Ostrow Brasserie Launches Kosher Raw Bar

It’s official: Following a soft opening in early August, Ostrow Brasserie has opened its doors — and with a new raw bar, to boot.

Located in the quiet Buena Vista neighborhood at 4850 Northwest Second Avenue, and with chef-restaurateur Olivia Ostrow at the helm, the restaurant marks the first French-kosher restaurant in the 305.

"Everything has been going very well and now things are running in full force," says Ostrow, who recently served as the food and beverage director at Savoy Hotel in South Beach. "We're now open with a full menu, a new raw bar concept, and even a new private dining room."

Ostrow, who collaborated with Miami Beach resident Eli Dadon to create the restaurant, says the core of the brasserie experience is to offer "kosher food like no other." For the kosher novice, it's a style of cooking that requires the chef not mix meat and dairy, while also avoiding proteins like pork and shellfish.

"What we have here is an authentic French restaurant that just so happens to be kosher," shares Ostrow. "And, when I think about a true French brasserie, I immediately think about an oyster bar or raw bar. With shellfish being off the menu in the kosher world, I wanted to bring an oyster-like experience to people that have never had an oyster."
The raw bar space within Ostrow Brasserie, officially dubbed O's Raw Bar, was created in collaboration with chef Michael Collantes. The Collantes name may be familiar on a number of fronts. His ten-seat Soseki Modern Omakase in Orlando was given a Michelin star in 2021, while others may know him from his YouTube channel, Diaries of a Master Sushi Chef, which has more than two million subscribers.

For the kosher raw bar menu, items are served on aquatic-inspired plates with faux oyster shells, sea urchin patterns, and more. Small plates include the Florida fluke l'orange, thin-sliced fluke marinated in an orange vinaigrette with poppy seeds; the "Tartare de Thon et Fenouil," a yellowfin tuna tartare mixed with a fennel purée and pickled seasonal vegetables.

Splurge on the "Grand Plateau," the bar's signature seafood tower that features a taste of every raw bar dish on the menu, accompanied by caviar and a warm baguette.

Beyond the grand opening phase, Ostrow says to count on a Sunday brunch (held the first and last Sunday of each month) with live jazz music. There will also be a New Year’s Eve party with to-be-announced, mega-DJ entertainment.

"I just want people to have as much fun as I am having cooking for them," sums up Ostrow.

Ostrow Brasserie. 4850 NW Second Ave., Miami; 786-238-7452; ostrowbrasserie.com.