Where to Eat in Miami Right Now

If one doesn’t live in the southwest suburbs, they might think Pinecrest is a little far to go when Miami’s got plenty of great steak and fresh seafood that don’t involve dealing with US-1. But take heed, Miamians, everything about Platea is worth the trip, whether it’s the prime steaks coming off the grill, the exquisite wine list, or the ceviche that may well be the best in Miami. This unassuming spot in a suburban strip mall could make a case as the city’s top steakhouse, the opposite of the majority where what it lacks in celebrities it more than makes up for in food. What’s better, dinner at this family-operated gem clocks in at about 70% of what it would cost east of the Palmetto.

Restaurant menus are sometimes a little like baseball lineups, where you have your heavy hitters and then some spots that are just there to fill out the card. Neya, however, is a murderer’s row of restaurants, where literally everything on the menu will have you cleaning your plate and wondering why you didn’t order more. This Israeli spot in Surfside knocks every single dish out of the park, whether it's crispy brussels sprouts in turmeric tahini, josper roasted harissa tiger prawns, or the margol flatbread topped with hearty tomato sauce and arugula. Portions aren’t oversized either, and there’s a kosher rib eye for the restaurant’s observant and/or meat-loving clientele.

Sometimes you wander into a restaurant that’s spent the GNP of a small country on design, and it looks like a movie set. Other restaurants achieve it authentically. Such is the case at Doma, an Italian bistro that could easily be the backdrop for “Trendy restaurant – Miami.” The dark light, ultra-modern décor, and beautiful people feel ripped from Real Housewives, but unlike a lot of sceney spots the food holds up. Order the rigatoni Bolognese, the odd one you’ll find outside Italy that isn’t a red sauce. Or opt for the gnocchi di mare with king crab, squid, clams, mussels, and tomatoes.

Ask anyone involved with Cocaine Cowboys 2 and they’ll tell you—following up an iconic Miami hit isn’t easy. The team behind Michelin-starred Boia De have managed to make it happen, though, debuting this new endeavor in the Little Haiti shopping center helmed by Alter alum Jeff Maxwell. The open kitchen is centered around a wood-fire pizza oven, where Maxwell and his team make unusual pies like the Rodeo Za with anchovies, spicy tomatoes, and maple brown butter. The carrot tartare with salsa verde and mustard seed is unlike any dish in Miami, and the potato gnocchi with black truffle brings flavors so complex you’ll still be thinking about them on the ride home.

Fresh off his Michelin star at Stubborn Seed, Jeremy Ford opens this meat-centric palace in the old Public Square/Shula’s space on Red Road. Glass-door meat lockers line the back of the bar, where guests can gaze at the cuts that will soon be adorning their plates. After a cocktail, diners are treated to a menu of locally-sourced, shareable plates that are as delicious as they are beautiful. Dry-aged fish isn’t typically something one sees in South Florida, but Ford’s Japanese crudo with citrus shows it can be done. The jerk charred heirloom carrots put a spicy spin on a pretty standard side, and the Wagyu beef tenderloin lives up to the expectations that started when you saw it behind the bar.

Tucked away amidst the windows boasting $1,000 linen pants and triple-digit sun visors, you’ll find a foliage-filled hallway leading to the Holy Land. No, not a clearance sale at Bal Harbour, but rather this Israeli-inspired restaurant that was all the rage in Chicago and Austin. Dine among the lush surroundings on small plates like falafel and roasted garlic hummus, then move on the heartier entrees like shawarma spiced skirt steak and tamarind-braised short rib. The collection of kebabs is fantastic, too, whether you’re indulging in traditional beef tenderloin or branching out into the unusual ora king salmon.

With all due respect to Tony Chan’s Water Club, there’s a new Chinese gem hidden in the back of the Doubletree Grand. This one comes to us from chef Taka, who 954-ers may remember from Takato in Lauderdale. He’s set up shop at the back of the building’s curious mall, where you step from the fluorescent lights into a sexy, narrow space adorned in all sorts of Asian-inspired art. The food comes fast and furious, where before you’ve had a chance to shell a few spicy, crispy edamame you’re presented with a duck spring roll filled with scallion and hoisin. The short rib fried rice comes with the full rib on top, more an entrée than a rice dish. And before the carbs have crept up on you, you’re treated to a meat course, best experienced with the spicy coconut rubbed lamb chops.

