Our annual list of Miami's essential restaurants, from date night to late night.
As Miamians, we're accustomed to being overlooked. Miami, after all, is a destination. People come here. No one actually lives here. Does anyone here actually work? At a job? (And don't even start with that wretched "Florida man.")
As for what we like to eat, we all know that drill: We're one big "melting pot." We're addicted to cafecitos. The only pie we acknowledge is key lime, the only sandwich the cubano, the only seafood spiny lobster (or stone crabs, in season).
And we'd all be tycoons if we had a nickel for every time we heard the biggest kiss-off of all: Miami has no food scene.
But like the climate, all that has been changing. In 2022, the Michelin Guide deigned to take note. Earlier this year, Bon Appétit dubbed us "Food City of the Year." And just this month, Food & Wine included Val and Nando Chang (see B-Side on this list) in its annual crop of the nation's "Best New Chefs."
That said, the task we've been setting for ourselves since 2019 — choosing Miami's 100 Essential Restaurants — isn't nearly as simple as picking the ones everyone's drooling over right now.
To the contrary, the list you have in front of you represents our highly subjective distillation of the 100 restaurants that, as a group, best convey the essence of dining out in Miami.
These are places that, regardless of the average tab, stand out to us for their high quality, their inventiveness and ingenuity, their staying power, and, perhaps most important, for their flavor. (There isn't a single entry on this list that's less than a year old. That's by design.)
Below, listed in no particular order, you'll find everything from humble mom-and-pop places to straight-up, once-in-a-blue-moon splurges. If you and your food-loving friends were to spend months assembling your own Top 100, you'd surely make different choices.
We'd love nothing more than to hear your picks. Let us know on social media or via email: [email protected].
— Nicole Danna, New Times food and beverage writer
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Little Moir's Food Shack
Photo by Nicole Danna
Canadian chef Mike Moir vacationed in Jupiter three decades ago and stayed to found a pescatarian's paradise in 2002. Here, "ocean to table" is taken literally; fresh seafood, delivered by the boatload, is the backbone of the Ontario-born restaurateur's ever-changing Floribbean menu. You might find tempura-fried sea bass cheeks served over a papaya and pineapple salad with a roasted poblano aioli on offer at midday, then return for dinner to discover that it has been replaced with hogfish and lobster fritters served with Tabasco aioli over a golden-beet citrus slaw. One thing you'll always find, however, is a list of the fresh-caught fish of the day. Grouper, snapper, hogfish, swordfish, tilefish — if it swims our coastal waters, it's likely an option, best when crusted and fried in thin-sliced sweet potato, then baked and served with tasty sides made from the freshest of fresh produce.
103 S. U.S. Highway 1, #D3, Jupiter, 33477
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Sushi Erika
Photo by FujifilmGirl
In 2018, Erika, the daughter and right hand of beloved sushi master Michio Kushi, opened her own tiny sushi spot just down the road from her dad's old haunt, Sushi Deli, in North Bay Village — and she brought many of her late father's classics with her. Don't be misled by the diminutive space — Sushi Erika offers an impressive array of maki, soups, and salads. The impeccably crafted rolls range from a California roll or bagel roll to battera, a pressed mackerel sushi roll. Signature rolls include the North Bay roll — made with deep-fried scallop and crab salad topped with two types of fish roe, masago, spicy mayo, and kimchi sauce. Be sure to check the board for daily specials.
1700 John F. Kennedy Cswy., North Bay Village, 33141
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Macchialina
Photo by Liz Clayman
Chef Michael Pirolo spent years traveling and cooking at Michelin-starred temples in Piedmont, Lombardy, Bologna, and Campagne. When he returned to the United States, he linked up with Scott Conant and eventually led the opening of Scarpetta at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach before debuting his own Italian restaurant, Macchialina. Pirolo's skills are many and precise, his menu focused and deceptively simple: a handful apiece of starters, pastas, and entrées. The flavors, though, are forward, thanks to expert deployment of fresh and fine ingredients, whether in the form of a salumi plate, a salad of heirloom tomatoes and locally made burrata cheese, a tagliatelle ai funghi, or a whole braised fish. The wine list is similarly concise (and Italian).
820 Alton Rd., Miami Beach, 33139
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Apocalypse BBQ
Photo by Nicole Danna
A business that began on a Weber Smokey Mountain has grown into one of the area's best barbecue restaurants. In 2022, Jeff Budnechky channeled his pandemic side hustle into a standalone location. Outside the restaurant, a small array of smokers billow aromas of pork and beef that betray Budnechky's Brazilian-Argentinian roots and his wife's Cuban heritage. Arrive early and you might snag an order of the brisket bacon: seasoned and smoked pork belly sliced thick and tossed on the flattop before serving. If you manage to resist ordering the St. Louis-cut ribs at first, you might change your mind after seeing platters emerge from the kitchen, slow-cooked and practically begging to be lacquered with Budnechky's colada-infused "oro negro" sauce. Cafecito-rubbed, Texas-style brisket or pulled pork shoulder pair nicely with the chef's Carolina-inspired mustard sauce (not to mention classic sides like a pepper-flecked mac & cheese, sweet coleslaw, and honey-doused cornbread). Further upping the ante: a ten-seat bar offering tropical and classic cocktails. Try a shaken pina colada made with fresh juices or the berry-infused, housemade sangria.
9980 SW 104th St., Miami, 33176
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Lucali
Lucali photo
At first sight, Lucali, the Miami outpost of Mark Iacono's famed Brooklyn flagship, looks like a regular pizza joint. Furnishings are unassuming — mismatched tables and chairs, an open kitchen, a working bench manned by T-shirted pizzaiolos — but by candlelight, everything glows. Men in white shine with sweat as they use empty wine bottles to roll dough. Pizza-makers take their time prepping pies for the wood-burning oven. Crusts eventually emerge thin and blistered, their surfaces puffed by blackened bubbles of golden dough and smeared with melted buffalo mozzarella and shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano that cocoons smooth tomato sauce. Such attention to detail — and the resulting pies — earned Lucali a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation in 2022.
1930 Bay Rd., Miami Beach, 33139
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Rusty Pelican
Photo courtesy of Rusty Pelican
Savory seafood and stunning views of Biscayne Bay from every seat in the house (and out): That's what makes the Rusty Pelican, a Key Biscayne landmark, which opened in the 1970s just off the Rickenbacker Causeway, a perennial favorite. It's the perfect spot to celebrate all manner of milestones, be they birthdays and engagements or graduation dinners. Enduring signature items include the "Rusty Pelican Board for Two" (fried snapper, lobster and shrimp risotto, and New York strip steak), a surf and turf of filet mignon and butter-poached lobster, and the "Steak Progressive" (four different cuts of steak with roasted garlic confit and red wine shallots). The restaurant offers a lavish Sunday brunch and boasts a glass-cube wine "cellar" that holds hundreds of vintages. All servers are well-versed in the treasures within.
3201 Rickenbacker Cswy., Key Biscayne, 33149
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
B-Side
Photo by Nicole Danna
If you crave impeccable sushi in all its permutations and without the pomp and price of most local dens, B-Side is for you. The sushi offshoot of Miami's beloved modern Japanese-Peruvian restaurant, Itamae, the counter-style setting presents a short and sweet menu of snack-sized dishes, maki, and bowls-style meals that wow with simple yet flavorful presentations. The short list of rolls rotates frequently, and you'll often find them paired with housemade sauces that range from a leche de tigre cream sauce to yuzu-shoyu to a spicy ponzu. And there's more going on here than sushi — try snacks like an octopus tiradito, barely marinated slivers of tender mollusk doused in leche de tigre and artfully plated with botija olive sauce, fried capers, and red onion.
143 NW 23rd St., Miami, 33127
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
The Katherine
Timon Balloo has shared his life through food for more than a decade at his various Miami restaurants. At the Katherine, he and his wife, Marissa (her middle name is Katherine), share their love story. The menu is a culinary scrapbook of the couple's travels and experiences together. The oh-so-addictive clam chowder fries, for example, are a nod to Balloo's career path, which led him to Belgium. And the short rib orecchiette is in memory of the pair's favorite trips to Italy. If you're a sucker for fine fare and a good love story, the Katherine is your kind of place.
723 E. Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, 33301
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Mia Kitchen & Bar
Photo by Charles McCurdy
Delray Beach's Mia Kitchen & Bar, from Joey Lograsso and partner/executive chef Jason Binder is a buzzing, chef-driven establishment matched with a vibey, speakeasy-inspired bar. The open kitchen offers a glimpse of the culinary playground Binder shares with chef de cuisine James O'Neill. Dishes are inspired by Binder's global travels and crafted by hands that excel at translating memories into edible works of art. "Branzino Evon," the chef's take on his mother-in-law's traditional Cantonese-style fish dish, is a top seller: A raw fillet is smothered in fresh ginger, cilantro, and scallion — and breaded if you like — then doused in 600-degree oil, effectively "steaming" the fish to perfection and locking in the aromatics. Another of Binder's essential creations, "PB&J foie gras," pairs housemade peanut butter, port wine jelly, and brioche with a seared sliver of goose liver — an upmarket version of the chef's favorite childhood meal.
7901 W. Atlantic Ave., #101, Delray Beach, 33446
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Heritage
Photo by Nicole Danna
You might know Rino Cerbone as the frontman for the South Florida band Stellar Revival. Gastronomes, however, know him for his take on Italian fare at Heritage, his hidden gem nestled in an unassuming building on the southern outskirts of Flagler Village in Fort Lauderdale. Here Cerbone showcases his family's recipes with a short and focused menu. Start with fried squash blossoms, a texturally thrilling dish of delicate flowers stuffed with creamy mascarpone and bound by a thin and crispy tempura-like shell — although the real treat just might be the sweet and creamy sherry-spiked marinara it's served atop. Black mushroom arancini are equally exquisite — three dense globes of rice flavored with oyster, portobello, cremini, and shiitake mushrooms bound together by a trio of cheeses. Pizzas are popular with good reason, emerging from the oven with thin and sturdy crusts that give way to a springy interior. Pro tip: The decadent house-made pastas — like a rich duck ragù atop gemelli tendrils submerged in a whipped, mascarpone-spiked cacio e pepe sauce that begs for a spoon — are a hedonist's delight.
903 NE Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale, 33304
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Phuc Yea
Photo by CandaceWest.com
Phuc Yea is a grand 110-seater filled with the sounds of '90s hip-hop and the scent of Vietnam’s ubiquitous fish sauce. That irresistible combo earned Cesar Zapata and Ani Meinhold's Upper East Side mainstay a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation in 2022. Try the green papaya salad, in which chilies, garlic, dried shrimp and squid, and Vietnamese coriander are pulverized into a potent paste that’s tossed with toothsome papaya threads, carrots, and sweet cherry tomatoes, then crowned with banana blossom ribbons, shallots, and herbs. The P.Y. noodles — tossed with garlic butter, oyster sauce, and Parmesan cheese — are soulful comfort food, as is a pho made with rich broth. On Sundays, indulge in Phuc Yea's spirited brunch.
