Audio By Carbonatix
Kaspia in the Webster Hotel on 12th and Collins has a bizarre history. It’s a branch of a Parisian restaurant opened by Russian emigres in 1926 that serves vodka, caviar, champagne and not much more. Yeah, they call that a restaurant. And you could spend $1,000 on a meal. Bozhe moi!
When news happens, Miami New Times is there —
Your support strengthens our coverage.
We’re aiming to raise $30,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to you. If Miami New Times matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.
Push seating, stylish and luxurious décor, and an attentive and knowledgable staff make it the perfect place to impress a date. It’s off the main drag and parking can be tough if you don’t like to valet. But hey, this is South Beach.
There’s
ample outdoor seating along Collins Avenue, but for a true
experience, sit in the aqua and dark brown indoor area. An
elegant menu offers an extensive selection of imported and domestic
caviars that are served straight up or on a baked potato.
The dinner
menu also includes a smoked fish selection with items such as Danish
eel ($18), halibut ($18), and black marlin ($17). In addition, they
offer traditional complementary dishes such as endive salad ($12) and
scrambled eggs with shaved truffles ($12). Entrées are decadent and
French-influenced. There’s a salmon roulade ($22), duck in
shallot-sherry vinegar sauce with truffle potatoes ($29), and a
unique Balik salmon blini burger ($25). The Russian influence is
apparent in the bar menu as well, with a large champagne and vodka
selection to pair with every course.
We tried the Miami Spice dinner — which included a tasty cold asparagus soup with caviar, a the duck entree mentioned above, and a pretty good strawberry dessert. All in all, a wonderful meal. And our partner’s salad (pictured) was crisp and perfect.
There were some weak points. the bread — brioche, they termed it — was toasted but flavorless. And though the wine list include a Bordeaux haute medoc, it wasn’t in stock, so we had to settle for a middle-of-the-road dinner drink. Finally, the other entree was a specialty of the house: a baked potato, cleaned out and restuffed with butter and cream, then topped by a huge mound of smoked salmon. The taste was okay, but the artistic quality gets no better than a 3.
Overall, Kaspari is more than worth it. And there’s a bonus, a huge boutique that really is the centerpiece of this once classic hotel. Eating and shopping. What could be better?
