The Miami Restaurants You Need to Eat at This Year (2024)

• Miami
• Eat
• Restaurants

Published on Jan 24, 2024 at 5:08 PM

Contrary to popular belief, Miami has plenty to offer beyond near-perfect weather. Things like great museums, cool craft breweries, and a bevy of other fun activities that don’t involve sunshine or the beach. You know what else we do exceedingly well in South Florida? Restaurants—and the past several months have seen some spectacular new entrants to the Miami dining scene.

From welcoming neighborhood spots to swanky South Beach outposts of Michelin-starred favorites, Miami has no shortage of fantastic restaurants, and the list of the best ones is growing by the day. Here’s a look at the best restaurants in Miami that you absolutely must check out this year.

Miami Beach and South Beach Restaurants

South Beach
The team behind Michelin-starred mastery of gourmet Colombian food that had diners licking chocolate off their hands in Brickell has opened a second location in the old Bazaar space at the SLS. While the tasting menu is gone, a la carte offerings are truly top notch, leaving guests eagerly anticipating the next course. Start out with smoked wagyu nigiri over coconut rice, then move on to yucca gnocchi with plantain honey, BBQ ribs with tamarind and guava, and scallops with passion fruit ceviche. And no meal at Elcielo is complete without the Tree of Life, a yucca bread served like a bonsai tree that’s deceptively filling.
How to book: Via OpenTable

Miami Beach
The Fontainebleau has done almost the unthinkable—closed Scarpetta and replaced it with something even better. Not to besmirch the fine restaurant that was in the waterfront space before, but Mirabella brings a more approachable Italian menu packed with Italian-American favorites like eggplant parm, ossobuco, and lumache in spicy vodka sauce. For visitors looking to splurge, you’ll still find caviar service and a massive 24-ounce bone-in ribeye. Plus a roving gin and negroni cart, so if your dinner conversation dies you can liven it up with a co*cktail show.
How to book: Via OpenTable

North Beach
Josper grills aren’t all that rare anymore, but this charming parilla-style spot in North Beach is the first to use one in an Argentinian steakhouse. The best way to experience its unique flavors is by ordering the skirt steak, which has a thin cut and high fat to absorb the smoke, and slice through it with a bite of the house-made chimichurri. The rest of the steak menu isn’t a dropoff, and the selection of wines from Argentina is equally as impressive. Stop in and grab a seat at Muchaaachos’ central bar, where you can sample the extensive list of vermouth co*cktails and enjoy the live-fire show in the kitchen.
How to book: ViaResy

Sunset Harbour
Jose Mendin has completely reimagined his Italian smash in Sunset Harbour, decking the place out in a futuristic anime backdrop inspired by the bustling streets of Tokyo. The menu is still big on Mendin’s generous pasta, highlighted by the gnocchi in kimchi bolognese and corn gyoza agnolotti in beef soy broth. Eating here isn’t exactly a calming evening, as the sights that surround you are almost as alluring as the visions on your plate. But with a menu of Italian favorites made with Mendin’s unique touches, it’s a dining experience that feels especially unique to Miami.
How to book: Via OpenTable

Wynwood Restaurants

Wynwood
Brad Kilgore jumps on the Itameshi trend at his new spot at Oasis, where Japanese and Italian cuisines join forces in an axis of deliciousness. The chef merges the flavors seamlessly in dishes like a chicken parm katsu sando with a caper kewpie aioli and truffle udon carbonara with jidori egg yolk and black truffle. Other intriguing offerings include gyoza en brodo, caramelized sesame meatballs, and bolognese made with San Marzano tomatoes and soy sauce. If you just want sushi, Oise does that beautifully as well, though your nigiri platter may come topped with roasted red peppers as an ode to all things Italian.
How to book: Via Resy

Wynwood
Rishtedar feels a little like those Christmas light wonderland Indian restaurants you find tucked into walk-up apartment buildings in New York—except this one has plenty of space. The two-story Santiago import is a fun, energizing place that throws regular Bollywood nights and dance classes to keep things interesting. But they could do none of that and still lay claim as one of the best Indian restaurants in Florida. The menu boasts inventive dishes like lobster masala, tandoori scallops, and soft shell Florida crab curry. Non-seafood lovers will find plenty to satisfy as well—and while this restaurant is happy to play the hits, do yourself a favor and order something you’ve never tried before.
How to book: Via OpenTable

Wynwood
The fragrant aroma you smell coming from behind the hedges as you cross NW 20th Street into Wynwood comes courtesy of Lira Beirut, a little Lebanese restaurant that’s gained a huge following in just a short time. That’s due in large part to its exquisitely seasoned meats, which pack more flavor into kafta and shish tawouk than any other restaurant of its kind. Prices are reasonable and the wine list is unusual, so you’ll always leave feeling satisfied the experience was worth the cost.
How to book: Via OpenTable

