About 20 years ago, a young Nacho Figueras was dancing the night away at 251 Club, which was, at the time, one of Palm Beach’s most fashionable clubs. The Argentine polo player was already a star, having gained international acclaim for both his polo prowess and model looks. But little did he know that, years later, he would return to the same spot to launch another venture—one indebted to the polo world he loves but firmly outside his proverbial wheelhouse.
Fast-forward to mid-2025. By then, 251 Club (located at 251 Sunrise Avenue) had long been PB Catch Seafood & Raw Bar, and owner Thierry Beaud was planning on reimagining the space.
“I felt it was time to pivot on our concept,” says Beaud, whose Titou Hospitality group also operates Pistache French Bistro in West Palm Beach. “An old friend of mine is neighbors with Nacho’s sister and let me know he was interested in opening a restaurant. I got to spend time with him, and he was really focused. [He] wanted to be involved and take this opportunity to build a bridge between Wellington and Palm Beach. I was really impressed with how smart he is, how focused he is on the business side of things. He’s a great family man and our values align.”
Figueras was in California when he got the call from Beaud asking if he’d like to open a restaurant together. He was on a flight back to Florida the next day.
“I’ve always flirted with the idea of hospitality,” Figueras says. “I do so many things around the world and I always thought it would be so cool to do something in hospitality and combine it with the sport I love. I thought about doing something in New York, but then I decided that whatever I do has to be in Palm Beach. This is where I spend so much time and where polo has been central for decades.”
The Polo Room Palm Beach debuted in early December. It was very important to Beaud and Figueras that the restaurant be open in time for season while simultaneously keeping everyone from PB Catch employed, so the team only had about 30 days to turn PB Catch into The Polo Room. Anything that worked well, like the seafood bar, stayed relatively the same.
“I believe in the soul of a place, and I want to respect that,” says Figueras, “but I also had a very strong feeling of wanting to honor polo and what’s important to me.”
Figueras was involved in choosing every design detail, to include vintage finds from along West Palm Beach’s Antique Row and plenty of equestrian notes (peep the horsehead ice buckets). He handpicked every photograph, all shot in the 1980s and ’90s by famed polo photographer Ricardo “Snoopy” Motran and featuring such polo legends as Gonzalo Pieres and brothers Guillermo “Memo” Gracida and Carlos Gracida. To create a multisensory experience, Figueras and his team spent hours curating the perfect playlist, which changes as the evening progresses, and even chose the restaurant’s scent.
“This restaurant is my interpretation of my world and the sport of polo,” Figueras adds. “Those are my heroes hanging on the wall.”
The food also tells the story of polo through the lens of asado. A social ritual deeply engrained in Argentine culture, the term “asado” refers to both a method of cooking—prepared at high temperatures—and the gathering surrounding it. For Figueras, asados have long been a way to create community, a time to get together over an open flame and forge bonds with family and friends. Asado and polo are two pastimes synonymous with Argentina, so it only made sense that they would converge at The Polo Room.
Beaud explains that, while they kept the seafood bar, they wanted to turn away from the purely seafood concept of PB Catch. “We wanted a more mainstream menu,” he notes, “so we added meat with an Argentinian twist and elevated the concept.”
“For each area of the menu, we brought in an expert in that field,” continues Alex Gaudelet of Hospitality Firm, whom Beaud and Figueras tapped to consult on the restaurant’s concept development and operation. “For the Argentinian dishes, we brought in an Argentinian chef. For the crudo, we brought in a Michelin star chef who also helped with the vinegars and dressings. For the pastas, we brought in a pasta expert. We wanted the food to have a certain level of sophistication while keeping the dishes simple. There is no ego in the menu. It’s all about collaboration and assembling it together.”
So how does one dine like a member of the Figueras family? Start by ordering a glass of Veuve Clicquot and an elevated signature cocktail, like the -22 Martini with Beluga Gold Line Vodka and frozen olives. Nacho loves the Wagyu French dip, while his wife, Delfina, opts for the oysters. Satisfy your sweet tooth with the Dulce de Leche Martini or Mima’s Chocolate Mousse—and yes, that is his mother’s recipe.
“I have the best memories of how much I loved that dessert growing up,” says Figueras, who shares that his mother began crying when he told her they would be showcasing her mousse at the restaurant.
A section of the menu is dedicated to steaks and seafood prepared asado style, served with one of seven sauces, from criolla to chimichurri to béarnaise. Pair your protein with a glass of wine: there are currently 400 on offer (including seven Argentine Malbecs), with plans to expand to 600.
Never is Palm Beach more bustling than during season, and snagging a reservation at The Polo Room in recent months has proven to be a major flex. But don’t let OpenTable fool you. “People can always just walk in,” Gaudelet says. “If the weather is nice, [you] can sit outside or at the raw bar. We are very town-serving. If people are still in the restaurant, then our kitchen is still open. We really want this to be a place where locals come to hang out, even if they just want an empanada at 11 o’clock at night.”
Figueras is at the restaurant most nights (“If you have any issues, you come straight to me,” he quips. “Is your salad too salty? I’ll fix it!”) and always happy to give up his table for friends.
“We are here to stay,” he continues. “We don’t want to be a one-off. We want to embrace the local community all year round, and especially during the summer. We want to build something that people will love and be a place where people feel comfortable.”
For Figueras, the restaurant’s long-term success won’t be measured in crowded dining rooms or hard-to-snag reservations, but in the fulfillment that comes from sharing his world with others. “Right now, this is a dream,” he says. “I never imagined I would do this and that it was going to create joy in so many people’s lives. It’s a strange but great feeling. Making someone happy is the best thing that can happen to you as a human.”
Story Credits:
Shot by Palm Beach Illustrated on location at The Polo Room Palm Beach.
Photography assistant: Vincent Ricardel
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