This New York spot known for fire cooking and whiskey is now open in South Miami

The latest addition to the South Miami culinary lineup comes from New York — though not the part you’re probably thinking of — bringing with it live-fire cooking and a notable whiskey program.

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Flight West is the second location of a Rochester, N.Y. restaurant that opened in 2016, and, like many other culinary concepts before it, the brand came south with hopes of success.

General manager Marwan Youbi said the restaurant, which serves what it calls “New World cuisine,” is a good fit for South Florida.

“Miami has an adventurous dining community, so we felt like our concept really belonged here,” he said. “We lead with hospitality and hope to earn the same kind of support we were fortunate to receive in Rochester.”

Already home to concepts like the locally owned spots like Kitchen 57, Tokyo Tuna, Bored Cuban and Michelin-recommended Recoveco, which was named one of the best new restaurants in the U.S. in 2025, South Miami has grown recently in popularity. Residents are weary of driving to Wynwood or Miami Beach or Brickell for dinner, and Youbi said that the Flight West team has tapped into that desire.

“We love the energy of South Miami and wanted to be part of a growing community,” he said. “We kept hearing that people wanted a destination dining experience closer to home, and that’s exactly what we set out to create.”

Located at the busy intersection of U.S. 1 and Sunset Drive, Flight West aims to reflect an Art-Deco sort of elegance, with a dramatic backlit bar and red marble tabletops.

The menu was created with a little local help: chef Santiago Gomez, the force behind Cantina La Veinte, Tacology and Palo Santo, while executive chef Juan Suazo, whose career includes the kitchens of Kyu and Komodo, leads the kitchen.

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The key to the restaurant is a Mibrasa charcoal oven, which uses an intense heat to bring out a certain smokiness in the menu items like whiskey-infused dry-aged ribeye or roasted chicken with a burnt chile-whiskey glaze.

Some of the popular menu items include roasted cauliflower with peanut sauce and jalapeño crema; anticucho-glazed charred octopus on smoked chickpea hummus; Alaskan King crab with a gochujang-whiskey glaze and lemon zest; and a butter-poached Maine lobster linguine with aji amarillo cream, garlic and herbs.

As you may have guessed, whiskey is the pride of the bar, which offers 350 whiskeys, bourbons, ryes and Scotches in addition to a wine and cocktail program. Run by Jeffrey Ambler, the beverage program highlights include an Old Fashioned made with Four Roses bourbon infused with plantain and finished with walnut bitters, or The Juniper, with gin and St. Germain.

In other words, expect a little theater with your drink. Aromatic smoke, infused foams and layered garnishes will all play a part. Flight West also plans to offer whiskey tastings and other guided experiences in its private dining room.

Youbi said the brand’s appreciation of great spirits is the heart of its success.

“We wanted to build a destination where the whiskey program and the kitchen work together, so you taste that connection in the food, not just in the glass,” he said.

Flight West

Where: 5984 Sunset Dr., South Miami

Hours: 5-11 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday and Sunday; 5 p.m.-1 a.m. Thursday-Saturday; closed Monday

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More information and reservations: www.flightwestmiami.com or 786-703-5529