If you were eating in Miami around 2015, you likely remember Fooq’s. The downtown bistro was famous for two things: excellent Persian-French comfort food (evening winning New Times‘ Best Downtown Miami Restaurant 2016), and a dining room so small you essentially ate dinner with the strangers at the next table. Then came the pandemic, a 2021 closure, and a pivot to pizza. For five years, the original restaurant went dark. But owner David Foulquier always promised he would bring it back.

The wait ends this month. Fooq’s officially reopens Friday, January 23, in Little River. While the name is the same, the restaurant has grown from a cozy “closet” in downtown into a massive two-story complex in Little River’s booming culinary neighborhood.

The space blends Middle Eastern influences, 1970s textures, and mid-century design to create distinct zones.

A New Home in Little River

The new Fooq’s is located at 150 NW 73rd St. inside a 14,000-square-foot space. It is a far cry from the original downtown outpost, featuring 200 seats and a design aesthetic Foulquier describes as “hippie chic.”

The challenge was recreating the intimate feel of the original spot into a warehouse-sized venue without creating what Foulquier calls a “wedding hall” atmosphere. To solve this, the space blends Middle Eastern influences, 1970s textures, and mid-century design to create distinct zones.

Longtime regulars will spot a familiar fixture: the bookshelf from the original downtown location. Originally a “splurge” when the first restaurant opened, it returns here, filled with books and items from Foulquier’s childhood home, to give the massive room a lived-in feel. The walls feature works by Austyn Weiner and music photography by Jay Blakesberg.

From left: owner David Foulquier and Executive Chef Andrew Bazzini at Fooq’s in Little River

Wood-Fired Feasts and Secret Menu Items

While the vibe is familiar, there is a new team in the kitchen. Executive chef Andrew Bazzini, whose resume includes stints at acclaimed New York kitchens like Olmsted and LT Bar & Grill, is leading the culinary program.

Bazzini’s menu is built around a custom wood-fired cooking suite from Grills by Demant, a “dream grill” Foulquier has been waiting years to use. The food is described as American with Persian influence, featuring large-format proteins and vegetable-filled dishes designed for sharing.

Guests can expect whole ducks, large-format steaks, and wood-fired shawarma. If you want the full experience, the team suggests the “Fooq’s Feast”. It is a prix-fixe menu priced around $95 per person, designed to feed a group. The meal starts with dips, salads, potato latkes, and homemade Persian bread, then moves on to proteins like chicken or mushroom skewers.

Tahdig (crispy Persian rice) at Fooq’s

Screenshot via Instagram/@fooqsmiami

The feast also includes sides like tahdig (crispy Persian rice) and “Pampiti,” which are twice-fried potatoes tossed in clarified butter and herbs.

For the locals who missed the old menu, Foulquier is bringing back the hits. The “Brussels Sprouts 2.0” returns with garlic yogurt and hot honey. The cult-favorite Bucatini Amatriciana is also in the building, but it is strictly on the “secret menu” for now, so you have to know to ask for it. (Tell them Miami New Times tipped you off if you do.)

Dessert goes casual with a soft-serve machine dispensing frozen yogurt, which Foulquier describes as a “Persian sundae experience.”

The Lion’s Den, located above Fooq’s, is a music venue that Foulquier promises is not just another Miami club selling tables.

No “Dark Beats” Allowed

The second floor houses the Lion’s Den, a music venue that Foulquier promises is not just another Miami club selling tables. The design shifts to a “groovy” aesthetic with psychedelic lighting, mirrors, and rugs, with a “warm” sound system designed by Sweden’s Joyn Studios to surround guests.

The music policy is also very optimistic. “Only happy music,” Foulquier says. “Don’t bring your dark beats here. They’re not welcome”.

The venue will operate three nights a week to start. Thursdays will feature vinyl-only sets, while Fridays and Saturdays will showcase local and international DJs.

Fooq’s. 150 NW 73rd St., Little River; fooqsmiami.com. Opening Friday, January 23, 2026.