A very no-frills restaurant. Intimate, refined, and comfortable, with space for just 80 guests. Nothing fancy or ostentatious about Pilar. Good food at fair prices. The staff doesn't waste its time on over-the-top presentations of the plates or eye-catching decorations. The owner and executive chef, Scott Fredel, is a Miami Beach guy who first opened the restaurant back in 2003 and continues to work hard at preserving its reputation as a "locals" spot. Best of all at Pilar is the lunch menu, which features a soup-and-salad combo ($8), a handful of excellent sandwiches (starting for as little as $7), and a half-dozen different types of low-carb spinach wraps ($8). Never crowded during the day, so you can relax and talk with your dining companions sans ever feeling pressure to leave. For dinner, there are a few pasta choices, and about a good number of seafood and steaks options. Nothing that will blow your mind. Simple entrées in a low-key, reserved dining room. The burgers are good (big and very juicy), and Pilar unveils new ones every Thursday night. Definitely worth the trip to the Promenade Shops to eat here.

- Written by Thomas Mallon
February 1, 2011