Miami Beach, FL – January 22, 2020 – Founded by Gregory and Marine Galy, MILA, a “MediterrAsian” restaurant, lounge and mixology bar, has announced it will open their doors on Miami Beach this Friday January 24th, 2020. Located at 800 Lincoln Road, the rooftop space totaling 13,000 square feet and 247 seats will feature a multi-sensory culinary experience that draws influences from the shores of the Mediterranean and Japan, while creating a luxurious expression of ingredient-driven modern cuisine and mindful mixology in a laid-back setting accentuated by clean-lines.

The extensive culinary menu is designed by Executive Chef Nicolas Mazier, featuring a cohesive story that marries health and nutrition with sensorial textures, flavors, and beautifully plated dishes.

MILA’s bar program is curated by Diageo’s world class award-winning mixologists Jennifer Le Nechet and Mido Yahi. Guests can experience the finest spirits program as the restaurant features not one, but two bars. Inside MILA’s main bar features their signature cocktails, while the outside terrace guests can experience V by MILA – an upscale, whimsical, and avant-garde imbibing experience similar to an omakase kitchen, whereby guests have an exclusive front row seat to the world of bespoke mixology.

As far as the design, MILA is unlike any other restaurant. With nearly three years in the making, the couple worked with interior designer, Olya Volkova, to bring their vision to life. Volkova mastered the challenge of finding the points of connection between the Mediterranean and Japanese culture by infusing traditional and noble materials such as reclaimed woods, unpolished floors, untainted stones, handmade linen and cotton fabrics to create a symphony of perfection.

On Wednesday evening, we met up with founders Gregory and Marine Galy to get the exclusive first look at what is about to be Miami’s most talked about restaurant of 2020. Read the full Q&A below.

By Marissa Scarpulla

WRE: How did the concept of your new restaurant MILA come together?

Marine Galy: We were both born and raised in the south of France and grew up in the Mediterranean. While living in NYC and working very hard, we always looked for places to disconnect and escape form our daily life. We explored places, went out and traveled the world as often as we could with that same thirst for discovery and experience of adventures. Soon, we started dreaming about a brand that would reflect our search for fun and excitement, yet in a very understated and elegant atmosphere. Greg is the President of the well-known luxury restaurant brand FIG & OLIVE while I, Marine, am a fragrance developer for one of the world’s top leading fragrance houses, working with some of the biggest beauty and lifestyle brands. We decided to combine our experiences and backgrounds to create a brand that would fuse our Mediterranean roots with our love for Japanese food and culture. MILA’s motto is “Eudaimonia” – the Greek word meaning peace of mind and contented, happy state you feel when traveling.

WRE: Tell us the inspiration behind the name MILA? 

MG: MILA was the name we wanted for our daughter. We had two boys, and so MILA is our 3rd baby, our baby girl.

WRE: Out of all the locations in Miami, why did you decide to open MILA on Lincoln Road?

MG: 800 Lincoln road is a historical building and used to be the Art Center. The rooftop is all brand new and we followed its construction, while envisioning the water feature and landscape area we wanted to create up there. Lincoln Road is going through a big renewal with a very ambitious project and it is so exciting to be part of it. We trust locals to be excited as well and join this transformation.

WRE: MILA’s menu is inspired by Asian and Mediterranean eating practices. Tell us more about how the head chef has blended these two cultures?

MG: Nicolas Mazier was born in Toulouse and raised in Marseille, in the South of France, and moved to Miami in 2007 as Sous-Chef at Cote Gourmet. Passionate about Japanese cuisine, Chef Mazier joined Nobu Miami in 2010 as Executive Sous-Chef. Working his way up to Executive Chef, Nicolas led the Nobu brand to new heights from 2010 to 2016, spearheading restaurant openings in Australia, Philippines and the first Nobu Hotel in Las Vegas, conceptualizing all menus, and leading and training the kitchen staff. In 2016 Nicolas took his talents to Tatel at the Ritz Carlton in Miami Beach where he served authentic Spanish cuisine. Nicolas’s talent and background naturally caught Greg’s attention, and his desire to offer him the opportunity to lead MILA’s kitchen and create the “MediterrAsian” experience. Merging his expertise in Mediterranean and Japanese cuisine, Nicolas delivers a cohesive culinary story that marries both cultures, while creating sensorial textures, unique flavors, and beautifully plated dishes.

WRE: How does MILA differentiate itself from other restaurants located on Miami Beach? 

MG: We are a “mom and pop restaurant” with a small team and a big vision. MILA is not only a restaurant, but also a real multi-sensory and multi-faceted lifestyle brand, which encompasses exclusive MediterrAsian food, bespoke mixology, design and art, and ethnic music. We aim to accomplish the ambition venture to create a total immersive experience that will transport our guests.

We decided to combine our experiences and backgrounds to create a brand that would fuse our Mediterranean roots with our love for Japanese food and culture. MILA’s motto is “Eudaimonia” – the Greek word meaning peace of mind and contented happy state you feel when traveling.

Marine Galy

WRE: The design of the space is unlike any other. What was the vision behind the design? 

MG: Three years ago we went to Olya Volkova with a dream and vision of creating something different, a brand with a very understated elegance, fusing our Mediterranean roots with our love for Japanese food and culture. We referenced the Cycladic and Balearic Islands, the South of France, Kyoto and some fishermen towns in Japan, as far as the cuisines, flavors, craftsmanship, designs, cultures.

Olya mastered the challenge of finding the points of connection between these cultures, while also infusing our emotions and passion tied to their personal experiences. It took us about a full year to create the mood board, the backdrop, and then another year again to select the artists and wood carvers, artisans, and materials.

We wanted MILA to be a peaceful and somehow meditative sanctuary to slow down, featuring clean, minimalistic lines and noble materials representing the elements of nature (wood, water, fire, earth, and stones), honoring the Wabi Sabi philosophy (art of finding beauty in imperfections) through a combination of textures, artists, artisans and craftsmanship.

WRE: MILA has not one but two bars… tell us more about the extensive spirits program. 

MG: MILA’s bar program is curated by Diageo World Class award-winning mixologists Jennifer Le Nechet and Mido Yahi, paying homage to the artisans, brewers, distillers and farmers across the globe. The philosophy evokes the past and re-imagines the classics with a modern twist, with the goal of achieving zero waste in the programs.

Located inside the main dining room, MILA’s “Bar Central” features thoughtful flavor combinations, handcrafted syrups and the finest liquors, and is broken down in 3 fold: MILA Signatures, which use house-made sodas, infusions, cooking techniques and custom glassware; Interpretation of Classics using custom spices, house-made infusions and Asian ingredients; the Classics which use premium spirits, original recipes and classic glassware; MILA’s mixology program includes beeswax, smoked honey syrup, black walnut bitter, floral sake, sesame orgeat syrup, basil syrup, signature Bloody Mary spice blend, and butterfly pea tea infused vodka, to name a few.

On the terrace, guests can experience V by MILA (pronounced “five” by MILA) – an upscale, whimsical, and avant-garde imbibing experience whereby guests have an exclusive front row seat to the world of bespoke mixology. The concept embodies the power of five – the five senses with which any food or drink should be enjoyed (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch); the five elements to which the experience pays homage (wood, fire, earth, metal and water); and the five pillars of MILA’s DNA (food, mixology, design, ambiance and people). V by MILA offers nine signature cocktails involving theatrical creations embracing the MediterrAsian fusion, highlighting all elements and modern techniques, such as foams, gels, spherification, dry ice, smoke . V by MILA only carries the finest brands and spirits, as well as the most unusual ingredients, flavors and textures such as coffee, soy sauce and seaweed.

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