The Royal Restaurant

Perfect for a relaxing and quiet moment.
I would recommend to go during week days as it is very less crowed.
Enjoy your meal from your long chair while enjoying the most beautiful Swimming Pool of miami.
Love the place and the food.

We came here for drinks, sat outside at the bar, and decided to get dinner there after looking at the menu.
First of all, this is one of the coolest old-​school hotels I’ve ever been in. They have old pictures on the wall and outside, play old music that makes you feel like you’re in a time warp. The bartender was really nice and helped us pick out drinks that we would like.
The ambiance was really nice and the hotel was a cool backdrop. I’d definitely come here again…

Excellent atmosphere, good service, and great food. I will definitely return again.

When i first saw this restaurant and patio i knew i had to come back to eat there. i read an earlier post that said its a «hidden gem» and i couldn’t agree more. If you’re looking for the typical Miami «scene», you won’t find it here but the atmosphere is one of the best in Miami. Its amazing. While my mom was visiting, we took her there to eat. The staff were all great, friendly, and made our dinner a great experience. The food was really great especially the local fish special and the lobster mac and cheese. The only thing that was wrong with our visit was that it was pretty cold and windy that night, which is obviously out of their control. they did make sure the heat lamps were fired up and did their best to keep us warm. I will definitely be going back again!

We had a great dinner at the Raleigh! From appetizers to desert, the food was delicious! The restaurant is located by the hotel pool which gives it a nice romantic feel. If you are looking for a moment of seclusion and quiet away from the agitation of South Beach without having to go too far, this is the place for you! Also, make sure you try their berry lemonade, which is made on the spot from scratch by squeezing several different types of berries and lemons! It is incredibly refreshing!

My boyfriend took my to the Royal for our anniversary and he couldn’t have picked a better place, overall it was a romantic evening and the food was great.

The Royal is a hidden gem! The food was fresh, service was on point and the ambiance was the cherry on top. Every dish was spectacular: the Spiny Lobster with gnocchi and the lobster mac and cheese had generous portions of lobster; the brussels sprouts are the best on the beach (even better than the ones at prime 112 and scarpetta!!!); the whole snapper for two was seasoned and cooked to perfection. The molten chocolate cake and cookie basket definitely satisfied our sweet tooth.

I was staying in Miami Beach for NYEve this year and stumbled on this restaurant at the last minute when looking for a place to eat that night. It was close to the hotel I was staying at and had a decent prix-​fixe menu so I figured I’d give it a try. I wish I hadn’t.
I opted for the $ 150 four-​course prix-​fixe with wine pairing. Twenty minutes after we ordered, our first course arrived. The waiter slams down the dishes and wine with no explanation of the wine (I didn’t even know what varietal it was) and goes along his way. Fine, I though to myself, he’s busy. Service has to improve after this.
We finish our first course, which was actually quite good, and wait another 10 minutes for the dishes to be cleared and another 20 for the second course. Again, the server drops it off without bothering to explain what the wine was or why it was paired with the dish. Repeat x2, except that we had to wait nearly 40 minutes between our second and third course. The first course and main entrée were decent. The other two courses were mediocre, but just barely
I understand that NYEve is probably one of the busiest nights of the year for restaurants, and having worked in the restaurant business for most of my life, I realize how difficult it is to keep up with the crowd. Still though, I was thoroughly disappointed with both the food and the service at the Royal. There are so many more options within a 2 block radius of this place. Do yourself a favor and stay away from this restaurant unless absolutely necessary. Both the food and the service leave much to be desired.

Great menu but not cheap… mussels were a delight as well as the tuna … the good things they deliver to the hotel rooms… great for a rainy day.

Great ambiance.
Decent service.
Terrible food.

This is my secret dining spot in Miami. When the hordes are out on the streets or I’m tired of rude-​slash-​nonexistent service, the Royal is my savior. Through the regal lobby of the Raleigh and out the back doors, you’ll find a beautiful little garden shady from the harsh rays of sun above. During the day it’s a relaxing oasis where you can dig into a delicious chopped salad while watching the pool loungers and children leaping off the diving board waterfall nearby. In the evening, light balls hang from tree limbs creating a romantic and refined vibe.
I really enjoy their salads and the Victoria cocktail is truly refreshing with a mix of cucumber and touches of St. Germaine elderflower. For dinner we’ve sprung for the seafood platter which at $ 81 wasn’t really a huge portion that one may expect. The burrata and carpaccio appetizers were both wonderfully light.
The price point is on the high side at around $ 25+ per person but for the setting and the quality eats, I always end up coming back for a sure thing.

