Fluke Is the Neighborhood Oyster Bar Miami Beach Actually Needed
No reservations, solid martinis, and crudo that'll convert the skeptics
Sometimes the best things happen by accident. The team behind Macchialina—Michael Pirolo, Jennifer Chaefsky, and Jacqueline Pirolo—found themselves with extra space after their 5,600-square-foot expansion and decided to roll with it. Enter Fluke, their new oyster and martini bar that's exactly what South Beach was missing: a proper neighborhood spot that focuses that actually feels like it was made for locals.
Is it worth the hype? Yes, especially if you've been waiting for a decent oyster bar that doesn't require an expense account. Fluke succeeds because it doesn't try to reinvent the neighborhood seafood spot, it just executes the concept properly with the kind of food and drinks you actually want to come back for.
The Space: Housed in Macchialina's original dining room, Fluke keeps the exposed brick warmth but adds a moody black marble bar that signals the shift from Italian comfort food to something sleeker. The self-service format works like this: grab a paper menu, mark your picks, hand it over, then settle in while cocktail servers deliver drinks and chef de cuisine Trevor Zwaan (formerly of Uchi) sends out the goods.
What to Eat & Drink: House focaccia kicks things off with black olive butter sounds simple but delivers something unexpectedly compelling. The Fluke Crudo will convert even the raw fish skeptics. The fish comes topped with tomato guazzetto that has this creamy, almost gratin-like texture that plays perfectly against the clean, fresh fluke. It's the kind of dish you'll want to order again immediately. The caviar service is done right if you're feeling fancy, and the seafood tower is built for groups who want to go all in. The Big Macch Burger is the only truly hearty thing on the menu, but it's a classic for a reason —fontina cheese, thin mushroom slivers, Genovese sauce for dipping, and a perfect beef-to-bun ratio. It was just as good as I remembered it. The cocktail program centers around martinis because that's what makes sense here.
Perfect For: Martini enthusiasts who appreciate a proper happy hour. Couples looking for a lowkey date night spot or smaller groups who want to drop in for drinks and stay for dinner. The space isn't huge, so it works better for intimate gatherings than big parties.
Pro Tips: The Lucky $7 Martini Happy Hour runs 5-6:30 p.m. every day they're open, including Saturdays and Sundays. Seven-dollar martinis at a quality spot? That hasn’t been seen on Miami Beach since 2002, plus the Big Macch Burger drops to just $10 during happy hour too.
Expect to Pay: $70-100 per person for a full meal with drinks, less if you stick to happy hour.
How's the parking? This is the tricky part. Limited street parking in a residential area means you might circle the block a few times. We lucked out with a spot early in the evening, but rideshare is probably your best bet for peak hours.
@fluke_crudo_bar / 820 Alton Road, Miami Beach