China Grill, the iconic South Beach restaurant that helped define Miami's dining scene in the 1990s, has quietly returned at the entrance to Bal Harbour Shops. After more than a decade away, the space once again leans into the theatrical, shareable plates that made the original a magnet for locals and celebrities, with a menu built for lingering, social meals.
As reported by Time Out, the reopened menu brings back staples such as lobster pancakes, lamb spare ribs, tempura sashimi, crispy spinach and wasabi mashed potatoes, while adding inventive dumplings, globally inspired seafood and a Peking duck service. Time Out also lists the new hours as 12pm-11pm Sunday-Thursday and 12pm-12am Friday-Saturday and places the restaurant at the Shops at Bal Harbour.
Preview And Placement In Bal Harbour
Bal Harbour Shops previewed China Grill dishes during its 60th anniversary events and has been repositioning its dining lineup as part of a broader expansion, according to Bal Harbour Shops. The mall's early tastings put the concept front and center as the property leans into destination dining alongside luxury retail, and placing China Grill at the complex's main entrance underscores the strategy of pairing high profile restaurants with flagship shopping experiences.
A Legacy Revived
Jeffrey Chodorow opened the original China Grill on South Beach in the mid-1990s and the restaurant was a major influence on Miami's dining scene before the South Beach location closed in 2012, as reported by Miami New Times. New Times also noted that the Bal Harbour lease followed the closure of Stephen Starr's Le Zoo and framed the return as part nostalgia, part reinvention. For many diners, the comeback reads as a revival of a certain South Beach glamour now repurposed for the Bal Harbour crowd.
Interest is expected to be strong in the opening weeks as Miami-area diners and visitors test whether the relaunched China Grill can recapture the momentum of its heyday. The restaurant's mix of showy, shareable plates and a refreshed dining room gives it a clear shot at becoming a regular stop for both longtime fans and newcomers to the city's dining circuit.
