- Miami
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- Restaurants
Italian luxury, low-key sushi restaurants, and other great restaurants in Miami.
By
Matt Meltzer
Contrary to popular belief, Miami has plenty to offer beyond near-perfect weather. Things like great museums, cool craft breweries, and a bevy of other fun activities that don’t involve sunshine or the beach. You know what else we do exceedingly well in South Florida? Restaurants—and the past several months have seen some spectacular new entrants to the Miami dining scene.
From welcoming neighborhood spots to swanky South Beach outposts of Michelin-starred favorites, Miami has no shortage of fantastic restaurants, and the list of the best ones is growing by the day. Here’s a look at the best restaurants in Miami that you absolutely must check out on your next trip.
Miami Beach and South Beach Restaurants
South Beach
The team behind Michelin-starred mastery of gourmet Colombian food that had diners licking chocolate off their hands in Brickell has opened a second location in the old Bazaar space at the SLS. While the tasting menu is gone, a la carte offerings are truly top notch, leaving guests eagerly anticipating the next course. Start out with smoked wagyu nigiri over coconut rice, then move on to yucca gnocchi with plantain honey, BBQ ribs with tamarind and guava, and scallops with passion fruit ceviche. And no meal at Elcielo is complete without the Tree of Life, a yucca bread served like a bonsai tree that’s deceptively filling.
How to book: Via OpenTable
South Beach
This beloved Alton Road taverna finally got a little more space to spread out, as it took over the youth hostel next door earlier this year. The new and expanded Macchialina boasts a decor inspired by the Pirolo family’s travels from Mexico City to Berlin, and still brings the same intense house-made pastas and grilled meats that made it a South Beach staple. The new outdoor garden hosts weekly specials, like wood fired pizzas and the Big Macc burger. And the larger kitchen means favorites like Sunday lasagna can be on the menu every day of the week.
How to book: Via Resy
South Beach
Ask any South Florida sushi aficionado and they’ll tell you the sushi at Toni’s is as good as places three times the price. That’s why this little sushi shop has endured as a locals’ favorite despite seemingly every big sushi name in the world opening up here. This year it got a major facelift, bringing five tons of bamboo to frame the tables in arches and make Toni’s as beautiful as it is delicious. There’s nothing groundbreaking on the menu, but if you’re looking for a place for some solid sashimi and sake that won’t make your eyes pop like a grouper, Toni’s still stands as Miami Beach’s best bet.
How to book: Via OpenTable
Wynwood Restaurants
Wynwood
Sometimes, you just need a little time away to rediscover who you really are. Such is the case with KYU, whose 18-month hiatus after an unfortunate water main break allowed it to come back even better. The new space looks much like the old, and you’ll still find arguably the best fried chicken in Miami on the menu. The new offerings take it away from its elevated barbecue beginnings and move into more Asian-inspired stuff like the pastrami steamed buns with miso mustard and Thai rice stone pot with confit duck. You can go heavy with the beef short rib and sweet soy, but after polishing off a whole plate of the fried chicken with chili butter you probably won’t have room.
How to book: Via Resy
Wynwood
Rishtedar feels a little like those Christmas light wonderland Indian restaurants you find tucked into walk-up apartment buildings in New York—except this one has plenty of space. The two-story Santiago import is a fun, energizing place that throws regular Bollywood nights and dance classes to keep things interesting. But they could do none of that and still lay claim as one of the best Indian restaurants in Florida. The menu boasts inventive dishes like lobster masala, tandoori scallops, and soft shell Florida crab curry. Non-seafood lovers will find plenty to satisfy as well—and while this restaurant is happy to play the hits, do yourself a favor and order something you’ve never tried before.
How to book: Via OpenTable
Wynwood
The fragrant aroma you smell coming from behind the hedges as you cross NW 20th Street into Wynwood comes courtesy of Lira Beirut, a little Lebanese restaurant that’s gained a huge following in just a short time. That’s due in large part to its exquisitely seasoned meats, which pack more flavor into kafta and shish tawouk than any other restaurant of its kind. Prices are reasonable and the wine list is unusual, so you’ll always leave feeling satisfied the experience was worth the cost.
