WD 555

• Cuisine(s): Bistro, French
  Hours: Mon-Sat 11am-11pm
  Price: $$$ $$$
  Payment Types: All Major Credit Cards
• Attire: Casual
  Features: Patio/Sidewalk Dining, Private Party, Wheelchair Accessible
  Serving: Dinner, Lunch, Snack Food
  Alcohol: Beer/Wine
• Reservations: Required
  Parking: Lot Available

Description

It's a nondescript concrete block from the outside, but step within and you'll be privy to a boisterous warehouse setting that encompasses a wine market, wine bar, and casual French bistro. No walls separate the three, so the ambiance is lofty and hip. There are hundreds of modestly priced wine bottles ($7 to $30); the idea is to select one to accompany your bistro meal. Your waiter or the depot manager/sommelier deliver wine to your table and pour. The menu is a mix of informal bistro fare and Mediterranean-inspired small plates. Items include croque-monsieur; salads; charcuterie and cheese plates; foie gras and smoked salmon, each in more than one guise; and tapas such as Merguez sausages, marinated anchovies, and pan con tomate y Serrano ($6 to $13). Don't miss the octopus Provençal or shrimp in saffron butter sauce. A few main-plate blackboard specials are offered nightly -- might be filet mignon, corvina with creamy leek sauce, or veal stroganoff. Try the homemade fig tart for dessert. Perhaps 555's biggest selling point is the free parking lot on the side -- something of a South Beach miracle. This place is geared toward and priced for locals, who appreciate the value and are having a heck of a time doing so. You might consider joining the party one night.