The Local House brings neighborhood small bites to South Beach

Sara Liss12/7/2012

The goods: The Local House is a cozy new spot for drinks and small plates in South Beach.

Ambience: Located on the breezy ground floor of the Sense Hotel, the restaurant feels like a Hamptons guesthouse with linen-upholstered booths, wooden tables and shelves lined with sea glass vases, coral and miniature schooners.

The grub: Latin-inspired small plates. Prices are neighborhood-friendly: Tapas are $7-14 and larger plates in the mid-$20s.

Puerto-Rican chef Guily Booth (Cafeina) oversees a tapas-heavy menu featuring crab cake and malanga fritters, melon salad with feta and mint, tuna "caliente" tartar with coconut sweet potato puree, octopus carpaccio with chorizo, buratta with tomatoes and bacon-wrapped dates sprinkled with Dublineir cheese and an aji amarillo cream. Wash it all down with daily bottomless mimosas.

Desserts include a dulce de leche cake and a passion fruit key lime pie.

Verdict: A romantic-rustic cocoon for unhurried couples and small parties.