Enrique Iglesias, Rafael Nadal, and Pau Gasol Open Tatel Miami at the Ritz-Carlton South Beach

Tatel Miami is finally open, and the kick-off party Monday, March 20, was epic.

Enrique Iglesias and one of Spain's most notable athletes — professional tennis player Rafael Nadal — were at the newly opened Miami location earlier this week to officially induct the iconic Spanish restaurant into the heart of Miami Beach's Art Deco District.

The invitation-only red-carpet event offered a select clientele a first look at the 200-seat restaurant located inside the Ritz-Carlton South Beach, which marks the second location for the Spanish-born brand. Cofounders Abel Matutes Prats and Manuel Campos Guallar opened the original Madrid location in 2015 with Iglesias, who decided to bring the concept to Miami alongside Nadal and San Antonio Spurs' Pau Gasol.

Now it's open to the public, and if it's authentic Spanish tapas you're after, Tatel Miami is the place. The restaurant presents a mix of traditional Spanish dishes, many of them favorites from the original location presented alongside new options composed especially for the Miami location by executive chef Nicolas Mazier, the former executive chef for Nobu Miami.

Try Tatel's famous tortilla trufada omelet, a meal with its own YouTube video. Another signature dish, the milanesa de ternera con huevo y trufa, offers thin veal steak breaded and fried to golden brown and topped with freshly shaved black truffle and a slow-cooked egg.

Tatel's dinner menu opens with 14 hot and cold appetizer-style sharing plates priced at $15 to $26. That includes a number of locally inspired dishes unique to Miami, including a ceviche Mediterraneo de dorada, sea bass ceviche served with sweet mango dressing ($16); and atun rojo marinado ($26). The menu continues with multiple sections divided into cremas frias (cold soups), ensaladas (salads), and venduras (vegetables), huevos (eggs), arroces (rice), pescado (fish), and carnes (meat).

Tatel Miami also has quite a lineup of homemade Spanish desserts, including flan de queso ($11); torrija ($11), a milk-infused, caramelized brioche bread pudding served with ice cream; and pastel templado ($19), a sticky toffee pudding. Additional options are house-made sorbet, ice cream, and American-style cakes.
At the center island bar that greets guests upon arrival, Tatel serves signature cocktails such as the verano de Tatel, a combination of Belvedere vodka, house-made lemonade, mixed berries, and citrus fruits topped with Ribera del Duero red wine. Or try the elegante martini, a mango-flavored vodka with raspberry purée, homemade passionfruit syrup, and raspberry liqueur topped with a splash of lemon juice and garnished with a passionfruit wheel.

And though plenty of Miami Beach eateries already offer the brunch crowd a number of options, Tatel's Sunday brunch should shake things up a bit. The plan is to present an elaborate buffet spread and live music, a weekly tradition similar to the one offered at the iconic Madrid location. Expect a solid assortment of breakfast and lunch items at multiple food stations, such as fresh-carved meats, paella, pastas, and salads, as well as à la carte breakfast items.

"Miami is the closest thing to us, to the Spanish-European culture, and to bring a bit more of it to [Miami] is exciting," Nadal says.

Tatel Miami
Ritz-Carlton South Beach, 1669 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; 305-604-0523; tatelrestaurants.com/miami. Dinner Sunday through Thursday 5:30 p.m. to midnight, Friday and Saturday 5:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.