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Miami Beach is the perfect place to enjoy white sandy beaches, turquoise waters, vibrant nightlife, and diverse hip culture. Whether you’re there on a family vacation to swim and build sandcastles, or you’re there to lounge in the sun by day and club hop by night, Miami has something for every age group and interest.
While there are tons of great choices for Miami Beach restaurants, we’ve narrowed the list down to the very best of the best that encompass a variety of cuisines, budgets, and ambiance. We hope you delight in the stylings and delicacies of the top Miami restaurants we explore in more detail on the following list of Miami Beach restaurants.
18 Best Miami Beach Restaurants
No matter your age or the various activities you wish to explore in this tropical beach town, eating is definitely going to factor into your vacation plans.
Miami Beach restaurants offer a vast and varied selection of delicious food and fantastic atmospheres. Miami’s universal appeal has created an equally versatile variety of world cuisines that you can enjoy in various unique restaurants with a view of the ocean or the urban art deco buildings Miami Beach is famous for.
Check out our list of the eighteen best Miami Beach restaurants that will allow you to dine like a local from the moment you enter. These restaurants feature many cuisine styles from around the world and will delight your taste buds no matter what you’re looking for.
Macchialina
Macchialina is a fantastic Italian restaurant in Miami’s South Beach nestled into the quieter residential district of West Avenue, offering the freshest handmade pasta and Italian food you’ll ever taste.
A brainchild of James Beard award-nominee Chef Michael Pirolo and his award-winning sommelier sister Jacqueline Pirolo, Macchialina quickly became a local favorite, with accolades from local and national press, including Best Restaurant from the Miami Herald and a Wine Spectator Award.
Macchialina has an expertly curated menu of antipasti, salumi, entrees, and of course, fresh handmade pasta. Additionally, you shouldn’t miss their award-winning wine list, and your server will surely help you pair wine with your dinner choice. I loved their spaghetti vongole with pepperoncini, garlic, and arugula, which happens to also be the Chef’s favorite dish.
Pao by Paul Qui
If you’re looking for Miami Beach restaurants on the water with spectacular ocean and skyline views, then Pao by Paul Qui is the place for you. Located in the heart of South Beach inside the fancy Faena Hotel, Pao by Paul Qui is a high-end Asian and Mediterranean fusion restaurant, combining cuisines from:
- Japan
- The Philippines
- Spain
- France
Their combinations come together creatively and colorfully.
Head Chef Paul Qui is a celebrity chef, getting his start on Top Chef where he was declared the best Chef in the show’s history, launching his successful career, which eventually won him a James Beard award for Best Chef in the Southwest.
You’ll understand his celebrity status and become a fan yourself after tasting his fabulous creations. You must try the smoked Short Rib Asado made with Wagyu Beef and served with a Japanese sweet potato puree.
La Sandwicherie
La Sandwicherie is a French-inspired sandwich shop serving the best sandwiches in Miami Beach since it opened in 1988.
With locations Brickell, Wynwood, Coral Gables, North Beach, and the original in downtown Miami Beach, you can enjoy a mouthwatering sandwich, salad, and milkshake in a colorfully painted shop with the best beach vibes.
Whether you’re a vegan or a meat lover, La Sandwicherie’s vast menu of juices, smoothies, milkshakes, salads, and sandwiches has something for everyone. You can build your own sandwich or choose from their excellent signature sandwiches.
We recommend the Tropical sandwich with cured smoked salmon, avocado, mozzarella, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, papaya, mango, and pineapple.
Broken Shaker at Freehand Miami
Located inside the hip and trendy Freehand Miami Hotel, Broken Shaker is the best Miami restaurant in South Beach for young adults to enjoy craft cocktails and creative eats in the most extraordinary patio space in Miami Beach.
The giant brick patio with a mosaic-tiled fountain, lush tropical greenery, and colorful lights strung all around place the Broken Shaker a cut above your average cocktail bar.
Trained mixologists make a theatrical performance in preparing cocktails, and the bar fare is equally fun and comforting. I loved their spiced, wedged Shawarma fries with harissa ketchup.
Benh Mi
Located in South Beach Miami, Benh Mi is a casual Vietnamese comfort food restaurant specializing in Banh Mi, the classic Vietnamese French sandwich on a fresh baguette filled with Vietnamese ingredients. They also make salads, fried chicken, and plenty of other Vietnamese favorites.
