There's a new reason to head south down Main Highway. In late July, the quiet southern stretch of Coconut Grove — the end of the road tourists sometimes drive right past — welcomed Manoli, a 140-seat Greek restaurant named for the chef who built it. The man behind the pass is no stranger to fine dining; he's a Michelin-trained cook who has finally put his own name above the door.
From the Aegean to the Grove
Chef Emmanouil "Manoli" Aslanoglou grew up eating food meant to be shared, and his résumé reads like a tasting menu of the world's great kitchens. He cooked at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons in England and Arzak in Spain — both Michelin-starred — and later helmed Vassilenas in Athens, one of the city's most historic restaurants. Along the way he appeared on MasterChef Greece, ran the kitchen at Nammos in Southampton, and put in time at Miami's own KYU. Manoli is where all of that comes home.
A familiar address, a new story
Manoli opened July 22 at 3540 Main Hwy., the space that most recently held the modern Portuguese spot Sereia, which closed in May 2025. The address is storied but tricky — it sits at the tail end of the Grove, where foot traffic thins and refined concepts have struggled to hold attention. Manoli is betting that a warmer room and a menu built for sharing will succeed where understated minimalism didn't. Inside, white tones, light woods, soft blues, and sculpted wall niches run across indoor, outdoor, and bar areas. Its neighbors now include Taurus and the Michelin-starred Ariete, which makes this corner of the Grove a quiet dining destination all on its own.
The menu, built for the table
Dishes are meant to land in the middle of the table and be passed around. The menu spans small plates, a raw bar, housemade pastas, and the grill:
Small plates: dolmades and saganaki, plus crispy feta wrapped in phyllo with thyme honey; keftedes, Mediterranean mussels, and gyro tacos made with Black Angus ribeye.
Raw bar: bigeye tuna tartare, beef tartare, and seasonal oysters.
Comfort classics: a traditional avgolemono soup of roasted chicken, egg, and lemon.
Housemade pasta: pastitsio and makarounes, plus an Athenian lobster pasta over handmade linguine.
From the grill: Greek-style lamb chops, prime beef, and whole branzino.
Save room. The meal ends with a dessert trolley rolled to the table, loaded with profiteroles, baklava, chocolate cake, crispy cream custard, yogurt with preserves, and Greek doughnuts.
Cocktails named for Greek tragedy
The cocktail program, called "Sober Souls Diaries," comes from beverage manager Fotis Mexi and draws on the tragedies of Sophocles, Aeschylus, and Euripides — each drink framed as part of a larger narrative arc. The Hybris mixes vodka, citrus, cardamom, nutmeg, kumquat, and a saffron-lavender foam. The aperitif-style Mira pairs Mastiha, St. Germain, basil-peach, and Aegean bubbles. The wine list leans deliberately on Greek producers, a rare and welcome thing on this side of the Atlantic.
From day to night
Manoli runs on the Greek toast "Ya Mas" — to our health. Evenings tilt from dinner into something livelier: flowing cocktails, music, dancing, and the kind of long table where strangers become friends by dessert. It's the energy of a Greek night out, transposed onto a leafy Grove block.
Plan Your Visit
Location: 3540 Main Hwy., Coconut Grove, Miami
Hours: Wednesday, Thursday & Sunday 5–10 p.m.; Friday & Saturday 5–11 p.m.; closed Monday & Tuesday.
Reservations: OpenTable
Instagram: @manoligreek · Phone: 754-285-5702
Pro tip: Book a little early or late on the weekend, and say yes when the dessert trolley arrives — that's the point of the place.
In the chef's own words
"Manoli is deeply personal to me," Aslanoglou told Miami New Times. "It reflects the way I grew up eating in Greece, food made with care and meant to be shared. I wanted to bring that feeling to Miami, where every table feels like home, and every meal feels like a celebration."
Ready to go? Reserve a table at Manoli, order for the middle of the table, and raise a glass. Ya Mas. #MiamiEats #CoconutGrove #GreekFood #NorthCaribbeanVibes