How to book: Via OpenTable
Wynwood
This secluded garden along NW 24th Street is plating Aegean specialties good enough to earn the place a Michelin Bib Gourmand. DOYA is one of Miami’s most romantic restaurants not just because of its dreamy, twinkling garden setting. It’s also because eating here is a sharable exploration, where dishes with names like turkey pastrami hummus and pacanga pie entice you to discover what’s next. DOYA’s dips stand above any Mediterranean eatery in Miami, with a red-pepper based muhammara that’ll have you begging for the recipe as you leave.
How to book:Via OpenTable
Edgewater Restaurants
Edgewater
The best waterfront restaurant in Miami is this Michael Shwartz gem in Edgewater. The Miami legend recently tapped Ciao House winner Ivan Barros as his new executive chef, and with him has come a refreshing new menu that puts Amara back on top of the waterside dining scene. The warm breeze off Biscayne Bay feels a little more luxurious when you’re savoring spicy grilled prawns with fresno chile marinade, octopus carpaccio with fresh capers, and roasted short rib with ricotta gnocchi. While you can’t go wrong at any of Schwartz’s spots, this one puts you squarely in a Miami frame of mind.
How to book: Via OpenTable
Coral Gables, Coral Way, and Coconut Grove Restaurants
Coconut Grove
Perhaps you’ve spent much of the summer ensconced in air conditioning, scrolling through pictures of your friends’ summers on the Med. Even if crossing the Atlantic isn’t in the cards this season you can get your fix of Iberian cuisine at this new Portuguese-Spanish spot on Main Highway, done up to evoke a European cruising yacht. Sereia adds some Florida touches to the menu with starters like wahoo crudo and snapper tartare with ginger and avocado. It then moves on to mains that’ll transport you across the ocean with bomba rice and grilled prawns, or red wine braised beef cheeks with celery root puree.
How to book: Via OpenTable
Coconut Grove
Those who lamented the loss of Mr. Moe’s can take comfort in its worthy replacement. RedFarm brings a long menu of modern takes on classic Chinese food, perfect for big groups sharing dishes. You’ve likely seen the Pac Man dumplings somewhere on the internet, shrimp dumplings painted to look like the classic video game pests. They’re great for the ‘gram, but make sure to order the Peking duck for a real sense of what makes the place so great (though sadly it’s not served with a laughing dog). If you’re not into duck, RedFarm has plenty of other options, like literally anything on the menu of Asian noodles or the spicy crispy beef.
How to book: Via SevenRooms
Little Haiti Restaurants
Little Haiti
What happens when the mind behind Miami’s best tortillas joins forces with a brewery bent on creating the city’s top taproom menu? The greatest corndog ever created. Taquiza’s Steve Santana takes the same masa from his fluffy tortillas and surrounds a beer-infused hot dog that tastes nothing like the Costco samples of your childhood. It’s joined on the menu by a smashburger that could hold its own with any in Miami, and the Super Good chicken sandwich that’s battered in buttermilk and tossed in a perfectly spicy hot sauce.
How to book: Walk in
Downtown Restaurants
Downtown
If any downtown restaurant makes you feel decidedly “in the know” it’s this Jamaican joint across an empty lot from Government Center. It’s almost hidden behind a dark window, where inside you’ll find a co*cktail bar and small collection of tables that are almost always full. The food comes from the same people as fast-casual hit Jrk!, but this menu is decidedly more dinner focused with stuff like curry oxtail, griot, and jerk chicken skewers. The crowd is often filled with Jamaican people who seem to know the owners and bartenders by name. And as you finish dinner you’ll find the music turning up, getting ready for the evening dance party that’s sure to follow.
How to book: Via Resy
Downtown
Hidden under the College/Bayside Metromover station you’ll find what many call the best pound-for-pound restaurant in Miami. The menu at Jaguar Sun isn’t big, but between the Parker House rolls, the Australian picanha carpaccio, and cacio e pepe you really don’t need much else. This little co*cktail bar and restaurant has gained a passionate following thanks in large part toits gregarious owner and mixologist Wil Thompson, whose Green Ghoul co*cktail is one of the top tequila drinks on the planet. Just be careful: It might taste like refreshing spa water, but more than one is the opposite of a detox.