Wynwood
As the name might imply, everything about Log channels fire. The decor brings to mind a warm mountain chalet, where a central fireplace glows with “logs” amid warm wooden accent walls. Kick off with a co*cktail like the light and subtly sweet Log 75 or the creamy and citrusy Naked Passion-Rita before delving into some of Log’s smoky, shareable plates. A good place to start is the kampachi crudo, served with crispy potatoes and pickled pineapple. Or opt for the crispy and savory oyster mushroom with beans puree and confit. Of course, you’re here for the fire, so go all in with the 10-ounce skirt steak with smoky notes that pair perfectly with the housemade salsa verde.
How to book: Via OpenTable

Wynwood
If your crew is looking for a new happy hour spot, score some serious cool points by suggesting Casa Ya’ax, an indoor-outdoor Mexican place in Wynwood. The airy decor lends itself ideally to the selection of south-of-the-border-inspired co*cktails, like the tropical smoky Aku Mal made with mezcal and corn liqueur. The food works well for happy hour too, where you can nosh on the sikil pak dip, a Yucatan-inspired pumpkin seed puree. Or try white corn hominy hummus, an inventive blend of flavors from the old and new world.
How to book: Via Resy

Wynwood
The former chef from Mandolin now has 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 entice you to discover what’s next. DOYA’s dips stand above any Mediterranean eatery in Miami, with a red-pepper based muhammara that’ll have you begging for the recipe as you leave.
How to book:Via OpenTable

Coral Gables, Coral Way, and Coconut Grove Restaurants

Coral Gables
Niven Patel extends his farm fresh talents to the world of Italian food in this dark, sexy, restaurant along the Metrorail tracks. The interior is an immersion of red decor, striped booths, and dark wood walls, where your table’s candle melts and turns into butter for your bread. That alone is worth the price of admission, but Patel’s menu fuses local ingredients with Italian classics as only he can. Think Chitarra with Everglade tomatoes and fresh picked basil or linguini alla vodka with Bahamian conch. If you want to get a real idea of what the chef can do, stop in a little early for the pasta tasting experience, where $45 gets you a noodle-filled omakase experience from 5:30 to 6:30 pm.
How to book: Via OpenTable

Coconut Grove/Midtown
Vegan folks can feel left out at typical dim sum parlors, but not the case at Minty Z, where nearly every dish is delightfully plant-based. The Thai curry cauliflower packs a spicy punch with no fish-sauce undertones, and the General Tso brussels sprouts are equally as tongue-tingling. The dim sum is probably the most approachable in Miami, where Cuban corn wontons, ube sweet potato bao, and asparagus shumai let you try most of the menu without filling up.
How to book: Via OpenTable

Coconut Grove
You could literally throw a mango and hit an upscale sushi spot pretty much anywhere in Miami. But a neighborhood sushi joint with food that stands up to places twice the price? Those are hard to find, but Midorie is the exception. Between daily specials and menu stalwarts, there’s no bad decisions on the sushi side, but if you want something beyond fish and rice check out one of Midorie’s specialty bowls where rice, veggies, and soba noodles bring out the flavors of the first-rate fish.

Coral Way
Perhaps you saw the cavalcade of Bills fans carousing around Miami recently and thought, “What on earth fuels this kind of table-jumping insanity?” The answer lies in this Buffalo-inspired neighborhood restaurant, where the cozy feel of a Nickel City corner tavern lives on Coral Way. Get a friendly welcome at the bar then try the Beef on Weck sandwich, a Buffalo staple of thin-sliced ribeye served with horseradish on a rock-salt-and-caraway Kimmelweck roll. The bread is all made in house—including the massive pretzel with beer cheese. Obviously, the wings are not to be missed, with a special sauce crafted in Western New York that already makes them some of the best wings in Miami.

Little Haiti Restaurants

Little Haiti
A lot of pizza places claim to be authentic, but nowhere creates a setting quite as reminiscent of the Amalfi Coast as La Natural. The wood-fired pizzeria is set among the kind of white stucco you find in villas along the Mediterranean, plating pizzas like the flor di latte with white and red onions, a white sauce wonder even red sauce devotees could love. The menu stretches far past pizza, so be sure to try striped eggplant, a creamy vegetable dish that looks a little like a zebra, but explodes with balsamic zestiness. The selection of orange and natural wines is also impressive and could hold its own with several local wine bars.
How to book: Via Resy

Brickell Restaurants

Brickell
The gorgeous waterfront space that OG Miamians remember as Porcao finally has a restaurant worthy of its views. Celeb-favorite Delilah is pure topical opulence, where mirrored walls and banana plants frame bright wallpapers and Turkish burl wood bars. The 1920s-inspired supper club feels a little like a trip back to the dawn of Miami glam, as tuxedoed servers buzz around the floor with trays of martinis for well-heeled guests. The food could easily be secondary to the experience, but Miami mainstay Daniel Roy has crafted offerings befitting their surroundings. While the steaks and fresh seafood are alluring, make sure to start off with an order of his legendary chicken tenders.
How to book: Via SevenRooms

