Essensia Restaurant & Lounge

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Address:
The Palms Hotel & Spa
3025 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33140

Neighborhood:
Miami Beach / South Beach

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Cuisine:
Global, International

Price: $31 to $50

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Essensia Restaurant & Lounge Details

Dining Style: Casual Dining
Website: http://www.essensiarestaurant.com
Phone: (305) 908-5458
Hours of Operation: Breakfast Daily: 7:00am - 11:30am, Brunch: Sunday: 11:30am - 3:00pm; Lunch: Monday - Saturday: 11:30am - 3:00pm; Dinner: Sunday - Thursday: 6:00pm - 10:00pm, Friday - Saturday: 6:00pm - 11:00pm
Payment Options: AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Cuisine: Global, International, Organic, Vegetarian / Vegan
Executive Chef: Julie Frans
Dress Code: Smart Casual
Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
Additional Details: Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Farm to Table, Full Bar, Gluten-free Menu, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Personal wines welcome, Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies), Private Room, Smoking Area, Smoking Area (patio only), View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine, Wine Bar
Private Party Facilities: Essensia at The Palms Hotel & Spa can cater to private events of all sizes, with private venues available from 30 up to 200 persons, including the tropical Poolside Terrace, covered Veranda Terrace, elegant ballrooms and other outdoor venues around the hotel’s lush tropical gardens.
Private Party Contact: Michelle Cannici (877) 634-1035

Getting there

Cross Street: 30th Street
Parking: Valet
Parking Details: Discounted valet parking available:
Breakfast, Lunch and Brunch: $15
Dinner: $15

A word from Essensia Restaurant & Lounge

Essensia Restaurant follows a farm-to-table philosophy, offering a seasonal selection of wholesome global cuisine with emphasis on premium local and sustainable ingredients. Working with local farmers and carefully selected purveyors, Essensia’s menu features healthful and flavorful dishes made… with produce, meats and seafood primarily sourced from within the State of Florida. Essensia’s exclusive wine list is committed to being sustainable, organic or biodynamic and has been selected for sharing Essensia’s mission to be good for you and the environment. Essensia is open 7 days per week for breakfast, lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. Essensia offers discounted valet parking rates for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. Groups up to 40 people can be accommodated in one of our dining areas.

