Wildly Acclaimed Chef to Bring West Indian Flavor to SoBe

Award-winning chef Kwame Onwuachi, named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People of 2025, has been tapped to lead Las' Lap Miami in South Beach. Time photo via Kwame Onwuachi on Instagram

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One of the most celebrated chefs in America is heading to South Beach. Kwame Onwuachi — the James Beard Award-winning chef just named to Time’s 100 Most Influential People of 2025 — has been tapped to create the menu at Las' Lap Miami, a rum-soaked West Indian restaurant and bar set to debut June 10 at The Daydrift in South Beach.

Las' Lap Miami is the second location for the rum-forward restaurant and bar, which first opened on New York City's Lower East Side in 2018 by nightlife veterans Vincent Bryant, Bryce Sheldon, Nick Semkiw, Scott Williams, and attorney L. Ryan Shaffer.

Las' Lap Miami will be an evolution of the existing concept, with Onwuachi overseeing the menu. Expect his signature West Indian fare in a space that nods to the original but adds a tropical twist. Inside, expect tufted velvet banquettes, rich plum walls, and the brand's signature wallpaper. Outside, guests can grab a drink along the 50-seat canal-side patio or head upstairs to a vibrant rooftop jungle bar.

"It's been a successful formula in New York, and Miami feels like the natural next step," says Onwuachi, unconnected to the original New York location. "With my grandfather being from Trinidad, this partnership felt like the perfect way to contribute to Las’ Lap’s story and be part of Miami's already dynamic culture."

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Award-winning chef Kwame Onwuachi is coming to Miami

Las' Lap at the Daydrift photo

Meet Chef Onwuachi: One of Time's 100 Most Influential People of 2025

The news comes as Onwuachi adds yet another accolade to his stacked résumé: on Thursday, April 24, his restaurant Dōgon was named as one of the best new restaurants in the world in Condé Nast Traveler's 2025 Hot List.

Plus, earlier this month, he was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People of 2025. The James Beard Award winner is also the author of two critically acclaimed books: Notes from a Young Black Chef — soon to be a feature film by A24 — and the cookbook My America. He's appeared as both a contestant and judge on Top Chef, hosted the James Beard Awards in 2021 and 2022, and currently serves as Food & Wine’s executive producer.

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His restaurants include Tatiana at Lincoln Center — named the No. 1 restaurant in New York City by New York Times — and Dōgon, which opened in 2024 in partnership with the Salamander DC hotel. He also curates the Family Reunion, an annual culinary event focused on celebrating diversity in hospitality.

It's safe to say Miami will be welcoming the acclaimed chef with open arms.

Las' Lap at The Daydrift Hotel. 2216 Park Ave., Miami Beach; thedaydrift.com. Opening June 10, 2025.