7100 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, 33138
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Boia De
Photo by FujifilmGirl
This hip Little Haiti spot run by chefs Luciana Giangrandi and Alex Meyer offers an ever-changing lineup of pastas designed to comfort and enchant. Look for pappardelle "Alla Lepre" — unctuous shreds of braised rabbit tangled with wide ribbons of pasta. It's not all about noodles here, however. Boia De offers plenty of non-pasta delights, including meat and fish dishes and crisp potato skins filled with milky stracciatella cheese, caviar, and a hard-cooked egg. The editors of Florida's first Michelin Guide took note, awarding the restaurant a star.
5205 NE Second Ave., Miami, 33137
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Mignonette
Photo by billwisserphoto.com
With its tan leather banquettes, marble raw bar, and hanging constellations fashioned from copper pipes, this seafood restaurant, located across NE Second Avenue from Miami's oldest cemetery, is like Old Florida meets New Orleans. A meal at Mignonette should start with a round of oysters (or Alaskan king crab legs, or shrimp cocktail). Move on to a crab cake. The "fancy" redfish comes seared, with a reduction of sautéed shallots, garlic, and piquillo peppers deglazed with brandy, stock, white wine, plus a touch of butter, and haricots verts on the side. The beer is ice-cold, the wine list refreshingly oyster-friendly. Pro tip: Chef Danny Serfer also brings us Blue Collar, a restaurant that embodies its no-nonsense name, in the MiMo District.
210 NE 18th St., Miami, 33132
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Schnebly Redland's Winery & Brewery
Schnebly Redland's Winery & Brewery photo
In 2003, Peter and Denisse Schnebly turned their 30-acre farm in southwest Miami-Dade into a fruit-forward Florida winery, a subtropical oasis amid the area's agricultural sprawl. It's the perfect setting to enjoy a midday meal or weekend brunch. Coral-like limestone walls wind their way over walkways perched above a koi pond and past a lagoon with cascading waterfalls, a beautiful backdrop for the property, which offers visitors three distinct experiences. Start with a craft beer from Miami Brewing Company, then hit the indoor/outdoor tasting rooms where you can sample Schnebly's wines, made from lychee, guava, carambola, passionfruit, and other exotic fruits. Complete your Schnebly experience with a leisurely meal at the Redlander, the family's immense tiki-hut restaurant, whose brunch-style menu highlights local produce.
30205 SW 217th Ave., Homestead, 33030
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Blue Collar
Photo courtesy of Blue Collar
Danny Serfer's Blue Collar takes its cues from the classic American diner. The tiny restaurant in the MiMo District offers daily specials and elevated comfort foods. Start with a gutsy New Orleans-style dish of shrimp and grits with bacon and Worcestershire-based barbecue sauce, or Hanukkah latkes (served year-round). Don’t miss the veg chalkboard, filled with delightful options from which you can build your own customized plate. Order a thermos of Panther coffee and a cheeseburger or the "parm of the day" and make yourself as comfy as you’d be in your mom’s kitchen. Pro tip: Serfer's also the chef behind another of our faves, Mignonette, an oyster bar and all-around seafood gem, just north of downtown.
6730 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, 33138
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Naoe
Photo by Jeff Salter
Dinner at chef Kevin Cory’s Naoe at the Courvoisier Centre on Brickell Key is an experience you wouldn’t expect to find outside of Tokyo. The restaurant offers two seatings with a maximum of five people per, and a chef’s-choice menu that might include silver-skinned horse mackerel (aji) glazed with shoyu and plated with pickled wasabi leaves and flowers and freshly grated wasabi root. Salmon wrapped in salted white seaweed; roasted freshwater eel; deep-fried shrimp tamago; rice with shiitake mushrooms and hints of eel — all are meticulously prepared and utterly delicious. If you’re still hungry for more, Cory will prepare nigiri sushi. He started his culinary training at age 19 and is a perennial winner of the Forbes Travel Guide's Five-Star Award. Naoe is a reservations-only restaurant and doesn't allow children under 12. Nor should you expect substitutions — those with allergies to shellfish, nuts, gluten, etc., should seek sustenance elsewhere.
661 Brickell Key Dr., Miami, 33131
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
La Leggenda Pizzeria
Christine Michelle Photography
Napoli-born and raised chef/owner Giovanni Gagliardi, dubbed La Leggenda (the Legend) by friends in Italy for his pizzaiolo skills, is making some of the best Neapolitan-style pies in South Florida. Gagliardi performs his magic in a small space tucked away near the eastern terminus of Española Way, where his domed, wood-fueled oven turns out from-scratch pizzas with crusts that are invariably soft, airy, and perfectly blistered. Don't miss the Margherita STG, made with real-deal mozzarella di bufala campana and fragrant fresh basil. Non-pizza highlights include gnocchi alla sorrentina, an Instagrammable creation that delivers sublimely creamy gnocchi dished up in an edible blistered-dough bowl. Desserts are as good as the pizzas, but good luck deciding between a pistachio-flecked gelato the color of early spring leaves and a cocoa-dusted tower of tiramisu so generous with the mascarpone that it jiggles.
224 Española Way, Miami Beach, 33139
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
CY Chinese Restaurant
Photo by CandaceWest.com
The minute you step into this Sichuan-style North Miami Beach hideaway, your senses fall prey to the overwhelming perfume of rendered beef fat and chili oil. Take, for example, the hot pot, in which beef fat is the central ingredient; the rich, savory aroma is the yardstick by which most Chinese folks judge the quality of hot pot. A simple chicken broth, made by simmering carcasses with ginger and garlic for three hours, is poured on top just before the dish is sent out to the dining room. Bring a big group so you can order as many of the accouterments as possible. Also be sure to pace yourself: One of the most joyous moments of hot pot comes at the very end when the broth and spices have reduced, along with everything that's been cooked in them, into a rich, flavorful brew that makes the final few bites truly special.
1242 NE 163rd St., North Miami Beach, 33162
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Fiorito
Photo by Michelle Muslera
An Argentine-inspired gem awaits in Little Haiti, identifiable by an unmistakable welcome sign: the towering mural of soccer icon (and newly minted South Floridian) Lionel Messi above the entrance. Soccer is a major theme here — the name itself is a homage to Argentine legend Diego Maradona's city of birth. It's a relaxed and inviting space that creates an easygoing atmosphere perfect for families and locals looking to unwind. The heart of the menu is the meat: USDA prime beef cooked to perfection on the grill. The vacio (flank steak) and churrasco (skirt steak) are standout options, but don't ignore the juicy empanadas and hearty pasta dishes. Homemade desserts like flan and crepes offer a sweet ending. Whether you're a diehard soccer fan or simply in search of great food and community vibes, Fiorito brings Argentina's lively spirit to Miami's dining scene.
5555 NE Second Ave., Miami, 33137
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Michael's Genuine Food & Drink
Photo courtesy of Genuine Hospitality Group
The Design District's dining OG — Michael's Genuine Food & Drink — continues to impress. Restaurateur Michael Schwartz's strategy can be summed up in six simple words: Serve fresh food, prepared with care. That philosophy earned him a James Beard Award back in 2010. Though he has since assembled a small restaurant empire, Michael's Genuine remains the purest expression of the chef's culinary ethos. The menu changes seasonally, but expect classics such as wood oven-roasted octopus, slow-roasted short rib, and plenty of vegetables supplied by local farms. Schwartz's consistent, "genuine" approach won the restaurant a 2022 Michelin Bib Gourmand tag.
130 NE 40th St., Miami, 33137
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
La Fresa Francesa
Photo by billwisserphoto.com
Beyond its croquetas and fritas, Hialeah isn't much lauded for culinary excellence. For that reason alone, you might not expect to see La Fresa Francesa here. You could almost hear the collective gasp when La Fresa Francesa opened near a canal that slices diagonally along the city's southern edge. But Sandy Sanchez and Benoit Rabiat, the couple behind the restaurant, say the opportunity to set up shop in Hialeah was too good to pass up. Inside, washed-out farm chairs seem to dance around doily-lined bistro tables to the intoxicating French crooning often reserved for tourists in Montmartre. The menu offers classics like steak frites, croque madame, and roasted quail. On Saturday and Sunday, a brunch menu features creations like soft-baked eggs with truffle butter and cheese and bananas flambé French toast on medianoche bread. Vive la Hialeah!
59 W. Third St., Hialeah, 33010
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Nossa Omakase
Nossa Omakase photo
Under certain circumstances, entrusting a $375 multicourse dinner to a complete stranger represents good value. Such is the case at Sebastian Labno and Astrid Ramirez's Nossa Omakase in Miami Beach, a reservation-only restaurant — the name borrows the Portuguese word for wow — that marries Japanese tradition with Magic City culture and its attendant Latin influences. An omakase evening at Nossa begins with a welcome cocktail in the space's dimly illuminated lounge before you're ushered to the main dining room, whose focal point is a plush circular sushi bar where every seat is the best in the house. Here, Labno holds the spotlight, offering a theatrical thrill as he finishes plates before your eyes. The menu changes frequently, but you'll always find a favorite in the "Shokupan Sando," a rich, golden-yellow Japanese jidori egg yolk between two slices of Japanese milk bread topped with fresh-shaved truffles and a dollop of caviar. No wonder the Michelin Guide's '22 debut included a star for Nossa. Wow!
1600 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 33139
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Katana Japanese Restaurant
Photo by Michelle Muslera
The sushi bar at Katana
A hidden gem adored by locals, Katana is a compact yet vibrant Normandy Isles spot that boasts a 25-seat circular bar where skilled chefs whip up an array of dishes in a veritable sushi-go-round. The restaurant's pricing system, indicated by the color of the plates, adds an element of surprise and exploration to the experience. From classic items like California rolls and gyoza to fancier treats like salmon roe and sea urchin nigiri, Katana's menu hits all the right notes. Reservations aren't an option, so swinging by on a weekday or arriving at opening on weekends is your best bet. They have implemented a digital wait list, but if you do find yourself with time to kill, there's a bar next door where you can kick back with a drink until your turn at the table arrives. Pro tip: Families and larger parties might consider skipping this Miami Beach mini-gem and opting for Katana's sister operation, Shima, on NW 67th Avenue just north of the Palmetto in Hialeah.
