D. caught sight of work being done at the former Palm space in 200 Chambers/206 West, at the corner of West and Warren, and since I had to look it up myself to remember the plan, I figured it was worth an update.

You may recall that in June 2023, neighbors upstairs fought a proposal for a Caribbean restaurant from Long Island called Nuvo Kitchen. They abandoned their plans after that meeting. (The Palm closed in November 2022.)

The second proposal — and what looks like is underway now — is the Argentinian steakhouse chain Baires Grill (pronounced by-rays); Community Board 1 approved their liquor license in February.

The plan, on the ground floor and mezzanine (was there one at The Palm?) has a total of 10,641 square feet (5500 for the dining area) for 225 people with 22 tables with 106 seats; there will be outdoor seating on private property with 14 seats — in the little nook on the corner of Chambers and West.

The hours of operation will be 7a to midnight Monday to Thursday; 7a to 1a Friday and Saturday; 7a to 10p Sunday. The outdoor seating will be noon to 10p. The reps for the applicant said there will be live violin and guitar music, and the occasional professional tango dancers performing while you are dining (!) (“A tango in the background??” muttered one community board member). No amplified music, no bands. There will be a DJ from 5 to 8p, they said, for cocktail hour.

There are seven Baires in Florida scattered around Miami and Fort Lauderdale, and this past spring they opened a location on 50th between Eighth and Ninth. The first of the restaurants opened in 1999.

Eater added the Coral Gables location to its list of top Argentine restaurants in Miami: “A casual dining experience with affordable food and friendly service, Baires has been a go-to spot in Miami for Argentine specialties for more than two decades. There’s a limited but satisfying selection of dishes, from cheese boards to seafood and juicy cuts of beef. The best thing to drink with the feast? Malbec, of course.”