August 20th, 2017

Estiatorio Milos by Costas Spiliadis
730 1st Street
Miami, FL 33139

The lofty and elegant interiors set the stage for grand expectations at this SOFI location on Miami Beach. The vibe unmistakenly classified as SOBE chic. Milos claims to serve the finest Mediterranean seafood. That might be the case, but I felt underwhelmed during my visit.

What I tried:

CHARCOAL GRILLED OCTOPUS sushi quality mediterranean octopus, grilled Holland peppers and wild mushrooms

SALMON TARTARE micro-basil, serrano chili, shallot, cilantro

COLORADO (or maybe AUSTRALIAN) LAMB CHOPS charbroiled and served with steamed vegetables and fries

DORADO ROYALE mediterranean sea bream grilled and served with steamed vegetables

BAKLAVA layered phyllo with almonds

(Not on the Miami Spice menu, but very good) Loukoumades 18 Fried traditional Greek beignets, served with thyme honey From the Island of Kythira, walnuts and cinnamon

“THE REAL GREEK YOGURT” spoon sweets

HIT: Listed as Colorado Lamb Chops, but explained as Australian (which is it?). These weren’t the meatiest, but delivered big on flavor. I ate every last bit. The Real Greek Yogurt could have used a significant amount of honey on the side for my taste, but I enjoyed it regardless. A true delight. The Baklava was equally well done.

MISS:

1. The Dorado Royale. Not necessarily bad, but just too simple and underseasoned for my taste.
2. The waiter, while very nice, must have insisted at least four times that “even” if our party went with the Miami Spice menu, “…it was a good idea to get an a la carte appetizer for the table. ” We got it the first time, thanks. No need to keep repeating it. He even mentioned it as they served the entrees. No, just no.
3. No corkage fee as an option. Outside bottles not allowed. I paid $140 for a $38 OK  bottle of wine. Ouch.

As an avid diner, I often use Miami Spice to visit restaurants that have been on my list for a long time and I’ve somehow overlooked. The way I see it, if they can hook me during Spice, I’ll return often throughout the year (as was the case with Los Fuegos and Byblos last year). Although I liked several of the items I tried, I don’t foresee this happening with Milos. PASS. That said, perhaps Milo is for you. Know that the menu offers a nice variety and the portions do not disappoint. If all else fails, maybe they can interest you in an additional appetizer outside of the Spice menu? #justsaying