Miami’s culinary scene is an eclectic mix of flavors and cuisines, making it a paradise for food enthusiasts. From trendy fusion dishes to classic Cuban fare, the city offers a plethora of exceptional dining options. At The Miami Guide, we’re on a mission to uncover the hottest new restaurants across Miami. Our team tirelessly explores the city, curating a diverse selection of must-visit spots.
The Best Restaurants in Miami list is where you’ll find our favorite food and drink experiences in Miami. Our goal is to capture the vibrant essence of Miami by showcasing a wide array of cuisines, price points, neighborhoods, and talented chefs and owners from all backgrounds. We celebrate the diverse communities within the industry. If you know of an exceptional new spot we haven’t covered, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us and let us know!
The Best Restaurants in Miami
Boulud Sud
Boulud Sud is chef Daniel Boulud’s coastal Mediterranean restaurant, drawing inspirations from regional flavors with an abundance of vegetables, seafood, grains and herbs. Born and raised in Miami, executive chef Michael Hernandez worked in kitchens in New York and Chicago (where he staged at Eleven Madison and The Alinea Group respectively) to Washington DC (where he was chef de cuisine at Xiquet and executive chef at Fig & Olive) before joining Boulud’s Dinex Group in 2022.
Café La Trova
Café La Trova, a regular on the World’s 50 Best Bars list, is led by James Beard Award-winning chef Michelle Bernstein and Julio Cabrera, recently awarded Industry Icon at the 2023 North America’s 50 Best Bars. A celebration of Miami’s Cuban culture, guests can expect cocktails that pay tribute to the “cantinero” style of bartending, Cuban-inspired plates, and “La Trova” style live music nightly.
Call Me Gaby
Call Me Gaby is a neighborhood hotspot for casual Italian dining in Miami Beach. The restaurant offers a cozy interior with pillow-lined booths and a lush garden setting with outdoor seating. The menu features a variety of Italian dishes, including pizzas, pastas, salads, and seafood. The pizzas are made with fresh ingredients and cooked in a wood-fired oven. The pastas are also made fresh daily and the seafood is sourced from local fishermen. The wine list features a selection of Italian wines to complement the food. Call Me Gaby is the perfect place for a romantic dinner, a family meal, or a night out with friends.
Casa Tua Cucina
Located in the bustling heart of Brickell, Casa Tua Cucina is a culinary paradise that brings the essence of Italy to Miami. This upscale Italian food hall offers a unique dining experience with various food stations showcasing a wide selection of Italian delicacies. From freshly made pastas to delectable risottos, guests can explore a variety of flavors under one roof. The elegant and stylish ambiance, combined with the mouthwatering dishes, makes Casa Tua Cucina a must-visit for Italian food enthusiasts.
Cecconi’s
A casual Italian eatery with a rotating seasonal menu, Cecconi’s serves up delectable dishes such as burrata with grilled peaches, spaghetti alla chitarra with clams, and roasted branzino. Enjoy a relaxed dining experience at this popular spot.
Chotto Matte
Chotto Matte embraces the very best of Nikkei (Japanese—Peruvian) cuisine, with bold eye-catching natural colours and mouth-watering taste sensations. The two cultures share a deep appreciation for fresh fish and seasonal ingredients, with Japanese sushi and sashimi, and Peruvian ceviche central to their gastronomy. Nikkei is a unique blend of these culinary traditions, a lively combination of Japanese and Peruvian ingredients and techniques.
Contessa Miami
The famed northern Italian-inspired concept, Contessa Miami, is a classic yet thoroughly contemporary dining destination by Major Food Group. Serving as Miami Design District’s newest neighborhood cornerstone, Contessa presents an elegantly lush outdoor ambience and offers the finest meats, antipasti, signature pizzas, and an extensive in-house gelato program. Both the first and second floor outdoor terraces encourage guests to stay beyond the confines of its lunch, Aperitivo and dinner as each table is situated at the intersection of all the art, culture and fashion that Miami Design District has to offer. If you’re looking for the best spot for people watching over an aperol spritz and spicy lobster capellini, look no further! Contessa Miami is open for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch.
