London-Based Restaurant La Petite Maison to Open in Brickell

Arjun Waney, the restaurateur known for Zuma, Coya, and most recently Doa, is behind yet another soon-to-open international concept: La Petite Maison, a London-based French restaurant coming to Brickell.

The eatery is slated to debut in mid-February in Brickell House (1300 Brickell Bay Dr.). Waney and partners Bob Ramchand and Raphael Duntoye, who is also executive chef, are at the helm of the restaurant's U.S. expansion. The Magic City is home to the first American outpost.

"Miami is undoubtedly becoming a culinary destination," Ramchand says. "And we felt many of the city’s international residents and vacationers would be familiar with our brand and its reputation from London and Dubai. It helps that Waney already launched two successful international concepts here too."

The restaurant, which was founded in Nice, France, in 1988 by Nicole Rubi and Bernard Ollé, is known for southern French homestyle cuisine. Waney encountered the eatery during a summer trip to Nice and quickly acquired the brand's ownership rights with a goal to expand outside of France. The flagship is still run by Rubi and Ollé.

In 2007, Waney and Ramchand built the first La Petite Maison in London's Mayfair neighborhood. The Miami location comes after a successful opening of its second outpost, in Dubai.

"We identified the [Miami] site about three years ago because the building has a similar triangular look architecturally to the Dubai and London locations," Ramchand says. "We also like to choose locations that are business districts, such as Brickell, since lunch service is very important to us."
Three Michelin-star pedigree chef Duntoye oversees La Petite Maison's kitchens around the globe, crafting a signature menu that combines dishes from the restaurant's original founders, reinterpreted recipes, and several new plates native to Nice.

Rooted in old-style Genoese cooking, Niçoise cuisine highlights approachable, French-Mediterranean fare married with Italian influence. A few of Duntoye's favorites are crevettes tièdes à l’huile d’olive — warm prawns in olive oil — and carpaccio de coquilles St. Jacques — scallop carpaccio. Duntoye incorporates traditional Niçoise ingredients, such as artichokes, tomatoes, and lemons, into a variety of plates too, including a European flatfish drizzled with white wine and olive oil and served with chorizo and artichokes.

The restaurant's best-selling plate is the poulet La Petite Maison — a whole-roasted black-leg chicken paired with foie gras — which must be ordered 24 hours in advance. But if you're more of a pasta lover, snag the couarde, a creamy scrambled-egg noodle dish sprinkled with shaved truffle.

La Petite Maison Miami will be open for lunch and dinner. For more information, visit lpmlondon.co.uk.