Everything you need to know about legendary Miami restaurant, the Forge (432 41st St, Miami Beach).
Local legend has it that Al Capone is alive and well and living in this steakhouse’s acclaimed wine cellar. The place itself is a rococo-lover’s fantasy: multi-chambered, ornately decorated (and priced) and completely OTT. Although it stands as a monument to decadent wines, steak and fish, there are plenty of options for calorie-conscious diners.
Inside the prestigious wine cellar
After dinner, ask the sommelier for a tour (it's free) of the iconic 300,000-bottle wine cellar. You'll go past several dining rooms and through a narrow door into a massive cellar that's precisely acclimated to house the thousands of labels owner Shareef Malnik has collected through the years. Something else you'll find inside the maze-like cellar is a vast collection of movie posters and Romero Britto artwork gifted to him by close friend and Miami Beach native Brett Ratner. Guests can also choose to dine inside the cellar. The spacious, chandelier-lit table sits approximately 20 people and is surrounded by wine bottles on all sides.
Dining at the Forge
The menu is as vast as the chairs are high at the Forge. Despite it being a traditional steakhouse, the Miami Beach restaurant boasts an impressive selection of seafood dishes. The majority of new composed dishes, such as the light salt-baked branzino with tomatoes and lemon potatoes, as well as the variety of fresh crudos, are the doing of executive chef Julia Doyne, the first woman to hold that position at the Forge. She's upheld the meatcentric reputation but still managed to lighten things up.
If it's steak you're craving, the Forge has plenty of that. Cuts (and pricing) are pretty standard to what you'd find at similar upscale restaurants but only at the Forge can you “accessorize” your entrée with Maine lobster gratin, shrimp scampi or a garden vegetable chimichurri. Each steak can be completely customized with your choice of rub, sauce or topping—for an extra charge, of course.
Don't do the prudent thing and order just one side to share—go nuts and order many. From the creamy eggplant parmesan to the deceptively involved haricot ver with yuzu sweet and sour, every accompaniment is tasty enough to be ordered on its own. For dessert, you'd be remiss to skip the classic Forge dome—a small chocolate cake inside a hard chocolate dome that melts as warm sauce is drizzled over top.
Our Miami editorial team is constantly updating and reviewing the best attractions, activities and venues across the city, so that you're always in the know, with the best of Miami at your fingertips. The Forge was most recently updated with new tips on June 30, 2017.