The restaurant that in 1995 ushered in the contemporary era of South Beach dining is closing its doors Saturday, April 28.
China Grill Management and Jeffrey Chodorow announced that the shuttering of the iconic establishment will be a prelude to the opening of China Grill Brickell "in the fourth quarter of this year, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of China Grill's flagship New York location."
The South Beach China Grill has always been one of the prettiest dining rooms (Best Restaurant Decor, 2005), and the new space at 801 Brickell Ave. promises to be gorgeous as well. The three-level,15,000-square-foot venue, with soaring ceilings, is designed by New York's ICRAVE Studio in conjunction with Miami-based Arquitectonica. We can also look forward to a covered outdoor dining garden and bar.
China Grill Brickell will retain all the CG signature dishes, but otherwise the menu will be very different. Plus there will be two totally different categories of foods added (one rumor: dim sum).
China Grill's debut 17 years ago was hugely important for South Beach in that it proved the neighborhood's viability for supporting large-scale, big-city restaurants. If you've never had the experience of dining at this landmark establishment, you have three weeks left to do so.
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