LPM Miami’s Cocktail Creations Pay Homage to Reknown French Artist Jean Cocteau
The greatest art inspires other artists. There is a depth to creation that motivates other creators to reach into a well of art, expression, and community and make their own creative contributions and statements about the magnificent people and world around them. This much is true for the incredible cocktail creatives and minds behind the LPM Restaurant & Bar located on beautiful Brickell Bay Drive. LPM Miami is a French Riviera-inspired restaurant and bar that opened in 2017, becoming another addition to the restaurant group’s impressive locations across the world. LPM Restaurant & Bar has establishments in London, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong and Riyadh. LPM Miami is a restaurant that not only recognizes its ambitious roots but also carries their exquisite French culture into the creation of their cuisine and cocktails for guests to experience. On Wednesday, May 11th, LPM Miami debuted an experimental cocktail menu that the late, great French Artist Jean Cocteau inspired as a part of their “Recipes For Our Friends”
Series. LPM’s visionary and award-winning Global Bar Manager, Tibor Krascsenics, created the menu after developing it for over a year. LPM Miami’s Bar Manager, Barna Jeremias, supported Krascsenics’s vision because of its beautiful design and inventive, creative approach to cocktail thematic creation.
“The year-long project has been a labor of love, with the end result being a testament to one of the greatest figures of the 20th century – and one of its most versatile artists,” said Krascsenics. “Jean loved the French Riviera; it influenced his life, and this is visible through his work. He too greatly influenced the French Riviera, with his lifestyle and art – several Cocteau treasures can still be found on the French Riviera today.”
Cocteau was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, filmmaker, visual artist and critic. He was one of the major figures of Dada and Surrealism and herald as an influential figure in Paris’s creative scene. Decades later, his mastery of craft and remarkable works of art continue to touch all those who know of him, reaching LPM Miami which is, according to Tasting Table, one of the best French restaurants in the United States.
This Cocteau inspired cocktail lineup marks the first time that LPM Miami has created a thematic experience for their guests. This unique initiative features incredible creations such as a levitating cocktail and an absinthe fountain. These cocktails provide a multi-sensory experience for visitors of the establishment as well as an imaginative journey that amuses guests from their eyes, to their tongues, and to their hearts. The menu is known internationally for its Tomatini and serves to invite guests on a gastronomical time machine to a historical era gone but not forgotten.
Inspired by Cocteau’s vivid novels that he wrote during the La Belle Époque era, the menu consists of four chapters or “houses.” Each chapter reflects and pays respect to a place in which once Cocteau lived and created. In each chapter, there are also three cocktails that hold the honor of being influenced by a person or event that marked Cocteau’s fascinating life. For a man who held longtime friendships with legendary creatives such as Pablo Picasso, Coco Chanel, Charlie Chaplin, Louis Cartier, etc, there is no shortage of inspiration from which to draw.
Spearheading the Miami beverage program, Jeremias boasts more than 13 years of experience in the hospitality industry. About working closely with Krascsenics, Jeremias says, “curating this menu with Tibor was a career-highlight and profound journey that required us to uncover every element of Jean Cocteau’s vibrant life. We took as many intricate details as possible and paired them with the precise ingredients, techniques, and balance that we hope will evoke thoughtful memories and emotions from each creation for years to come.”
Every cocktail has a dual purpose of delighting and educating guests. Guests experience a historical era brought to life through each edible expression of significant periods of Cocteau’s extravagant life. Miraculously, these creations fill a spectacular 30-page bound booklet. According to LPM Miami, there are four cocktails that guests would be wise to get their hands on. The first of which is the Trinity which is a levitating work of art inspired by Louis Cartier’s iconic ring and the three pillars of a relationship—love, fidelity and friendship. The Trinity is made with Bacardi Ocho Rum, cacao, strawberry, islay honey water, bitters, and served in a levitating glass inspired by a dream Cocteau had. Another remarkable cocktail is called Room 22. This creation is inspired by the infamous room that Cocteau frequented while visiting the legendary Hotel Welcome in the Southeast of France. It is served in a awe-inspiring absinthe fountain with seasonal infused water. The third standout cocktail is the Lettre à Coco which represents the special friendship between Cocteau and Coco Chanel. This cocktail is made with Ketel One Vodka, Champagne Cordial, and topped with jasmine, bergamot and rose misted onto the glass—reminiscent of the iconic Chanel No. 5 perfume. The Pablo cocktail celebrates Cocteau’s close relationship with Picasso and features two of the great artist’s most significant colors, blue and green. It is made with Bombay Sapphire, Tarragon, orange, and mint cordial.
With their twelve new cocktails, LPM pays homage to Jean Cocteau and establishes themselves with original cocktails, a light Mediterranean inspired menu, and beverages made by in-house bartenders with “natural, premium ingredients”. Chef Founder Raphael Duntoye created the à la carte menu which LPM Miami’s head chief Brian Brumec executes for guests to eagerly consume and experience. Although once known as “La Petite Maison,” LPM Restaurant & Bar’s Miami location seats as many as 178 guests divided in the open-air terrace (25), covered dining terrace (53) and dining room (100) respectively.
Guests may find the Jean Cocteau cocktail menu globally at all LPM Restaurant & Bar locations. LPM Restaurant & Bar Miami is located at 1300 Brickell Bay Dr, Miami, FL 33131. It is open for dinner Monday through Sunday from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. The bar is also open from 6:00 p.m. to midnight. For additional information visit to https://lpmrestaurants.com/miami/ or follow LPM Miami on Instagram @lpmmiami.