4 /5 Darrin Rumph: Table for 4 for dinner
We stepped out of our rideshare and made our way to the property. After entering the Mondrian South Beach hotel, we walked through the lobby, turned left toward the pool area where we were told the restaurant was located, and noticed there was no one at the podium. We waited for a few minutes until a staff member passed by and said he’d find the host. A few minutes later, the host arrived, and I let him know we had a reservation for four. We were about five minutes late, but he assured us it was not a problem. I had requested outdoor seating in the reservation and hinted to the host that we’d love the best view of the water. The table we were placed at did not disappoint. The view lived up to the pictures on the restaurants website, which was what convinced me to book the reservation. The whole family was thrilled, and my daughters couldn’t stop taking photos. Our server quickly brought waters while we reviewed the drink menu. Wifey and I are beer drinkers, but unfortunately, the selection was limited. She ordered an old favorite, a Heineken. Our server piqued my interest when he mentioned they had a Funky Buddha IPA, but it turned out to be Sierra Nevada’s Hazy Little Thing. It was fine, just something I’ve had many times before. My oldest ordered a virgin lychee martini, and my youngest opted for a Tropical Blush mocktail. For dinner, we kept things simple: both daughters ordered the Verlasso Salmon with a side of pomme purée aka mashed potatoes, while Wifey and I each ordered the Maine Lobster Linguine. The girls then went off to take more pictures with the picturesque background while we enjoyed the view from our table. The food came out in stages. Our server was friendly and attentive, but there were definitely a couple of hiccups: the mashed potatoes didn’t arrive with the salmon and had to be reordered, and my oldest’s second virgin lychee martini was accidentally served with alcohol, that is a big no-no. Once everything made it to the table, we dug in and thoroughly enjoyed our entree choices. We wrapped up dinner. as the sun started to go down, ordering two desserts to share: the carrot cake and the orange blossom flan. They arrived quickly and were a perfect way to end our meal. Despite a few missteps, we enjoyed the food, the overall service, and especially the incredible views.