Doya
Doya is an airy, upscale restaurant with a central bar offering contemporary Aegean fare and craft cocktails. It received the Michelin Bib Gourmand distinction in 2022 and 2023.
El Cielo
Michelin-starred El Cielo opened its doors in Miami in 2015, led by Colombian-born chef Juan Manuel Barrientos. The multi-course menu is inspired by Barrientos’ Colombian ancestral roots and the cuisines of neighboring Latin countries while using avant-garde cooking techniques and neuroscience to surprise diners. El Cielo also has locations in Bogota, Medellín and Washington DC.
Joe’s Stone Crab:
Established in 1913, Joe’s Stone Crab is an iconic Miami institution. Open from November to May, it serves up fresh stone crabs along with other mouthwatering seafood delicacies. Don’t miss the chance to savor their renowned stone crab claws.
Juvia
Perched on a rooftop with breathtaking views of Miami Beach, Juvia specializes in modern Peruvian cuisine. Delight in ceviche, tiradito, and grilled octopus while surrounded by the stunning cityscape.
La Mar Miami
La Mar by Gaston Acurio is a beautiful indoor and outdoor restaurant with an atmospheric setting overlooking Biscayne Bay and the Miami skyline. The restaurant’s contemporary design provides the perfect backdrop for La Mar’s signature cebiches, freshly grilled anticuchos and specialty cocktails. Listed on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ Discovery series and recommended by the Michelin Guide, La Mar Miami consistently draws in crowds for its Peruvian seafood dishes and views of the Miami skyline. Lima-born executive chef Diego Oka incorporates a myriad of influences into his cuisine: his Peruvian Japanese descent; his early years spent in his grandmother’s kitchen; and his extensive travels across South and Central America.
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Miami
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, of the Bastion Collection, is named after the late Chef Robuchon, the “Chef of the Century” who held 32 Michelin Guide stars, the most of any restaurateur. His legacy lives on at his chain of L’Atelier restaurants across the globe that includes this Miami outpost – the only two Michelin star restaurant in Florida – where his protégés Culinary Director Chef Alain Verzeroli, Executive Pastry Chef Salvatore Martone and Executive Chef James Friedberg and carry on his culinary philosophy: elevating the simplest of dishes into something extraordinary using pristine ingredients, immaculate technique, and abundant creativity. The restaurant’s signature counter seating faces directly into the open kitchen, allowing for a dynamic interaction between chefs and diners. The modern French menu includes Robuchon’s iconic signature dishes alongside new, ever-changing seasonal creations utilizing ingredients sourced from top local and regional purveyors.
Le Jardinier Miami
One Michelin-starred Le Jardinier, of the Bastion Collection, is an approachable yet refined French restaurant led by Culinary Director Alain Verzeroli, Executive Chef James Friedberg and Chef de Cuisine Max McCarthy. The restaurant is known for its local ingredients, sustainable seafood, poultry and meat and impressive cocktail program that pairs well with the seasonal menu. The chefs are very intentional about each ingredient in the restaurant’s dishes – nothing goes to waste. Le Jardinier’s modern, light-filled space and lush outdoor dining area evoke a tropical garden vibe within the Miami Design District.
Leku
Located at the Rubell Museum, Michelin-recognized Leku highlights the flavors of Spain’s Basque region through full-flavored, fresh, seasonal offerings. The restaurant is now helmed by chef Carlos Garcia, recipient of the Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants’ Chefs’ Choice Award in 2018. Venezuelan-born Garcia trained at El Bulli and El Celler de Can Roca before opening his restaurant Alto in Caracas in 2007, which featured regularly on previous Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants lists.
Mareva 1939
Born in Barcelona and raised in Madrid, executive chef Sergio Chamizo began his culinary journey at the age of 17. More than two decades later, he brings his wealth of experiences to The National Hotel Miami Beach as executive chef of Mareva 1939, the hotel’s Spanish concept restaurant, which features dishes he grew up with at home in Spain.