How to book: Via Resy
Brickell Restaurants
Brickell
For the most part, Miami’s best steakhouses skew a little sceney—hip, modern places with crowds that are more attractive than their steaks. This new Brickell spot takes you back to the classical steakhouses of yesteryear, with two stories of English elegance surrounding a sexy bar and live piano player. The place exudes power-lunch luxury, where plush booths invite you to slip into a food coma after devouring your prime filet or 22-ounce New York Strip. If you’re looking to really wow your client, kick things off with a little caviar service, another Lafayette special that always turns a few heads in the dining room.
How to book: Via OpenTable
Brickell
La Mar strikes a beautiful balance between providing an only-in-Miami vibes and spectacular food. This Brickell Key waterfront gem is serving up fresh seafood and Peruvian Nikkei with a stunning view of the Brickell skyline. Bring your out of town friends here for a deliciously tropical sense of place, where they’ll enjoy lomo saltado, fresh sushi, and traditional Peruvian causas that they’ll likely not find back home. Chef Diego Oka keeps the menu fresh, too, so locals can keep coming back to discover something different. When the weather’s cooperating, brunch at La Mar is also a beautiful way to begin the weekend.
How to book: Via SevenRooms
Brickell
If you’ve ventured up to West Palm on the Brightline, chances are you’ve at least peered into Felice, the romantic-looking Italian restaurant right outside the station. It just dropped in Brickell, bringing the neighborhood a badly needed approachable Italian option. The wine list specializes in Tuscan varieties and stuff you don’t normally see. Fresh-made pastas dominate the menu and are definitely the move, whether you opt for mezze maniche cacio e pepe or the rigatoni al salmone with a smoky, creamy sauce. The burger might be the best you try at an Italian restaurant too, a short rib blend topped with bacon and chipotle aioli.
How to book: Via Resy
Buena Vista and Design District Restaurants
Design District
This new spot inside the historic Moore Building gained social media stardom for the Zaha Hadid sculpture on the inside, which has adorned the space since the first Art Miami back in 2005. The food is befitting of its surroundings, with a new American menu full of bold flavors and brilliant presentation. Local ingredients stand strong with starters like Florida tomato gazpacho and eggplant ratatouille. Meats are seasoned with intriguing spices, best exemplified by the Painted Hills New York strip, served with a complex green goddess; and slow smoked whole chicken with orange-habanero glaze.
How to book: Via SevenRooms
Design District
While it’s always smart to be leery of any South Florida restaurant that touts its New York pedigree, this Korean steakhouse is the real deal. Combining the top collection of meats in the city with a heavy dose of pink neon scene, COTE strikes the balance between cool and quality like nowhere else. Servers bring out a platter of beautiful meats and cook it on a tabletop grill, with a selection of veggie-centric Korean banchan surrounding. It’s a very different kind of steakhouse experience that doesn’t leave you weighed down. What’s better, you can sample it without breaking the bank, as the signature Butcher’s Feast is a quite-reasonable $74 per person. And come for happy hour between 5-7 pm and you’ll be treated to bites of steak and co*cktails for as little as $8.
How to book: Via Resy
Buena Vista
This little modern Italian restaurant wedged next to a Little Haiti supermarket shows you don’t need big name backing to be Miami’s best. Husband-and-wife team Alex Meyer and Luciana Giangrandi have created a menu without a weak link, and a wine list worthy of a restaurant 10 times Boia’s size. It’s Italian without crossing the in-your-face red sauce line, with subtle options like crispy polenta with marinated eggplant, homemade pappardelle with rabbit and rosemary, and massive lamb ribs with urfa yogurt and spicy cucumbers. Reservations inside book up about a month in advance, but show up early and you can likely get a seat outside or at the bar with only a short wait.
How to book: Via Resy
Buena Vista
The term “Mediterranean” gets thrown around at every seemingly nondescript restaurant with capers on the menu. But the light, citrus-and-olive-oil flavors at La Marola truly capture the region’s culinary essence. The bluefin akami tuna tartare is soaked in gin, grapefruit, and orange sauce that tastes like a Cote d’Azur beach club. The josper-grill Florida vegetables give the menu some local inspiration, though the tahini and dill cream keep the flavors of the Med. The pizzas come from renowned Italian pizza maker Matino de Rosa, wood-fired pied ideal for sharing. Try the Moderna, topped with dollops of san Marzano and basil emulsion.
