Tokyo Urban
Meets Miami Tropical

Miami’s culinary scene reflects the vibrancy and cultural blend that the city is known for. While this melting pot has translated into the cuisine for years, it is now being reflected in high-end architecture and design of the city’s restaurants, and no other better represents this fusion than Miami Beach’s Chotto Matte.

Located just off Lincoln Road, Chotto Matte is a London import designed by Andy Martin Architecture. Like its London counterpart, the Miami outpost features Chotto Matte’s signature urban Tokyo vibe and mixes in tropical elements that blend in with its surroundings. Through the design, each location maintains the essence of the brand front and center, while also highlighting and improving particular elements that define them.

“Once a windowless courtyard, we saw the existing site as a direct response to the building’s urban setting where desirable window views are non-existent,” said Andy Martin founder of Andy Martin Architecture.  “As a solution, we decided to redirect patrons’ views upward through a vast retractable roof revealing the open sky.”

The studio enhanced the connection to the sky by creating a floating ceiling inspired by an abstract Japanese roof known as Irimoya. The East Asian architectural technique consists of a hip roof that slopes down on all four sides and integrates a gable on two opposing sides. Burnt timber, also known as Shou Sugi Ban, creates a dominating ceiling that stretches up to meet the sky. The standout design offers views of the iconic Herzog & de Meuron’s 1111 Lincoln Road garage and year-round al-fresco dining. Indoor seating allows guests to enjoy Miami’s tropical climate without the heat.

Inside, Chotto Matte serves a Nikkie dining experience – also known as Japanese-Peruvian fusion – within an abstract oasis in the heart of South Beach. The Japanese-influenced design continues through the use of limited materials, referencing an idea of Japanese sensibility. Natural stone, carbon steel, tinted glass, and dark stained timber decorate the 220-seat restaurant. Hints of Miami are reflected in the use of dominating colors described as dark and moody, intensifying one’s response from the moment you step foot inside the venue. Dynamic interventions of color and artwork created by local street artists AHOL Sniffs Glue and Gustavo Oviedo surround the space on two sides, while tinted glass creates reflections and scaling on a third wall.

The focal point of the interiors is a towering, 19-ton lava stone boulder imported from Sicily that sits between the sushi bar and cocktail bar, adding an element of drama in the space. Located in the center of the space, the bars provide mixologists and sushi chefs with plenty of room to prepare their work in front of customers.

Chotto Matte is now a player in Miami’s exciting and flourishing dining scene with two worlds coming to life in the restaurant’s outstanding menu, as well as in the design details that deliver a stunning and captivating environment.

The restaurant’s open-air, upscale dining offers locals and tourists alike an experience unlike any other on Lincoln Road, and trust us when we say, it will keep you coming back time and time again!