Coco’s Palm Beach: A Slice of French Riviera
Some openings arrive with noise. The Vineta arrived with a reputation. Long before the first cocktail was poured or the first dinner reservation secured, Palm Beach was already talking, because when a storied European hotel group chooses this island for its first American address, people notice.
The restored landmark at 363 Cocoanut Row is the first U.S. property in the Oetker Hotels portfolio, two blocks from Worth Avenue, with 41 rooms and interiors reimagined by designer Tino Zervudachi. Oetker positions it as a Mediterranean Revival landmark brought back to life, complete with Coco’s restaurant, The Bar, and The Pool House tucked behind its historic façade.
That family tree matters. Coco’s is not simply a “hotel restaurant” attached to a pretty reopening. Its menu was developed as a crossover with Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, the French Riviera legend whose history dates to 1870. In France, Oetker’s owned flagships also include Le Bristol Paris in Paris and Château Saint-Martin & Spa in Vence above the Côte d’Azur. Le Bristol became the first hotel in France to receive the official “Palace” distinction in 2011, while Château Saint-Martin traces its site history back centuries, long before it became a luxury retreat. In other words, Palm Beach now has a property with very expensive relatives.
A brief history of The Vineta
The Palm Beach building has its own layered backstory. According to local preservation records, it opened in 1926 as the Lido-Venice, was renamed The Vineta in 1928, and was renovated in 1937 by architect John L. Volk. It later became condos, then operated as the Palm Court hotel-condominium, and in 1989 joined the Red Carnation collection as The Chesterfield before ultimately reclaiming its earlier Vineta identity. The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the National Park Service includes the Vineta Hotel among Palm Beach’s registered historic sites.
The latest chapter comes through a partnership between Oetker Hotels and Reuben Brothers, the owner partners behind the redevelopment. Reuben Brothers’ official materials describe The Vineta as Oetker’s U.S. debut and a restoration of the historic, century-old Palm Beach property. That explains why the reopening has drawn more than the usual curiosity. It is not just another island refresh. It is a European luxury operator planting a very deliberate flag in Palm Beach.
The design: old Palm Beach, newly polished
The best thing about The Vineta is that it does not feel like a heavy-handed imitation of old money. It feels lighter than that. The official design language speaks of Palm Beach luminosity and Mediterranean Revival character, but what that actually translates to on arrival is a soft, composed kind of glamour: arches, terrazzo, Venetian plaster, botanical artwork, a courtyard framed to flatter every table, and just enough detail to remind you this hotel wants to be seen.
Walking to Coco’s, the effect is immediate. Bougainvillea, white walls, and that careful transition from Palm Beach sunshine to indoor hush. The whole space feels as though someone asked, “What if the Riviera came to Palm Beach, but behaved itself?” and then spent a great deal of money answering the question.
Coco’s: the room knows exactly what it’s doing
Coco’s is the hotel’s signature indoor-outdoor restaurant, helmed by Executive Chef Brian Rodriguez, with menu collaboration from Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc Executive Chef Sébastian Broda and Pastry Chef Tarek Ahamada. Oetker describes it as Mediterranean in spirit, with certain signature dishes imported from its Antibes sister property, including the Eden Roc Sea Bass. That cross-pollination gives the room an identity beyond “new, expensive, and hard to book.” It has a point of view.
And the room itself helps. Plush seating, white tablecloths, little pleated lamps, and scalloped plates with green rims. polished glassware catching the light. It hums in the way good dining rooms do before the food even arrives: not loud, not sleepy, just alive.
Our dinner at Coco’s
The reopening of The Vineta Hotel has been the talk of the Island, and after stepping through its iconic doors, it is easy to see why. Our dinner at Coco’s did not feel like a simple first visit to a newly opened restaurant. It felt like a brief, stylish detour to the South of France, staged in the middle of Palm Beach.
We started with the Beef Tartare, hand-cut and glossy, finished with aged Parmesan. It had that ideal tartare effect: rich but clean, indulgent without turning heavy. Alongside it came the house-made gnocchi, soft and luxurious in a velvety cream sauce with sautéed morels and toasted hazelnuts. This was the sort of dish that earns silence for a minute. Earthy, plush, and extremely well judged.
The main event was the Eden Roc Seabass, one of Coco’s signature carryovers from Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc. Beautifully bronzed, delicately cooked, and served with charred fennel and tomato compote, it delivered exactly what you want from a dish with this much lineage behind it: confidence without fuss. It did not need theatrics. It had precision.
On the side, the Sautéed Local Farm Greens brought brightness and structure to the table, with Swiss chard in jewel-toned stems that cut through the richness of the meal and kept everything feeling balanced.
The olive oil worth talking about
One of the most memorable details of the night was not a plated course at all, but the bottle placed squarely at the center of the table: Fernando Pensato “Private Collection” Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It was peppery, buttery, vivid, and genuinely special, not the kind of thing people praise just because the bottle looks pretty.
Hotel staff shared that guest response has been strong enough that The Vineta plans to introduce additional versions, including infused options, as exclusive retail products. That is a smart move. A lot of restaurants sell souvenirs. Very few identify the correct souvenir.
What else is inside The Vineta?
Coco’s may be the headliner, but it is not the hotel’s only social setting. The Vineta also includes The Bar, a sleek cocktail space built around a botanical drinks concept called Pan’s Garden, with Mediterranean-inspired small plates. Then there is The Pool House, a shaded daytime retreat for elegant lunches, cocktails, and casual snacks. The hotel also offers Afternoon Tea in the courtyard, plus its whimsical Vineta “A La Cart” program, which includes hand-delivered touches like gelato, Champagne, fitness, and skincare carts. Palm Beach has always appreciated a flourish, and this hotel clearly understands the assignment.
Final verdict
Coco’s is more than the restaurant inside Palm Beach’s newest glamorous hotel opening. It is the emotional center of the whole project. The room is confident, the design is intelligent, and the menu manages to borrow from the French Riviera without feeling like a costume.
That is not easy.
Many luxury reopenings conflate polish with personality. Coco’s has both. It gives you the pleasure of the occasion, but without stiffness. It nods to Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc, but still feels rooted in Palm Beach. And by the time the table lamps take over and the room settles into its nighttime glow, you understand what The Vineta is trying to become: not just a restored hotel, but a place people on the Island will actively want to orbit.
For now, it is off to a very strong start.
Go for:
The Eden Roc Seabass
The polished Riviera-meets-Palm Beach atmosphere
The gnocchi with morels and hazelnuts
The olive oil, which nearly steals the show
A full-property evening: cocktails before or after at The Bar
Be prepared to:
Pay for pedigree
Take your time and enjoy the room
Notice every design detail on the way in
Want to come back just to try the rest of the hotel
📍 363 Cocoanut Row, Palm Beach, FL 33480
