Vesper brings American eats to the Shelborne, Miami Beach

12/16/2011

Fresh off a $20 million renovation, the Shelborne Hotel welcomes its shiny new James Bond-themed American brasserie Vesper. The New Times calls the spot classy and swanky, likening eating indoors to being "transported to a secret basement, a yacht, or anywhere else you'd like to imagine you're eating." Sip Bond themed-cocktails (Pussy Galore with Maker's Mark, sour cherry jam, apple and lemon juices & and rhubarb bitters or the Plenty O'Toole with Flor de Caña 7-year, blueberry purée, lime juice & lavender water) then feast on "huge" Alaskan king crab "full of tender meat." Chilean sea bass in a yuzu sauce and "charred on the outside, rare on the inside" filet earn rave reviews while "soggy on the bottom" scalloped potatoes leave a bit to be desired. Eater uploads the "pricey" breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert menus and notes the restaurant's name was inspired by Ian Flemming's  1953 James Bond novel, Casino Royale.