This place used to be great. it’s still cute and the outdoor seating is beautiful. But the food isn’t good anymore and the prices haven’t changed.

Enjoyable outdoor setting. It would have been more enjoyable if not for an **obnoxiously loud** birthday party. However, this was probably a one time thing and just my bad luck. This place would be great on any gorgeous day with options in the sun or shade. Oysters were super fresh and just right. Great food and drink selection. Only thing missing is a blender. No blender at a pool area on South Beach??? Please invest in one!

Update for Sunday brunch: the food was excellent!
While I’d give the food a solid three stars for lunch, the brunch munchies were a big step up.
The food is served tapas style, so go ahead and order 1 ½ — 2 dishes per person. Tapas style brunch is a new take on the small plates trend, and I really enjoyed it. We tried:
Drunken Shrimp & Grits: Awesome! Grits are super creamy; shrimp are nice and big and just charred enough on the grill. Stand out dish of the day; we ordered two.
Mussels & Fries: Well, I don’t really eat mussels but my girlies tore them up and the fries were delicious, especially when soaked with the salty brine of the shellfish a little bit.
Crab Omelet: Lots of fresh crab meat and good flavor balance, but not my favorite dish
Asparagus Black Truffle Omelet: Now this was outstanding! Used in moderation, truffle flavor can really add depth to a dish, which it did here perfectly.
Huevos Rancheros: Textures were on point here: crispy corn strips and a homemade tortilla, perfectly ripe avocado, and of course well flavored beans.
Nutella Crepes: OMG heaven. Just sweet enough and the orange marmalade was a nice, creative touch.
Bloody Marys and Mojitos: Both were delicious and strong but in typical sobe style, the prices are a bit steep.
The service was great just as it was during lunch, but in a different way. Whereas for lunch we had one excellent server take care of us attentively, they were much busier at brunch so we had the pleasure of being served seamlessly by at least four staff members, one of whom looked to be the manager, which I always take as a good sign.
Each of us had two drinks and ate quite well; total cost per person was $ 49 including tax and tip (included 18%). Really a great deal considering what we got. And of course, the atmosphere can’t be beat. You may want to make a reservation as it’s sure to get super crowded when the weather is nice.

Came here last minute, party of 12 and sat us immediately! Waiters were nice and attentive. The location, vibe, and amazing breeze sold me on this place. The lobby has so much original sobe feel, i loved it! Had the squid ink pasta, not bad but not great! Loved the wine, but the location makes this place a keeper! Stays on rotation– next time brunch!

Service was excellent. Food was good, I had the pan seared snapper. The skin was delicious, the risotto was a bit heavy. But it had nice elements of olives and capers. Yummy
Our server was knowledgeable and quite pleasant. I’d go back.

A glamorous piece of history is tucked away in a prime oceanfront spot on Collins Avenue and 18^th Street in South Beach at the The Raleigh Hotel. Within moments you can imagine Esther Williams in her signature swim cap diving gracefully into the Art Deco pool or Rita Hayworth greeting suitors at the pocket-​sized martini bar. It is an exquisite throwback preserved carefully for over 70 years. That said, I have lived in Miami since 1976 and I had never been there, until yesterday
A glamorous piece of history is tucked away in a prime oceanfront spot on Collins Avenue and 18^th Street in South Beach at the The Raleigh Hotel. Within moments you can imagine Esther Williams in her signature swim cap diving gracefully into the Art Deco pool or Rita Hayworth greeting suitors at the pocket-​sized martini bar. It is an exquisite throwback preserved carefully for over 70 years. That said, I have lived in Miami since 1976 and I had never been there, until yesterday.
We arrived just before noon and walked through the lobby out to the restaurant patio. There were tables filled with a mix of International types carrying iPads, young people just waking up and bikini moms with handsome dad and beautiful kids in tow. Oh the modern family. Outside seating is on two platforms. We chose the pool deck, surrounding this glorious Lignum Vitae tree (often called the tourist tree because the bark «peels» off). Our white table had chairs on one side, and a comfy crescent shaped banquette on the other. Perfect for lounging, sharing food, enjoying the view and a little hand holding. I’ll take it!
The menu ranges from breakfast to lunch items — depending on your preference. We chose breakfast. We ordered Serrano Ham and Red Pepper Coulis Benedict; Black Truffle Omelet with Green Asparagus and Fontina; Truffle Fries, Smoked Applewood Bacon and Chicken Apple Sausage. The waitress noted that items were small, so order away. The prices are reasonable per item, but you’re going to order quite a few.
The Serrano Ham Benedict was a very delicate offering. The softness of the egg done over easy/​medium was partnered masterfully with the sturdy, flavorful Serrano Ham. A beauty and beast matching if you will. Just one is served per order which would be perfect for me, but if you’re sharing you might want to order two. The omelet was light and peppered with bitter tones from the asparagus and truffle. It was also a good solid brunch choice. The bacon and sausage were perfectly cooked and well, bacon and sausage — what could be wrong with them? The truffle fries were also good, but the MS said the truffle taste lingered too long. To each his own.
The vibe is really what sells this place. It’s chill without the pretense or show of say a Delano or Shore Club. There’s a lively beat from the conversations nearby but the tables on the pool deck are really set up for intimacy. With the sun peeking through the broad leaves of the Lignum Vitae trees, ambient music mixing with the waterfall in the pool, I really could have spent all day in my little crescent cocoon. A day of Raleigh’s folly is just what the doctor ordered.

