Stephen Starr Returns to Bal Harbour with a Cinematic Steakhouse by Gachot

Stephen Starr knows the Bal Harbour Shops well. The prolific restaurateur and James Beard Award winner opened Makoto there with chef Makoto Okuwa in 2011, helping usher in a soigné new chapter for the coastal shopping destination at a time when few chef-driven restaurants called it home. Makoto quickly established itself as a local institution and helped elevate Bal Harbour’s reputation as a serious dining address alongside longtime favorites such as Carpaccio. Years later, when Makoto relocated from its longtime first-floor home to the third level, Starr saw an opportunity. After another restaurant briefly occupied the vacated space, he wasted no time reclaiming the coveted storefront for the newest addition to his restaurant empire—a move he describes as a “full-circle moment.”  

That opportunity gave rise to Slim’s, an 183-seat steakhouse inspired by Hollywood’s Golden Age and named after Lauren Bacall’s character in To Have and Have Not. Starr drew inspiration from the effortless cool of the actress’s screen persona and the era that produced it, envisioning an intimate local haunt with impeccable service and a palpable sense of occasion. To bring that concept to life, he tapped Galerie Creative Mind firm Gachot, whose sumptuous interiors often balance old-world glamour with contemporary ease. “This space carries a lot of history as Makoto’s original home, so coming back to reimagine it as Slim’s felt right,” Starr says. “We wanted to create an intentional space that feels transportive but still welcoming, where locals and visitors can come together to experience delicious food, great drinks, and an atmosphere that feels special.” 

And he selected the right designers for the task. Gachot approached the project with one eye on Palm Beach elegance and the other on the spirit of Miami Beach, conjuring exquisite interiors that temper steakhouse polish with sunny exuberance. “The room had to glow,” says Christine Gachot, who co-founded the firm with her husband, John, and kept Starr “on speed dial” for more than a year as they exchanged ideas about the concept. “We wanted it to feel inviting and vibrant in the afternoon, then gradually transform into something more intimate and celebratory as the evening unfolded.” 

Their rich material palette does much to support that ambition, namely the sumptuous checkerboard floor of rich Nero Marquina and Calacatta Viola Monet marble and supple honey-hued leather banquettes. But perhaps the restaurant’s most distinctive features are the sprightly murals by Christoph Niemann, the celebrated illustrator best known for enlivening the hallowed pages of The New Yorker and The New York Times. Drawing on Art Deco motifs through his characteristically witty lens, the colorful compositions sweep delightfully across the dining room with graphic silhouettes and a monumental sense of scale, providing one of the restaurant’s defining visual anchors.

“When we first began discussing the narrative for Slim’s, we knew immediately that Christoph had to be involved,” the Gachots tell Galerie, citing his singular ability to tell evocative stories through imagery. “His murals helped define the personality of the space, establishing the tone the moment guests arrive and reinforcing the sense of fun, energy, and occasion that we wanted Slim’s to embody.” Fabrics and finishes were even selected to complement Niemann’s artwork, allowing the murals to truly dazzle. 

At the heart of Slim’s lies a menu that draws from steakhouse tradition while embracing unabashed luxury. Led by chef Anthony Micari, the kitchen presents pristine seafood towers piled high with shellfish, caviar service, and an array of premium cuts, including American and Japanese Wagyu. One of the restaurant’s most talked-about dishes revives a Stephen Starr classic: the cheesesteak he first introduced at Barclay Prime in Philadelphia. Here, shaved Wagyu beef arrives on a sesame roll with black truffle, foie gras, fried onions, and Cooper Sharp cheese, bringing one of his signature—and most decadent—creations to Miami for the first time. Beyond steaks, guests can order seafood favorites such as crab-stuffed avocado, king crab rolls, and Chilean sea bass. 

Dessert follows suit with a wink to the Magic City’s appetite for indulgence. A vivid pink Champagne cake comes layered with vanilla custard and Champagne buttercream, while bananas Foster is flambéed tableside. No classic steakhouse would be complete without a martini; Slim’s embraces them with a dedicated menu exploring the cocktail in multiple guises, from bracingly dirty renditions to sweeter varieties. Each is prepared with the panache that has long accompanied a night out in Bal Harbour. 

To that end, the atmosphere feels surprisingly relaxed for the tony enclave, which Starr admits can project an air of exclusivity. What he sought to create instead was a local haunt steeped in the hospitality of the great American dining rooms from midcentury. “What I wanted Slim’s to add is warmth: a place where you can close a deal, celebrate a birthday, or sit at the bar alone with a steak and a glass of red wine and feel completely at home,” he says. “I want Slim’s to be the restaurant that locals claim as theirs.”