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Diner Reviews

"Began with parking problem when valet informed me their parking lot was full and I needed to find a spot on the street. Good luck over holiday weekend at 7:30. Service, food and atmosphere was just ok. Wanted to dine outside however the only other two tables outside were occupied by people in bathing suit attire which made it feel way to casual, so chose to dine inside."
Dined on 7/4/2014
"Very good service from vallet to waiting staff. Perfect patio lunch spot in Miami Beach, relaxed tropical setting. Very good food."
Dined on 6/27/2014
"Everything I had was terrrific, ate here several times. What's memorable was the Thai Lemongrass soup and Corvina fish for dinner and the whole grain coconut waffles, especially enjoyed the lavender honey, yumm! I wish the honey was for sale in the gift shop."
Dined on 6/12/2014
"Please hire a new manager and chef so that the restaurant can thrive. Miami is very competitive and the food is just not up to par. The service was excellent and the restaurant was beautiful. It's a shame that the food was not tasty and not even appealing to look at."
Dined on 6/7/2014
"Based on the reviews and the rankings we saw on various web sites, we had high expectations. We found the food to be mediocre at best for a restaurant claiming to be "upscale". The service was good and the ambiance was also nice. We like the hotel, but I'm surprised that the restaurant has received so many accolades. It wouldn't survive in a place like New York or San Francisco. It is possible that a recent, seasonal menu change was responsible for the disparity between reviews we'd read and our experience. That said, we had a great brunch the next day and really enjoyed the breakfast food."
Dined on 6/5/2014
"Very natural organic preparations. Great ambiance and service!"
Dined on 6/3/2014
"The entire menu was full of interesting fresh food options. Although I'm an omnivore and there were many fine meat and seafood entrees, I went with the snapper ceviche appetizer and then the vegtable entre sampler so I could try a variety of the sides. I was not disappointed. The ceviche was the most delicate and finely flavored I've ever had. All the vegtable disches were excellent. I would recommend this restaurant to friends, especially vegetarians. It's also family friendly with good outdoor seating in a tropical environment. Tables are not to close to each other. "
Dined on 6/2/2014
"We ate in this restaurant while staying at The Palms hotel for a recent wedding. If you like to eat fresh, clean, organic food that is beautifully presented and absolutely delicious, Essensia is the restaurant for you! The outside ambiance is lovely and the service is great. We enjoyed the dinner so much, we returned for lunch the next day! I wish I could get the recipes for everything on the menu....Julie Frans really appreciates "real" food fresh from her on site garden. Wish she'd open a restaurant in broward!"
Dined on 5/16/2014
"Incredible food and impeccable service provided by Omar gave us a wonderful experience. We have already been back once and are planning another stop before leaving town!"
Dined on 5/15/2014
"My husband and I had a delicious, relaxed-pace dinner at Essencia. We sat on the porch, and the view, along with the bread, were amazing! Our waiter Omar was engaging and recommended wonderful choices. We tried the Thai Lemongrass soup (YUM), kale Caesar salad (ok for me, my husband loved), the snapper (very good) and the NY strip (wow!!!). The house mojito was very smooth, but because it wasn't delivered until 2 courses later, we were comped a fabulous trio of chocolate mousses - you must try! We are not from Miami but would wholeheartedly return to Essencia anytime we are in the area."
Dined on 5/14/2014
"Best Kale salad ever! Served with an Anchovy vinegarette, this was outstanding. Scene is very quiet so it is perfect if you want a noise free environment. "
Dined on 5/8/2014
"Service, ambiance, decoration, etc., all good but when it came to the food the expectations were not met. Before (a year ago) it had it all. What happened? "
Dined on 5/6/2014
"Went there for breakfast, classic menu selections, average food. Nothing special about it. "
Dined on 5/6/2014
"Excellent choice for a relaxing Sunday brunch with great bottomless mimosas. :)"
Dined on 5/4/2014
"Lovely food, capitalizing on locally grown as much as possible. Very friendly to those with dietary restrictions, especially vegetarian or gluten free. Great wait staff. Lovely veranda. Highly recommend. "
Dined on 5/1/2014
"Flavor is teased out with herbs and spices. No heavy sauces, just extremely well prepared food seasoned perfectly. The chef's organic garden at the hotel is the source of some of the produce and much of the herbs."
Dined on 4/22/2014
"Great ambiance and setting. We felt that the food, while decent, was fairly unremarkable. The price point is pretty high, and the cocktails and wine are a little ridiculous. The restaurant prides itself on organic, farm-to-market cuisine, but I'm not sure this is translating to flavored that match the cost. Our waitperson was a little aloof and not exceptionally helpful. The outdoor setting is nice, but the food doesn't stand out."