920 71st St., Miami Beach, 33141
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Zitz Sum
Photo by FujifilmGirl
Zitz Sum chef/owner Pablo Zitzmann's mash-up of Asian, Mexican, Latin American, and Italian influences earned him a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation in 2022. Previously famed in Miami for his now-closed restaurant No Name Chinese, the chef brings together all these flavors in dishes like lobster and shrimp har gow (dumplings) and pork-belly potstickers with a green-apple amazu sauce. The menu is succinct but Zitzmann is known to change things up, so if your favorite dumpling isn't listed, take it as a cue to explore something new, secure in the knowledge that everything is unique — and delicious.
396 Alhambra Circle, Ste. 155, Coral Gables, 33134
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Red South Beach
Photo courtesy of Red the Steakhouse
Red the Steakhouse serves some of the best USDA prime, age-certified Angus steaks in all of Miami. Chef Peter Vauthy chooses the finest cuts, then sears them to perfection. Vauthy puts the same care into the seafood he serves, often posting photos of giant Alaskan king crab or Maine lobsters to entice diners with his rare finds. Of course, a good steakhouse wouldn't be worth its salt without a bevy of stunning side dishes, and Red's lobster mac & cheese is a must. Unrepentant meat lovers can splurge on the "Ultimate Meat Board," with a bone-in filet and strip steak, plus lamb chops and a tomahawk steak — and seven sauces. There's a solid wine selection to boot, so you're sure to find a suitable pairing.
801 S. Pointe Dr., Miami Beach, 33139
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Taquiza
Photo courtesy of Taquiza
No one told Taquiza's Steve Santana to undertake the painstaking process of turning corn to masa to produce his own tortillas. No one demanded those tortillas be filled with the slightly spicy, charred poblano strips called rajas or the tangy corn fungus known as huitlacoche. Yet after stints with Jeremiah Bullfrog and at Giorgio Rapicavoli's Eating House, the computer programmer turned chef decided it had to be done. And thus, in 2014, Santana's little walk-up counter on Collins Avenue set a new standard for tacos in a city where tacos are a booming business. The South Beach stand is no more, but Taquiza on North Beach offers the same margaritas, made with care in virtually any flavor combination you can imagine. Craving yours with fresh coconut water, tamarind, and pineapple? Done! Want a strawberry-cilantro margarita? Your barkeep will muddle the fresh ingredients.
7450 Ocean Terrace, Miami Beach, 33141
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Hiyakawa
Photo by Luis Mora
Alvaro Perez Miranda, the Venezuelan restaurateur and art dealer who also owns Wabi Sabi, has created a sparse yet beautiful dining room for Hiyakawa in Wynwood. The scene feels like walking into a museum exhibit — the interior is decorated in Japanese wood architecture with curved ceiling arches that resemble the unfinished frame of a sailing vessel or the inside of a giant whale. Either way, it's a remarkable backdrop for a restaurant that specializes in fish flown in daily from the Toyosu Fish Market in Tokyo. The menu offers à la carte items, but order one of the many sushi platters (or the omakase experience) to get the full effect of this palace of sushi.
2700 N. Miami Ave., Miami, 33127
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Coney Burger
Photo by Nicole Danna
Coney Burger's ascent from Smorgasburg pop-up in Wynwood to Calle Ocho brick-and-mortar establishment is a testament to the love that power couple Pedro (chef) and Vanessa (marketing) Lara pour into the venture. Carnivores should order the "Champ," a beyond-juicy Wagyu patty procured from a family-run ranch in Homestead, seared to perfection and topped with a slice of tarragon-seasoned, pickled green heirloom tomato, a schmear of the chef's egg yolk-based "happy sauce," a tangy-sweet housemade yuzu mayo, and a sprinkling of chopped chives. The vegan "Coney" is a made-from-scratch patty that combines maitake and oyster mushrooms with sweet potato, black beans, carrot, and a blend of seasonings, served with vegan cheese, lettuce, tomato, vegan cilantro aioli, "Coney sauce," and "magic" fried onions. All burgers are served on a vegan brioche bun fashioned after Japanese milk bread — squishy and buttery, like a brioche bao — an ideal delivery vehicle for these irresistible treats.
2298 SW Eighth St., Miami, 33135
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Byblos
Photo courtesy of Byblos
Byblos, the Eastern Mediterranean restaurant at the Royal Palm South Beach, focuses on interpreting dishes from Levantine culture, found mostly in Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, Syria, and parts of southern Turkey. The original Byblos is in Toronto, and as is often the case with Miami outposts, this one offers a more extensive seafood selection than its Canadian sibling. It's equipped with a wood-burning oven, used to bake pide (Turkish flatbread) and to finish off whole fish, lamb, and chicken dishes that are rustic yet refined.
1545 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 33139
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
La Sandwicherie
Photo courtesy of La Sandwicherie
Since this French-owned eatery began selling sandwiches, salads, smoothies, and shakes in 1988, a crowd has lingered along the lengthy counter at the flagship location that extends up an alley off 14th Street between Washington and Collins avenues in South Beach. The food is great, but the funky al fresco charm accounts for a large part of the appeal. La Sandwicherie's counter workers begin with fresh, crusty French bread (or an enormous croissant), then ply it with the patron's preference of meat, cheese, or a combination thereof, such as ham, turkey, roast beef, salami, and Swiss cheese, as well as more distinctive, Euro-friendly choices such as Camembert, fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, saucisson sec, and pork/duck liver pâté. Next come crisp toppings such as lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, hot pickled red peppers, black olives, red onion, cucumber, and cornichons. Garnishes are followed by a finishing splash of tart Dijon-based French vinaigrette. Voilà! A damn good sandwich. La Sandwicherie has expanded from its original Miami Beach counter to additional locations in North Beach, Brickell, Wynwood, and Coral Gables.
229 14th St., Miami Beach, 33139
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Doce Provisions
Doce Provisions photo
Lisetty Llampalla and Justin Sherrer run Doce Provisions, a gastropub that epitomizes Miami in a nutshell: part Cuban, part American. The original restaurant, located in the center of bustling Little Havana, seats only about a dozen patrons, who come for this perfect marriage of dishes: Cuban sandwiches and fried chicken, tostones and disco truffle fries, lechón asado buns and shrimp po' boy tacos. The restaurant became so popular that there are now two additional locations — one in Brickell and another at the Shoma Bazaar food hall in Doral.
541 SW 12th Ave., Miami, 33130
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Chefs on the Run
Photo by Nicole Danna
Chef/owner Jodrick Ujaque
Puerto Rican-born chef/owner Jodrick Ujaque took stints at well-known Caribbean-inspired Miami establishments before opening his Homestead restaurant in 2011. With influence, however, comes innovation, evidenced by a menu that displays a tasty blend of American, Taíno, Caribbean, and even Asian influences. The eight-table dining room is simple, dark, and rustic, if a tad cramped. Start with pa' picar — snacks like bolita de queso (deep-fried golden torpedos of stretchy cassava dough filled with Gouda and white cheddar) and alcapurria (delicate picadillo nestled in a plantain masa and fried to crisp perfection). Puerto Rican purists might pass on more unorthodox offerings like macarrones con res, a truffle and chipotle mac & cheese made with cotija cheese and birria-style braised beef. But they'll surely rejoice when presented with the mofongo, a Boricua staple of pounded green plantain mash mixed with nibs of pork-belly chicharrón and shaped into a sphere, whose starchy texture softens when dunked into the accompanying caldo de pollo. It can be served alongside chicken, shrimp, or steak and arroz con gandules, the Caribbean island's version of rice and beans.
10 E. Mowry Dr., Homestead, 33030
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Tran An
Photo courtesy of Tran An
If you've got 20 bucks, you can dine like royalty at this tiny, ’70s-inspired eatery. Tran An owner Jon Nguyen’s 18-seat restaurant offers Vietnamese comfort food: a hearty pho, a tangy papaya salad, bánh mì sandwiches, and a chicken-and-rice dish are all satisfying and affordable. The pho’s broth is rich, heaped with slices of chicken or beef, noodles, and vegetables. Vegans can get their comfort too, with a vegetable pho based on a vegan broth. There’s no liquor license, but you’re free to bring beer or grab a bottle of wine from the shop next door. Speaking of bottles, don’t leave without a bottle of Nguyen’s "Grandma" sauce, a Vietnamese fish sauce condiment that perks up everything from salad to eggs.
215 NE 82nd St., Miami, 33138
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Orno
Photo by Christian Santiago Photography
Niven Patel opened Orno at the Thesis Hotel in Coral Gables in late 2021. The space is an ideal setting for his culinary artistry, from the stunning dining room filled with greenery and accented by pale pinks and gold tones to the large, green-tiled wood-burning oven that serves as the focal point of the open kitchen. Here, Patel and executive chef Gustavo Quiroz prepare quality meats and sustainable seafood. For Patel, the restaurant is a return to his fine-dining roots and a chance to showcase the vegetables he grows at his farm, Rancho Patel.
1350 S. Dixie Highway, Coral Gables, 33146
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Krüs Kitchen
Photo by Vanessa Diaz
Perched atop Sebastian Vargas' acclaimed Los Félix Mexican restaurant in Coconut Grove, bright and airy Krüs Kitchen does double duty as a sister restaurant and a wine market. Here Vargas, a veteran of stints at Michelin-starred Osteria Francescana in Italy and Eleven Madison Park in New York, taps into his global travels and local farm finds to create an evolving menu that mirrors the seasons. Within the concise list, seafood dishes stand out, highlighted by the grilled prawn with saffron-infused sabayon mousse, as well as a smoked coconut rice entrée that delicately layers the grain with wild crab and cilantro aioli. Among the vegetable-based dishes, grilled oyster mushrooms are meaty and tender, artfully arranged like a crown atop a foam made from aged Parmesan and topped with a runny poached egg.
3413 Main Highway, Miami, 33133
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Red Rooster Overtown
Red Rooster Overtown photo
Local snapper at Red Rooster
As the decade turned, celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson imported his Harlem Red Rooster to Overtown. Situated on the former site of Clyde Killens' pool hall, where Black stars from Aretha Franklin to Sam Cooke to Muhammad Ali used to mingle, the restaurant offers dishes that encompass influences from Africa, the Southern U.S., the Caribbean, and beyond, earning a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2022. Red Rooster ups the ante with a weekend brunch, live music, and a beautiful bar; families can check out the Creamery for a cornbread-flavored ice cream cone or order a plate of fried "yardbird" and biscuits with hot honey and jalapeño honey butter. Bonus: The Pool Hall upstairs has been lovingly recreated as a lounge with a retro vibe.
