Duo is one of the best restaurants in the Brickell area and has one of the most lovingly selected wine lists of any place in town. The ambiance is cozy upscale, and Charlie, Maria, Sergio, and the rest of the team there create an excellent experience. As far as sommeliers go, Charlie is one of the best in town--he loves wines and it shows.
If you have never been before, you are in for a treat. Top-notch cuisine and a superb wine list, Maria's kitchen gets high points for creativity and often hitting the mark spot on. I highly recommend Duo and believe it's well worth seeing for yourself.

This miraculous restaurant defies classification, dubbing its cuisine "creative American." But no matter; its discerning clientele have proclaimed it a world-class dining destination. In their spare eatery, adorned only with a massive wine cellar at the end of the floor, Chef Maria Frumkin is creating a culinary stir. The foie gras with curried pears is divine, as is the succulent duck breast. We also adore the chocolate-banana crème brulee for dessert

Miami chic meets gourmet bon vivant at this thoroughly satisfying contemporary dining destination, blending modern comforts with first-rate food and service. The food quality was excellent, beautiful, and imaginative.

In the wake of fusion cuisine, everybody has learned to talk the talk. Seasonal cooking. Local ingredients. But Maria Frumkin shows more dedication to the idea than most. She cooks food for the Miami climate, and her menus are based on flavors that make sense together.

What I appreciate most at Duo is how deeply civilized it is. The experience is about more than just food. It's people taking the time to go out to dinner with their intimates and friends, and that's where husband Charlie comes in. The restaurant staff members try to do everything within their power to make the evening expansive and fun. His touch comes into the wine list too, Mr. Frumkin isn't handing the responsibility over to someone else, but turning it into a personal learning experience. The list continues to evolve as he discovers interesting new wines and producers.

I think Miami boasts its share of ambitious restaurants where chefs push the envelope of what they can do. We dine at Duo downtown, near Brickell (South Miami Ave. at 14) very often, and Maria Frumkin has thrived on a different idea. Her restaurant doesn’t try to dazzle diners with how fancy the food can be. Instead, she revels in the flavor and texture of ingredients, and her creations always cozy up to wine, which, to me, is very important. Make sure you don't miss dessert; Frumkin's experience working at patisseries in France (and at The French Bakery in Bay Harbor) comes across in yummy dessert plates such as a soft, velvety dulce de leche crème brulee and doughnuts of surprising intensity.

Many high-profile chefs get so wrapped up in their fancy presentations and clever ideas that wine becomes an afterthought, not so with Frumkin. She and her husband offer pristine, utterly natural food that encourages a good glass of wine to come alive.

I discovered this jewel through our friendly concierge at the nearby Conrad Hotel, wow! What a great experience we had here, not only the food was superb, they also have one of the most amazing wine lists I've ever seen in the US, formidable presentations, and loving service, we felt pampered all through the evening. Must Go.