‘A come-as-you-are vibe’: This new Miami Beach hotel restaurant hopes you eat and chill
At Pretty Swell, the new restaurant opening inside the Life House, South of Fifth hotel, laid-back is a way of life.
Named for the surf scene and ocean just a few steps away from its location on Collins Avenue in South Beach, Pretty Swell aims to be three things in one: a cafe, a bar and a restaurant, all three focusing on sustainable practices and healthy cuisine from coastal regions from Australia to Baja to Phuket.
There’s an indoor area with a bar, banquettes and a communal table and two outdoor areas. One, a garden patio, begins the day as a cafe serving specialty coffee drinks, freshpressed juices, acai bowls and avocado toast and turns into a tropical lounge with light bites, natural wine and craft cocktails when the sun goes down.
The second outdoor space is a more private courtyard with a bistro vibe, where you can dine on a menu of grilled or raw fish, plant-based dishes and kebab tacos.
“We wanted to create a venue with a come-as-youare vibe for any time of the day,” said Rami Zeidan, CEO and founder of
Life House, which also has a hotel in Little Havana, home to the rooftop bar Terras. “We built a space where locals can come by for coffee in the morning, stay for work-from-patio sessions and a healthy lunch, or meet friends for drinks and dinner at night.”
In addition to serving sustainable menu items like lionfish, an exotic invasive that can destroy coral reefs, Pretty Swell earned an accreditation from the City of Miami Beach as a plastic-free property.
Another recent sustainable practice can be found in the cocktail program, which cuts waste by creating a non-perishable citrus juice that uses all parts of the fruit.
“The food and beverage experience at Pretty Swell is designed to be authentically sustainable without jeopardizing the standards of our culinary offerings,” said Daniel Levine, vice president of Corporate Food & Beverage for Life House “We strive to provide our guests and our local community with an easy-as-Sunday-morning atmosphere they want to come back to time and again.”
PRETTY SWELL
Where: Life House, South of Fifth hotel, 321 Collins Ave., Miami Beach
Opening: May 2
More information: www.lifehousehotels.com
Connie Ogle: 305-376-3649, @OgleConnie