920 NW Second Ave., Miami, 33136
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Sanguich de Miami
Photo by Ruben Cabrera
Imagine, for a moment, the Cuban sandwich of yesteryear. You could smell pork roasting from blocks away. Then came the sweet perfume of cured ham, followed by a waft of fresh bread and a quick jolt of tangy mustard seeds pickling in vinegar. Sure, it's the 21st Century, the era of industrial food and ghost kitchens, but Rosa and Daniel Figueredo's Sanguich de Miami is a throwback to cooking the way it once was and should be again. Organic meats and cheeses are tucked into a cloudlike bun that's pressed and crisped, creating masterpieces like pan con bistec and croqueta preparada that have tantalized Floridians for decades. These careful, old-school techniques earned Sanguich a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2022.
2057 SW Eighth St., Miami, 33135
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Cote Miami
Photo by Gary He
Simon Kim has brought Cote, his New York cross between a Korean barbecue restaurant and a traditional steakhouse, to the Design District. The restaurant offers a selection of Waygu beef, including American Waygu and A5 Japanese Wagyu — the latter sourced from the Miyazaki prefecture, where true Wagyu are raised. The steaks are dry-aged for a minimum of 45 days in house and then seasoned with a mixture of British Maldon, Himalayan pink, and Korean thousand-day salts before being presented raw and cooked to order tableside. If you have a taste for caviar, Cote's menu includes Regiis Ova Kaluga Royal Hybrid and Petrossian Tsar Imperial Daurenki caviar. It came as no surprise in 2022 when Cote Miami earned a Michelin star.
3900 NE Second Ave., Miami, 33137
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Elcielo Miami
Photo by Rachel Paraoan
When Colombian chef Juan "Juanma" Manuel Barrientos first set foot in Miami, he envisioned opening a stateside outpost of his fine-dining restaurant Elcielo. Today he has two: one in Brickell and a second inside the SLS South Beach. Like its sister establishments in cities like Bogotá and Washington, D.C., the Brickell restaurant is centered on a multisensory tasting menu known as "the Experience"; the SLS location gives diners an à la carte option to create their own gastronomic journey. Standout moments remain the same in both dining rooms, from plucking tufts of spice-dusted yuca bread off branches from the edible "Tree of Life" bonsai tree to bathing your hands in melted chocolate before devouring the "chocola-therapy" dessert.
31 SE Fifth St., Miami, 33131
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Takato
Takato photo
Salmon sashimi at Takato
There are scores of oceanfront restaurants on Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard, but precious few are able to calibrate a vibe and menu to match their picturesque setting. Takato serves up ocean views at every table. There's also a 26-seat sushi bar, as well as a circular bar, half of which is indoors, the other half outside, steps from the beach. Executive chef Taek Lee's menu artfully blends Korean and Japanese cuisines. Standouts include a Wagyu gyoza starter whose rich meat filling is countered by a spicy onion ponzu. There's also a generous dish of kimchi fried rice, presented in a heavy stone bowl still hot from the oven that warms the dish as you eat, cooking the final layer of rice to a crispy layer. The meat and seafood selections are uniformly topnotch, including a dish of seared scallops and octopus served alongside a bowl of foam-topped bisque.
551 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, 33304
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
El Turco Turkish Food
El Turco photo
With an outdoor dining room nestled under a hut adorned with swaying straw lanterns, El Turco beckons with a charming Istanbul-meets-Tulum ambiance. The focus isn't on innovation at this Turkish restaurant nestled off NE Second Avenue in the Upper Buena Vista complex, but rather on familiar, comforting flavors reminiscent of family meals. If you're looking to kick-start your day with indulgence, opt for an assortment of mezzes, salads, dips, and breads. In need of something a little more substantial? Graze from the all-day menu, which highlights small appetizers, enticing "simit'' sandwiches on sesame-coated Turkish bagels, and classic dishes like beef kebabs and delicate, meat-filled manti dumplings. Not to be missed: dessert. Try the baked cheese borek — crisp layers of house-made phyllo enfolding a gooey interior of Balkan cheese — or pistachio-filled baklava delivered each week from Turkey. Pro tip: El Turco doesn't serve alcohol, but you're welcome to bring your own beer or wine with no corkage fee.
184 NE 50th Terrace, Miami, 33137
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Captain Jim's Seafood Market & Restaurant
Photo by Michael Campina
David Garcia (La Camaronera Seafood Joint) now owns this iconic North Miami seafood spot, which dates back to the 1990s. This heir to Miami seafood royalty kept the menu mostly unchanged, allowing Captain Jim's to do what it does best: serve the freshest fish possible. Favorites include stone crab claws and a beautiful take on conch salad with meaty hunks of the mollusk tossed in a spicy tomato marinade and cubed red and green peppers. Fresh yellowtail snapper and hogfish can be ordered grilled, blackened, or fried. Regulars go for the "Captain's Combo" — the catch of the day served with one side.
12950 W. Dixie Highway, North Miami, 33161
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Clive's Cafe
Photo by Laine Doss
Clive's Cafe makes its mark with Jamaican favorites such as curry goat, oxtail, and jerk chicken. The original Wynwood location, which had been around for nearly four decades, closed, but the Little Haiti digs make for a colorful haven in which to eat some of the best Jamaican fare in Miami. The chicken is cooked to diner perfection and the curry is a smooth and subtle blend. The jerk chicken with rice and beans is a favorite menu item. The mood is laid-back — right down to the small radio pumping out reggae sounds. You just may catch Clive's fan Lenny Kravitz taking in the scene. The place is great for takeout but just as nice for a pit stop at any time of day.
5890 NW Second Ave., Ste. A, Miami, 33127
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Ghee Indian Kitchen
Photo courtesy of Ghee
In, of all places, Dadeland, chef Niven Patel and his crew have opened Miami's eyes to the cuisine of western India, a culinary culture that comprises infinitely more than tandoori chicken and lamb rogan josh. At Ghee Indian Kitchen, which earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation in 2022, you'll find the simple street snack of puffed rice called bhel, juiced up with sweet Florida avocado and meaty hunks of raw tuna. Though the restaurant offers chicken tikka masala for the unadventurous, do not miss the sizable vegetable section on the menu, for which many of the ingredients are harvested from Patel's own farm.
8965 SW 72nd Pl., Miami, 33156
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Off Site
Off Site photo
Taquiza's Steve Santana and beer maven Adam Darnell (formerly of Boxelder) have opened a restaurant that's utterly unpretentious. Off Site has no celebrity name tied to it, no velvet rope, and only one goal: to serve the best comfort food (and beer) in Miami. The sole item on the menu when the place opened in 2021 was a perfectly turned-out fried chicken sandwich made with thigh meat and served on a bun with lettuce and mayo — that and the partners' "Super Good" lager. The menu has expanded (slightly) to include burgers, housemade hot dogs, smoked chicken wings, and a smattering of specials. If you live nearby, you're lucky enough to call this Little River gem your neighborhood hangout. It's the perfect place to grab a bite with friends or salve body and soul after a bad day — a fried chicken sandwich and a beer here is the edible equivalent of a hug.
8250 NE Second Ave., Miami, 33138
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Islas Canarias Cafe, Restaurant, & Bakery
Photo courtesy of Islas Canarias
Head to this beloved Cuban joint out west the next time you're hungover or hungry and in need of caffeine. There are few better cures for either than Cuban coffee and hot croquetas. Opened in 1977 by Raul and Amelia Garcia, Islas Canarias has earned its spot as one of the best cafecitas — those adorable Cuban coffee shops/bakeries — in Miami-Dade County. People crave the kitchen's made-to-order beef or chicken empanadas, medianoche sandwiches, pan con bistec, and those famous ham croquetas.
3804 SW 137th Ave., Miami, 33175
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
News Cafe
An Ocean Drive mainstay for 35 years, News Cafe remains a prime spot to enjoy your coffee with an ocean breeze. The café recently underwent a remodel, and snagging an outdoor table on the porch surrounded by bougainvillea is a must for laid-back day-to-night people-watching. The menu spans breakfast favorites like café con leche French toast and the grilled salmon-stuffed omelet with creamy avocado and Boursin cheese. There's a range of salads, bowls, and signature mains, including a crowd-pleasing molten chicken parmigiana topped with marinara sauce and melted mozzarella. When you've had your fill, don't forget to grab a cocktail to-go at the bar next door to fuel your stroll along South Beach's signature strip.
800 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach, 33139
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Joe's Stone Crab
Photo courtesy of Joe's Stone Crab Restaurant
You know Joe's. The history. The gloriously sweet stone crabs. And, in season, the notoriously long wait for a table. But often overlooked is the consistently good food, the truly professional service, the free parking, the surprising value (except the crabs, which are an extravagance wherever you find them), and the dining room's stately ambiance. Visit and you'll find tuxedoed waiters whirling through the dining rooms with oval trays held high above their heads while the buzz of diners subtly tinges the air like the intangible gathering of ions before a thunderstorm. Yet you'd be hard-pressed to find such a large space that's as cozy as this one. Stone crabs are, of course, the mainstay of Joe's menu, and somehow they seem to taste a little fresher and sweeter here. The rest of the offerings, though, don't disappoint. And nearly everybody orders Joe's key lime pie, renowned as the best in town, for dessert. If you show up on a Saturday evening, be prepared to cool your heels for hours. If you want to sit quickly, visit on a weekday — except Monday, when Joe's is closed. Or keep it simple and grab your claws at Joe's Take Away next door.
11 Washington Ave., Miami Beach, 33139
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Stubborn Seed
Photo by CandaceWest.com
Jeremy Ford — the Florida-born, smooth-scalped winner of the 13th season of Bravo's reality cooking show Top Chef in 2016 — presents gorgeous dishes the likes of which Miami has rarely seen. Though Ford offers an à la carte menu that's ever-changing, the best way to experience Stubborn Seed is through its eight-course chef's tasting menu, available weeknights before 9 p.m. for $150 per person. The restaurant's commitment to delivering the "perfect bite" with every dish earned it a Michelin star in 2022.
101 Washington Ave., Miami Beach, 33139
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Jaffa Israeli Kitchen and Wine Bar
Photo by Salar Abduaziz
Yaniv Cohen, Miami's spice detective, has brought a touch of Israel's bustling and vibrant city of Tel Aviv to Hallandale with Jaffa Israeli Kitchen and Wine Bar. The restaurant, decorated with colorful tapestries and a rustic eastern Mediterranean vibe, matches the colorful plates set down at the dinner table. A deconstructed baba ghanouj in the form of a whole roasted eggplant filled with tahini, chickpeas, and pomegranate seeds, is representative of a meal here — it's a social dish that's meant for sharing with friends over a glass of wine. All the dishes work best with friends or family. The restaurant is especially abuzz during the weekend brunch buffet or on nights when a belly dancer undulates through the small dining room.
