Essensia embodies the simplicity and elegance of natural gourmet dining at The Palms Hotel & Spa.
The concept focuses on the pure essence of taste and a genuine passion to provide the rare opportunity to slow down and indulge in a dining experience carefully crafted for the mind, body, and soul.
Essensia features tasteful worldly fare in a vibrant and sophisticated style. With an established career launching some of South Florida’s most successful dining establishments and a long track record creating exceptional green and organic dishes, our cuisine extracts a kaleidoscope of flavors from local, seasonal, sustainable and organic ingredients, creating a fresh and wholesome food concept, set to revive your senses.
The menus also include an array of lower calorie Spa selections, for our weight-conscious patrons, Experience the pure essence of taste while nourishing your body and soul at Essensia, a unique South Beach dining experience.
Essensia features a 65-seat indoor dining room plus al fresco seating for another 120 under the covered terrace and poolside deck. Open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
THE ALLURE OF GREEK MYTHOLOGY SETS THE STAGE FOR ESSENSIA’S VALENTINE’S DAY MENU
A six-course menu dedicated to inspiring desire, pleasure, and romance
Join Chef Julie Frans as she pays homage to the ancient Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation, Aphrodite. On Tuesday, February 14, Essensia’s six-course Food for Love Menu will ignite romance by serving dishes delicately crafted with ingredients believed to stimulate sensuality and gratification. The Food for Love Menu also reflects Essensia’s commitment to following a farm-to-table philosophy allowing the natural flavors of the food to express themselves. Make the evening truly passionate with private dinner service in the hotel’s garden Gazebo.
The evening begins with a Seafood Duo tasting featuring a Raw Oyster Wrapped in Ahi Sashimi served with Citrus Ponzu and Crab Salad, Beets, Crème Fraîche, Lime and Avocado. Known for their ability to increasing desire, oysters are high zinc content which might explain the rumor as zinc helps produce testosterone. The second course features a Truffled Artichoke Soup followed by Strawberries with Roasted Fennel, served with Local Baby Mustard Greens, Aged Goat Cheese, Candied Almonds and Honey Basil Vinaigrette. Several ingredients in these dishes are attributed to boosting your partner’s yearning, but two standouts include truffles and fennel. A legendary aphrodisiac of ancient Rome, truffles are still among the most prized ingredients in the culinary world. It is believed that truffles’ musky scent replicates the scent of male pheromones. Fennel might be most useful to women as an aphrodisiac. It is notably high in phytoestrogens, natural estrogen-like chemicals found in plants. In fact, in the 1930’s, fennel was considered to be used as a source for synthetic estrogen.
A Butter & Garlic Poached Lobster Tail with Caviar, Champagne Tarragon Sauce, Grilled Asparagus and Scallions will be served as the fourth course. Like all foods of the sea, the lobster’s aphrodisiac history can be traced back to the ancient Greeks, who believed Aphrodite was born of the sea and that all ocean creatures were her playthings in the games of love. Asparagus has also been rumored to stir up lust in both men and women. In 19th century France, bridegrooms were served three courses of the sexy spears at their prenuptial dinners.
The fifth course is a Coffee Crusted Rib Eye Filet with Fig Ancho Chocolate Demi and a Celery Root and Potato Puree. Coffee’s power is immediately evident for most java aficionados. The drink is the world’s most socially acceptable stimulant. Combined with chocolate and fig, there no telling what could happen. Pure chocolate contains a host of compounds which releases dopamine into the pleasure centers of the brain.
Figs are steeped in history and are one of the oldest-recorded fruits. Some historians suspect that the fig’s original home was the Garden of Eden, and that the fig was the original temptress, the true forbidden fruit.
Last but not least, Banana Fritters with Peanut Butter Honey Ice Cream for dessert. The nectar of Aphrodite, honey is one of the most seductive foods in the world. Sticky, viscous, and deliciously sweet, honey is as much a sensual experience as it is
a delicious indulgence.
The Food for Love Menu will be available Tuesday, February 14, and is $185* per couple. Private dinner service in the
hotel’s Gazebo is available for $285* per couple, but reservations are required as space is limited. (*Prices do not include tax or gratuity.) For reservations, please call 305.908.5458 or visit www.essensiarestaurant.com.
View the Valentine’s Day dinner menu here.
100% Sustainable, Organic & Biodynamic Wines
Complementing the seasonal menus is Essensia’s exclusive wine list, committed to being completely sustainable, organic, or biodynamic and has been selected for sharing Essensia’s mission to be good for you and the environment.
View our wine list
“Essensia voted one of Miami’s top five hotel restaurants.” - Lee Klein, Miami New Times
“Elegant Essensia serves exceptional, healthful food…. I was immediately impressed by Jeannetti’s sprightly, modern menu with artfully sourced ingredients and a healthful bent.” – Victoria Pesce Elliott, The Miami Herald
“A classic hotel restaurant goes natural and organic… seasonal and organic ingredients take center stage at Essensia.” – Arielle Castillo, Edible South Florida
“How can it be that a relatively low-profile establishment fills so many chairs? The answer probably lies in the quality of the dining experience, which is solid.” – Lee Klein, Miami New Times
“…the small stuff (the sourcing, the balance, the green impact) is exactly what chef Frank Jeannetti’s food mission is all about” – Bill Citara, Ocean Drive
Sunday Brunch at Essensia
Essensia features a carefully crafted Sunday brunch incorporating organic and seasonal ingredients, served in a leisurely and relaxed ambiance. Patrons can enjoy a traditional breakfast buffet, including hot and cold breakfast items, waffles and omelets, European deli meats and cheeses, fresh seasonal tropical fruit and Pastry Chef Gail Goetsch’s delectable creations, which include a variety of pastries, cookies, tarts, and more, or choose from a carefully crafted a la carte menu with unique highlights such as Lobster Beignets and an Organic Egg Frittata. Brunch lovers can also sip on a variety of made-to-order smoothies, natural brunch cocktails, made with premium, mostly organic and artisanal spirits and bubbly at special brunch prices.
Sunday Brunch takes place every Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. For reservations please call 305.908.5458 or email essensia@thepalmshotel.com Indoor and outdoor seating is available. Click here to see our Brunch Menu
Essensia Restaurant Menus & Hours of Operation:
Breakfast
Daily 6:30am to 11:00pm
Breakfast Menu
Brunch
Sundays 11.30 am to 3.00pm
Brunch Menu
Lunch
Daily from 11:00am to 3:00pm
Lunch Menu
Dinner
Sunday-Thursday 6:00pm to 10:00pm
Friday & Saturday 6:00pm to 11:00pm
Dinner Menu Kids Menu Dessert Menu
3025 Collins Avenue
Inside The Palms Hotel
Miami Beach, FL 33140