Owners Benjamin Murray and Michael Kaplan use locally sourced fresh and sustainable ingredients to serve you a delicious meal while supporting local farms and the environment. You’ve got to try their extra-crunchy fried chicken Banh Mi with a side of loaded street fries.
La Ventana Colombian Restaurant
While Miami may be home to the largest Cuban population in the US, so many other Latin cultures are showcased in the Miami Beach restaurant scene. One of these is La Ventana Colombian Restaurant, the best Colombian restaurant in South Beach and Miami Beach.
La Ventana is a beautiful and refined yet kitschy and familial space, offering traditional Colombian and South American favorites like:
- Arepas
- Bandeja Paisa
- Patacones Rellenos (stuffed, smashed plantains)
- Much more
Whether you want to enjoy cocktails and small plates or a hearty, meat-centric mixed grill, La Ventana has a fantastic menu to excite your taste buds.
Planta
Planta is a modern eatery that pays homage to everything plant-based. Located in South Pointe at the very tip of South Miami, a block from South Pointe Park and the Miami Beach Marina, Planta strives to serve locally sourced, nutritious, sustainable food while giving back to the local Miami community.
The mix of modern stone and wood design with lush green décor makes for a lovely atmosphere to enjoy a colorful and beautifully presented plant-based meal. The menu has plant-based takes on a wide variety of cuisines, from veggie sushi to ceviche to pizza.
Their Shroomami Pizza with mushroom cream, smoked tempeh bacon, onion, cashew mozzarella, and chili flakes is as meaty and savory as the real deal.
Lucali
Lucali is a Brooklyn-style pizzeria in South Beach Miami’s City Center. The cozy and friendly restaurant space revolves around a giant brick wood-fired oven that bakes pizzas in a matter of minutes to bubbly and charred perfection.
You can build your own pie, choosing from a list of fresh vegetables, herbs, and sauces. They also have delicious homemade Angus beef meatballs to enjoy in a sandwich or as an appetizer. Whatever you choose is bound to be delicious as Lucali is one of ZAGAT’s top choices for pizza in Miami.
Stubborn Seed
Located in South Beach Miami, Stubborn Seed is a contemporary New American restaurant from Florida-native Chef Jeremy Ford. Ford’s bold and modern approach to cooking, along with stunning presentations of dishes, has won Stubborn Seed mentions in Forbes as one of Miami’s favorite restaurants.
The innovative menu at Stubborn Seed is a fusion of tropical, Southern, and Mediterranean flavors into unique appetizers and entrees. Take, for instance, the gooey jalapeno fritters with shaved Wagyu, truffle emulsion, and white cheddar.
CVI.CHE
Suppose you’re looking for the best Miami Beach seafood restaurant. CVI.CHE should be at the top of your list. CVI.CHE is a fine dining Peruvian restaurant with locations in South Beach, Downtown Miami, and north beach Miami’s Aventura neighborhood. Chef, owner, and Peruvian native Juan Chipoco brings you the very best Peruvian cuisine has to offer.
Peru is known for its fresh fish ceviches, and you’ll find the most authentic Peruvian ceviche offerings at CVI.CHE. You can also try other Peruvian favorites like Causa, a potato pancake dish served with pork or fish, along with a slew of traditional steak-centric entrees.
Pubbelly Sushi
Pubelly Sushi is a trendy and modern Japanese and Latin fusion restaurant and bar with locations in Miami Beach, Dadeland, and North Miami’s Aventura neighborhood. Head Chef and founder Jose Mendin uses his own cultural heritage and the Latin soul that underlies Miami to inspire creative sushi dishes.
Pubbelly Sushi has local and national acclaim as Miami Beach’s best sushi restaurant. As per Japanese tradition, these incredible sushi dishes are works of art that are as much a feast for the eyes as for the mouth. All their rolls are spectacular, but the Heat Roll best exemplifies the Latin-Japanese fusion.
Abbale Telavivian Kitchen
Meaning “two fathers” in Hebrew, Abbale Telavivian Kitchen is a Mediterranean and Latin fusion restaurant, drawing from culinary traditions of Israel, Greece, Turkey, and Colombia. Owners Samuel Gornstein and Omar Horev have years of experience as successful Miami restauranteurs and chefs, both hailing from Tel Aviv.
The atmosphere is bright and casual, with a spectacular menu full of delectable Mediterranean mezze like:
- Hummus
- Labneh
- Babaganoush
- Tahini
Their falafel is to die for, and they also have a sensational brunch menu with Israeli favorites like Shakshouka.