701 N. Federal Highway, Suite 101, Hallandale Beach, 33009
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Arbetter's Hot Dogs
Photo courtesy of Arbetter's Hot Dog
It's not necessarily the hot dogs themselves that are better at Arbetter's. Rather, these all-beef or pork-and-beef franks are ideal blank canvases for the three garnish combinations that solidified Arbetter's reputation when this family-run institution opened more than a half-century ago. The basic onion/relish dog is nicely tangy, and the sauerkraut/mustard dog, loaded with beautifully buttery, cooked-all-day-tender kraut, is even better. Along with the rich and flavorful but not overly hot all-meat chili topping from an old Arbetter family recipe, a garnish of diced raw onion adds that reassuring subliminal message that you're consuming a healthful greenish vegetable that certainly counteracts the menu's cholesterol count — so, hey, have another. For a taste of the 305, try a "Miami" dog with mustard, onion, cheese, tomato, and potato sticks. Or throw caution to the wind and order the "Zelda": a hot dog with "everything" on it.
8747 SW 40th St., Miami, 33165
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Le Jardinier
Photo courtesy of Le Jardinier
Located in the Design District, Le Jardinier is the southern outpost of Alain Verzeroli's first solo restaurant (also called Le Jardinier), which opened in 2019 in a luxury building in midtown Manhattan and quickly earned a Michelin star. For two decades, Verzeroli worked alongside the great Joël Robuchon, helping the French chef assemble menus and a small galaxy of Michelin accolades. On his own after Robuchon's death in 2018, Verzeroli runs his restaurant in partnership with the same company that operates L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, which is located a spiral staircase up from Le Jardinier. As its name suggests, Le Jardinier adheres to the increasingly fashionable "eat your vegetables" ethos. Dishes like farro risotto with a confit tomato and mimolette cheese are soulful and satisfying enough that meat becomes an option rather than a necessity. That doesn't mean the menu is stocked with only rabbit food. A bavette steak resting in its own juices and served with roasted artichokes and royal trumpet mushrooms will grab any carnivore's attention. Verzeroli's pristine Miami outpost earned a Michelin star in the guide's Florida debut.
151 NE 41st St., Ste. 135, Miami, 33137
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Mister O1
Mister 01 photo
Known as Visa-O1 when it opened in Miami Beach in 2014, this pizza joint had to tweak its name owing to trademark issues. The "O1" is a reference to the O-1 visa the U.S. reserves for "individuals with extraordinary ability." So, yes, this pint-size pizzeria thinks highly of its pies — and with good reason: Only the freshest ingredients and premium-quality cheeses (vegan cheese is available for an additional charge) are allowed to top these thin-crust pizzas. The signature pie, the "Star Luca," is star-shaped, its points formed from perfect little dough pockets filled with creamy ricotta cheese, its center layered with the house Italian tomato sauce along with mozzarella and spicy salami. That stellar creation set Mister O1 apart from other local pizzerias and led to the concept's expansion to several other locations, including Brickell, Wynwood, and Boca Raton, not to mention Madrid, Saudi Arabia, and Naples (Florida, that is).
1680 Michigan Ave., #101, Miami Beach, 33139
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Rosie's
Rosie's photo
Born as a pop-up with a short menu of breakfast-inspired eats, husband-and-wife team Jamila Ross and Akino West's Rosie's restaurant is now a Friday-through-Sunday brunch gem in Miami's burgeoning Little River neighborhood. The industrial-inspired space is set off by a tree-lined outdoor patio — a suitable spot to enjoy a Southern-inspired menu that checks all the brunch boxes. Start with deviled eggs topped with crisp chicharrones before moving on to buttery biscuits served alongside fried chicken with bread-and-butter pickles, best when doused with the housemade Calabrian chili oil. Larger plates include a savory mushroom and charred kale polenta made more decadent with a topping of a poached egg, herb gremolata, and shaved Parmesan. Not to be skipped: the bar's lineup of local craft beers, selection of biodynamic and natural wines, and cocktails prepared with fresh-squeezed juices.
162 NW 73rd St., Miami, 33150
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Jackson Soul Food
Photo by Aran Graham
In 1946, Jessie and Demas Jackson opened Mama's Cafe in Overtown. The restaurant saw Miami's historic Black community rise, fall, and rise again. Generations later, the family business had become legendary for its traditional soul food. In addition to Overtown, Jackson Soul Food has an outpost in Opa-locka; both locations offer traditional favorites, including fried catfish, smothered wings, oxtail, meatloaf, and ribs. A proper soul-food restaurant is known for its sides, and Jackson delivers — from candied yams to fried okra, collard greens, and macaroni & cheese.
950 NW Third Ave., Miami, 33136
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Zaika Indian Cuisine
Photo by Michelle Muslera
Chicken Malabari and lamb rogan josh at Zaika
In 2015, three Indian expats (and former roommates) opened a neighborhood restaurant in an unassuming shopping plaza just west of the Broad Causeway Bridge in North Miami. Drawing from their shared background working for the prestigious Taj Mahal Hotel Group in their home country, owners Majob Patel, Avanish Shrivastava, and Shivashankar Malabanti developed a menu that skews toward the robust and buttery flavors of northern India, while also dipping into the subtler offerings of the south, famed for its use of coconut and curry leaves. They named their restaurant Zaika — a Hindu word that roughly translates to "sense of taste." Any meal here must include the naan, prepared in-house using a traditional coal-heated clay oven, each chewy disc the perfect vessel for whatever fragrant, saucy dishes you choose. On that count, our top picks include tender Malabari chicken enveloped in a coconut sauce and adorned with curry leaves, red chili, and mustard grains, and the lamb rogan josh, a hearty dish slow-simmered in a ginger-infused tomato base. Pro tip: Vegetarians and meat eaters alike will appreciate the yellow lentil dal, served in a bowl crowned with a rich paste of garlic, butter, and spices.
2176 NE 123rd St., North Miami, 33181
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Anthony's Runway 84
Anthony's Runway 84 photo
If it's a classic red sauce restaurant you're after, look no further than Anthony's Runway 84 — Broward County's iconic restaurant and supper club. The dimly illuminated and vibey airline-themed establishment located off State Road 84 has been serving Italian-American staples since 1982 and recently underwent a year-long renovation. Be forewarned, though: It's never merely about dinner at Runway 84. Dress to impress (business casual is suggested and shorts aren't allowed), especially for the lively bar scene that extends far past happy hour. Assuming you've come to dine, start with heaping platters of hot or cold antipasti, fried calamari, and meatballs before moving on to mains like chicken parmigiana, veal scallopini, and spicy vodka sauce-soaked rigatoni. On Sunday, don't miss the "feast," a classic meat-based Sunday sauce served with meatballs and topped with a scoop of ricotta. New menu items include a 40-ounce porterhouse for two, plus an expanded selection of steaks and chops. After dinner, head back to the bar for a nightcap and dessert while soaking up the ambiance like the "made" Floridian you are.
330 W. State Rd. 84, Fort Lauderdale, 33315
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Jaxson's Ice Cream Parlour & Restaurant
Photo by Christina Mendenhall
Opened by Monroe Udell in 1956, Dania Beach landmark Jaxson's Ice Cream Parlor & Restaurant still makes each of its 45-plus flavors of ice cream by hand. Today the old-fashioned ice cream parlor boasts not only one of the largest — and best — ice cream selections in the area, but also one of the nation's largest collections of American memorabilia. Jaxson's also has a toy and candy store. Be aware that Jaxson's is perhaps most famous for its "Kitchen Sink" sundae, available for parties of four or more: The restaurant's professional soda jerks will unleash their imagination for a concoction that offers a bit of everything but, well, you know. If you're hungry for more than ice cream, Jaxson's menu offers dozens of dishes from its country kitchen. From wings to clam rolls, they're all homemade and authentic despite drawing from all regions of the culinary map. Vegans can order an Impossible burger, but meat eaters will need all hands on deck for the "Titanic Triple Burger," which boasts three half-pound beef patties, each topped with a different kind of cheese. If you can't handle that hand-held feast, you could always cram your face with Jaxson's signature "Famous Bigger, Better Half-Pound Burger."
128 S. Federal Highway, Dania Beach, 33004
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Ariete
Ariete Hospitality photo
Chef Michael Beltran's Ariete adds an air of refinement to Coconut Grove not seen since the days when industrialist James Deering caroused its shores. Ariete serves dishes like foie gras with smoked plantains, but there's something more than fancy amid the elegance offered by Beltran, who trained under chefs Norman Van Aken and Michael Schwartz. The Little Havana native twists bits of Cuba and France into every dish, just the way his grandparents taught him. In 2022, Beltran's culinary craftsmanship earned Ariete a Michelin star.
3540 Main Highway, Coconut Grove, 33133
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Garcia's Seafood Grille & Fish Market
Photo by Michael Campina
Garcia's Seafood Grille & Fish Market has been serving up a winning combination of fresh fish dishes and family hospitality for nearly 60 years. In-the-know Miamians flock to this indoor/outdoor restaurant overlooking the Miami River — overseen these days by brothers Luis Garcia and Esteban Garcia Jr., whose parents founded the local institution in 1966 — for the freshest catch reeled in daily and available for purchase on the menu or by the pound at the fish market next door. If you choose to stay, you can dine amid dark-wood surroundings or enjoy the laid-back vibe and river view outdoors. Choose blackboard specials or house favorites such as fried grouper fingers or blackened or breaded preparations of your favorite fish. The famous fish dip or crab cakes make tasty starters, and each entrée comes with your choice of two sides. Before you leave, pick up some fresh seafood at the market to cook at home tomorrow!
398 NW North River Dr., Miami, 33128
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Greek Islands Taverna
Photo by Tabatha Mudra
Fort Lauderdale Beach isn't Corfu by any stretch of the imagination, but this beach-adjacent Greek restaurant does a good job of making hungry patrons feel as if they've crossed a temporary bridge to all things Mediterranean. The ownership team of brothers Sam and George Kantzavelos offers the kinds of dishes any tourist, local, or Greek native can appreciate in a casual setting that channels New Jersey diner fare at its finest. As a result, Greek Islands Taverna remains a longtime favorite among the beachgoing crowd thanks to its wide-ranging menu ofreasonably priced, classic Greek dishes. Go for favorites such as roast leg of lamb, flaming saganaki, chicken shish kebab, and a killer avgolemono (lemon chicken soup).
