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Issue link: https://digital.miamilivingmagazine.com/i/62822
FOOD Villa Azur - Interior, Photo by Constantin Meanwhile, on South Beach, a starrier villa has been giving foodies something to talk about: Villa Azur, which is co-owned by the French actor from Unfaithful o.k.a. Halle Berry's fiancé, Olivier Martinez. For the actor, coming to the Magic City as a restaurateur was a no-brainer. "Why not," he said when I asked him why he wanted to take such a gamble. "I mean, my friends are here since a while, they're good at what they do...I love Miami. One day they tell me to come on board; I think a second, and say, 'Yeah, OK – let's do it!' It's fun. I've been here many times and I love the weather, the people, the ambience…. It's a mix of cultures. I just love it." With its Hollywood-approved pedigree, this beautiful restaurant wants to evoke the French Riviera som'in' fierce, but is in much too urbane a setting to succeed (it is located on 23rd Street, which is a hop and a skip from the sand…meaning close but no beachy cigar). Thank goodness for its glam factor and its outdoor patio. This is a great place for a first date or a très sérieux tête-a-tête with a friend (or, well…as serious as you can manage while drinking, say, the restaurant's signature $17 Villa Azur drinks (a fabulous mix of limoncello, strawberry puree, and Champagne). The way Martinez puts it, though, Villa Azur is "a place you go to eat well." And that, my friends, you will. The seared tuna appetizer with avocado and baby spinach, for instance, is a thing of fresh beauty, and at $21 a pop you'll want to open a line of credit with your local bank just so can spoil yourself and have it every other day. There are three entrées that are eye- catchers and happy-tummy-pleasers: the roasted cornish hen with green olives and rosemary ($25); the $34 veal scallopini with soft polenta and asparagus; and the XXL ribeye steak ($38), which I confess is a mouthwatering mouthful, but darn is it good with that béarnaise they have going on. C'est vraiment magnifique. Now you have an idea about what the villas going on in Miami, so be sure to pay each a visit soon. Villa Mayfair is located at 2901 Florida Ave. in Coconut. For more information and reservations, call 305-774-1500. Villa Azur is located at 309 23rd St. in Miami Beach. For more information or to make a reservation, call 305-763-8688. ML MIAMILIVING 55 Lobster Risotto, Photo by Pascal Ollinger Seared Scallops, Photo by Pascal Ollinger