Miami is not New York. The city may have its fine restaurants, fancy people and young, hip partiers but the relaxo-quotient in the sunshine city is far greater than its neighbour a to the north. People move to Florida to throw in the throttling work towel and travel there to sunbathe, chill out, and eat. Relaxation and sunbathing are both covered by the Palms Hotel and Spa and eating, well that it covered too; that is, by the hotel’s restaurant Essensia.

Because Essensia is sequestered within a lifestyle hotel such as the Palms, the food takes into account the lifestyle of South Beachers and Bikini clad babes. Body and guilt sensitive, Executive chef Gerd Richter offers a fusion of light Mediterranean dishes with Floridian seafaring fare and promises to keep both your wallets and your waistlines trim. To accompany your skin-treated, glowing dermas, organic, hormone free, and detoxifying ingredients are used as often as possible: pair your rosy cheeks with roasted spring beet and Florida orange salad, or your loose, tender muscles with wagyu beef carpaccio.


As if eating in a spa hotel wasn’t relaxing enough, the 160 seat Essensia offers two chill environments – one, in the botanical garden with a view to the pool and the ocean and the other, within the earthy avant-garde interior inspired by the beach and designed by Ba/haus/knf. Seashell chandeliers, sparkling, sand-coloured mosaics, tropical hardwoods, and coral coloured draperies accent the spot.

If you are not relaxed enough in this sea-inspired milieu then you could always get yourself deeper into the liquid mood by sipping on an organic spirit (or two) brought to you by Essensia lounge, who else? If you are stressed out by limiting yourself to the list of signature cocktails on the fairly extensive list, worry not, the roster is, get this, interactive. Which means, yes, you can build your own drink with the help of the mixologist on hand.