3300 N. Ocean Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, 33308
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Kon Chau Chinese Restaurant
Maureen Aimee Mariano
Located in the same West Miami-Dade shopping plaza as long-standing Asian grocery Lucky Oriental Mart, Kon Chau has been disproving the slander that you can't get decent dim sum in Miami since 2011. Rolling carts steam forth from the kitchen stocked with all the usual small-plate suspects — lotus leaf-wrapped sweet sticky rice, sauce-slick chicken feet, Shanghai-style soup dumplings, fluffy steamed pork buns, tender pork siu mai, etc. The cognoscenti know to order lesser-known offerings like salted pork porridge with century egg, duck-stuffed dumplings, and tripe noodle soup.
8376 SW 40th St., Miami, 33155
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Chug's Diner
Ariete Hospitality
Michael Beltran distinctly remembers the day he got his nickname. It was his first day as a high school freshman; Beltran walked in late to class, a chocolate milk chug in hand. Today, Chug is the name of the restaurateur's Cuban-American diner, a successful pop-up he's since expanded into a permanent, full-service eatery and modern-day ventanita. Where once stood a tiny grab 'n' go, Chug's now shows off an airy, open design inviting morning, afternoon, or late-night dining, complete with diner-style booths and a bar with lounge-style seating. True to the diner ethos, a crave-worthy menu of Cuban-American eats covers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. While you can order lechón hash to start your day or grab a frita patty melt for lunch, don't miss out on the curated selection of Pastelito Papi's famous fruit- and meat-stuffed pastelitos, or the house Cubano sandwich served on fresh-baked Cuban bread from the diner's bakery. In 2022, Chug's was awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand for its approachable, excellent fare.
3444 Main Highway, Miami, 33133
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Cafe La Trova
Photo by Adam Delgiudice
Between Cuban cantinero Julio Cabrera's daiquiris and chef Michelle Bernstein's fare, there's something uniquely Miami about Cafe La Trova. Bernstein's comfort food is all-around tempting. She works to meet the foodie fantasies of her guests, whether they're in search of elaborate dishes or a traditional tres leches dessert. Cabrera's cantineros take pride in the art of drink making. Here they "throw" daiquiris, tossing the precious liquid from shaker to shaker to create an arch in the air, before spontaneously bursting into a choreographed dance number. But as with all things Magic City, this joint isn't fueled solely by good food and drink: At any given time of the day, expect guayabera-clad musicians or jazz trumpet players to fill the air with their vibrant tunes, all set against a stage backdropped with the weathered façade of an Old Havana edifice. The Florida Michelin Guide recognized Cafe La Trova for its superior food and drink.
971 SW Eighth St., Miami, 33130
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Le Tub
Nicole Danna
One of Le Tub's rightly famous burgers
Waterside tables, gigantic burgers, and no-BS service make Hollywood’s Le Tub Saloon worthy of repeat visits. Tourists tend to stop by for the GQ- and Oprah-hyped burgers, but they stay for the breezy, open-air bar and the large wooden deck festooned with kitschy South Florida décor and plenty of picnic benches with a view of boat traffic on the Intracoastal. Le Tub is rightly known for its sirloin burger, a never-fail option made with a 13-ounce ground top sirloin patty that’s seasoned, charbroiled, and served on a bun with lettuce, tomato, and onion. Pair it with a beer and thick-cut home fries, followed by the owner's housemade key lime pie for a thoroughly satisfying repast.
1100 N. Ocean Blvd., Hollywood, 33019
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Sérêvène
Sérêvène photo
A table spread at Sérêvène
France and Japan unite at Sérêvène, the Hotel Greystone's signature restaurant. Executive chef Pawan Pinisetti has cultivated a unique setting to enjoy dishes that are sustainably sourced, thoughtfully crafted, and lovingly finished tableside for a dramatic flourish. Pinisetti himself is often on hand to describe the dish's inspiration, translating his whimsical ideas and personal experiences into an edible story. While dishes rotate seasonally, a few remain constant. Take the deconstructed beef tartare prepared tableside, cubes of Creekstone Farms filet mignon mixed in your presence with diced red onion, whole capers, chives, and grated egg yolk. The dish is served with baked Lay's — a wink meant to convey that this often-upmarket dish shouldn't be taken too seriously. Lobster uni alfredo arrives like a tiny cylindrical statue: butter-poached lobster with a generous heap of domestic caviar atop a base of al dente bucatini set in a pool of uni-whipped Parmesan foam. As it reduces to a seductively rich sauce, you realize it's all an elaborate illusion of decadence that satisfies nonetheless — a sleight of hand for which you'll gladly return.
1920 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 33139
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Abbalé Telavivian Kitchen
Photo courtesy of Abbalé Telavivian Kitchen
Abbalé Telavivian Kitchen, a partnership between chef Samuel "Sam" Gorenstein and Omer Horev, founder of Pura Vida Miami, might just be the most charming restaurant in Miami Beach. The eatery, inside a small house complete with a porch lined with flowing plants and cozy cushions, offers a plethora of bright fare. Start with a few salatim, such as baba ghanouj, smashed avocado, roasted beets, or the "holy grail" of black and white tahini with grated tomato and green harissa (all served with fire-baked pita), before moving on to grilled lamb chops, a whole branzino, or baby cauliflower — all oven-baked. Gorenstein drew his inspiration from the cafés of Tel Aviv, a city he says is like Miami in style and climate. Abbalé is intimate, inviting, and altogether an extremely pleasant way to pass the time grazing on shareable plates while sipping a glass of wine (or two).
864 Commerce St., Miami Beach, 33139
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
The Surf Club Restaurant
Photo by Deborah Jones
The prices at the Surf Club Restaurant are among the highest you'll find in Miami, but then, so is the quality. Located in a completely rebuilt Mediterranean Revival-style resort in Surfside, the restaurant stands just a few blocks from high-end Bal Harbour. Designed by Russell Pancoast, the original inn and eatery opened on New Year's Eve 1930 and quickly earned the nickname "Millionaires' Surf Club" for its level of exclusivity and ability to attract the rich and famous. Today the restaurant is run by one of the biggest names in American food: Thomas Keller, who remains the first and only U.S.-born chef to hold multiple three-star ratings from Michelin. Keller doesn't take shortcuts. His beef Wellington is made from 48-hour-braised short rib in a beef mousse, layered with a spinach and black-truffle mushroom pâté and wrapped in a paper-thin crèpe, then bundled in thick brioche and placed in the oven for about half an hour, warming the center and producing an outer crisp. Then (and only then) it is presented on a wooden cart and sliced tableside. The folks at Michelin took note in the 2022 debut of its Florida guide, awarding the Surf Club Restaurant a star.
9011 Collins Ave., Surfside, 33154
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Union Kitchen & Bar
Photo by Rachel Pinzur
Italy and Peru might seem worlds apart, but at Union Kitchen & Bar, the spirit of each is equally accessible. At their restaurant tucked away in Wilton Manors, husband-and-wife team Christie Tenaud and Roberto Colombi aim to unite the best of both cuisines with a menu that marries Colombi's Northern Italian heritage with Tenaud's South American sass. Inspired by their love of savoring a meal — especially that special union that takes place with loved ones sharing good food and wine — the couple has created an ambiance inspired by love. As executive chef, Tenaud's seasonally inspired menu shines with selections that change with the best of what's available, complemented by Colombi's thoughtfully curated wine list. Highlights include a bounty of local produce that makes its way into garden-inspired salads, modern American takes on tacos and arepas, handmade pastas that spotlight seafood, meats, and vegetables; and decadent housemade desserts — like the drunken bourbon bread pudding with crème anglaise and bourbon-soaked golden raisins.
2309 N. Dixie Highway, Wilton Manors, 33306
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Niu Kitchen
Photo by Jose Romero / WordinTown
In 2017, Katrina Iglesias, Adam Hughes, and chef and Barcelona native Deme Lomas opened Arson two doors down from their first venture, Niu Kitchen. The two restaurants have since been combined in order to accommodate more outdoor seating. The centerpiece of Arson is the Josper, a charcoal-burning grill/oven hybrid that influences Lomas' gastronomy. Whiffs of Asia and South America rise off the menu, including mainstays like charbroiled oysters, chargrilled prawns, and vegan paella.
104 NE Second Ave., Miami, 33132
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Eating House Miami
Photo by Jordan Braun
As one of Miami's first true pop-up restaurants, Eating House stands as a culinary gem not just for its creative riff-style menu, but also for its ability to pivot and expand without losing sight of its ethos: delivering simple, well-executed fare. When Miami native and Chopped champ Giorgio Rapicavoli opened in 2011, the popular Coral Gables restaurant introduced diners to dishes that are now cult classics. While Rapicavoli's rotating specials continue to offer edible exploration, mainstays have become forever favorites. Take the heirloom tomatoes prepared with a fish sauce vinaigrette, peanuts, and coconut milk. Or the housemade tater tots complemented by a Coca-Cola-spiked ketchup. And you can't scroll the Eating House Instagram feed without a glimpse of the bucatini carbonara: a warm egg yolk mixed tableside into a generous bowl of dente pasta coated in a black pepper cream sauce flecked with nibs of heritage bacon and black truffle — it's a dish that will haunt you with cravings months later. Pro tip: Don't sleep on the weekend brunch.
128 Giralda Ave., Coral Gables, 33134
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Jimmy's Eastside Diner
Photo by Aran S. Graham
Jimmy's Eastside Diner has the casual, been-there-forever feel of a neighborhood hangout. The green-and-brown color scheme is oddly appealing, and the place looks bright and friendly — diner ambiance minus any dinginess. If Jimmy's looks familiar, it's probably because the diner was used as one of the filming locations in Barry Jenkins' Oscar-winning 2016 film Moonlight. Ready your camera because you'll want to take a photo for the 'gram. Seating is all booths, and breakfast is served all day, including monster omelets and refreshing honesty from the waitstaff, as in: "Have the hash browns. The home fries have been sitting all morning." Philly cheesesteak for Saturday lunch, tuna melts — the fare has all the authentic markings of a classic diner.
7201 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, 33138
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Bachour
Bachour photo
Bachour, the namesake restaurant and bakery from Antonio Bachour, is an oasis of the Instagram-worthy pastries that made the Puerto Rican pastry chef a national sensation. The clean, industrial setting is the perfect backdrop for the brightly hued pastries, cakes, and other confections. Open for breakfast, lunch, brunch, and dinner, Bachour's all-day menu of salads, sandwiches, and hearty entrées earned the restaurant a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation in 2022. A meal can range from an egg sandwich or eggs Benedict to heartier fare, including a steak sandwich, lomo risotto, and fettuccine in a housemade pomodoro sauce. Be sure to end with a slice of key lime tart — and grab a box of bonbons or macarons to take home. Since opening in Coral Gables in 2019, Bachour has added a location in Doral.
