Smoke Signal
W South Beach

W South Beach

2201 Collins Ave, 33139, Miami Beach, US, United States

Wine • Tapas • Steak • Venues


"This is our favorite place in the world to travel and stay on vacation. We have been here many times but each time somehow seems to surpass the previous visit. (We think there might be some kind of join-the-W Hotel South Beach-cult-inducing ingredients in the fragrance that you breathe in when you arrive? We don't care, because we are avid members of any cult here! Okay, one might think we are biased because we already love it here. We are. But we still have our eyes wide open and have expressed our opinions on things that might have fallen short of our expectations and they listen and respond every time. The sheer expanse of the hotel, the lobby, the pool, the restaurants and bars is just mind blowing. Even when they are at capacity, they have a way of making us feel special. They take time to talk with us, get to know us, find out the things we like most and curate our stay with the utmost care and respect. This was our first visit back to South Beach in three years. There were several places we had been looking forward to because of past exceptional experiences. The only place that did not disappoint us was the W Hotel. Service has fallen across the board, across the world, for so many establishments due to staffing issues after the shutdowns. The W Hotel had even higher service standards with their teams and staffing for this visit. Our list of names that impressed us is even longer than the last time. (Big thank you's go out to Eric, and David (who is always there! at the front door, Lucey, Laura, Alex (both of them! , and Lucas in The Living Room. Rachel, Eddie, at the pool. La'Vander, Shawn, and the rest of the dancing beach team down at Sand. Sole, Andrew, and the other Insiders who made our visit perfect. George and Rick who hosted the cigar smokers event. The Style Team led by Andres just made the place sparkle! Ricky at RWSB was a welcome moment every time we interacted. Honestly, everyone we came in contact with was personable, caring, and helpful. The newly decorated rooms were quite peaceful. There is a beach-vibe happening with the colors and decor. Much cheerier than the previous modern/minimalist look that we also loved. They kept the iconic shell ceiling lamps that have an almost wind-chime effect when one walks by them. So calming. We are already planning our next visit. We will be watching for snippets of information and updates on Instagram. (We were told about some of the next updates and they will be quite fantastic! Thank you, everyone, at The W South Beach. We are genuinely big fans and appreciate every little thing you all do to make the place as close to perfect as it seems to be!"

Gotham

Gotham

12 E. 12th St., New York 10003, 10003-4491, New York City, United States

Bars • Dining • American • Bar-lounge


"It's rare to find a gastronomic place where everything is just right: the atmosphere, the correct and friendly service, the music (and its sound level , the cleanliness of the venue and of the restrooms, and of course the quality of the cooking. In Gotham Restaurant we found it! This restaurant had it all during our visit. Without any doubt we will be back. We were amazed that this restaurant has not been awarded yet with a Michelin star. We had a the most amazing three course lunch menu here. Starter: butternut squash soup. Arguably the best butternut soup we have ever tasted! Packed with flavor with some tanginess from lemon and interesting combinations of textures such as crispy sage, pumpkin seeds and little dices of pumpkin. Main: We had a papardelle pasta with mushrooms and marsala sauce. The deepness and richness of the marsala sauce was impressive to say the least. Pasta was cooked to perfection. Other main course we had was braised chicken breast with mixed vegetables. The chicken was crispy on the outside whilst tender and moist on the inside. No faults here. and again cooked perfectly. Mixed vegetables still had a little bite and were clearly super fresh. Desert: served us a crème brûlée (wobbly and perfect thin caramelized sugar layer and a flourless chocolate cake: velvety soft. Both stunningly prepared classics. Cleary the chef knows his pastry. Is there anything to improve here? Well that depends on the level that you can indulge yourself with this kind of high quality food. We felt the portions were a bit too generous for us. Then again: can there be great hospitality without generosity? So no complaints here : Compliments to the patron, the chef and the black and white brigade for giving us this splendid experience."