Baires Grill Fort Lauderdale closed its doors for a private evening with Lionel Messi, Rodrigo De Paul, AFA president Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia — who was celebrating his birthday — and close friends. A table for twelve was prepared at the center of the restaurant, where the group arrived around 9:00 p.m., bringing Spanish wines to accompany the night.

The dinner began with a variety of appetizers: fried beef empanadas, provoleta, chorizos, mollejas, and an arugula salad with parmesan and cherry tomatoes. As usual, Messi opted for his classic fried corn empanada.

For the main course, parrilladas were served with vacío, entraña, ojo de bife, and bife de chorizo, all cooked medium well. Side dishes included French fries, mixed salad, and mashed potatoes.

Dessert was a custom-made chocolate cake from Miami’s Gogibakery, layered with dulce de leche and chocolate, finished with buttercream. The group toasted with the cake before continuing the evening, which lasted until about 12:30 a.m.

At one point, they requested Spanish playing cards to play truco, although none were available at that hour. Before leaving, Messi, De Paul, and Tapia took a group photo with the restaurant staff, signed jerseys, and posed individually with employees, showing kindness and approachability throughout the night.

Photo courtesy of Baires Grill

In June of this year, Baires Grill became the official restaurant of the Argentina National Team, strengthening its ties with the Albiceleste during their stays in South Florida.

The restaurant has also earned a reputation as one of Messi’s favorite dining spots since his arrival at Inter Miami, making it a recurring backdrop for his private gatherings in Fort Lauderdale and Miami.

Ousmane Dembélé won his first Ballon d’Or in Paris after a successful season with Paris Saint-Germain and Lionel Messi, from Miami, sent him a congratulatory message on social media:

“Great, Ous!!! Congratulations, I’m very happy for you. You deserve it.”

Messi and Dembélé were teammates at Barcelona between 2017 and 2021, playing 95 matches together and sharing almost 5,000 minutes on the pitch. The Argentine, winner of eight Ballon d’Ors, played an important role in Dembélé’s development during that period.

Dembélé has often mentioned Messi’s influence, recalling that their lockers were next to each other and that he received valuable advice: “He told me to be serious if I wanted to achieve my dreams. I started to observe everything he did on the field.”