The Drexel, long one of the quieter dining rooms tucked beside Española Way, has doubled down on a new identity as a Coastal Italian kitchen. The sharpened concept puts handmade pastas, wood-fired cooking and seasonal seafood at the center of the action, with a tighter, neighborhood-first mindset guiding the menu. The shift lines up with Esmé Hotel and its operators pushing Española Way toward steadier, more local-minded dining options.
Who’s in the kitchen
The revamp is led by Chef Jarrod Huth, Think Hospitality’s COO of Culinary, with day-to-day execution handled by Chef de Cuisine Derek Carressi and a beverage program overseen by Alejandro Chavarria. According to Hospitality News, the team deliberately narrowed the restaurant’s voice to Italy’s coastal traditions rather than a broader Mediterranean sweep. Huth, who told The Leftovers Miami that his background includes time at The French Laundry and Per Se, characterizes the move as a refinement of The Drexel’s original idea instead of a full reboot.
What to expect on your plate
A recent tasting covered by MIAbites shows the kitchen leaning into simple, ingredient-driven plates. Think citrus-cured fish, house pastas shaped to catch every bit of sauce, a wood-roasted whole chicken and a short list of proteins cooked over wood and charcoal. Desserts like an olive-oil cake and a rich chocolate soufflé were called out as strong finishers. The overall read is a menu that trades sheer breadth for a focused lineup of clear, repeatable favorites meant to keep regulars cycling back through.
From Mandolin roots to a local brief
The Drexel debuted in 2022 from the team behind Mandolin Aegean Bistro, the Design District restaurant founded by Anastasia Koutsioukis and Ahmet Erkaya, and it was pitched from day one as “for locals, by locals.” Miami New Times and other neighborhood profiles highlight that Mandolin lineage, while early coverage of The Drexel framed it as a more modern Mediterranean counterpart to Mandolin’s Aegean sensibility. The latest Coastal Italian chapter essentially tightens that original promise to neighborhood diners rather than rewriting it.
Española Way’s village setting
The Drexel sits inside the Casa Matanza section of the Esmé Miami Beach “village,” a compact cluster of restored 1920s buildings that the MICHELIN Guide notes was refreshed to help draw locals back to Española Way. MICHELIN Guide points to Casa Matanza’s history and explains how the hotel’s mix of bar and restaurant tenants is meant to keep the paseo-style blocks activated throughout the day and night.
What to know before you go
The Drexel currently takes reservations and runs a nightly dinner service, with a daily early evening offering dubbed “Sunset & Sip” for relaxed pre-dinner gatherings. For reservations, hours and the most current menu, check The Drexel. Press details reported by Hospitality News round out the latest updates on the concept.