Dined on 4/11/2014
"We were staying at the Palms Hotel in South Beach and were searching "Open Table" for dinner options. We were traveling with my sister who is a vegetarian so wanted some options for her. As we were looking it became apparent that the restaurant in our hotel - Essensia was very highly rated and had many vegetarian choices. As we entered, the ambiance was lovely with excellent lighting. We were informed of all of the locally grown and sourced ingredients, including many grown on the property! Very interesting creations that resulted in marvelous flavors and textures. The staff were very informed and provided outstanding service. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area."
Dined on 3/28/2014
"I have celiac disease and needed gluten free food. I got to meet the chef and she was SUPER accommodating which is a dream come true for me. We were on vacation in Miami and I was excited to be able to eat good food away from home! I would highly recommend for anyone. My husband also enjoyed it and he is "normal" :)"
Dined on 3/27/2014
"My sisters and I wanted a new food experience. Rafael, our concierge at Cadillac Marriott, recommended this gem. The service was really great and the food was tremendous. We liked their organic "garden to table" concept. They even had their own greens garden we visited. A wonderful dinner variety and lovely restaurant ambiance. Greta location and easy to walk to on Collins. We will return!"
Dined on 3/27/2014
"There were a few vegetarian entrees, but no meat substitutes like beans, tofu, seitan or tempeh. Not good for vegetarians. Dreaming and hoping there will be more creative vegetarian options in the future"
Dined on 3/21/2014
"Tucked away in the Palms Hotel north of the flashier hotels and restaurants, Essensia is a hidden gem. Loved the outdoor veranda setting, great service, and delicious food. A very relaxing and enjoyable dinner for our family of five. Will definitely go back."
Dined on 2/24/2014
"It was our last night in Miami Beach this trip, a quiet Sunday evening in February. Sitting outside on the veranda it was magical. It felt like Cuba to me, but only if Cuba was much nicer (or maybe if it was still 1959)! Essensia's chef grows much of her own ingredients, and she was very good at improvising to make any dish work around dietary restrictions. The olive paste and bruschetta were wonderful. The fish (snapper for me) was superb, but my favorite was the Thai lemongrass soup with a coconut broth that was brilliantly seasoned to not be spicy but to be deeply infused with a wonderfully complex set of flavors (yes, a soup!). The location is a bit far north, but still walkable from the South Beach art deco district hotel strip."
Dined on 2/23/2014
"We went here for breakfast. We showed up at 11, after confirming that breakfast ended at 1130. Upon showing up, we were told we were too late and they had cleaned it up. We were given the brunch menu instead. My order came out completely wrong. My husbands order was tasteless. We had wanted to share a waffle which just never came. Long story short, our waitress was extremely rude when I explained that my order was wrong. After much waiting around for get our waffle and silverware, I ended up speaking to the manager who took care of the bill. We left-- did not finish brunch-- and went somewhere ELSE!"
Dined on 2/23/2014
"Can't say enough about how wonderful the atmosphere was. Our waiter was very knowledgable about the menu and guided us to make great selections. Kale Ceasar salad was fabulous as were the snapper and sea bass entres."
Dined on 2/20/2014
"This was the best meal that we had. The service was impeccable. The staff was knowledgeable down from the busboy to the waiter. They were accommodating and no one tried to push designer water, or liquor. Everything we ate was above expectations. We are looking forward to another visit. Do try the lake Cesar salad. The meal was worth every penny."
Dined on 2/20/2014
"This was our first time at Essensia. The food was very good - the service was excellent and the prices were reasonable. We read some of the negative comments in other review and we didn't agree with them. Best thing is to try it yourself. We had an enjoyable evening and will go back again."
Dined on 2/20/2014
"Visited Essencia after concert at NWS. Beautiful setting! Enjoyed our group company of 3 couples. But - not great for late night dining. Arrived at 10:15 PM and although service was friendly we felt rushed through our meal. Signature eggplant parmesan was mushy and salty. Other dishes were better and enjoyed by all, especially by our vegan friends. Would still give this place a second chance as the setting is worth the visit and the reviews and organic food / garden to table concept are unique and welcome in blossoming Miami food scene!"
Dined on 2/15/2014
"Found the place while searching a "farm to table" restaurant. The farm is their backyard. Especially unique since this is in a hotel on miami beach. The hotel is great and the restaurant even better. Great place even for vegetarians. Diverse eclectic menu."
Dined on 2/15/2014
