, the service/​ambiance was just okay!
i was SO disappointed. i wouldn’t recommend this place specially if you are celebrating anniversary, birthday.

My wife and I were attending South Beach for the first time in town for a wedding. Being good friends of the grooms parents we were asked to attend many of the wedding festivities so we were booked every evening except for the night of our arrival. I wanted to take my wife someplace special so I started to search for a place on Unilocal.We both like to dine outside so I discovered that Wish had many favorable reviews. Securing reservations on-​line at
I called earlier in the week of our arrival to assure outside dining. We were staying at the Surfcomber hotel on Collins Avenue so it was a quick taxi ride from our hotel.
Upon our arrival the first thing that I noticed was the place was lacking customers. I could not understand this because the place is beautiful! I mentioned this to our lovely waitress and she said that it was the off season for Miami. We were seated in the middle of the courtyard right next to the fountain. As so many reviews stated we were sitting under a canopy of palm trees and colorful umbrellas. We were handed menus which were back-​lit much like a Kindle book reader. We ordered martinis and when they arrived they too were lit with a plastic ice-​cube.
The food was magnificent! For starters we were served amuse-​bouche of cantaloupe juice topped with a bacon foam! Very different but very good! We both ordered the watercress salad which included delicious Caramelized Figs. For our Entrées my wife ordered the pan-​seared diver scallops while I selected the Grilled Swordfish which included something I have never seen Caramelized Watermelon (yummy). Their menu states that they serve locally grown organic products. The food was presented like it was going to be published in a food magazine. Everything exceeded our expectations. I am very glad that I discovered this very fine restaurant on Unilocal

This is one of those unique, amazing restaurants that you have to experience at least one night if you’re vacationing here. I chose this place for a «last night» dinner here while visiting, based on its selection of vegetarian food (sort of hard to come by in Miami Beach, unless you include fish in your veggie diet, which I don’t). The vegetarian combination plate was delicious, and far from being an «afterthought» veggie dish – the components can all stand alone as worthy culinary gems. The chef basically creates a unique veggie combo plate for each table, based on your preferences. Mine has parmesan risotto (just ok), chimichurri potatoes (mm!), shredded mixed salad with cashew (mm!), and heirloom tomato salad (with tomatoes in season, mm!).
All their produce is local and organic, can’t beat that.
For cocktails, we had the Flirtini and Pink champagne martini, which were both not too sweet and came with a glowing «ice cube» in each (we got to take these with us as souvenirs, so fun).
The service was also impressive. Our server is near where my traveling companion and I are from (Chicago), and did a great job being attentive but not hovering.
Also be forewarned: The menus are heavy for a reason – when you open them up, they’re lit from the inside! It’s a bit of an initial shock if you’re not expecting it, and a nice touch.
The bar on the inside has these unique, lantern-​like lights strewn from the ceiling, and the outside (where we sat) is a lovely outdoor paradise (minus the booming music and loud people walking by, but that’s all part of the fun here, no?).
Highly recommended!

Super fantastic foodie place! The whole dining experience was amazing from the setting (looked like a magical forest when dining outside) to the great service (she was from Chicago) and the lovely presentation and flavors. The menus were super cool as were the glowing cocktails — whoever designed the concept really made sure that Wish stuck out, in a good way.
What makes me really love a restaurant from the get-​go is when they place a fabulous looking (and tasting) amuse bouche in front of you: salmon wrapped in mandolin sliced cucumber — refreshing treat!
Cocktails:
blue margarita martini — not my cup of tea, very sour
flirtini — soooooooo yummy!
Appetizers:
hamachi sashimi — great cuts of yellowtail and the cilantro jalapeño salsa w/​radish microgreens added perfect balance
lobster ravioli — I was afraid they would be rich and heavy; I was definitely wrong — they were light and delectable w/​that fab cardamom yuzu-​foam
Entrees:
well, what can I say, we all wanted the same thing — miso marinated cod! every bit melted in your mouth — delicious! I didn’t care for the soba noodle salad (which i usually like) but the broth that was poured over it was for some reason SUPER spicy for me and so I refrained from eating anything on my plate other than the cod
Side of edamame sweet potato hash which was an interestingly flavorful concoction
Dessert:
Boy was I glad I didn’t eat too much of my entrée! This was phenomenal: melting chocolate cake w/​pistachio purée, white chocolate pistachio crumbs and cherry ice cream — spectacular!
The after-​dinner drink came quickly, which ended up being for the best, as it would have been too sweet to have with the actual dessert: Mer Soleil late harvest Viognier 2002 — crisp, clean notes
Best meal ever eaten on vacation — hands down!

