Mirazur in Los Osos serves European-American bistro delicacies by the water 

Bits of blue dot the entryway to Mirazur restaurant in Los Osos and guide patrons all the way inside.

A short lamppost bears a painted heron—a remnant of the previous establishment, Blue Heron—and the greyish teal of the Morro Bay Estuary greets diners when they walk in. Once seated inside, they can gaze out of the windows and admire the brilliant blue twilight sky.

"Mirazur means 'to look at the blue,'" restaurant partner Alejandro Flores told New Times. "We thought it would go perfect with the location right next to the bay."

Flores mostly runs Mirazur's front of the house and operates the restaurant with his partner, Marco Lucatero. The duo combined Flores' management experience, which he honed in Texas, with Lucatero's restaurant skills that he cultivated as the owner of Cayucos' Lunada Garden Bistro to open Mirazur in March. The bistro's chef, Ishmael Giles, leads the culinary team to produce "upscale and casual" fare, according to Flores.

click to enlarge

• Courtesy Photo By Dean Sullivan
• BLUE VIEW Mirazur means "to look at the blue" in honor of the Morro Bay Estuary in front of the restaurant, but the sky delivers too.

"We listened to a lot of the feedback that we received when we were working before we opened from the locals," he said. "You can expect a European-American bistro ... with a little bit of a French twist!"

Patrons can enjoy the elevated bistro fare outside on the patio overlooking the water, but the food is best enjoyed indoors for a more intimate feel. Mirazur is small, cozy, and decorated with white and earth tones. The crisp white of the table linen gleams amid the muted colors. The warm glow from candles and soft lighting bathe the space, amplified by the flames from a stone fireplace that's complete with a basket of blankets in case anyone wants to get cozier.

Want to feel even more at ease? Grab a cocktail or two. I enjoyed the view while sipping on an El Viejo, a pineapple and jalapeño-infused mezcal drink—at least, it'll eventually be. Our server informed us that Mirazur is working on getting its liquor license. Until then, all its cocktails are made with a soju-based concoction.

Flores told New Times that the Mirazur team had the water in mind for more than just the name of the restaurant.

"When we were doing appetizers, we said we definitely need to have oysters," he said. "We're by the beach, and at the other restaurant they're very popular as well. So we went with some oysters on the half shell as well as some Oysters Rockefellers."

click to enlarge

• Photo By Bulbul Rajagopal
• TASTY TENTACLES The grilled octopus is a crowd favorite that arrives smoky and red, paired with crispy chorizo and a lightly dressed mixed salad.

Other oceanic favorites include fish and chips for lunch and the grilled octopus on the dinner appetizer menu. The latter is a crowd favorite and understandably so.

Smoky from the grill, the octopus arrived as two thick brick-red tentacles accompanied by crunchy cubes of chorizo and a salad dressed with a Champagne vinaigrette. It was juicy yet crispy, and it made for a generous portion to split between two people.

The French-style duck proved to be the star of the mains. Drizzled with a sweet pomegranate sauce, the duck breast was sliced into small medallions that were blushing pink in the middle. They were pleasingly chewy with perfectly rendered, crispy skin. The duck came with a sizeable portion of asparagus and multi-colored fingerling potatoes.

click to enlarge

• Photo By Bulbul Rajagopal
• OFTEN SOLD OUT Pastry chef Florencia Breda supplies some of Mirazur's desserts, like this Theobroma comprising a 66 percent dark chocolate mousse and cocoa glaze.

With Mirazur's cooking coming from chef Giles who splits his time between the Los Osos eatery and Lunada in Cayucos, its dessert menu is the sweet brainchild of another popular local chef. Regulars at Mistura restaurant in San Luis Obispo, Flores and Lucatero met pastry chef Florencia Breda there. Her gourmet chocolate shop Breda is located inside the Peruvian restaurant.

"We really love her desserts," Flores said. "When Mirazur's idea was born, we talked and we asked Florencia if she wanted to collaborate. So some of our desserts are her desserts. ... People love them and come back for the desserts."

The Mirazur team picks up Breda's desserts at her shop in the Creamery in SLO. Flores added that some others first heard of Mirazur because of Breda's collaboration, and the Theobroma is worth coming back for. Perfect for dark chocolate lovers, it's a mousse made with 66 percent dark chocolate encased in a mirror-like cocoa glaze and topped with delicate chocolate wafers. I recommend getting a whole plate for yourself.

Mirazur's list of top-notch food, ambience, and service springs from Lucatero's knack for establishing a successful restaurant and gleaning from other culinary professionals.

click to enlarge

• Courtesy Photo By Dean Sullivan
• COZY AND CREAMY White and earth tones inside Mirazur are offset by wood and warm lighting complete with soft flames from a stone fireplace.

Sharp observation and community connection gave birth to Mirazur.

The new landlord who took over several buildings around Mirazur like the Back Bay Inn, Nautical Bean, and the Merrimaker, asked his staff for restaurant recommendations.

"Somebody at the hotel happened to mention, 'We really like Lunada in Cayucos,'" Flores said. "He took his wife there for dinner and he liked it. He went back there a couple times and one night, he asked the server, 'Is the owner around here or the manager? I really want to talk to him.' Marco happened to be serving him and that's how this was born." Δ

Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal likes to beat the blues at Mirazur. Send good cheer to [email protected].