2020 Salzedo St., Coral Gables, 33134
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Finka Table & Tap
Photo courtesy of Finka Table & Tap
Siblings Eileen and Jonathan Andrade descend from Miami dining royalty. Their grandparents founded Islas Canarias, the shrine of Cuban comfort food revered for its croquetas. Their parents carried on that tradition. It was on the sage advice of Mom and Dad that Eileen and Jonathan opened Finka Table & Tap — employing a funky spelling of finca, the Spanish word for "farm" — out in the far-western reaches of Miami-Dade. Gastropubs are a dime a dozen on the east side of the county, but Finka has a monopoly out west, and a crowd lines up nightly for the Andrades' Peruvian-Korean-Cuban fare: Cuban fried rice, Korean fried chicken, and the famed croquetas from the old family recipe, available in ham, chicken, or fish.
14690 SW 26th St., Miami, 33175
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Leku
Photo by Brigitte Schambon
Located within the Rubell Museum, Leku is a beautiful space that invites diners to enjoy the restaurant's Basque fare indoors or in an outdoor garden. The restaurant takes inspiration from the Rubell Collection, right down to the plating of the croquetas. The menu reads like the greatest hits of Spain: jamón iberico, a whole branzino finished in the restaurant's Josper oven, and local Key West gambas al ajillo — all presented in ways that match the artworks that grace the museum's walls.
1100 NW 23rd St., Miami, 33127
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Tropical Chinese Restaurant
Photo by Andrew Meade
Nearly four decades into its existence, Tropical Chinese is still going strong. The dinner menu is chock full of offerings, from the traditional to the exotic. Appetizers include wok-fried, salt-and-pepper-style calamari and the fun-to-eat "rainbow pancake," featuring four wraps to fill tableside with vermicelli noodles, wood ear mushrooms, shredded carrot, cabbage, scallions, and freshly ground peanuts glazed with plum sauce. What's more, this unassuming spot in a West Miami-Dade strip mall remains a go-to for the best dim sum in the county. More than 30 kinds of are offered, all prepared fresh on site. Pro tip: The barbecue pork buns are a must.
7991 Bird Rd., Miami, 33155
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Silverlake Bistro
Photo by Michelle Muslera
Miamians should be doubly grateful to Sandy Sanchez and her husband, chef Benoit Rablat, the duo behind Hialeah's La Fresa Francesa; we have them to thank for Silverlake Bistro, as well. Drawing inspiration from their time together in Los Angeles' Silver Lake area, the couple serves straightforward American fare with subtle French and Latin twists at this unassuming gem in the Normandy Isles neighborhood of Miami Beach. The interior is done up in retro California shabby chic, from trippy wallpaper to kitschy flea market finds. The menu filled top to bottom with winners, including a rich gnocchi mac & cheese seared in duck fat, fried empanadas stuffed with chunks of flank steak, and a dish of smoky roasted heirloom carrots on a bed of creamy ricotta and honey. And then there’s the burger: two juicy, grass-fed USDA prime beef patties topped with melted sharp cheddar on a housemade brioche bun slathered in porcini mushroom butter. The friendly and attentive staff address their many regulars by name and extend invitations (regardless of satiety) to sample dessert offerings, including a dark chocolate pot de crème and a salted-butter and sugar crêpe. Pro tip: Visit on a Tuesday and avail yourself of 50 percent off the wine list.
1211 71st St., Miami Beach, 33141
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon
L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon photo
Much like great fashion houses, the great chefs of the world create restaurants that keep their legacies alive. Although Joël Robuchon died in 2018, his name lives on at this Design District gem that marries the interactive ambiance of Japanese sushi counters with the casual spirit of Spain's tapas bars and Robuchon's take on modern French cuisine. Today, the chef's protégés stay true to his legacy with a menu of iconic Robouchon creations alongside dishes that highlight South Florida's regional bounty. Grab a seat at the communal bar facing the kitchen and order the "Evolution" tasting menu, or go à la carte with "Le Burger," a patty that blends foie gras and beef. Either way, you'll appreciate why L'Atelier is the only restaurant in Florida to earn two Michelin stars.
151 NE 41st St., Ste. 235, Miami, 33137
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Vinya Table
Vinya Table photo
An extension of sommelier and co-owner Allegra Angelo's Key Biscayne wine market, Vinya Table is one-half restaurant, one-half market from which you can grab any of Angelo's thoughtfully curated bottle selections off the shelf to enjoy with your meal (in addition to a list of more than 40 wines available by the glass). When it comes to food, there's the obligatory build-your-own charcuterie board, as well as sections dedicated to pasta, meat, and seafood. But don't skip over the small plates. Try the morcilla spring rolls, loamy Spanish blood sausage encased in a crisp Madeira wine-stained shell and served with a sweet onion marmalade, or the lamb baklava, prepared just like the Greek dessert but with a savory-sweet pairing of orange-glazed meat and crushed pistachios.
266 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables, 33134
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Azabu
Azabu Miami Beach photo
Long before every other Miami restaurant was a New York transplant, Tribeca-based Azabu opened an outpost at the Stanton Hotel in Miami Beach. The sleek restaurant, with origins in the Azabu District of Tokyo, comprises three areas: a lounge offering more than 40 different whiskeys, the main dining room, and a hidden room called "the Den." The main room offers sushi and izakaya items from Azabu's robata grill, while the Den serves an incomparable omakase experience for fewer than a dozen diners per seating. The Den's pristine seafood, flown in from Japan, earned it a Michelin star.
161 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach, 33139
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Josh's Deli
Photo courtesy of Josh's Deli
There are New York delicatessens that don't go as hard as Josh's Deli. It's amazing to see thick cuts of house-cured pastrami gleaming with moisture and capped with ribbons of fat. The Angus brisket is cured for ten days, smoked, and then steamed; it evokes a smoky flavor (with a hint of sweetness) that puts it on a peppery par with great barbecue. The corned beef is that same Angus brisket, cured, braised, and sliced thick and juicy — miles apart from the pallid strips of meat that pass for an original cut nowadays. All sandwiches come on thin-sliced, seed-flecked rye spread with dazzling yellow mustard — made, like everything else, on the premises. All meats and fish are cured and/or smoked in-house. Owner Josh Marcus makes the sour pickles too, alongside wild creations such as the "Jewban," an unholy Jewish-Cuban alliance made with pastrami, Swiss cheese, pickles, and pork.
9517 Harding Ave., Surfside, 33154
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Luca Osteria
Photo courtesy of Luca Osteria
If you're on a quest to find the best pasta in Miami, consider Luca Osteria, where Giorgio Rapicavoli channels his Italian heritage in a quaint spot named for his son. Located along the pedestrian-only stretch of Giralda Plaza, the restaurant offers the chef's indulgent interpretations of classic dishes with the same spirit his beloved Eating House churns out quirky-creative riffs on American favorites. Here, homemade pastas pair with the bar's selection of house spritzes, while hearty main plates do best with one of several takes on the classic negroni. Pasta is a must-order — be it bucatini all'amatriciana with aged 600-day prosciutto and sun-dried tomatoes or pappardelle smothered in a nutmeg-spiced short rib ragù. But the antipasti of patate fritte — Rapicavoli's bite-size balls of fried potato, served beneath a deluge of creamy parmigiano fonduta flavored with black truffle and topped with a single egg yolk — is a can't-miss dish.
116 Giralda Ave., Coral Gables, 33134
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Chayhana Oasis
Photo by billwisserphoto.com
A mural depicting a desert beneath a floating pair of eyes is the only sign that beckons passersby into this Uzbek-style hideaway, accessible only from one side of NE 163rd Street. Chayhana Oasis offers fare not only from Uzbekistan but also the entire central Eurasian region. Translation: You can eat your way around several nations. To keep the proceedings simple and entertaining, the menu contains quirky descriptions of lesser-known dishes. Begin with the doma, tender stuffed Turkish-style grape leaves; continue with shish kebabs of lamb, chicken, beef, or shrimp. For dessert, try gnezdo, a crunchy meringue topped with diced walnuts. In standard European fashion, wash it all down with a shot of top-shelf vodka. Go ahead — there's no shortage of fresh, chewy Uzbek-style bread to soak it up.
250 Sunny Isles Blvd., Sunny Isles Beach, 33160
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Versailles Restaurant
Photo by Phillip Pessar via Flickr Creative Commons
Since opening in 1971, Versailles has become a Calle Ocho staple for locals and tourists alike. The 200-plus seat dining room is illuminated by golden chandeliers and surrounded by lustrous mirrors — a nod to the Hall of Mirrors at its namesake outside Paris. But that's about the only taste of France you'll get at this classic Cuban eatery. The extensive menu offers appetizers such as croquetas — the breaded and deep-fried cylinders made from béchamel-bathed fish, chicken, or ham — and lunch items like Cuban sandwiches slathered with mustard and layered with ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese, and pickles. A variety of seafood, chicken, pork, and beef entrées are available with traditional Cuban sides such as rice and black beans or fried sweet plantains.
3555 SW Eighth St., Miami, 33135
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Mandolin Aegean Bistro
Teeny-tiny Mandolin Aegean Bistro is located in a former 1940s bungalow in the Design District, adorned in blue and white. The quaint charm that fills the air is as tangible as the extra-virgin Greek olive oil that fills the vials placed on each table. Mandolin's straightforward cooking is embodied in a sweet, tender curlicue of grilled octopus misted with the aforementioned Mediterranean lubricant. Even chicken kebab — usually relegated to fodder for timid eaters — is unexpectedly rousing: huge, juicy hunks of grilled white meat kicked up with a quick dip in the dish of tzatziki. Don't miss the Greek salad: large wedges of ripe tomato, cucumber, and green peppers mingled with smaller shots of red onion, capers, and Kalamata olives. Fun fact: This also happens to be international DJ Diplo's favorite Miami restaurant.
4312 NE Second Ave., Miami, 33137
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Enriqueta's Sandwich Shop
A simple sandwich shop at the confluence where Wynwood, Midtown Miami, and Edgewater meet, Enriqueta's remains a holdout in the race to turn Miami into a sea of condominiums and Lululemons. The restaurant is one of the most democratic in the city, its clientele a steady stream of construction workers, galleristas, tourists, and dwellers of the aforementioned condos (David Beckham once paid a visit), all dropping by for their cafecito fixes and Cuban sandwiches — here with a bonus in the form of croquetas pressed into the bread along with the meat and cheese.
