Stubborn Seed

2024 - Stubborn Seed (@stubbornseed) is a new favorite. It has definitely taken me way too long to come here, but I am glad I finally did! Not only is the food spectacular, the cocktail program is wonderful- I can't stop thinking about the dill flavoring in my cocktail and may need to pay the bar another visit soon .~My Recommended Spice Journey~ - - Tiger Bread (+$8) - Handmade Potato Gnocchi & Confit Duck é - Potato Crusted Atlantic Swordfish - Mamey Basque Cheesecake@miamicheatdays

Dined here on Saturday, September 14, 2024. My expectations were quite high since it's a Michelin star restaurant. We had the eight-course tasting menu priced at $175 per person. I have to say the presentation of all eight dishes was very nice, but does the food taste as nice as the presentation? There were some hits and misses for me. Nothing really stood out for me that would warrant a return visit. I've had better tasting menus at other Michelin star restaurants and at other fine dining restaurants. What I didn't like was how long it took between courses - I think we were there for close to three hours. The hits:- Coconut Shrimp Ceviche- Handmade Potato Gnocchi and Confit Duck- Sake and Citrus cured Japanese Yellowtail- Spiced Hiney Lacquered Dry Aged Duck - what they are known for. This was really good.The misses:- Potato crusted swordfish - this was so overcooked, thus very dry. - Crispy Sesame Spanish Octopus- I didn't like this dish.- Espresso Martini - not as good as other bars in Miami such as Pastis.Service at first was great, but the spacing between courses was way too long. And the drinks took forever. Not sure why it took so long. We were celebrating a birthday, but they didn't even acknowledge it either. Take advantage during Miami Spice if you want to try this restaurant without breaking the bank or go for their bar menu.

Pros: Delightful meal. We went for Miami spice, and it was a great experience. The flavors were spot on, service was friendly. Will definitely return for a celebration. Cons: although the cocktails I had were spectacular and innovative, they were sweet, like little tasty desserts (the peach bourbon and pineapple rum one in my case)

We had an outstanding experience at Stubborn Seed for Miami Spice. The three-course menu offered two appetizers, two entrees and two desserts, so my husband and I were able to order one of each and try the entire menu. Additionally, we ordered the Tiger Bread and added the wine pairing (both of which I'd highly recommend). The food was outstanding, and we particularly enjoyed the Handmade Potato Gnocchi & Confit Duck and the Swordfish. The Basque Cheesecake was also so good that we debated ordering a second piece. The service was excellent, and the atmosphere was fun. Fine dining in a lively, vibrant atmosphere is the way to go. We will definitely be back to try their traditional tasting menu this year.

I'm glad Stubborn Seed is participating in Miami Spice ($60) because the regular pricing is too expensive for me. At $175 per person, the regular tasting menu is out of reach for most foodies. Wish it was a bit more accessible. Not much in terms of ambiance, bare bones interior. Small space in general and Miami Spice customers can only sit at the bar or high tops in the bar area. That's not a good start if your goal is to convert Miami Spice visitors into return customers by making them feel they're not good enough to sit at the real tables in the dining room.While I'm sure there are many dishes here that are wonderful, the ones I tried through the Miami Spice menu were hit or miss. The bread was a hit! It was fresh baked and came with sesame crusted butter, which was phenomenal. The gnocchi with duck confit appetizer was a miss. Although there was a generous amount of duck meat, it was in a sauce (rather than gnocchi) that was just too rich for me. So thick and creamy, it was hard to eat it without sips of water. The main entree was a miss for me as well because the pork belly consisted of three one-inch cubes, two of the cubes were pure fat and only one of the cubes was actual meat. I recommend you skip this unless you're a huge fan of pork belly and order the swordfish instead. I wanted to like it, and it was cooked with a tasty crispy skin, but biting into two cubes of pure fat for $60 was a disappointment. Thankfully we enhanced our order with caviar, which was a hit! Best thing all night aside from the bread. Caviar was the perfect bite of sweet and salty. The basque cheesecake was a miss, I've had the most amazing basque cheesecake at another establishment and this one didn't measure up. Wine was ok. Service was nice and friendly, our waiter was very accommodating and explained everything and answered all of our questions. I wish I was able to try more dishes because I feel like I didn't order the best dishes this time around.

