Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion.
Miami's restaurant scene has exploded in the past few years, with new restaurants springing up left and right every month. The melting pot of residents and visitors has brought an array of sophisticated, tasty cuisine. Little Havana is still king for Cuban fare, and Miami Beach is swept up in a trend of fusion cuisine, which combines Asian, French, American, and Latin cooking with sumptuous—and pricey—results. Locals spend the most time in downtown Miami, Wynwood, Midtown, and the Design District, where the city's ongoing foodie and cocktail revolution is most pronounced. Since Miami dining is a part of the trendy nightlife scene, most dinners don't start until 8 or 9 pm, and may go well into the night. To avoid a long wait among the late-night partiers at hot spots, come before 7 pm or make reservations. Attire is usually casual-chic, but patrons like to dress to impress. Don't be surprised to see large tables of women in skimpy dresses—this is common in Miami. Prices tend to stay high in hot spots like Lincoln Road, but if you venture off the beaten path you can find delicious food for reasonable prices. When you get your bill, check whether a gratuity is already included; most restaurants add between 15% and 20% (ostensibly for the convenience of, and protection from, the many Latin American and European tourists who are used to this practice in their homelands), but supplement it depending on your opinion of the service.
Home to some of Miami's best sushi rolls, fish bowls, and ceviches, this family-run Nikkei concept (owned by James Beard--nominated brother and sister duo Nando and Valerie Chang and their father Fernando) is a hot spot amid the designer stores of the Design District. Dishes are prepared tenderly with fresh seasonal ingredients and high-quality seafood and served in a casual outdoor setting in the center of Palm Court.
On a residential street in SoBe’s western reaches, this petite eatery attracts the who’s who of beach socialites, hipsters, and the occasional tourist coming to chow down on inventive Asian-Latin small plates, sushi rolls, and grilled skewers of meat and seafood by executive chef-owner José Mendin. From bigeye tuna spicy rolls to short-rib and truffle dumplings, the menu constantly pushes the envelope on inventive cuisine, and locals simply can’t get enough.
Austin transplant and James Beard Award–winning chef Tyson Cole creates fresh takes on classic sushi at Uchi. Indulge in rolls of thinly sliced flounder atop candied quinoa or bigeye tuna topped with aji amarillo, tangerine, and pumpkin seed granola, or have all the decisions made for you by opting for the omakase menu featuring a selection of dishes by the chef. Daily happy hour from 5 to 6:30 pm features half-price bubbles, $9 cocktails, and heavily discounted bites.
Miami visitors looking for that "Cuban food on Calle Ocho" experience, look no further: this storied eatery, where old émigrés opine daily about all things Cuban, is a stop on every political candidate's campaign trail, and it should be a stop for you as well. Order a heaping platter of lechón asado (roasted pork loin), ropa vieja (shredded beef), or picadillo (spicy ground beef), all served with rice, beans, and fried plantains.
Chez Le Bebe offers a short menu of Haitian home cooking—it's been going strong for over 30 years and has been featured on shows like the Travel Channel's Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern and The Layover with Anthony Bourdain. Try the stewed goat (the specialty) or the tender and flavorful chicken, fish, oxtail, or fried pork; each plate comes with rice, beans, plantains, and salad, for around $15.
From the same team behind Brooklyn's famous Lucali restaurant comes a fast casual New York--style pizzeria specializing in thin crust brick-oven pies and hearty Italian comfort dishes. Menu highlights include massive meatballs, chicken Parmesan, pepperoni chips, and salads. Make sure to visit the bar in the back, Dom's, for refreshing cocktails and wine and a rowdy karaoke night on Thursday.
When Cuban families want an affordable home-cooked meal with a twist but don't want to cook it themselves, they come to this big, unassuming restaurant. The fare is traditional Cuban: long, thin, panfried steaks known as bistec palomilla, roast chicken with citrus marinade, and fried pork chunks. Most dishes come with white rice, black beans, and a choice of ripe or green plantains.
At this cozy burger joint on the edge of Wynwood, locally sourced ingredients and stellar craft beer star on a Florida-inspired menu. Order a Frita burger topped with Gruyère and guava jelly or a Key West conch salad while you sip one of 18 brews. Since the place is so small, you might have to wait, but that's not a problem thanks to a neon-lit speakeasy bar next door that celebrates the neighborhood's grungy, artistic vibe.
The slick, contemporary waterfront restaurant at Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) offers seating both indoors and out, with chic decor and accessories true to its "green" name that blend seamlessly with the living walls and hanging gardens strewn across the museum's exterior. The exceptionally affordable, one-page menu features eclectic epicurean lunch plates that include a variety of flatbreads, a house chopped salad (with green goddess dressing), and a gourmet cheeseburger with applewood-smoked bacon.
Museum admission is not required to eat here, but the restaurant is open only during museum hours, meaning lunch only, except on Thursday, when the museum remains open until 9.
If you're longing for a true taste of Italy's Emilia Romagna region and a respite from the overpriced SoBe dining scene, head to this adorable hole-in-the-wall restaurant off Alton Road. The pastas and sauces are made fresh daily, using only the best ingredients imported from the chef's homeland supplemented with local produce.
