Brickell Key: the island off Brickell, and what is there now that the Mandarin is gone
Brickell Key is a small man-made island of condo towers off Brickell. The Mandarin Oriental is gone; here is what is left to see, eat and how to get in.
Коротко
- What: A 44-acre man-made island at the mouth of the Miami River, mostly condo towers.
- Big change: The Mandarin Oriental closed in May 2025 and was imploded April 12, 2026.
- Coming: Two new towers with a Mandarin Oriental hotel and residences, due in 2030.
- Eat: The Mexican at 601 Brickell Key Drive, or NAOE's 5-seat omakase at 661.
- Go for: A walk around the waterfront and the skyline view; little else.
Brickell Key is worth an hour, not a day: walk across from Brickell, circle the island on the waterfront path for the skyline and the bay, and stay for dinner only if you booked The Mexican or NAOE.
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What Brickell Key is
Brickell Key, also called Claughton Island, is a man-made island just east of Brickell and the mouth of the Miami River. Its history, as Wikipedia tells it, starts in 1896, when Henry Flagler had a channel dug from the river mouth that created two islands. Edward N. Claughton Sr. bought them in 1943 and joined them into a 44-acre triangle, and Swire Properties bought most of the island in the late 1970s.
Since then it has filled with condo towers, many from the 2000s boom, a few office buildings and, until 2025, the Mandarin Oriental, Miami at its southern tip. You reach it on Brickell Key Drive, over the Brickell Key Bridge from the mainland.
For a visitor it is a quiet place to walk with views back to the Brickell skyline and out over Biscayne Bay. The waterfront path runs around the island's edge; we could not confirm its length from an official source, so check a map before you set out.
What happened to the Mandarin Oriental
The Mandarin Oriental, Miami closed on May 31, 2025, after more than 25 years on the island. The 23-story hotel and its parking garage were imploded on Sunday, April 12, 2026, at 8:30 am; Miami police closed the Brickell Key Bridge to cars and people from 7 am to about 1:30 pm that morning.
Swire Properties is replacing it with The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Miami, two towers designed by KPF on the southern tip. Florida YIMBY reported the plans: an 850-foot South Tower with 66 stories and 228 residences, and a 426-foot North Tower with 121 hotel rooms, 66 residences and 28 hotel residences, which will be Mandarin Oriental's new North American flagship. WLRN put completion at 2030.
Until then the southern end of the island is a construction site, and the island has no hotel.
Where to eat on Brickell Key now
| Place | Address | What it is | Hours, October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Mexican | 601 Brickell Key Drive, Suite 100 | Mexican restaurant, lunch and dinner | From 12 pm daily; to 10 pm Sun to Wed, 11 pm Thu, midnight Fri and Sat |
| NAOE | 661 Brickell Key Drive, Courvoisier Centre | Japanese omakase counter with 5 seats; advance reservations required | Not published; book through its site |
NAOE validates parking for the first three hours in the Courvoisier Centre garage. The Mexican's site does not mention parking or valet.
themexican.com and naoemiami.com, checked October 2026
Перед выходом
- Walk in from Brickell over the Brickell Key Drive bridge. The free Metromover's Brickell Loop and the free City of Miami Brickell trolley both serve the Brickell side.
- The Metromover runs 5:30 am to 10 pm, so plan a late dinner on the island around a rideshare home.
- If you drive to NAOE, park in the Courvoisier Centre garage and get the three-hour validation.
- Expect construction noise and fencing at the southern tip, where the Mandarin stood.
- Treat the island as residential: the condo towers and their grounds are private.
Что спрашивают
Is Brickell Key worth visiting?
For an hour, yes: the waterfront walk gives you the Brickell skyline and Biscayne Bay. There is no beach, hotel or nightlife, so pair it with Brickell or Bayfront Park.
Is the Mandarin Oriental Miami still open?
No. It closed on May 31, 2025, and the building was imploded on April 12, 2026. A new two-tower Mandarin Oriental hotel and residences is planned for 2030.
Is Brickell Key a private island?
Not entirely. You can walk or drive onto it over the Brickell Key Bridge and visit its restaurants, but most of the island is condo towers whose grounds are private.
Where can I eat on Brickell Key?
The Mexican at 601 Brickell Key Drive, open daily from noon, and NAOE, a 5-seat Japanese omakase at 661 Brickell Key Drive that needs a reservation.
Ещё гиды
Things to do in Brickell: from free walks to a speakeasy, by budgetBrickell · Things to do · Brickell · 4 мин чтенияBrickell rooftops, ranked by what you want from the nightBrickell · Руфтопы · Вечер · 4 мин чтения
Miami Metromover: the free downtown train, its loops, hours and current closuresDowntown · Metromover · Downtown · 3 мин чтенияHistory from Wikipedia; Mandarin Oriental closing date and tower plans from Florida YIMBY; implosion, bridge closure and 2030 completion from WLRN (April 12, 2026); restaurants from themexican.com and naoemiami.com; Metromover and trolley from miamidade.gov and miami.gov; checked October 2026.