Union Bar & Grill opens in Miami

Nation's Restaurant News, August 30, 1993

SOUTH BEACH MIAMI, Fla. -- A newcomer to the restaurant business has opened here what he hopes to be the perfect combination restaurant and nightclub.

Andrew Kostas III, a restaurant entrepreneur, has opened the Union Bar & Grill, a supper club designed for those who are shunning large nightclubs in favor of more intimate, private dining and dancing spots.

Designed by Gabriela Dahl, Union Bar & Grill has the look of a traditional but contemporary British gentlemen's club and offers an American eclectic menu directed by chef Joe Minotto. The complex is designed with exposed brick walls, floors set with slab stone, rough wood beams and walls with a moss green glaze that seem damaged by water.

Separate elevated "living room" and "library" areas are designed to encourage intimate socializing with comfortable couches, chairs and chaise lounges. A billiard area with antique chairs and standing lamps are nearby and a separate dance room with a state-of-the-art sound system, burgundy velour drapes and a 500-gallon vertical tropical fish tank complete Kostas' vision.