11 June 25 - July 1, 2026 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | PLAN YOUR WEDDINGS | CORPORATE EVENTS SOCIAL EVENTS Dream Event VIEW OUR EVENT SPACES WWW.THERUSTYPELICAN.COM at 3201 RICKENBACKER CWY, KEY BISCAYNE, FL 33149 | 305.361.3818 BE SOCIAL WITH US! /RUSTYPELICANMIAMI miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | ▼ CORAL GABLES MIRROR, MIRROR A new Coral Gables spot that just opened a few months ago is one of the world’s most stunning restaurants. Mottai, the Japanese restaurant that opened at the Plaza Coral Gables in February, was just named one of the 16 most beautiful restaurants in the world for 2026. The recognition was given by the Prix Ver- sailles, an annual international architecture and design award. The awards program high- lights standout spaces globally across restau- rants, hotels, airports, and museums. The list includes restaurants in Monaco, Hong Kong, London, Dubai, and Cape Town. Mottai is the only Florida entry, and the rec- ognition came less than four months after opening. This year’s restaurant list spans 16 venues across 11 countries. Mottai is one of only three U.S. entries, alongside Lucia in Los Angeles and Monsieur Dior by Dominique Crenn in Beverly Hills. Prix Versailles said the design draws on traditional Japanese spatial philosophies that emphasize discipline and minimalism. The open sushi bar, set beneath a canopy at the center of the room, is what the organization called an “interactive ritual.” It lets diners watch the kitchen team work throughout the meal. The space was designed by Miami’s Sala- dino Design Studios. It draws from “French Japonisme,” meaning it has European archi- tectural bones with Japanese details. Marble tables and deep blue velvet seating fill its 150-seat dining room. It’s all anchored by white crane wall art, with uplighting that shifts the room from lunch to late dinner. Mottai is the U.S. debut of Brazil’s Attivo Group, a hospitality company with 13 loca- tions across Brazil. The group brought in chef Brian Nasajon, who opened Beaker & Gray in Wynwood and Mason in Midtown. Nasajon ran SushiSamba’s two Miami outposts earlier in his career, so a Japanese menu wasn’t unfa- miliar. Executive Chef Moritz Esser runs the kitchen. Meanwhile, Sushi Chef Hiroshi Shintaku, who came from Makoto and Hi- yakawa, heads the counter. The menu runs from cold small plates like hamachi with white soy ponzu and jalapeño, hirame with spicy pomelo and lemongrass. It also includes larger plates like the Sugi Katsu (cobia, ponzu aioli) and a Kinoko Hot Pot prepared table- side with yuzu soy, egg yolk, chili crunch, and steamed rice. The sushi program features ni- giri and sashimi across toro, kinmedai, hotate, uni, and ikura. In December, Prix Versailles will name three of the 16 winners as World Title hold- ers. Mottai is in the running. Mottai. 2881 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Ga- bles; mottaimiami.com. OLEE FOWLER ▼ LITTLE HAVANA HAVE A BALL Little Havana’s Ball & Chain has been named one of Esquire’s Best Bars in America for 2026, the magazine’s annual roundup of 14 standout drinking spots from coast to coast. Ball & Chain is the only Miami bar on this year’s list, which is a major accomplishment in a city filled with acclaimed venues. The list spans from Austin to Seattle and includes stops in New Orleans, Nashville, Brooklyn, and Washington, D.C. Each bar gets its own personal essay from a contributing writer rather than a capsule entry, which is the kind of treatment usually reserved for long-form food features. “There are plenty of reasons to visit Ball & Chain,” Esquire writes. “Start with the his- tory. Built in 1935, it predates the names of the street it’s on (Calle Ocho) and the neighbor- hood it’s in (Little Havana). Then there’s the lore. Bootleggers, gamblers, mobsters, crooked politicians — oh, and Billie Holiday sang here.” Holiday wasn’t the only one. Legends like Count Basie and Chet Baker also performed at Ball & Chain in its first two decades, with jam sessions running to 5 a.m. The club closed in 1957, sat vacant for years, and was eventually renovated and reopened in 2014. The renovation brought back live music, an outdoor stage, and a cocktail program cen- tered on rum. This all helped to reinvigorate the stretch of Calle Ocho that had grown quiet since the original club closed. “Behold the pineapple-shaped band shell outside,” the entry continues; “savor the rum- heavy drinks inside.” The cocktail menu leans Cuban and rum-forward with house mojitos, daiquiris, and rotating specials. The outdoor stage boasts a covered patio that is filled up most nights. It runs “Mambo Mondays” through “Salsero Sundays,” with free salsa lessons on Thursdays. “Ball & Chain’s mojitos always loosen the joints,” Esquire writes. “A necessity, because the band’s bringing it.” The essay closes on the dance floor itself, the narrator getting | TASTE TEST | ▼ Café Photo by Saladino Design Studio New Coral Gables restaurant Mottai has been named one of the most beautiful in the world by the prestigious Prix Versailles for its design.
