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Bouchon Bistro Unveils Orchid-Filled Garden in Coral Gables

Bouchon Bistro debuts the Garden, an orchid-filled outdoor space in Coral Gables, in partnership with Fairchild Garden.
Image: Bouchon Bistro unveils the Garden, an orchid-filled outdoor dining space in Coral Gables, in partnership with Fairchild Garden and chef Thomas Keller.
Bouchon Bistro unveils the Garden, an orchid-filled outdoor dining space in Coral Gables, in partnership with Fairchild Garden and chef Thomas Keller. World Red Eye photo
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A new lush outdoor dining space debuted on Wednesday, March 13, at Bouchon Bistro in Coral Gables, bringing an intimate garden setting to the courtyard of the historic La Palma building. The Garden at Bouchon represents a collaboration with Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, featuring native orchids from Fairchild's Million Orchid Project.

"I'm just happy to be part of this extraordinary opportunity," says acclaimed chef Thomas Keller while admiring the installation. "Looking at the orchids and never seeing something as diversified... the colors, it's just spectacular."
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The historic property dates back to 1924, when it was once a community hub. Now, Keller hopes to continue this at the Garden at Bouchon.
World Red Eye photo

Continuing a Tradition at a Coral Gables Landmark

The La Palma building, a Coral Gables landmark dating back to 1924, has long been a community hub. Bouchon Bistro, which opened inside the building in 2023, continues this tradition with its popular French bistro.

"We really hope to just reinvigorate this property and have it as a gathering place for the community, a garden for people to enjoy that's protected but at the same time very intimate," Keller says. "It's really about making sure that we continue the history of La Palma by bringing Bouchon here." The garden has been designed with a subtropical palette, featuring native plants, carefully selected trees, copper accents, and custom steel trellises that complement the natural surroundings.

Keller is the only American-born chef to hold multiple three-star Michelin ratings simultaneously. His restaurants, including The French Laundry, Per Se, and The Surf Club in Miami, have defined fine dining in America for decades. The opening of Bouchon Bistro in Coral Gables marked a homecoming of sorts for Keller, who spent part of his childhood in South Florida.

The restaurant showcases classic French bistro dishes such as escargots de Bourgogne, steak frites, trout amandine, croque madame, and roasted chicken (poulet rôti). The restaurant also features a raw bar with a selection of fruits de mer and an extensive French and Californian wine list.
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The Garden at Bouchon showcases orchids from Fairchild's Million Orchid Project, a conservation initiative to reintroduce native orchid species throughout South Florida's urban landscapes.
World Red Eye photo

A New Type of Culinary Partnership

Keller's collaboration with Fairchild represents an exciting direction for the culinary world. The Garden at Bouchon showcases orchids from Fairchild's Million Orchid Project, a conservation initiative to reintroduce native orchid species throughout South Florida's urban landscapes.

Few may know that South Florida was once filled with native orchids before they were harvested to near extinction in the late 1800s. Through propagation labs and community partnerships, Fairchild is working to restore these plants to public spaces across South Florida.

Keller sees value in bringing the garden experience directly to his guests and inspiring them to visit Fairchild. "Whenever chefs can help to elevate the exposure of everything that is around, then that's what we should be doing," Keller notes. "We celebrate the Fairchild Garden by having them here so that our guests can experience it right here, but then they will go to the garden."
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From left: Shingo Akikuni, Thomas Keller, and Simon Kim at the unveiling of the Garden at Bouchon on March 13.
World Red Eye photo

Keller's Dining Recommendations at the Garden at Bouchon

On Wednesday, March 13, when asked for recommendations for al fresco dining in the Bouchon garden, Keller didn't hesitate to respond. "I'd always start with a bottle of Chablis and probably two dozen oysters because that's just the way I love to relax and start my meal," he says.

He recommended following with a salad — bibb lettuce is a personal favorite — before moving to main courses.
"I would probably go with the lamb just because I have such fondness and affection for our lamber in Pennsylvania and what he does, the quality of the meat that he produces," Keller says. For dessert, he calls the lemon tart "my favorite tart ever."

Keller hopes guests will enjoy not only the food but also the unique environment in the garden. "When you think about a chef partnering with something as iconic as the Fairchild Garden, it's a whole new kind of concept. It's a whole new generation and a whole new era."

Bouchon Bistro. 2101 Galiano St., Coral Gables; 305-990-1360; thomaskeller.com/coral-gables-florida/bouchon-bistro.