Eating on Ocean Drive is kinda like going out for New Year. Miamians think we’re too cool for it, but when done right it can be spectacular. Consider the restaurant at the newly-restored Pelican Hotel the exception to the Ocean Drive rule, a fantastic neo-Italian eatery with breezy outdoor tables and zero pushy hosts. The extensive menu stands out from the glut of Ocean Drive Italian, with gourmet touches like prawns and scallop risotto, and over-fired truffle pizza. It’s your new go-to for out-of-towners who insist on eating along Ocean Drive, but is also worth a look even when you’re not entertaining.

Once upon a time, the lush, luxurious Mayfair hotel was the place to be in Coconut Grove. It’s returned to some of its former glory this year thanks in large part to a major renovation, and the food at this new restaurant on the ground floor. Dine around Mayfair’s famous fountain, as you enjoy an al fresco meal like you were dining in a European plaza. The menu is a mix of open-fire specialties that nod to the American Southwest, highlighted by the wood oven cheese dip made with a trio of Mexican cheeses and squash blossom. Though no meal is complete with trying something from the collection of Sonoran flatbreads, topped with everything from chorizo and chipotle to heirloom cauliflower.

If you’ve spent any time in Mexico outside a boozy, all-inclusive resort, you know the country should be better known for its seafood. Much of that is because fresh, gourmet Mexican seafood is a rarity in Miami, but you’ll find it at this colorful Coconut Grove restaurant. The guac is deliciously fresh, and it’s best followed by the ceviche Acapulco with curry ketchup and almond mousse, or the tuna tostadas with ponzu and chipotle mayo. The entrees are equally impressive, boasting a shrimp burger on brioche and Lasagna Azteca, a bit like a layered enchilada with pink shrimp and poblano sauce.

Say what you will about the Major Food Group— the minds behind Carbone, Dirty French, and other post-pandemic hotspots—they know how to do design. And their latest entrant is no different, creating a brilliant dim-light-and-art-deco masterpiece that’s already one of Miami’s most romantic restaurants. The Northern Italian cuisine gives Contessa an edge over similar concepts, with dishes like pumpkin ravioli and Cinghiale Bolognese that taste straight off the Via Emelia. The pizzas are as good as any Italian restaurant’s too, and though Contessa’s filled with a heavy dose of Miami “scene,” if you treat the crowd as entertainment the night can be perfect.

After a post-COVID hiatus Brad Kilgore is back at it, this time helming the food and beverages at Wynwood’s swanky new Arlo Hotel. He’s picking up right where he left off at Alter and Ember, this time packing the menu with Sunshine State tributes like layered brioche with orange blossom honey and grouper al pastor with finger lime and orange peel. The low-key hit of the lineup, though, is the house-made hand-cut tagliatelle, which tastes like it came straight off the drying rack, then topped with Homestead tomato pomodoro and sweet crab.
How to book: Reserve via SevenRooms.

Miami master Chef Niven Patel may have made his name crafting Indian specialties at Ghee with ingredients fresh from his farm. But he gained his nationwide acclaim with Orno, the woodsy, wood-fired restaurant at the THesis Hotel. The menu is still mostly inspired by what’s fresh down at Rancho Patel, full of veggie specialties like vadouvan cauliflower with pickled apples and Aleppo pepper. Patel adds his homegrown produce to fish with the spicy tuna tartare with Calabrian peppers and guanciale. Carnivores aren't left out of the fun either; the meat lineup includes a Wagyu Denver steak and Iberico pork tenderloin with cilantro and scallion.

Opulence is the name of the game at the old Miami Women’s Club, which welcomes you to Edgewater’s first rooftop bar with an alarming tank of live King Crabs. These poor guys are destined to be your dinner downstairs, where an over-the-top menu of fresh seafood and dry-aged steaks awaits. The two-story dining room is lined with windows looking out to Biscayne Bay, but even without the view, eating at Klaw is an experience. The menu is dotted with casually listed delicacies like bluefin tuna, black grouper crudo, and Norwegian king crab, leading to a collection of steaks sorted by provider rather than cut. You might feel a little sticker shock when you see the prices, but most of the are dishes are easily enough for two.
How to book: Reserve via SevenRooms.