Today, we're diving into the Miami Spice menu at Stubborn Seed, a sleek gem with a buzz-worthy vibe and a dazzling glass-fronted kitchen. We started with the Handmade Potato Gnocchi & Confit Duck. The gnocchi was light and pillowy, paired perfectly with a rich vichyssoise and crispy potato accents--totally divine. For our mains, we had the Potato Crusted Atlantic Swordfish, a masterful blend of crispy crust and tender fish with vibrant mango chutney gel and a zesty piquillo pepper froth. Equally impressive was the Crispy Heritage Pork Belly, featuring a juicy belly with confit maitake, a sweet and nutty vanilla roasted grape, and a punchy jalapeño mint puree. We wrapped up with desserts that were nothing short of spectacular. The Summer Mango Sago was a tropical dream with its coconut tapioca and refreshing mango sorbet. And the Mamey Basque Cheesecake? Pure bliss with its passion caramel and crunchy almond-anise crumble.Readers note, service was slow between courses, at times we waited almost 20 minutes. Music was so loud it was hard to pay attention to anything... I guess is helpful to focus on food? The AC was barely functioning. I don't think I would return if it wasn't for Miami Spice. PS: bread service is an additional $9

I have been to Stubborn Seed many times before they even got the Michelin Star, always a great experience with incredible creative food that wanted you to go back for more.I had not been back since they got awarded the Michelin Star and I had heard mixed reviews about not being as great as in the past, given we have the Miami Spice on right now I thought to go for dinner and see for myself. In my opinion the whole purpose of Miami Spice is to give you a taste to go back for more later, unfortunately it was not the case. I started with the potato gnocchi & confict duck, it was ok but the texture very weird, then the swordfish was also just OK, nothing special and for dessert the Mamay Basque Cheesecake which was good. Overall very little food as portions really tiny.At the beginning of the service they asked if we wanted to have Bread which we had to pay for, which is totally ok, $8 for 2 people so we were 4 of us and we ordered 2 bread which we thought maybe a little basket of bread rolls but instead it was half roll each with flavored butter which was very good but $8 for 1 roll of bread to be split between 2 people is too much. Given the experience I don't think I would want to go back again and pay the full tasting menu which I have done several times before, sad

The food here was phenomenal! Service was quick and friendly. Very nice location, with the low dimmed lights makes a perfect date night. I went here for the miami spice menu and it did not disappoint. I will come back to try everything soon! My favorite part was the dessert, especially with the wine combination. Absolutely delicious and the chef knows what he is doing. The summer mango sago was one of the dishes i will never forget! It had such a unique combination of everything, and the flavors complimented each other so well. I have never tried anything like it. I will definitely come back here SOON. Also if you do the miami spice menu make sure to do the wine pairing, worth it and compliments the dishes very well. All the dishes melted in your mouth and was definitely made by someone who is very passionate about cooking. For the main course the pork belly was definitely my favorite. Cheer to stubborn seed! the best restaurant in south beach!

Let me start by saying this was one of the best meals I've ever had from start to finish. I was greated upon entry by a friendly smile and quickly showed to my table. Shortly after that our server Luis came to introduce himself and explain a few things about the menu and wine. Beside the wine pairing (which I strongly recommend) we were drinking water and our glass was never less than half full. Luis was extremely attentive, yet never intrusive to our meal. He is an excellent server and when we return I will specifically ask for him as our server. Jordan also brought some dishes from the kitchen and explained them table side, this was excellent since we were able to appreciate the components of the dish better this way. Their menu has descriptions of their dishes so I won't type them here but they are composed beautifully. Seasoning on all dishes was simple perfection. Ingredients were respected and properly highlighted. It's not surprise they had a Michelin star. Dishes came out at perfect times and temperatures. There was background music that allowed for private conversations without it being too loud. I really enjoyed the overall vibe of the restaurant. I am so glad I had a dining experience at Stubborn Seed because I will be returning with family, with friends, and again for a date night with my wife. This was an exceptional dining experience which I strongly recommend for any occasion

Overall, the experience was pleasant; however, we were let down by two aspects during our dinner last night. First, there were 2 alterations to the 8-course tasting menu that nobody notified us about, not even while presenting the dishes. We were informed only upon direct questions we asked. Second, we do not believe that a Michelin restaurant should even offer a bread with butter dish as a first course. The ambiance was nearly sufficient.