Fluke Martini & Crudo Bar Opens Inside Macchialina's Original Dining Room
Martinis and Oysters are Summer's Dream Team
Michael Pirolo and his team are on a roll.
First, the team opened Bar Bucce last month, with the pizza and wine spot an instant hit.
Now, Michael Pirolo, along with managing partners Jennifer Chaefsky and Jacqueline Pirolo, are opening Fluke, a combination cocktail lounge and seafood spot — which is a concept that seems so simple yet exactly what Miami Beach needs.
The restaurant opens for its first service tonight, May 21 — so if you don’t have plans for Memorial Day weekend, you do now!
“What started as ‘the little restaurant that wouldn't quit’ turned into a 5,600-square-foot expansion with a newfound opportunity to build on our roots and bring Fluke to life. This stroke of luck is how we landed on the name 'Fluke' – it’s a celebration of those happy coincidences that aligned perfectly to make this exciting new chapter possible,” Michael Pirolo said in a press release.
The former Macchialina space has been transformed, thanks to a new black marble bar, but don’t think Fluke is some South Beach snob. The bar has a self-serve model, with patrons marking their selections on paper menus.
Sip on a cold martini while chef de cuisine Trevor Zwaan prepares your seafood selections from a rotating cast of raw and fried items and crudos. Crudos include fluke with tomato guazzetto and baby caponata; madai (Japanese Sea Bream) with plum vinaigrette and Thai chili; and branzino with artichoke gremolata, citrus oil, and preserved lemon.
Fried selections include rosemary salt-dusted hand-cut fries with senape sauce, fried mussels marinara, and fried shrimp with artichoke remoulade. Macchialina’s off-menu Big Macch Burger also has a permanent home here.
Oren Driori, formerly of Beaker & Gray, created a martini-forward cocktail program, and Jacqueline Pirolo has curated a list of clean, natural, and biodynamic wines.
Fluke will also host a Lucky $7 Martini Happy Hour from 5 to 7 p.m., featuring a selection of martinis for seven bucks.
Fluke opens today May 21, 2025 at 820 Alton Rd., Miami Beach; 305-534-2124. Open Wednesday to Sunday from 5 to 11 p.m. No reservations.
Martinis and Oysters — Summer’s Favorite Love Story!