When it comes to Sunday brunch, we’ve always struggled to find a place that can please everyone. Until Now.
Tamarina {600 Brickell Avenue, Brickell; 305.579.1888}, a little slice of Italy in the heart of Brickell that’s known for its authentic Italian and Mediterranean dishes, fresh ingredients, and exceptional crudo bar, recently introduced its Sunday brunch, a carefully planned buffet experience that, no matter your dining companions, is sure to satisfy.
When we say buffet, we hope you’re not picturing a cruise ship-style smorgasbord of endless gluttony. Tamarina’s buffet is more in the style of a royal banquet, featuring the best of the best breakfast and lunch offerings designed to wow your senses—and taste buds. This is sophisticated brunching, but without the fussiness.
Everything on offer has been prepared that day, with chefs on hand waiting to replenish the second supply looks low.
Start off at the eggs and waffle station, where you can choose your own fresh ingredients to have an omelette prepared the way you like or have your waffle iron-pressed on the spot, served with powdered sugar, maple syrup, and your choice of berries.
Next, make your way to the opposite end of the dining room for Italian station, featuring a salad bar with garden-fresh leafy greens and veggies, an assortment of fresh-from-the-oven breads, and a selection of artisanal charcuterie meats and cheeses.
Be sure to leave room on your plate for more of the main event: dozens of seafood delicacies like freshly shucked oysters, tuna tartare, cured salmon, and more. There’s also a carving station and standard breakfast meats like bacon and sausage. Oh, and let’s not forget the “Pasta a la Minute”: two types of homemade pasta prepared to order upon request. (The day we dined, the pastas were two types of ravioli, both equally satisfying.)
At the center of it all is the decadent dessert table, featuring mounds of pastries, from scones to muffins to croissants to brownie-type concoctions of chocolaty goodness and Italian staples such as tiramisù and panna cotta. But the highlight here was hands-down the bomboloni, traditional Italian doughnuts filled with Nutella and topped with powdered sugar.
Don’t worry if you can’t fit everything on your plate at once. You can revisit the buffet as many times as you’d like. Friendly servers are on-hand to take your drink orders and to make sure that your water and said drinks are adequately replenished. For just $35 per person, have your choice of bottomless bubbles (whether in the form of Champagne or mimosas or Bellinis, both mixed with homemade Italian sorbet of juice—addictively refreshing).
Bloody Marys are also a specialty, as is the sangría, which is served in a 1-1/2-liter punch bowl. Cold-pressed juices and coffee drinks are also available à la carte.
Brunch can be enjoyed in the dining room or on the covered patio (our recommendation), where large tables and comfy couches make for a nice alfresco lounge space. This is also where the band, the French Horn Collective, a five-man folk/jazz ensemble, serenades guests with catchy acoustic tunes that are sung mostly in French.
So Sit back. Relax. Listen. Indulge. Savor. Imbibe. This is Sunday brunch is everything you could ever want—and much, much more.
—Sherri Balefsky | Miami Editor