Flora Plant Kitchen Brings Elevated Vegetarian Cuisine to Miami’s Upper East Side
Vegetarian cuisine has gained a new Miami home with the opening of Flora Plant Kitchen, a sprawling indoor/outdoor restaurant in the MiMo District serving innovative plant-powered meals with a focus on sustainability and a unique Latin twist.
The restaurant was founded and is run by Marnie Gelhard of DMS Earth Hospitality Group, which also operates The Cactus Shop, a food concept in Brooklyn, New York.
Gelhard says that the Flora Plant Kitchen was created to serve as a “sanctuary” for vegetarians and those seeking to incorporate more veggie-forward food into their diets, as well as to introduce Miami to a new type of elevated meat-free dining.
“We drew our inspiration from our travels to Colombia and Mexico, where we were captivated by the local ingredients, decor, wildlife, fresh fruit, and vibrant sights and smells,” says Gelhard. “Flora Plant Kitchen’s vegetarian focus is a reflection of our core values—compassion, environmental responsibility, and the promotion of healthier food choices for our community and our planet. For us, it's all about compassion and respect for animals - our pets hold a special place in our hearts. We're also on a mission to shrink our carbon footprint by reducing meat consumption. Learning that factory farming churns out more methane gas than global transportation was another factor that led us to shift towards vegetarian cuisine.”
Cuban-American Executive Chef Fabio Delgado leads the restaurant’s culinary team, which dishes out elevated, healthy Latin-inspired cuisine. Each dish artfully combines culinary creativity, sustainability, and an experimental fusion of flavors, prepared with fresh, seasonal ingredients in state-of-the-art kitchen equipment, including a PIRA charcoal barbecue that adds a distinctive smoky flavor to offerings.
“Each dish is made from scratch in our kitchen so we pay maximum attention to every detail,” says Delgado. “Our products are fresh and delicious as we mix techniques and cultures in each dish, providing a unique approach to top-quality vegetarian food.”
Menu items range in price from $25 to $65 and include homemade pastries, pastas, and specialities like Shakshouka with Arepas, a dish of sunny-side up eggs in a gluten free tomato and pepper sauce combined with confit cherry tomatoes, plant-powered chorizo avocado, queso fresco, micro cilantro and served with handmade Colombian cheese arepa. Other savory highlights are Cactus Elotes, charcoal whole corn cob that comes topped with chipotle guava aioli, long hots aioli, cotija cheese and paprika breadcrumbs and Brunch Hamburguesa, a plant-powered burger on homemade brioche filled with truffle aioli, cheddar cheese, sunny side up free range eggs, mixed greens, avocado, heirloom tomato and caramelized onion accompanied by roasted heirloom fingerling potatoes.
“We're proud to support local farmers who share our commitment to sustainable practices,” noted Gelhard. “By sourcing fresh, high-quality ingredients from these eco-conscious farmers, we're not only ensuring the goodness of our dishes but also nurturing the health of our soil. We keep our prices reasonable and, with three different menus, there's something for everyone, including options with premium ingredients.”
Guests can also indulge in Yuzu French Toast, a sweet offering of housemade brioche topped with a berry compote made even better with yuzu mascarpone and almond oat crumble or the Japanese-style Peach Souffle Pancakes, cleverly layered with mouthfuls of Amaretto flambéed peaches, orange ricotta, toasted shaved almonds and a dusting of sugar snow. Flora Plant Kitchen's pastry display showcases croissants, scones, and banana bread and gluten-free and vegan selections prepared with methods steeped in French tradition.
The food menu was made to be enjoyed with a selection of made-to-order juices, smoothies, herbal teas, farm-fresh Colombian coffee, wines, local beers, wines and specialities such as the Golden Turmeric Latte with organic turmeric root, dates, cardamon, ashwagandha, vanilla bean and black pepper. A list of vegan cocktails includes handcrafted creations like Green Mimosa, a Prosecco-based cocktail mixed with apple, celery, and lemon and clarified options made with coconut milk. Some of the concoctions are prepared with repurposed ingredients like coffee grounds and lemon peels.
Australia-native Gelhard designed the 5,800-square-foot restaurant, which features a minimalist aesthetic with a neutral color palette, custom-made furniture sourced from Bali, Indonesia, and Brazilian cumaru wood pergola, most of which is crafted from recycled teak. Sustainability also plays a role in the decor through the use of organic materials like recycled teak, rattan, sand, coffee wood, and seagrass, a composition that blends harmoniously with the lush greenery that surrounds Flora Plant Kitchen.
“Our restaurant’s design aims to make guests feel like they’re on a tropical vacation, with plenty of fresh air, calming vibes, and lots of natural light,” notes Gelhard. “It’s a place where people can take a break from their busy lives, relax, enjoy fresh food and just take it easy.”
Flora Plant Kitchen is located at 5580 NE 4th Ct. # 4b, Miami, FL, 33137. Phone Number: 305-456-5018. Website: www.floraplantkitchen.com. Social Media:@floraplantkitchen. Hours of Operation: Monday through Friday for breakfast from 8 a.m. to noon and for lunch from noon to 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sundays for brunch from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free parking available.