The Riviera Dining Group has multiple high-profile restaurants across Florida (Mila, Ava MediterrAegean, and Casa Neos), but its latest opening in Brickell is the most personal for founder and CEO Gregory Galy. The inspiration for the newest spot, Claudie, comes from the South of France, where Galy grew up. He was raised in Mougins, a small village just a few miles from the famed Cannes. “Mougins is a remarkable place,” he says, “Celebrated for its seamless blend of artistry and Michelin-starred cuisine while epitomizing a way of life centered on slow living, effortless sophistication, and an inherent appreciation for beauty and culture.”
Galy and his group hope to bring that same essence to Claudie, which opens on Friday, February 7, at 1101 Brickell Avenue. The restaurant, designed by OV & Co. and Lazaro Rosa-Violán, combines natural materials like wicker, wood, clay, and stone to create a South-of-France vibe. Picasso-esque paintings adorn the walls, along with whimsical pottery and aquatic drawings. To bring in more of the Côte d’Azur motif, the team brought in a massive fountain, inspired by timeless French jewelry designs, to the terrace. (Galy laughed when asked how they were going to keep customers out of the fountain).
The large light fixtures on the ceiling are meant to provide the feeling of sitting under the Mediterranean sun.
Kris Tamburello Studios
A mural by artist Victoria Krylov in the private dining room.
Kris Tamburello Studios
“We definitely pushed the envelope [with Claudie],” says Galy, “We characterize this restaurant as our most high-end product of all our existing brands.” Marine Giron-Galy, Riviera Dining Group partner and chief brand officer, says, “I feel like the common thread is the service and the quality of the experience we aim to provide. The branding is strongly developed in the Claudie venue, from the salt jar and olive oil that live on the tables to the plates we designed, every detail has been pushed one step further.”
The mural depicts “the journey of a bold and sophisticated muse through a day of carefree Mediterranean living.”
Kris Tamburello
What’s more Mediterranean than a lemon tree?
Try not to hop in the very large fountain.
Kris Tamburello
Riviera Dining Group’s head of culinary, chef Michaël Michaelidis, created the Claudie menu, inspired by the Mediterranean and French bistronomy. “The culinary program starts with the freshness of the ingredients,” says Galy, “Because typically, in the South of France, you go shopping at the market for only the freshest product.” Dishes include various seafood towers, table-side gazpacho, a soft egg with caviar, lobster linguine, a wagyu porterhouse, and more — it’s all very luxe.
Galy says his favorite dishes are the lobster pasta with 1.5 pounds of Maine lobster in a bisque sauce or the truffle “toupie” macaroni with truffles, ham, and comté cheese. “I like to highlight the egg caviar,” says Giron-Galy, “I think both in terms of presentation and terms of taste, it should be a definite try.”
The food is inspired by the Mediterranean and French bistronomy.
Ruben Cabrera
A colorful seafood tower at Claudie.
Ruben Cabrera
Eggs on eggs.
Ruben Cabrera
“When you have an experience [at Claudie], you’ll realize it’s authentic,” says Galy, “It’s authentic, but revisited. Mediterranean French. We start with a base that you can find in the South of France, and we either elevate it or twist it, to make it ours.”
Claudie will open Wednesday and Thursday from 6:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., and Friday through Sunday from 5:30 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.
If you order gazpacho, this cart is coming to your table.
Ruben Cabrera
The prettiest tuna tartare.
Ruben Cabrera
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