Iconic luxury

Palm House, Bistro 8, Miami Shores listings, Lunar New Year reservations, FOUND advertising, MORE

Jan 23, 2025

∙ Paid

GETAWAYS • Palm Beach

High bar

The entrance to the new Palm Beach hotel Palm House isn’t well marked, and there isn’t really a lobby. The first room you’ll encounter is more like a lounge for the bar, a stone sculpture that lights up the right side of the room, partitioning it off from the restaurant just behind it. It’s gorgeous, but we’re not there quite yet.

First, we need to check in at the discrete podium in the corner, where a lone worker usually stands greeting guests. We arrived at this scene on New Year’s Day, barely a month after the hotel opened on the site of what was once the Heart of Palm Beach hotel (which had been closed for 17 eventful years). It’s the first U.S. location in the Iconic Luxury Hotels portfolio, which numbers a half dozen luxe UK properties and one in Venice.

The anti-fast casual vibe they’ve cultivated here is what we want from our getaway hotels, and it’s tricky to get right. Arriving as we did, after a flight delay in our travel wear with carry-ons on our shoulders, into this elegant, pasteled room, is a jarring transition. And as we waited to sort out a minor issue with our rooms, we felt it.

But once we were settled, Palm House’s ample charms warmed in the Florida sunshine. The lighting is exquisite, the hallways are lined with art, and the rooms are sumptuous, with plush bedding, two-sink bathrooms, and excellent showers. The staff — valets, bartenders, pool servers — is accommodating and gracious.

It’s a half-block walk to the guarded public beach and also to town. La Goulue is on the corner, the famed Worth Ave. five blocks south (though we favored Surfside Diner, Buccan Sandwich Shop, and West Palm’s The Blue Door on this trip). It’s not the kind of resort where the guests are held captive onsite.

The renovation included an upgrade of the moderately sized pool with expertly tiered pink loungers and daybeds. There’s an event space behind the outdoor bar, which wasn’t open on this early visit (but will be for friend-of-FOUND Brad Inman’s Livelong Experience in March). The Dining Room at Palm House serves Japanese-Peruvian cuisine (“Nobu-style”), the sushi and Japanese A5 Wagyu set against patterned-tile walls.

But that bar. It’s a work of art and a prime perch for taking in the local scene in all of its over-the-top glory. Over pre-dinner cocktails, we watched newly arrived hotel guests check in, recalling fondly that time when we hadn’t yet crossed over into the sunshine. –Josh Albertson

→ Palm House (Palm Beach) • 160 Royal Palm Way • 79 rooms • Rates from $1260/weekend night.

GETAWAYS LINKS: It’s opening week for new St. Regis on Palm Beach in Aruba • Bad Bunny planning first-ever concert residency this summer in Puerto Rico • St. Barths’ Bonito restaurant expanding to the Bahamas • Jon Batiste opens jazz club at Baha Mar • Mexico City’s new wave of small boutique hotels • Italian museums will watch your dog for free • Are flights “laptop purchases”? • 50 holidays to take in 2025.

WORK • FOUND Advertising

More like Q fun

FOUND Advertising kicked off in earnest last quarter, with campaigns from our friends at Corcoran, Jolie, Gotham, and Vital Farms & Black Seed Bagels. For getting in early, each earned the added value of a special place in FOUND lore.

If you manage or represent a brand that would like to reach our very attractive audience here in Miami (and also in NY, LA, SF, and soon, Paris & London), there’s no time like the icy depths of Q1 to start a conversation. A reminder on just how attractive FOUND readers (across all markets) are:

53% have HHI of $250K+; 7% are above $1MM
52% have net worth of $1MM+; 9% are above $10MM
33% are 35-44, 23% are 25-34, and 19% are 45-54
Top work fields: technology (17%), media (17%), law (8%), finance (8%)
42% expect to take at least five leisure trips in the next 12 months
93% recommend products/services/experiences to friends/family/colleagues

At FOUND, we subscribe to the theory that the right kind of sponsors — from top-tier real estate firms to innovative direct-to-consumer brands to high-end local retailers and service providers — can make media better. So far, so good! We’re excited to welcome the next wave of on-brand brands to the FOUND family.

Drop us a line at sales@itsfoundmiami.com and we will get to work on your next great campaign.

