A new restaurant has opened inside the new Life House South of Fifth hotel, and it's brining something unique to the area.
Drawing inspiration from the relaxed beach culture of the South of Fifth neighborhood, newcomer Pretty Swell is named after the adjacent South Beach’s surfing swell and seawall. The space is a stylized study in indoor-outdoor dining with two open-air enclaves and an indoor dining room with a welcoming communal table, private banquettes, and a long bar counter with wicker high stools.
The laid-back cafe-meets-cocktail bar, set on the ground floor of the newly unveiled Life House, South of Fifth, is the latest addition to Life House’s food & beverage portfolio; following the openings of Terras in Little Havana, Sister Ship in Nantucket, and Wildflower in Denver. Pretty Swell is a sprawling cafe, bar, and restaurant inspired by the nutritionally healthy cuisines of the surfing capitals of the world with a casually elegant vibe and a joyful conviviality.
By day, the garden patio operates as a cafe, serving something we up something we don't see around these parts very often: Australian-inspired specialty coffee drinks. Think strong, bold flat whites and lattes, made with specialty coffees. They pair well with Pretty Swell's fresh-pressed juices, avocado toasts, and acai bowls.
By night, the space transforms into a tropical lounge in the evenings offering light bites with craft cocktails and a robust natural wine list. The fringed umbrellas, plush sofas, and low tables offer the perfect setting for diners to savor freshly-caught grilled or raw fish, kebab tacos, and the signature vegetable-forward dishes.
The underlying reverence for the ocean is depicted in a cadre of sustainable practices: from zero-waste initiatives and an accreditation from the City of Miami as a plastic-free property, to serving lionfish-based dishes and a sustainable cocktail program.
Pretty Swell is leveraging a recent innovation in the craft cocktail community to eliminate citrus waste – the biggest source of waste in most bars and restaurants – by creating a non-perishable citrus juice that utilizes all elements of the fruits and increases its shelf life.
The cocktail program zeros in on hand-crafted libations inspired by the amplified flavors of tropical fruits found in coastal regions of warm climates mixed with seasonal produce and house-made juices, tinctures, syrups, and infusions featuring fresh herbs and garnishes.
Pretty Swell. 321 Collins Ave, Miami Beach; 866-466-7534; lifehousehotels.com.
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