Brickell
This new artisan pizza spot next door to the AC Hotel feels just as much like a neighborhood bar as it does a restaurant. You’ll realize this if you opt to enjoy your meal at the bar where pizza Wonderkind Colin Seke will happily talk you up while he tosses pizza and tops it in front of you. The personal, family-owned touches make you want to keep coming back to L’Artisteria, though the Neapolitan-style pies ain’t bad either. The honey calabrese is a spicy-sweet gem that’s so addictive you’ll eat the whole thing without realizing. And the Sunshine pie with yellow tomato sauce is worth a look if you wanna try something new.
How to book: Via OpenTable

Brickell
This stylish restaurant at the aka hotel comes to Miami via Mexico City, but it's best known for plating up Basque-style specialties inspired by the Spanish city of San Sebastian. Kick back in a plush chair inside the towering dining room, where a financial district chic crowd feasts on large plates of confit mussel croquettes and branzino tartlets with fennel cream and caviar. As with most Spanish coastal cuisine, the menu is big on seafood and grilled meats, though if you’re looking to splurge the Japanese Wagyu with roasted veggies is worth the spend.
How to book: Via OpenTable

Buena Vista and Design District Restaurants

Design District
While it’s always smart to be leery of any South Florida restaurant that touts its New York pedigree, this Korean steakhouse is the real deal. Combining the top collection of meats in the city with a heavy dose of pink neon scene, COTE strikes the balance between cool and quality like nowhere else. Servers bring out a platter of beautiful meats and cook it on a tabletop grill, with a selection of veggie-centric Korean banchan surrounding. It’s a very different kind of steakhouse experience that doesn’t leave you weighed down. What’s better, you can sample it without breaking the bank, as the signature Butcher’s Feast is a quite-reasonable $68 per person. And come for happy hour between 5-7 pm and you’ll be treated to bites of steak and co*cktails for as little as $8.
How to book: Via Resy

Buena Vista
This little modern Italian restaurant wedged next to a Little Haiti supermarket shows you don’t need big name backing to be Miami’s best. Husband-and-wife team Alex Meyer and Luciana Giangrandi have created a menu without a weak link, and a wine list worthy of a restaurant 10 times Boia’s size. It’s Italian without crossing the in-your-face red sauce line, with subtle options like crispy polenta with marinated eggplant, homemade pappardelle with rabbit and rosemary, and massive lamb ribs with urfa yogurt and spicy cucumbers. Reservations inside book up about a month in advance, but show up early and you can likely get a seat outside or at the bar with only a short wait.
How to book: Via Resy

Fort Lauderdale Restaurants

Fort Lauderdale Beach
The season’s top new fine dining entrant is this chef’s-counter-meets-elegant-dining-room at the Four Seasons in Lauderdale Beach. Snag a seat at the marble counter surrounding the open kitchen, and you’ll be treated to an elegant tasting menu from Ryan Ratino, the Michelin Guide’s 2023 Young Chef Award winner in DC. He and his team gracefully move from a wood-fire grill to meticulous plating stations, while you enjoy the show with a fresh-made co*cktail. If you’d rather order from the menu, have a seat in the light-toned dining room and select something from the Euro-Japanese creations. The brioche-stuffed chicken, “buffalo'' chicken wing with lobster, and 32-ounce ribeye never disappoint.
How to book: Via SevenRooms

Other Miami Restaurants

La Cumbancha
Miami Lakes
After winning the world over with his first restaurant venture at Café La Trova, Julio Cabrera takes his live music and fabulous co*cktails to Main Street in Miami Lakes. The space feels like a little slice of Little Havana in the suburbs, where you’ll hear a salsa beat as soon as you step inside. The live band accompanies a fantastic original co*cktail menu that lives up to the lofty expectations Cabrera brings. The food is a step above what you’ll find at La Trova, with Cuban tamales, shredded beef and sweet potato hummus Tasajo, and a hearty arroz con pollo leading the way.
How to book: Via SevenRooms

Shorecrest
Perhaps you remember the Old Schnitzel Haus from watching the World Cup every four years. But it’s been reborn as a sleek, modern German restaurant worth visiting far more often, where the food has upped its game a couple notches and the beer is still spectacular. The spicy currywurst tastes like it came from the streets of Berlin, as does the massive pretzel served with homemade beer cheese. There’s an entire menu of snausages, though the smoked wagyu Kielbasa easily takes the top spot. Vegans can even get in on the action with a seitan schnitzel that’s just as satisfying as its pork and chicken counterparts.

Hialeah
La Frese Francecsca is, perhaps, the most surreal dining experience in South Florida, where you step from a Hialeah strip mall into a small piece of Paris. The decor is elegant and understated, offering a romantic ambience filled with books and trinkets reminiscent of old-school France. The classics are all excellent, with a rich, smoky steak frites and veal-stuffed quail that calls to mind a countryside hunting trip. But La Fresa Francesca also knows where its bread is buttered, and offers clever little Hialeah tributes like ropa vieja foie gras.
How to reserve: Via Resy

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