186 NE 29th St., Miami, 33137
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Planta South Beach
Planta photo
The ahi watermelon nigiri at Planta
Miami isn't known as a paradise for vegans, but Planta — a plant-based establishment with a fine-dining ambiance and bespoke cocktail program to match — is the proverbial exception that proves the rule. Better still, it's sure to please vegans and omnivores alike. Begin with ahi watermelon nigiri, a presentation that will lure the most avid raw fish lover with slivers of bright pink melon marinating on a blend of soy sauce and seasonings that mimics raw tuna in a magical way. Or the ceviche, with its fever dream of flavors at once tart, sweet, and tangy so that the only thing you're missing is the actual seafood, resplendently replaced by shaved hearts of palm. Or the bao bun, an oyster mushroom fried to a crisp finish while remaining meaty inside, nearly indistinguishable from the fried chicken it's meant to imitate. Craving heartier fare? Pizza and pasta are easy, well-executed staples that everyone will appreciate.
850 Commerce St., Miami Beach, 33139
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Casa Isola Osteria
Photo by Nicole Danna
When Pubbelly Noodle Bar closed in Miami Beach's Sunset Harbour neighborhood back in 2019, it left an empty space in the hearts of fans of José Mendín. Fortunately, the chef kept the lease, opening a quaint Italian bistro with longtime business partner Sergio Navarro and former Lucali chef Santo Agnello. The result, Casa Isola Osteria, is a charming spot that serves up red-sauce classics like linguini with white clams and pappardelle alla bolognese with braised Wagyu. The star of the show, however, is a stellar rigatoni alla vodka. The restaurant's décor attempts to replicate the ambiance of a tiny Italian village, so if you've been jonesing for some international travel, it's a chance to get away to Italy — if only for a meal.
1418 20th St., Miami Beach, 33139
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Pinch Kitchen + Bar
billwisserphoto.com
Pinch Kitchen owners Rene Reyes and John Gallo met while working at Casa Tua. They spent years together at various Pubbelly operations before realizing their shared dream and opening a cozy spot just north of the MiMo District in 2015. Pinch Kitchen + Bar offers elevated versions of standard fare: barbecue pork belly, croquetas, a crisp salad. The proof is in the quality of the ingredients and the care that goes into each dish. Take, for example, the Pinch burger, an eight-ounce patty made from a custom blend of ground beef, topped with caramelized onions and Swiss: a simple creation, prepared to perfection, and one of the best burgers to be found in all of Miami. The selection of local craft beers and thoughtfully curated wines evidenced a similar level of attention.
8601 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, 33138
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Buccan
Buccan photo
Wood-grilled squid and octopus at Buccan
Clay Conley forever changed the Palm Beach dining scene in 2011 when he opened Buccan, his take on a modern American bistro. The Todd English protégé, who has notched six James Beard nominations, renders topnotch ingredients into approachable, balanced, and robustly flavored dishes. The menu changes seasonally; perennial favorites include the flawless USDA prime burger and sweet corn and ricotta agnolotti, the latter bathed in a rich, mildly piquant espelette butter sauce dotted with nibs of bacon. Pro tip: Stop by for happy hour, when you can pair margaritas or dirty martinis with the chef's short rib empanadas, a simple ceviche, or the hot dog panini — a grilled and sliced Hebrew National dog paired with housemade panini slathered in garlic aioli, a trio of mustards, grilled onions, sauerkraut, and melty Gruyère. The chef's ventanita-like sandwich shop around the corner draws a daytime crowd.
350 S. County Rd., Palm Beach, 33480
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Bombay Darbar
Photo courtesy of Bombay Darbar
What began as a mom-and-pop 30-seater has grown into an Indian-food mainstay with two locations (Coconut Grove and Fort Lauderdale). Diners crunch on crisp papadum wafers while watching Bollywood movies on a large screen and perusing the menu. That list is lengthy, but at its heart are the tikkas, tandooris, and vindaloos that fans of Indian food crave. Bright vegetable samosas are a good start, as are some of the tandoor-baked breads — try the soft, fluffy, onion-flecked kulcha naan. Most dishes can be made mild, medium, high medium, hot, or super-hot. On that last count, Bombay Darbar thoughtfully offers cold Kingfisher beers to cool you down from even the spiciest of culinary adventures.
2901 Florida Ave., Miami, 33133
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Awash Ethiopian Restaurant
Photo by CandaceWest.com
At Awash, owners Eka and Fouad Wassel want to take you to an authentic Ethiopian-style home kitchen called a gojo bait. Try the doro wot, a rich chicken dish with a depth of flavor similar to the moles of Mexico. The Awash River, from which this restaurant and many other Ethiopian eateries across the nation take their names, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The valley surrounding it was where researchers in 1974 found 52 fossilized bone fragments of the famed early hominid Lucy. Carbon dating put the partial skeleton's age at more than 3 million years, a fact almost every Ethiopian knows. But it's also one that brings home the history of this part of the world and the fact that much of human culture was born here. You might be tempted to visit only at night, but be sure to pop in during the daylight hours for a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony, the same one that's repeated up to three times a day in the Horn of Africa. Green coffee beans are pan-roasted, hand-ground, and then slowly brewed over hot coals. The point is to slow you to a stop in order to connect with the coffee and those with whom you're sharing it.
19934 NW Second Ave., Miami Gardens, 33169
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Old Greg's Pizza
Photo by Nicole Danna
During the pandemic, Greg Tetzner and Jackie Richie started making pizzas from home. Their little project turned into a legitimate business after many restaurant-industry peeps stamped their approval. No longer a side hustle, Old Greg's has its own Design District shop, with Tetzner baking as many pies as he and his team can handle. What makes these pies superior is the square sourdough crust, crunchy on the outside but light on the inside. The specialty pizza selection includes the "corn on corn on corn," with creamed corn, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese, polenta, chili corn crisps, and chives. Old Greg's also offers round pies, hoagies, chicken wings, and a smattering of specials. It's all excellent — just make sure you remember to order whatever you thought you wanted when you came in.
3620 NE Second Ave., Miami, 33137
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Lung Yai Thai Tapas
Photo by billwisserphoto.com
If you're not used to the searing heat of Thai spice, ask for Lung Yai Thai Tapas' lab e-sarn — a chilled ground-pork salad spiked with hefty doses of cumin, chilies, and star anise. It's one of a number of recipes chef/owner Bas Trisransi revived after learning at his grandfather's side decades ago. Bas knows that the development of deep, complex flavors can't be rushed. This is quality Thai food that's both affordable and casual, and the tapas style will rightly tempt diners to sample everything on the menu. A meal at Lung Yai is a crash course for the palate — and the Michelin Guide took note, awarding the restaurant a Bib Gourmand designation in 2022.
1731 SW Eighth St., Miami, 33135
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Doma
Doma photo
Tucked into Miami’s ever-evolving Wynwood neighborhood, Doma has blended classic Italian flavors with a dash of innovation since opening in 2018. The chic, minimalist ambiance is warmly welcoming, great for a date night, hanging out with friends, or meeting the in-laws. Cacio e pepe pasta, a signature dish, surprises with a delicate floral twist from Szechuan black pepper, while the soft egg, a starter, is abetted by a Parmesan espuma. Topnotch cuisine and attentive service have earned Doma its rightful spot as a vibrant player in the neighborhood, drawing devoted locals and curious newcomers alike.
35 NE 26th St., Miami, 33137
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Stiltsville Fish Bar
Grove Bay Hospitality photo
Culinary couple — and erstwhile Top Chef contestants Jeff McInnis (season 5) and Janine Booth (season 11) — operate this Sunset Harbour fish house, which draws inspiration from the former's early years in the Florida Panhandle, where he subsisted on simply prepared seafood paired with tropical cocktails. The indoor-outdoor venue includes a maritime-themed dining room and bar and a menu that ranges from signature items that range from spicy Buffalo fish wings and a housemade, oak-smoked fish dip prepared with the freshest local catch to Southern favorites like fish 'n' grits and sweet-corn spoon bread. For a unique experience, guests can choose their meal directly from an ice-filled tub that showcases the day's selection of fresh fish. Pro tip: The weeknight happy hour is popular among locals in search of deals on cocktails, rum sippers, and bar bites.
1787 Purdy Ave., Miami Beach, 33139
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Wabi Sabi Miami
Courtesy of Wabi Sabi by Shuji
This blink-and-you’ll-miss-it neighborhood favorite near the Biscayne Boulevard end of the 79th Street Causeway dispenses wonderfully simple and straightforward sushi and ingredient-based sushi bowls, such as the "Wabi Sabi" (filled with tuna, salmon, crab, tobiko, cucumber, avocado, seaweed, and shiitake mushrooms). The maki, determinedly classic and unfancy, are constructed with great care. Look for daily specials, cooked-fish creations, and, for dessert, a handful of mochi ice cream flavors, including matcha green tea and salted caramel.
851 NE 79th St., Miami, 33138
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
La Camaronera Seafood Joint and Fish Market
Courtesy of La Camaronera
Everyone knows La Camaronera as the iconic Little Havana seafood joint founded by a family of Cuban fishermen. For more than 40 years, the restaurant’s owners, the Garcia brothers, have been cooking up their famous favorites — including grouper soup, shrimp empanadas, conch fritters, and a fresh fish sandwich — along with dozens of other Cuban-inspired dishes. Most people flock to the dive for the house specialty: camarones fritos, a dish that has been featured on Michelle Bernstein’s PBS show Check, Please! and Guy Fieri’s popular Food Network series Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
1952 W. Flagler St., Miami, 33135
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
El Mago de las Fritas
Photo by billwisserphoto.com
Sure, El Mago de las Fritas dispenses diner-like fare from its old-school cafeteria-esque dining room. But you're not here for just any dish. You're here for the Cuban hamburgers, AKA fritas. From the orange-hued beef chorizo patties to the almost-too-soft Cuban rolls and the topping of handmade potato sticks, El Mago's frita is one of the best iterations in the Magic City. You can order a basic frita, but seriously consider a double with cheese. Whatever you do, don't forget to add a fried egg on top. Look for the "Big Magic" — a Big Mac-like frita with a tostone as the middle bun. Most of the staff members don't speak English, but if you're uncomfortable ordering in Spanish, just point at what you want on the menu.
5828 SW Eighth St., Miami, 33144
The Top 100 Miami Restaurants of 2024
Lil Greenhouse Grill
Photo by Nicole Gates
Karim Bryant and Nicole Gates own this charming little spot in Overtown that offers modern takes on classic soul-food dishes. Bryant, who oversees the kitchen, has a solid foundation built on stints at Capital Grille, Prime 112, and BLT Prime in Doral. With a background in radio, Gates has the task of spreading the word and making sure customers — from the neighbor on the corner to mega-celebrities Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King — stay happy. But who wouldn't be happy when served a plate of barbecue smoked wings or chicken and waffles? Chase it with a selection from Lil Greenhouse Grill's wine and beer menu — but be sure to save room for banana pudding.
1300 NW Third Ave., Miami, 33136
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