Okay, I decided to give this restaurant a 2^nd try after the owner called and apologized for the service. He said that he did not run his business like that and wanted to prove it to me. So, for the first night of my bachelorette party, I decided to bring my girlfriend and check it out (again) – trying to remain unbiased.
I was absolutely surprised from the get-​go. We were seated right away, the owner came and introduced himself and had us seated right at the fountain. The manager came by and introduced herself as well. Our server (Scott) was kind and very friendly, gave us suggestions on where to go for Miami nightlife. He even wrote everything down on a card for us. This experience was much more personable – he asked us where we were from and carried a conversation as compared to the previous experience.
Ambiance: The atmosphere was absolutely romantic and relaxed. The ourdoor dining space is quite intimate as there are 4 – 5 tables around the fountain, and another 4 – 5 on the opposite side of the fountain. There is a canopy of umbrellas to shade the sun, block the noise, and it is just a unique setting.
Now onto the food:
Menus: The menus were updated to look like the Amazon Kindles. Upon opening the menu, the back light turned on so the meal options were illuminated. A very cool touch.
Appetizers: we ordered white fish sashimi with the jalapeño salsa laid on a bed of white asparagus; and the beef carpaccio with lemon crème. They were both excellent, but the sashimi was hands down one of the best dishes i’ve had. It was mouth-​watering and he jalapeño salsa gave it just the right amount of kick it needed.
Entrees: we ordered the diver sea scallops and the beef tenderloin with a side of black truffled mac n’cheese. W.O.W. is all I can say. There were 3 large sea scallops on the plate with sliced and sauteed brussel sprouts, pancetta, with a little bit of maple syrup for a sweet kick to the dish. The beef tenderloin came with a side of braised short ribs and some kind of creamy/​pureed mashed potatoes. It was absolutely amazing and we were both so sad we could not finish it. The Mac n’cheese was heavenly. I love truffle oil — and I love black truffle oil even more with my mac n’cheese. It was rich, creamy, and each bite was wonderful. We were able to take this back to our friends who arrived later and they all agreed that it was the best mac n’cheese they’ve had.
Dessert: Crème Brulee – The crème brûlée was good, not great. It was just okay. But then again, i was completely stuffed at this point but needed to cleanse my pallet.
Wine: We went with the 2001 Montepecino wine. It was AH-​MAZING!!! It really brought out the flavors of the food and just a great pairing espeically with the beef tenderloin.
So — my 2 cents: I will definitely be back. Joe (the owner) has completely changed my mind on the service here. I never had a problem with the food or the ambiance, but WISH defintiely has the trifecta that all GOOD restaurants require: Ambiance, FOOD, and service.

Had a wonderful birthday here, beside the gold, azure, and white tile fountain. Giant umbrellas protected us from sprinkling (and during the day, probably from the heat.) We shared a prix fixe and a four course tasting menu (foie gras, watercress salad with blue cheese, porkchop). Ended with chocolate cake and a meyer lemon tart, both great and not too sweet.
We didn’t order the specialty drink — a frozen mojito piled high in a martini glass, lit up by a battery-​powered ice cube («yours to keep») but watched as people took a sip and grimaced. We overhead a woman tell the waiter that it was much sweeter than she expected. So be forewarned.

