Kiki has company: Another luxurious restaurant and club is coming to the Miami River
Kiki on the River is about to get a glamorous new next-door neighbor.
Hospitality entrepreneur Roman Jones plans to open Habibi Miami, a French Moroccan supper club, next door to the riverfront Kiki, known for its Greek food and lavish bottle parades. Jones is the owner of Kiki as well as the Italian spot Crust Pizza on the other side of North River Drive.
Habibi will have a distinct Moorish vibe, with the style and flair of northern Africa, thanks to Mark Lehmkuhl of Ghosthouse Design Group and Love Lake Studios, who collaborated on the look.
A 30-foot-long red carpet will draw diners into the restaurant, where they’ll find crystal chandeliers, Turkish rugs, velvet booths and silk draperies. The dining area is designed to resemble a riad, a tent-like structure found in French Morocco, and is bathed in pink and teal.
The restaurant, which can seat up to 200 guests, will also feature an outdoor patio as well as a hookah bar and tableside hookah service. Every night, belly dancers, contortionists and percussionists will perform throughout the dining room.
The menu will include shareable Middle Eastern dishes such as pigs in a blanket, whole roasted cauliflower with charred wild mushrooms and lemon roasted chicken with herbed yogurt.
Diners can also find other sorts of bites, like wagyu sliders, sea bass skewers and sushi. Tea service is also available, and tableside dessert carts will serve ice cream with Turkish mastic and Halva cheesecake.
As you might imagine, the bar program leans into ingredients that evoke North Africa and the Mediterranean. The beverage team goes so far as to toast seeds to pull out their oils and then infusing them in spirits overnight. The result? Drinks like the “Ali” Fashioned (peanut butter washed Angel’s Envy bourbon, Giffard’s Banana & Honey and Angostura bitters with orange aromatics).
Habibi Miami is expected to open sometime this summer.
Habibi Miami
Where: 452 NW North River Dr., Miami
Opening: Summer 2024