While it’s always smart to be leery of any South Florida restaurant that touts its New York pedigree, this Korean Steakhouse is the real deal. Combining the top collection of meats in the city with a heavy dose of pink neon “scene,” Cote strikes the balance between cool and quality like nowhere else. Servers bring out a platter of beautiful meats and cook it on a tabletop grill, with a selection of veggie-centric Korean banchan surrounding. It’s a very different kind of steakhouse experience that doesn’t leave you weighed down. What’s better, you can sample it without breaking the bank, as Cote’s signature Butcher’s Feast is a quite-reasonable $64 per person.

The old chef from Mandolin sets up in a secluded garden along NW 24th Street, plating Aegean specialties good enough to earn the place a Michelin Bib Gourmand. Doya is one of Miami’s most romantic restaurants not just because of its dreamy, twinkling garden setting. It’s also because eating here is a sharable exploration, where dishes with names like turkey pastrami hummus and pacanga pie beg you to discover what’s next. Doya’s dips stand above any Mediterranean eatery in Miami, with a red-pepper based muhammara that’ll have you begging for the recipe as you leave.

Tacking on to the two Michelin stars its upstairs neighbors got, this ground level spot from chef Alain Verzeroli notched a star of its own in 2022, plating beautiful, vegetable-forward dishes in a colorful, contemporary space. You don’t have to be a vegetarian, or even like vegetables much more than a stubborn seven-year-old, to appreciate what they’re doing at Le Jardinier. The menu is driven by which veggies are in season, meaning you’ll find stuff like gnocchi with red kuri squash, brown butter, and sage in the fall. Or sweet potato velouté with grilled Honeycrisp apple and cardamom. Le Jardinier still has a handful of solid seafood and steak offerings, but the veggies are the stars of the show. Each one is plated so perfectly you’ll be hesitant to ruin it by eating.

Ingredients flown in from Mexico make up a menu of unique creations and seafood standouts, served on a sidewalk cafe to a soundtrack of international vinyl. Los Felix’s Michelin-starred bill leans heavily on Mexican corn, and the culinary team here has brought in varieties rarely found north of the border. They’re best expressed in the Totopos (you might call them tortilla chips) served with fresh guac and a daily-made salsas. You’ll also get the full effect with an order of Esquites, a collection of heirloom corn mixed with chile emulsion and cotija cheese. The chef plays the classics, too, but with a communal spin, from Pork Cheek Carnitas served braised in a bowl with blue corn tacos to a Squash Blossom Quesadilla that easily serves four.

This stunning restaurant set among modern art and soft breezes on the Rubell Museum patio takes gourmet twists on traditional Baqsue cuisine. What is Basque, food, exactly? Well, if you’ve ever eaten at a real-deal family-style Basque restaurant in the US, you know the general concept: large portions of meat, starches, and spices. But Leku leans more toward the fare found in the Basque region of Spain with top-quality ingredients prepared simply but extremely well, plating a 50-day Dry-aged Prime Bone-in Ribeye alongside Patatas Caseras and Wild Mushroom Rice. You’ll also find more-traditional Spanish tapas (i.e. Basque “pintxos”) too, like Iberico Croquetas and Galician Octopus.
How to book: Reserve via SevenRooms.

Uchi’s big name is matched by its quality eats and, while never cheap, is definitely a good spot to drop some cash. Miami got hit with more new omakase spots over the past few years than we did named storms. But the leader of the tasting-menu pack is this Texas transplant, boasting the best selection of sushi in the city. If you’d rather skip the omakase and order for yourself, the Hama Chili with Yellowtail will wake up your palate before moving on to the Hot Rock Wagyu Beef and the addictive Sweet Pumpkin Tempura. Every piece of fish here is going to be spectacular, so don’t be afraid to order adventurously—budget allowing, of course.

This little modern Italian restaurant wedged next to a Little Haiti supermarket shows you don’t need big name backing to be Miami’s best. Husband-and-wife team Alex Meyer and Luciana Giangrandi have created a menu without a weak link, and a wine list worthy of a restaurant ten times Boia’s size. It’s Italian without crossing the in-your-face red sauce line, with subtle options like Crispy Polenta with marinated eggplant, homemade Pappardelle with rabbit and rosemary, and massive Lamb Ribs with urfa yogurt and spicy cucumbers. Pro tip: Though reservations inside book up about a month in advance, show up on almost any night and you can get a seat outside or at the bar with only a short wait.