Wish is a nice addition to the South Beach dining scene even though it’s been around for «forever,» relatively speaking. Local, organic healthy American cuisine is featured here.
1. Side: Sautéed Mixed Mushrooms with Thyme ($ 9) is FABULOUS — I would have licked this up clean anytime, anyday.
2. Side: Black Truffle Mac-​n-​Cheese ($ 12) is good, not great — I liked the idea of black truffles and the flavors, but the pasta itself was a little too mushy for my liking.
3. Entrée: Local Steamed Snapper with Squash, Artichoke, Tomato, Basil ($ 34) was tasty, thanks to the medley of vegetables that came with it. The snapper by itself was cooked well, but for flavor and for the price, I think the Miso Marinated Cod may be a more interesting choice (it’s marinated after all).
4. Entrée: Oven-​Roasted Porkchop w/​Stuffed Eggplant, Pepperonata, Parsley Purée ($ 36) was nice — the porkchop was thick, but I felt that it should also be marinated or come with some kind of dressing. It was a thick cut and properly cooked. Maybe I’m not that much into porkchops — but the crust was awesome. And I thought the stuffed eggplant was great!
5. Dessert: Vanilla Frosted Cheesecake made with Cream Cheese, Berry Compote, Mint ($ 12) was refreshing — the cream-​cheesecake had a hint of mint flavor and very little of the vanilla frosting. It was good.
PROS:
+ great service, hostess
+ lovely ambience, inside (modern and subdued formal sittings) and out (tropical, relaxing by the fountain)
+ healthy local & organic foods
+ BEST menus in Miami (physically) — it lights up when opened for easy reading!
CONS:
— menu is not that creative for the price, but it’s full of top-​quality ingredients

Friendly service, amazing food, a little cheesy.
Every staff member I encountered was extremely friendly and our waiter walked me half way across the place to show me where the restroom was. Food was served to our large party (15 of us!) promptly and at the same time. They even split the bill across dozens of credit cards, amazing!
I started with the foie gras which was so delicate and fancifully paired with interesting tastes including shaved white chocolate. The new york strip was flawless, perfectly cooked with a seared outside and delicious seasoning.
My only nitpick was the gimmicky menu and drinks. The menu is backlit (see photos) which alone would have been kind of interesting, but paired with their margaritas that come with neon glowing ice cubes (yes you can take them home as souvenirs) it’s a little much. But you know I was in South Beach where life is a little over the top anyways, so yeah I got over it.

Atmosphere… CHECK.
Ridiculous best-​ever service… CHECK.
Strong tasty drinks… CHECK.
Our party started with some appetizers/​site items… water cress salaad, black truffle mac & cheese, eggplant gratin in basil oil and Fried Fingerling Potatoes with Chimichurri… delicious but salty: X
A slushy mojito and pink champagne martini — not too sweet, not too strong and way too delicious
Moving onto entrees:
PAN-​SEARED DIVER SCALLOPS — yum.
PAN-​SEARED WILD SALMON w/​Meyer Lemon Risotto, Parmesan, Steamed Mixed Mushrooms — (this is what I ordered)
It was good going in, portion is huge but the more I ate, the saltier it became, I had to force myself to finish the salmon which was the only part of the dish that wasn’t salty… lemon risotto is really interesting, I would’ve never thought to combine those flavors together and I’ll be trying it at home :) I love mushrooms but again, the salt was starting to make me gag. Didn’t finish the risotto or mushrooms.
PAN-​SEARED BRANZINO — very messy looking, didn’t give it a try since I already had fish…
OVEN-​ROASTED KUROBUTA PORKCHOP — perfectly cooked pork chop AND it wasn’t salty! yay!
GRILLED BEEF TENDERLOIN — potion is significantly smaller than the other entrees but it was cooked very well.
Everyone in our party (9 ladies) agreed that over all the meal was too salty and we felt a bit bloated (^ _​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​^)
Dessert was MELTING VALHRONA CHOCOLATE CAKE w/​Cocoa Clove Crumble, Caramel Ice Cream — the melty-​est chocolate cake ever. I’m not a big sweets or chocolate person but there was enough chocolate-​ty delight that one bite was all I needed while the choco-​lovers went ape-sh*t over it.
The chef sent out some nice tidbits as well– a bit of cold duck rolled in a rice paper wrap with microgreens and sweet sauce to start and then a huge chunk of fudge at the end… again so much chocolate it was overwhelming for me but I know some of my lady friends took the whole thing in one bite to savor every bit and to avoid the melt-​in-​my-​hands effect.
The service at WISH is the best I’ve ever experienced. I dropped a fork and I swear before I could blink/turn/notice…a waiter had already scooped away the offending utensil. It’s like he rode in on a breeze and then away he went. The staff was friendly, attentive, alert and yet somehow hovered like guardian angels rather than money-​hungry hyenas. AND not to mention oddly all very good-​looking. Nothing like bending some of them equal opportunity laws! After my experience at WISH, I’m all for it! :)