Ate here on Friday, thinking we would avoid the Spice crowd since they don’t participate on Friday and Saturday.
Horrible experience. Even though the restaurant was nearly empty, our waiter was inattentive, never checked the table status, or ask if we were satisfied with our food.
One of us had the grouper which was overcooked and I had the short rib. Somehow, the chef has developed a method for removing all flavor from the meat, and served it over a form of styrofoam but with less texture. The grouper was tough and we would have ask for a replacement but our server disappeared for 30 minutes and we had to have a passing employee go find him but, by then everything was down the drain.
Really, really poor. To be fair the biscuits were ok and the salad was ok, but everything else was very badly done. Our biscuit and salad dinner with drinks was over $ 150.
I recommend you find another place to eat. Almost, forgot, the speaker over our table was blown and rained a screech over us all night and when we ask it be turned down, they turned it up instead. Says a lot about attention to detail by management.

I went to The Royal at the Raleigh for lunch with my husband to try the Miami Spice menu. It was about 3pm on a Tuesday so was fairly quiet.
The setting was beautiful as it was under some old trees and overlooked the pool. There was a separate bar with a good selection of different alcohol for an outdoors bar.
The meal started with some crispy, salty chips — maybe homemade pita chips?
The first course was an ahi tuna ceviche. The coconut lemon grass sauce was a creative touch that I thought was a nice compliment. My husband enjoyed the spicy beef salad.
Second course was the rock shrimp gnocchi. It was rich and flavorful, but felt a little heavy for a lunch selection in August. My husband ordered the Danish blue grilled cheese. Also very rich. The menu said it was supposed to come with an heirloom tomato soup, but instead was topped with a slice of tomato with some pistachios.
Final course was supposed to be a lavender panna cotta with a mango mint salsa. Instead of receiving this, I received a panna cotta topped with dried fruit and a brown sugar sauce. It was good, but felt like should be more of a fall dessert. My husband received a trio of sorbets. The cayenne valhronna chocolate was creamy and flavorful.
Overall the food was good, my problem was with the Miami Spice menu. I understand that chefs will substitute items, but I should find this out before I receive it. Also would have been nice to have one main course lunch option that was not heavy and rich.
Also, noticed that an 18% gratuity was automatically added to the check. That was unexpected and I thought unnecessary for lunch for a party of 2.

After attending the L*Space fashion show during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week — Miami with my friend Tala who blogs for
we were famished! I have sudden urges to feast on food after staring at twig skinny models strutting down the runway in lil bitsy bikinis = diet plan fail.
So what do two girls who love to eat do? We are at the Raleigh Hotel and next to the poolside Royal Restaurant so the obvious is to feed our stomach while feeding our eyes people oggling the beautiful, hot, miami fashionista crowd.
Since its already after 11pm, we wanted to keep things light and healthy. Tala got the Local Mahi with Jasmin Rice Pilaf ($ 27)
and I got the Squid Ink Seafood Fettuccini with Mussels, Shrimp in Lobster Reduction ($ 26).
Both were deeeeelish!!! Seafood was fresh, flavorful and beautifully presented.
We were also very impressed with the house made little biscuits. They were little morsels of fresh, buttery heaven. We inhaled them!!! SO good.
Make sure you check out The Royal Restaurant while in Miami. They serve American fare in a chic and glamorous outdoor garden. Frequented by locals and celebs alike, the Royal is located right next to The Raleigh’s iconic baroque pool; perfect for people watching.
I hear that The Royal’s Sunday brunch is one of the most popular destinations in South Beach with an extensive tapas menu along with a creative cocktail list and enjoyable live music, making this brunch the perfect addition to your next Miami weekend.