MIAMI WORK AND PLAY LINKS: Residential real estate inventory rising in Miami • Condo sales launch at Viceroy Residences Aventura • New renderings revealed for 57-story Edge House Miami in Edgewater • What to know about the new Apple Store Miami WorldCenter, opening tomorrow • A vibe shift at Davos • Almost a quarter of last spring’s Harvard Business School grads are still unemployed • Does it matter if your boss is rich?

RESTAURANTS • First Word

Mexican pastiche

The Skinny: The team behind Hiden and The Taco Stand brings French-Mexican fusion to Little Havana with two-week-old Bistro 8, featuring a menu of shareable plates marrying Latin American ingredients with French techniques.

The Vibe: Behind an unassuming stripmall storefront on Calle Ocho lies a dining room that feels like a modern French bistro teleported straight out of Mexico City. Awash in pink and blue pastels with gold-leaf vaulted ceilings from which bubble-like light fixtures float, it’s full of playful touches like large format terrazzo tiled floors, blue pottery matching the walls, and caned-back dining chairs.

The Food: Chef Pancho Ibáñez cut his teeth at Mexico City's celebrated Pujol, which might explain why my husband and I found ourselves competing for the last drops of a French bistro-style mussel broth wafting with Mexican spice. The house-made tortillas arrive with the perfect chew, making ideal vehicles for anything that hits your table, especially the melting, rich pork belly al pastor that almost cuts like steak.

The Drink: The Mex-tlan is a striking black color courtesy of corn husk ash, an immediate conversation piece. End your night with their carajillo; I've had my share around town (and the world) and this ranks among the finest.

The Verdict: Between the warmth of the hospitality, the thoughtful design, and Ibáñez's unique, confident cooking, Bistro 8 is a welcome addition to Miami’s (somewhat spare) elevated Mexican dining scene. –Olee Fowler

→ Bistro 8 (Little Havana) • 2069 SW 8th St • Wed-Mon 530-10p • Reserve.

MIAMI RESTAURANT LINKS: Legendary Charleston BBQ Rodney Scott’s coming to Little River, opening date TBD • atin American restaurant Tambo opens in South Beach’s Gates Hotel • Golden Oro debuts on Miami Beach • Offbeat new South Beach spot Mano Libera touts ‘Italian omakase’ • So long, chilled reds: the Big Red renaissance is upon us.

REAL ESTATE • First Mover

Three for-sale 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom houses in Miami Shores that came to market in the last 10 days.

→ 36 NW 101st St (Miami Shores) • 3BR/2BA, 1218 SF house • Ask: $995K • solar panels, metal roof, impact windows, split floor plan • Days on market: 7 • Annual taxes: $8244 • Agent: Juan Zuluaga, Coldwell Banker.

→ 125 NW 95th St (Miami Shores) • 3BR/2BA, 1783 SF house • Ask: $1.275M • mid-century modern with new pool, updated kitchen, terrazzo floors • Days on market: 14 • Annual taxes: $9124 • Agent: Richard Zimmerman, Graber Realty.

→ 90 NE 91st St (Miami Shores) • 3BR/2BA, 1823 SF house • Ask: $1.499M • corner lot with heated saltwater pool and wood beam ceilings • Days on market: 13 • Annual taxes: $9876 • Agent: Arturo Pino, Coldwell Banker. –Olee Fowler

CULTURE & LEISURE • Horseplay

Pegasus World Cup • on-the-rail homestretch views plus open bar and Diplo • Gulfstream Park Racing and Casino (Hallandale Beach) • Sat 10a-9p • Carousel Club VIP, $575 per
Jerry Seinfeld • Hard Rock Live (Davie) • Sat @ 8p • section 116, $123 per
Grand Kyiv Ballet: Swan Lake • Miniaci Performing Arts Center (Ft Lauderdale) • Sat @ 7p • orchestra, $665 per

ASK FOUND

First, a quick primer on how this works: You send us the pressing questions of the day (on dining, services, living in Miami and surrounds). We all put our heads together (us at FOUND, + you, FOUND subscribers, who are also FOUND) in search of truth and beauty.

Today, three FOUND subscriber PROMPTS for which we seek intel:

What new fitness/wellness trend/class are you taking on?
What’s your new winter bar?
Tell us a secret about your favorite ski mountain!

Got answers or more questions? Hit reply or email found@itsfoundmiami.com.

RESTAURANTS • The Nines

Lunar New Year, ticketed

Nine of the best Lunar New Year celebrations happening across the city. Additions or subtractions? Hit reply or found@itsfoundmiami.com.

Kojin 2.0 (Coral Gables), upscale 8-course tasting menu, $150 per, reserve