It’s been many months since we’ve seen our friends living far to the north of us on the edges of Boca Raton. So for this special occasion, we need a special restaurant. We agree to meet halfway at Mizner Park which is known for its fine dining. In this upscale mall, Ouzo Bay is a standout among the many options.
Offering traditional fresh locally sourced and country origin sourced (as in from Greece and other parts of the Mediterranean) Ouzo Bay brings the highest level of refinement to Greek food. This certainly is 4-star luxury dining and the seafood here — what they are truly known for — is absolutely fresh. They are not shy about showing how fresh it is, I love when a restaurant can showcase what you are about to eat, in this case with their ‘seafood wall.’ Both inside and on the covered outside patios, you are treated to a delightful ambience. On this visit, they also had a saxophone player adding to that experience. The service too is first class, and our servers were very entertaining as they lit various appetizers on fire.
While the visuals are exciting, the food is even better.
Our night started out with the flaming Saganaki. Yes, open fires are brought to your table. Greek dining is often much more than food, entertainment is always included. The saganaki is made from Pan-fried Kefalograviera Cheese, and it paired nicely with our ever-present pita bread.
Next, for our main course, we had the roasted half chicken, the kotopoulo, which was cooked to perfection, tender and juicy. The chef(s) knew exactly when to take it out of the oven, and this was an absolute delight. Also on our table, we had the mussels in a fantastic lemon sauce with feta cheese, something which I’ll try at home. And finally, we had the Stone Crab claws which are now in season.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the large variety of Ouzo (a type of liquor native to Greece in the same way vodka is to Russia). I would love to come back and have a ‘flight’ sampler, but I did have to drive back, so I’ll leave that to another night and a pricey uber journey.
If you’re thinking of visiting I highly recommend it. The pricing here is not inexpensive, however, but the value and experience is quite large. Also, there is the issue of parking… Yes, when you visit, Mizner Park it can be quite difficult to find parking, on the streets, but you can find parking for free in the garage, or even better, they have valet parking — with an app — so you can order your car to be delivered while still in the restaurant. I look forward to returning to Mizner Park soon.
Location: 201 Plaza Real Suite 1203, Boca Raton, FL 33432 (In Mizner Park)
Phone: 561 757 0082
On the web: ouzobay.com
Telephone No.561 757 0082