Miami Beach’s after-dark scene has gained a sleek new addition you have to know how to find. Bar Shishi, the latest concept from the team behind Delilah, The Nice Guy and Bootsy Bellows, has opened at 1691 Michigan Avenue, third floor.
A guardian lion marks the discreet entrance to the nearly 2,000-square-foot space by The h.wood Group inside RIVANI, a $125 million project by founder Robert Rivani. It takes its cues from Tokyo’s hidden cocktail bars and listening rooms, the kind tucked inside high-rises that hum with business by day. Inside, patrons can expect dark wood and marble interiors, jewel-toned accents and a 12-seat bar framed by a sculptural arch.
“Bar Shishi is meant to feel discovered rather than introduced,” said Brian Toll, co-founder and president of The h.wood Group. “The experience is grounded in the pillars of Japanese hospitality, including an unspoken social awareness that allows the service to feel intuitive, gracious and quietly attuned to each guest.”
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Senior bar manager Kevin Lee, a certified Japanese Ice Master with 13 years behind the bar, runs the drinks program. His techniques include hand-carved diamond ice, kakigōri-style shaved ice, Japanese cobbler shaking and cocktail throwing.
Start with the Guava Kakigōri, which layers rum, guava, yuzu and shiso over shaved ice. The Hakushu 12 Old Fashioned arrives over one of Lee’s ice diamonds. The Lychee Martini adds bergamot and shochu, and Point Zero leans further into rum and tropical fruit.
Highlights on the food menu include Hamachi Crudo with yuzu ponzu, serrano and shiso; the Lion Crunch Roll with crab, avocado, tuna and sweet soy; and Wagyu Katsu, with A5 Wagyu and caramelized onions in milk bread. For dessert, choose between a Matcha Sugar Cookie with miso caramel and Yuzu Sorbet with fresh berries.
Eddie McDonald, known as Eddie Mac and musical director for Anderson .Paak’s DJ Pee .Wee project, curated more than 100 records for the room. They span deep house, funk, soul, disco and Latin sounds. The music stays low enough for conversation early in the evening, then DJs bring up the energy later.
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Bar Shishi serves the public Wednesday through Saturday from 7 p.m. to close. From Monday to Friday, noon to 5 p.m., it works as an amenity for RIVANI members and their guests only.
The bar also holds 108 private spirits lockers for annual members. Each comes with a custom-engraved plaque, priority reservations and direct access to the bar’s concierge team.
For more information, visit their official website.
📍 1691 Michigan Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139, Third Floor