Restaurants in Norland

The choreographed heels of Spanish dancers click in time to flamenco music during live performances punctuated by the clatter of patrons sharing steaming portions of seafood paella, pitchers of sangria, and tapas. High-top black tables hold small plates of gambas al ajillo—shrimp sautéed with garlic and virgin olive oil—and golden empanadas gallegas, turnovers stuffed with tuna or chicken. On walls painted crimson like a rebellious bull’s guitar, Spanish flags hang near paintings of whirling flamenco dancers. The adjacent full bar is stacked with wooden racks of red wine and softly lit with twinkling chandeliers.

When Rouge opened in November 2011, the owner didn't hold back the spirit of sensory overload that defines his latest creation. As guests filed into the grand-opening bash, a white tiger prowled in its pen, a multicultural ensemble of percussionists set pulses racing, and aerialists and fire-dancers sashayed and spun, resembling licks of flame themselves in crimson outfits chosen to match the interior. Amid the circus atmosphere, Leslie Gray of the Palm Beach Post also found space to happily notice the "canneloni, Brie and other delights, including the view."

On any average evening, diners might not find feline predators stalking the entrance, but they may well take in burlesque shows, performance art, and jazz trios as they spear thoughtfully accented bites of fish, steak, and creamy desserts from around the world. Seafood offerings range from appetizers of smoked scallops and tuna tartar to entrees of seafood pot pie and Scottish salmon. The restaurant's designers cultivate elegance but not formality, resulting in the kind of aesthetic that leaves the ductwork exposed but covered in white paint and hung with rococo candelabras. Crystals wink from padded walls, echoing the glint of cocktails being shaken at the bar. Outdoors, a waterfront patio finds patrons feasting on romantic dinners, toasting during champagne brunches, and napping between the two.

A cobblestone path leads through a courtyard of leafy green palm trees to the Key West–style façade of Catch 10 Seafood Bistro. Built in 1922 for Henri Levy—one of Miami Beach's developers—and restored in 2006 to its original condition, the recognized historic landmark was revived as a seafood bistro. Aromas of fish frying in pools of golden oil alongside hand-cut fries and calamari waft lazily out of the kitchen and across glossy hardwood floors. Yellow, red, and purple striped booths lean against matching green- and coral-hued walls, and a 50-inch flat-screen TV looks out over bar-goers sipping martinis and margaritas.

On South Beach, Fifth Street is the dividing line. To its north growls swarms of crowds, reveling in the sun and cutthroat sand-castle construction. To the south, however, rests a tranquil and charming neighborhood that exudes art-deco style and sophistication. Inside the Marriott Hotel's Deco Blue Restaurant & Bar the chaos recedes further, while the beach draws even nearer.

From the restaurant's patio, diners sip the pineapple-infused rum of the Captain's Punch cocktail while drinking in an unobstructed view of the ocean. At sunset, cruise ships sneak in and out of port by slicing through the sun's pink-and-yellow aura. When the sun dips below the horizon, Cuban sandwiches and grilled mahi mahi illume curvy high-backed booths inside. Bartenders crush mint into Mojitos near the side terrace, where pergolas and palm trees sway with the ocean breezes and fire pits keep the cold and grizzly bears at bay.

The chefs at Ghiottone Italian Restaurant incorporate recipes and wines from northern, central, and southern Italy. Although they import some ingredients from the Old World, including Tuscan porcini mushrooms and Venetian oils from the region's olive derricks, they source many from local producers and make pastas and sauces in-house. Fried polenta, risotto with truffle oil, and veal scaloppini sautéed in a sicilian marsala wine sauce all help to create a culinary roadmap of Italy from the Mediterranean to the Alps.

Despite the crisp, white tablecloths, the dining room strives to create a more casual ambience with its faux-marble walls and large paintings of the Italian seaside. On the ceiling, an extensive mural of a Roman temple dominates the space, depicting the pantheon of Roman gods as they explain the differences between Ionic and Corinthian columns to the surrounding mortals.

Underneath a blazing red banner in the year-round Yellow Green Farmers Market, chefs at Crepe Creations fill delicate dough wraps with savory and sweet fillings. After spreading the dough out to sizzle on hot plates, they top them with hearty meats such as chicken, roast beef, and crab; vegetables such as peppers and squash; or sweets such as strawberries, bananas, and Nutella.