Shanea Savours: Le Zoo
Stephen Starr brings classic bistro fare to Bal Harbour
Le Zoo restaurant by Stephen Starr is a French Brasserie with Mediterranean style dishes, with about 200 seats including indoors and outside patio. Located at Bal Harbour Shops, Le Zoo replaced Le Goulue. Makoto is his other restaurant in the mall as well as the Continental on South Beach.
We have been following this restauranteur since his days in Philadelphia when he had about five restaurants there including Buddakan and Morimoto. He also just opened the popular Clocktower Restaurant in the Edition Hotel in New York, which is a real scene. He has other restaurants around the world, as well.
Le Zoo offers classic bistro fare, such as, good, crusty French bread, French onion soup, steak tartare, steak and frites, chicken paillard, moules and frites, warm shrimp salad, cheese plates, and a good selection of charcuterie. There is also a nice seafood selection, such as crab, lobster, shrimps, oysters and stone crabs.
The menu has an enjoyable wine list, with champagnes and rosé in the mix.
They had a long training process and it shows. The restaurant was just open two days and everything ran smoothly. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. They brought a lot of senior staff from other restaurants to insure a smooth opening. I even had a Stephen Starr sighting there!
My warm shrimp salad was cooked to perfection and my lunch companions enjoyed their chicken paillard. For dessert the chocolate pot au créme was decadent and delicious.
Bal Harbour now boasts some very good restaurants, so you don’t always have to run to South Beach, the Design District, and/or Brickell.
Highly recommended.
Happy Dining,
Shanea
I may not be a professional writer, but I consider myself a professional eater. I love to eat, read about food, travel, shop, take in the arts, and explore new places. Focusing mostly on Toronto, my home base, Miami, my second home and New York and Italy where I travel to the most, while also featuring other places I’m fortunate enough to visit, I’ll share with you my most savoury tidbits along the way. Happy Dining!