Prime One Twelve
For steak lovers, Prime One Twelve is a must-visit. This sophisticated steakhouse offers dry-aged beef along with creative dishes like wagyu beef tartare and lobster risotto. Immerse yourself in an upscale atmosphere and indulge in the finest cuts of meat.
Pao at Faena
Pao at Faena boldly reflects celebrated chef Paul Qui’s renowned brand of modern Asian cuisine drawing from his background and range of international styles, including Filipino, Spanish, Japanese, and French. Born in Manila, Philippines and trained in classic French and Japanese cuisine, Qui takes a modernist approach towards food that’s playful, authentic and unexpected.
Red South Beach
Executive chef Peter Vauthy opened Red South Beach in 2008, after winning numerous awards in the Midwest. His interpretation of “classic steakhouse” cuisine, which features certified angus beef prime, on and off the bone, and coupled with seasonal ingredients, soon earned him local and national recognition. Over the years, Red has been named one of the top steakhouses in Miami and in the US by various publications, including Thrillist, The Daily Meal, Time Out Miami, to name a few.
Seaspice
With a focus on sustainable seafood, Seaspice combines a raw bar experience with delectable dishes like Florida stone crab claws, grilled branzino, and lobster rolls. Enjoy waterfront dining and indulge in the freshest catches.
Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill
Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill is a brasserie-style restaurant and raw bar serving sushi, open fire-grilled fare and globally inspired small plates. The restaurant, which opened in Miami in 2010, has garnered widespread recognition including a “Best New Restaurant” semi-finalist nomination from the James Beard Foundation; “Best Restaurant” from Johnson and Wales; “Restaurant of the Year” from Eater; and “Best New Restaurant” from Miami New Times.
The Surf Club Restaurant
Located within this elegantly restored landmark and now in league with the Four Seasons, The Surf Club is a prime location for Thomas Keller’s first Florida venture. Sauces are what this team does best, starting with the scallop crudo with buttermilk-basil dressing and followed by the brilliantly reimagined Maine lobster thermidor with sauce Américaine.
The Bazaar by José Andrés
The Bazaar by José Andrés showcases Latin, Caribbean and Asian flavors as crafted by multiple James Beard Award-winning chef, Humanitarian of the Year 2018 and Nobel Peace Prize nominee José Andrés and his ThinkFoodGroup team. Located at the SLS Hotel in South Beach, the artful space was designed by acclaimed architect Philippe Starck.
Toro Toro
Toro Toro is chef-restaurateur Richard Sandoval’s Pan-Latin steakhouse located inside the InterContinental Miami hotel. Executive chef Armando Jose Febles, who worked previously at Papi Steak as executive sous chef and at BLT Prime as chef de partie, brings his energetic and family-inspired cooking style to the restaurant.
Toscana Divino
Toscana Divino is an award-winning Italian restaurant in Brickell led by executive chef Andrea Marchesin and chef de cuisine Christopher Tanfi. With sustainability and his hometown of Treviso, Italy in mind, Marchesin and his team source seasonal produce from local, family-owned farms to provide freshly harvested ingredients in each dish, taking guests on a journey through Italy.
Zeru Miami
Zeru Miami is Mexico City-based hospitality company Grupo Zeru’s first international outpost. The restaurant serves coastal Mediterranean Basque cuisine designed to disconnect guests from busy city life. The culinary team is overseen by chef partner Israel Aretxiga and executive chef Gabriela Guitrón, who has relocated from Mexico City to Miami.
Zuma
Known for its Japanese robatayaki-style grilled skewers, Zuma also features an extensive sushi menu and a sake bar. Immerse yourself in the lively ambiance and enjoy a fusion of traditional and modern Japanese flavors.
These exceptional restaurants are just a glimpse of Miami’s culinary delights. With diverse options to cater to every taste, a culinary adventure awaits you in the vibrant streets of Miami. Explore these top-rated establishments and savor the flavors that make Miami a food lover’s paradise.