How to book: Via Resy
Other Miami Restaurants
Hialeah
La Frese Francecsca is, perhaps, the most surreal dining experience in South Florida, where you step from a Hialeah strip mall into a small piece of Paris. The decor is elegant and understated, offering a romantic ambience filled with books and trinkets reminiscent of old-school France. The classics are all excellent, with a rich, smoky steak frites and veal-stuffed quail that calls to mind a countryside hunting trip. But La Fresa Francesca also knows where its bread is buttered, and offers clever little Hialeah tributes like ropa vieja foie gras.
How to reserve: Via Resy
MiMo
Not that anyone ever had anything bad to say about Danny Sefer’s comfort food institution inside a MiMo motel. But occasionally, getting a seat could be difficult. That problem eases a bit at Blue Collar’s new digs across the street, 4,000 square feet of mid-century modern thrift shop mastery that maintains the cozy charm of the old spot with substantially more space. All the old faves are still on the menu, including the dry aged cheeseburger and vaca frita tostones. New hits include the Covid-hit matzo ball soup, Haitian griot, chicken cordon bleu, and baked-to-order chocolate chip cookies.
How to book: Via OpenTable
Pinecrest
If one doesn’t live in the southwest suburbs, they might think Pinecrest is a little far to go when Miami’s got plenty of great steak and fresh seafood that don’t involve dealing with US-1. But take heed, Miamians, everything about Platea is worth the trip, whether it’s the prime steaks coming off the grill, the exquisite wine list, or the ceviche that may well be the best in Miami. This unassuming spot in a suburban strip mall could make a case as the city’s top steakhouse, the opposite of the majority where what it lacks in celebrities it more than makes up for in food. What’s better, dinner at this family-operated gem clocks in at about 70% of what it would cost east of the Palmetto.
How to book:Via OpenTable
Dadeland
Though it’s not the traditional naan and vindaloo you might be used to at the local Indian buffet, Niven Patel’s Dadeland smash might be the best modern Indian restaurant in America. Pork vindaloo meatballs aren’t something you see on a lot of Indian menus. Nor are tandoori peri peri wings. The menu changes every day based on what fresh, local ingredients are available at Rancho Patel in Homestead, making it the perfect place to get out of an Indian food rut and try a dish you’ve never heard of. And if you want them to jack up the spice and heat to uncomfortable levels, they’re more than happy to oblige in your masochism.
How to book: Reserve via OpenTable
Aventura
The Aventura outpost of this SoFi Israeli hit does the original one better, with high ceilings and a stunning bar creating a fuller restaurant experience. You’ll still find the staples like crispy falafel, cauliflower with tamarind glaze, and fresh Israeli tomato salad. They’re joined by a larger menu highlighted by prime steak shashlik and Moroccan-spiced fish. During cooler months, dining outside is delightful as the thick foliage almost has you forgetting you’re in a mall-adjacent parking lot. It’s also a fun spot for after-work drinks, where you can post up at the bar and try some hard-to-find Israeli wines.
How to book: Via Resy
Fort Lauderdale Restaurants
Fort Lauderdale Beach
Now that hockey season is over, the best reason to travel north of the county line is this standout Italian restaurant on the ground floor of the Conrad. Impeccably dressed waiters greet you like they’ve been waiting all night for your arrival, pouring unusual Italian wines as you peruse a menu of red sauce classics. The mozzarella en carrozza is a must, a grilled cheese sandwich, deep fried, minus the bread. The pastas and entrees don’t try to reinvent Italian food, but deliver the classics like pomodoro and Bolognese as well as anyone in South Florida. Chicken parm and veal chop are also solid, and if you’re hankering for the Italian food you grew up with, done as well as it can be, Vitolo is worth the drive.
How to book: Via OpenTable
Matt Meltzer is a Miami-based writer who’s been covering food, events, and travel in Miami for over a dozen years. An award-winning writer, he’s also a professor of writing for digital media at University of Miami and a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. Follow his adventures on Instagram@meltrez1.
