Located discreetly above Nami Nori in Miami’s Design District, Matsuyoi is an intimate cocktail bar and omakase restaurant designed by Modellus Novus for restaurateurs Lisa Limb, Taka Sakaeda, and Jihan Lee, with investor Pharrell Williams. Drawing inspiration from the moonlit coastal scenes of woodblock artist Hasui Kawase, the space offers a restrained counterpoint to Miami’s vibrant and glowing nightlife. Upon arrival, a lounge bar glows in oceanic blue that is paired with charred timber and carefully calibrated lighting. Nearby, quiet, shadowy, and supple, dark stone anchors an omakase counter that is offset by soft moss-toned stools that evoke the color and texture of seaside mountain landscapes. A secluded private dining room, tinted in earthy green and screened from view by fluted glass, is tucked away for intimate gatherings. The design emphasizes thresholds between spaces, allowing different moods to coexist—casual and refined, open and intimate—each revealing a softer, more contemplative and secluded side of both Japanese spaces, and Miami itself.

Photos by Sebastian Lucrecio