Havana 1957
True to its name, Havana 1957 will transport you back to 1950s-era Cuba in all its glory. A quirky, old-fashioned, and colorful Old Havana dining room with flashy décor and vinyl booths is a fun setting for the whole family to enjoy authentic Cuban cuisine.
With locations in the upscale, hip South Beach and more residential and family-oriented neighborhoods around Miami Beach, Havana 1957’s menu is kid-approved and accessible to all budgets. You can go fancy and get a surf and turf dinner for two, or opt for a classic Cubano sandwich with ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard.
Stiltsville Fish Bar
Located in the residential Sunset Harbor neighborhood of South Beach, Stiltsville Fish Bar is a Miami Beach seafood restaurant with spectacular sunset views and a welcoming environment for customers to enjoy local catches prepared in true Florida fashion.
Both Head Chef and Florida-native Jeff McInnis and his Australian partner, Chef Janine Booth, gained fame from Bravo’s Top Chef appearances.
Their seafood-centric menu features cold and hot plates, along with whole local catches cooked to perfection. Preparations range in culinary influences from regions around the U.S. with dishes like:
- Spicy shrimp tacos
- Seared jumbo sea scallop pasta
- Shrimp n’ grits
Try their seared local catch with heirloom tomato scampi, Valencia orange, capers, roasted leeks, and fresh basil if you want a taste of Florida.
Santorini By Georgios
Santorini By Georgios is a high-end Greek bistro in the South Pointe neighborhood of South Beach. Located inside the posh Hilton Bentley Miami South Beach, Santorini offers the most delicate Greek and Mediterranean dishes in a stylish and luxurious space on the water. You can watch the sunset over the ocean while you dine at this stellar Miami Beach Greek restaurant.
Whatever you do, you’ve got to try their Spanakopita, the traditional Greek spinach pie made with fresh spinach and feta layered between delicate layers of homemade filo dough.
They have a wide selection of local seafood dishes, traditional Greek and Mediterranean meat dishes like gyro and kebab, and classic Greek favorites like Moussaka.
Yardbird Southern Table & Bar
Yardbird Southern Table & Bar may now be a national favorite with locations around the U.S., but it started in the heart of South Beach, where its flagship location still resides today.
The very definition of Southern Comfort, Yardbird is a James Beard Award-nominated restaurant specializing in Southern food and bourbon cocktails.
Yardbird’s Southern fried chicken is unbeatable, and you can have it as a main dish with classic southern sides like grits, buttermilk biscuits, or mac and cheese.
However, they’re most famous for their fried Chicken and Waffles with hot honey sauce, chilled spiced watermelon, and Vermont sharp cheddar cheese waffle doused in bourbon maple syrup.
Carbone
Named for head Chef and founder Mario Carbone, Carbone is a fine-dining Italian restaurant in South Beach’s South Pointe. Carbone has received Michelin stars and multiple accolades in the New York Times and Eater over the years. Its traditional dishes are at once refined and stick-to-your-bones hearty meals that your Italian grandmother would make.
Traditional dishes like Spaghetti Puttanesca and Rigatoni Alla Vodka, Veal Marsala, and Chicken Massimo are familiar dishes you may eat at home. Still, Carbone’s expert execution and top-quality ingredients make them the very best versions of themselves.
Sweet Liberty Drink & Supply
Located in the heart of South Beach Miami, right in front of Collins Park, Sweet Liberty Drink & Supply is a fun cocktail bar and new American gastropub that describes itself as a “homegrown concept created for the new Miami Beach.” Their spectacularly tasty craft cocktails and bustling, trendy, and slightly gaudy décor make Sweet Liberty Drink & Supply is an authentic locale to spend your happy hour.
Happy hour is from 4-8 pm daily, but they also have a full dinner and weekend boozy brunch menu. It’ll be hard to pick just one cocktail from over 40 unique mixed drinks from their specialty menu. At its best, the food is American bar fare, with elevated choices like baked oysters to classic favorites like BBQ baby back pork ribs with onion rings.
Wrap Up
Now that you’ve got the inside scoop on spots the native Miami residents and critics rave about, all that’s left to do is book your flights and Miami Beach accommodations to dine in style, like a local.
Whether you’re looking for casual neighborhood sandwich shops or fine dining fusion, our list of the best Miami Beach restaurants gives you a varied selection of fantastic cuisine in lively, inviting, and uniquely Miami-style settings.