"This is a very nicely appointed and comfortable restaurant. Unfortunately, the food and service did not match the facility. The service was very spotty, with a head server who was overwhelmed with 11 tables in our room. With the exception of a great kale Caesar salad that was recommended by our server, the food was not good. The eggplant was average at best, and the ribs were extremely fatty. And, importantly, it all arrived cold, almost certainly because the server could not attend to it. Overall, a disappointment."
Dined on 2/15/2014
"We had dinner here on Valentine's Day, and the fixed price meal was simply amazing! The theme was edible flowers, and the five-course meal impressed! From the crab cake with marigolds, to the chilled pea, pistachio and greek yogurt soup, to the tomato and nasturtium salad, to the macademia encrusted Amazone Paiche with chrysanthemums, to the lavender scented crepes with rose petals - amazing!!! Our waiter was very enthusiastic about everything about the meal and the restaurant and the property (The Palms Hotel), gushing about the herb garden on the property that grows the majority of the herbs used in the kitchen. Ala in all, an amazing experience! Strongly recommended!"
Dined on 2/14/2014
"This was my second visit in two days and the first time was better. My eggplant parmesan was overcooked and everything on it became a cheesy lump. My husband returned his chicken to the chef and only had his lemongrass soup which was wonderful. The panne cotta dessert was terrific. This would not discourage me from coming again because the dinner we had the night before was terrific."
Dined on 2/7/2014
"We came to Essensia for our wedding anniversay. The staff was extremely friendly and spot on with their recommendations as my husband and I are both vegetarian. The Goat Cheese Salad and Eggplant Parmesan were fantastic!! The ambiance was super romantic as we went around 8pm and the restaurant was very clean. We loved that its location was away from all the madness of South Beach and we truly enjoyed a romantic dinner on this family owned gem of a restaurant."
Dined on 2/4/2014
"Yow! ~ Summary (in three words): “...Bond, James Bond” Super hip, 100% non-stop early 1960’s lounge-kitsch-retro ambience (vis-à-vis an idealized interpretation) a’ la Monégasque – the whole bit! …Very well executed yet not too serious --- deftly draws you into a, “straw fedora, white tux (open collar) & big rolex mood”… Had a wonderful lunch (be ready for “California” sized portions ~ which in my personal case is a good thing); perfectly prepared dishes (just a wee bit “under spiced” for the truly fabulous ambience), 5 star presentation; seamless staff attentiveness & warmth (but not overly cozy). In fact we were looking for a place to stay; so, after our exquisite lunch, we decided to check right in the restaurant’s host, the Palms Hotel!"
Dined on 2/4/2014
"The location is nice, ambience is quaint but romantic. Food was for the most part delicious, except for our braised short ribs. They were extremely fatty and when we asked to see management, they were very unapologetic and didn't want to make concessions."
Dined on 2/3/2014
"We love this restaurant: the food, the service, the friendliness of the staff and the lovely setting making it a perfect spot."
Dined on 2/2/2014
"Located just off the Boardwalk at 30th in the Palms Hotel, this "fit for foodies" restaurant is easily walkable from many other hotels and condos along the beach and has one of the most beautiful open air balcony dining rooms that we have experienced. We had delicious seafood entrees one evening and followed up with equally good omelet breakfasts the next morning. The food is perfectly prepared with fresh farm to table ingredients and the service was attentive. Definitely one of the best restaurants we have been to during our visits to Miami and we look forward to returning. We rate it #1."
Dined on 1/20/2014
"I came here with my mother, aunt and sister for a fun girls weekend. I am vegan and they were extremely accommodating. Plenty of selections! Great wine list. Loved sitting outside. Definitely worth the trip."
Dined on 1/19/2014
"On a cold evening in Miami, dining outside on a covered terrace? At Essensia, heaters provided warmth and the terrace was shielded from the chilly ocean breeze. Our party of six gathered at a round table, just the right size for easy conversation. We were not challenged by speakers delivering loud music and were able to hear each other in a lively discussion of world, wines and entertaining stories. But ah, the food! Freshly and locally sourced and excellently prepared, especially the yellow tail snapper. The service was attentive but not intrusive."
Dined on 1/17/2014
"This restaurant is wonderful!! The food is absolutely delicious!! We went here as a large group for my aunts birthday and they were very accommodating. The kids menu is a wonderful added touch and they really enjoyed their food and dessert. The food is all natural so you feel good eating it. Definitely have the dessert, they gave my aunt a cake for her birthday and it was delicious!! Wowgo back and it's highly recommended."
Dined on 12/29/2013

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Essensia Restaurant & Lounge Details

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