Open only for dinner, you must start your meal in the Nobu Lounge where innovations on the tropical infused martini set the stage for a wonderful evening. The omakase, or multi-course chef’s choice menu is the most popular way to dine.

For those less adventurous about raw fish, the black cod with miso and the rock shrimp tempura are the stuff of legend. Service is quick, friendly and helpful should you find yourself puzzled by anything on the menu.

While the dining room feels slightly like the bottom of a very chic swimming pool, have no fear – Nobu is the master of everything that can swim!

Naturally, we underestimated the appeal of the thoughtfully designed spaces, the carefully crafted cuisine and the upwardly mobile tastes of the clientele. Almost 15,000 square feet of the main floor have been dedicated to David Werly’s haute, East-meets-West cuisine. A team of international chefs from Thailand, China, India and Europe work seamlessly to create a menu that reaches from stone-over pizza to Tasmanian trout.

The main dining room features an exhibition kitchen for those who wish to watch the Olympians craft the “trans-ethnic” dishes. Weather permitting, dine in the romantic sunken garden area surrounded by quiet ponds and tropical blooms. Foodies will swoon for the Wagyu beef and the tandoor-roasted prawns complimented with over 450 wines.

If the pricey entrees prove too daunting, there are plenty of opportunities to sample the kitchen’s craftsmanship at the Grill or the more casual outdoor cafe. Guests impressed with the best can sip champagne and sample caviar and tapas at the spectacular Crustacean Bar or dine alfresco at the 90 foot Mediterranean-style Beach Bar.

Whichever area you choose, take the time to wander through this thoughtfully designed, quintessentially Miami Beach hotel. Things have gotten a lot more glamorous now that the Setai has upped the ante on South Beach Style.

Admittedly not for the slight of appetite nor the dedicated vegan, Pubbelly’s kitchen is a veritable laboratory of pork recipes with the house signature McBelly slider sandwich taking pride of place on a menu that includes bacon-wrapped dates, roast suckling pig, baby back ribs, pork belly dumplings, pork confit udon and vegetable side dishes of pork mofongo or bacon miso brussels sprouts!

Upscale hop-heads will thrill to the extensive craft brew menu which features a full roster of international beers from wheaty German Hopf Helle Weize to Belgian Delirium Tremens and Japanese Hitachino Classic. A brief sake cocktail menu compliments the Asian street food selections and a well-edited sampling of boutique wines pairs perfectly with the gastro fare. Serving every night until midnight with an extra hour Fridays and Saturdays, Pubbelly makes a great late night date spot for adventurous foodies and budding oenophiles seeking a little extra swine with their wine.

Sushi Chef Katsuya Uechi blends Japanese flavors for American palates and enjoys star status amongst his Los Angeles celebrity clientele. Opening his first LA restaurant in 1997, the chef sources his seafood globally and divides his menu between cooked and raw composed seafood dishes and premium Kobe beef plates. Popular dishes include Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna, Kobe Tobanyaki and an offering that immediately recalls a Nobu standout – Miso-Marinated Black Cod. Of the celebrated east coast sushi king Nobu, Katsuya diplomatically commented that [Matsuhisa] was “the one who got attention for sushi tastes… he’s great to do that. But since then we’ve changed things little by little.”

His new South Beach restaurant offers a tempting mixture of small plates and sushi, robata and the signature composed rolls that have made Katsuya famous. Foodies can request a $75 tasting menu or a simple $25 prix fixe meal. The dining room provides a stunning black and white backdrop for beautifully presented dishes served under the watchful eye of oversized Geisha graphics. Open Sunday through Wednesday from 6pm-midnight and 1am weekends, Katsuya by Starck promises to be the season’s top spot to see and be seen!