Zuma Debuts an Invitation-Only Sushi Bar and Speakeasy

In downtown Miami, Zuma recently opened a secret indoor-outdoor bar that can only be reached with an invitation. The private speakeasy allows up to 20 customers to sip limited-edition cocktails and snack on small Asian-inspired bites before or after their meal. At the Oshinobi bar, which translates to "incognito" in...

By Clarissa Buch

July 2, 2018

Courtesy of Adorned Photography

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In downtown Miami, Zuma recently opened a secret indoor-outdoor bar that can only be reached with an invitation. The private speakeasy allows up to 20 customers to sip limited-edition cocktails and snack on small Asian-inspired bites before or after their meal.

At the Oshinobi bar, which translates to "incognito" in Japanese, restaurant management gives access cards to a small group of patrons each evening. Diners are then led to a secret elevator which takes them to a garden-level patio area facing the Miami River.

Filled with lush landscaping, flowers, and wooden furnishings, the Oshinobi bar highlights a Zuma bartender and an exclusive menu of champagne-based drinks only available there. As for food, there are spicy tuna hand rolls, black cod croquettes, and chicken yakitori skewers. Depending on the occasion, menus can be customized and inclusive of dessert items made by Zuma's pastry chef.

click to enlarge

Courtesy of Adorned Photography

So what's the trick to scoring an invite card? According to Zuma's publicist Laura Neroulias, it's possible for customers to be approached any night. You won't get far in trying to ask for one yourself, she says.

If you're willing to reserve the Oshinobi bar for a private party or event, you'll skip the need for an invitation. The bar is open to reservations for groups up to 20, with the option of creating a special menu.

The debut of Zuma's Oshinobi bar comes after the opening of Hiden, a secret sushi bar in Wynwood. Situated in the back of Mexican joint the Taco Stand, Hiden requires an advanced $130 reservation for a 16-course omakase-style meal. Azabu in Miami Beach, which opened around the same time as Hiden, offers a similar secret sushi bar called the Den.

Zuma. 270 Biscayne Blvd. Way, Miami; 305-577-0277; zumarestaurant.com.

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