1601 Lounge

Miguel Ursino was such a kind, attentive, and wonderful server! He always kept our waters filled, made suggestions when we couldn't figure out what we wanted. We had a large group that was coming and going but he handled the orders in a very organized way! I would come back and request Miguel if he was working.

We didn't want to leave the hotel so this was a good place to grab dinner. They were serving food until about 1045. I liked the counch fritters and the 1601 burger was filling. The spicy smoke cocktail was nice. Prices for these items were in the teens so budget accordingly. The staff was friendly. They do get busy around good closing time so they might not be able to get to you as quick if it wasn't so busy. It's a nice introduction to Miami if you are staying here for the first time.

Server Miguel is fantastic. Small menu. Skirt steak was awesome. Empanadas are very good. Chips and salsa were ok. The chicken noodle soup was bland. Food orders were slow. Crème brûlée was a serious fail. Just melted butter on top of the custard. No crunch. Server was so kind would have tolerated anything.

Staying at the Miami Downtown Hilton, it was super convenient to have a restaurant in the hotel. I read the other reviews and would say my rating is a little over a 4. First, the biggest negative. We received the final bill, not itemized, and there is a line for extra tip. My wife said that extra tip means maybe they already included tip. I didn't think they would be that sneaky, but we asked for an itemized bill. They had no issues whatsoever giving us an itemized bill, but sure enough, there was an 18% gratuity already added. Most people probably would never notice and just think the bill is pricey because it is hotel food. As for other complaints about a long time to get food - wasn't an issue for us. I found the food was served reasonably quickly, still hot, and I thought it was pretty good. The menu is a little small, but we all managed to find something to eat. And everyone seemed pretty happy with the taste. There was a DJ playing music much louder than necessary for a small crowd but I'm not sure if that was more of a hotel lobby thing or the restaurant. The servers were all very polite, friendly, and gave decent service. They would have gotten more than an 18% tip if it weren't already included.