Mexican Seafood Spot Opens at Miami’s Historic Vagabond Hotel

After conquering Brooklyn’s dining scene and nabbing a James Beard Award nomination, Ensenada is ready to make waves in Miami. The coastal Mexican spot, which focuses on seafood dishes and mezcal cocktails made with Mexican agave, opens Friday, December 20, at the former Mr. Mandolin space inside the historic Vagabond Hotel along Biscayne Boulevard north of Legion Park.

The expansion marks a partnership between chef Luis Herrera, formerly of Cosme, co-owner Bryce David, and Miami’s Mandolin Aegean Bistro team. “The Mandolin partnership makes a lot of sense because we share a lot of values and what hospitality means to us and the mission and vision of what a restaurant should be like,” Herrera says.

From Sea to Table

The seafood-centric menu spans from casual snacks to larger plates for sharing. Small bites (botanas) include Mexican standbys like chips and guacamole and patatas bravas, while the aguachiles section offers three styles: verde with cucumber and serrano, amarillo with ají amarillo and turmeric, and negro with habanero tatemado. The tostada section features options like tuna with guacamole and salsa macha and scallops with labneh and salsa seca.

For larger groups, “La Fiesta Cruda” offers a tasting feast of oysters, clams, mussels, and stone crab paired with various salsas. Main plates (para compartir) showcase items like pescado del día “al pibil” with recado rojo and black beans and a skate wing tempura served with mole amarillo and XO salsa seca. The kitchen also ventures beyond seafood with offerings like pork carnitas and carne asada, both served with housemade tortillas for DIY tacos.

“This space gives us the horsepower in the kitchen to do things right,” David says. “We’re bringing something you could go to every week, something that’s casual but still maintains quality ingredients and sustainable sourcing.”

The dessert program comes from Raven Walker, who runs the seasonal ice cream brand Pachamama Helados in New York. Her Miami menu features flavors like guava, heirloom tomato, soursop, and lemon verbena, alongside specialties like a carajillo affogato and a concha ice cream sandwich made with chamomile and burnt agave ice cream.

Agave After Dark

Behind the bar, the beverage program focuses on small-batch mezcal sourced from Oaxaca, Guerrero, and Durango regions. Bar manager Shimmy Mangubot and beverage director Alex Velasquez, formerly of Lost Boy, spearhead a cocktail menu centered on agave spirits, complemented by an expanded wine list featuring French, Italian, Spanish, and Greek selections.

“We’re trying to create a casual space with great service but still maintaining quality food and sourcing,” Herrera says. “This is what Miami needs right now.”

Ensenada. 7301 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; ensenadamiami.com. Opens Friday, December 20. Dinner service is Tuesday through Sunday.