Miami is the ultimate celebration of international cuisine. Rather than watered-down versions of global dishes, the city embraces its diverse immigrant population with rich, authentic restaurant options. Going far beyond the staples of Japanese-style sushi and Thai food to less popular genres such as Peruvian, Caribbean, and Cuban fare. Miami has it all. You can even sleep in some of the most beautiful beachfront properties all along this spectacular coastal city.
Exploring the food scene should be on top of our Miami itinerary! Here are our picks for the best restaurants in Miami to help you explore beyond Coconut Grove.
1. Motek Downtown
- Address: 36 NE 1st St Suite 132, Miami, FL
- Website: motekcafe.com
- Cuisine: Mediterranean/Israeli
- Favorite menu item: All-day breakfast Shakshuka
- Price point: $$
The ambiance is hip Tel Aviv but the cuisine combines Turkish, Israeli, Lebanon, Morocco, and Yemen for a spice-heavy Meditterean cuisine all its own. Don’t miss the falafel, either! There’s now a second location at Motek Brickell.
2. Mandolin Aegean Bistro
- Address: 4312 NE 2nd Ave, Miami, FL
- Website: mandolinrestaurant.com
- Cuisine: Greek
- Favorite menu item: Whole grilled fish for two.
- Price point: $$
If you squint, you just might convince yourself you’re dining beneath the Aegean sun surrounded by the white-washed walls of Santorini. The cuisine backs up the ambiance. On the outdoor patio, you’ll enjoy fresh sangria, right-out-the-oven pita, and succulent mezze plates. This one is also featured in the Michelin Guide.
3. Makoto
- Address: 9700 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL
- Website: makoto-restaurant.com
- Cuisine: Sushi
- Favorite menu item: Spicy tuna crispy rice.
- Price point: $$$
If you want the freshest sashimi in Miami, there is no place to go but Makoto. Located in the elegant Bal Harbour shops, Edomae-sushi master Okuwa, is serving up delicious fresh new takes on Japanese cuisine in a bright and vibrant dining area.
4. The Surf Club Restaurant
- Address: 9011 Collins Ave, Surfside, FL
- Website: surfclubrestaurant.com
- Cuisine: Upscale American
- Favorite menu item: Flaky beef Wellington.
- Price point: $$$$
Inside the Four Seasons, you can expect dining excellence. Tableside preparations, elegant decor, and a fine dining ambiance. Chef Thomas Keller is re-inventing continental-style dining in the Surfside area with French and British classics done in a more modern/American way. Perfect for a date night if you’re looking for somewhere very high-end.
5. Rosie’s
- Address: 162 NW 73rd St, Miami, FL
- Website: rosiesmia.com
- Cuisine: Southern
- Favorite menu item: Wild mushroom polenta.
- Price point: $$
This husband and wife-owned brunch eatery is our go-to for Southern classics like fried chicken and waffles, fish and grits, and of course, biscuits and gravy. But there’s just something about Rosie’s way of doing things that keeps you coming back for more.
6. Maty’s
- Address: 3255 NE 1st Ave, Miami, FL
- Website: matysmiami.com
- Cuisine: Peruvian
- Favorite menu item: Oxtail Saltado
- Price point: $$$
Reinventing the Peruvian classics you’ve come to know and love (if you’ve spent any time dining in Miami that is), this cozy minimalistic restaurant puts all its emphasis on fresh ingredients and innovative comforting food. Expect lots of latin-style seafood. You are in Miami, after all.
7. Madroño Restaurant
- Address: 10780 W Flagler St #17, Miami, FL
- Website: madronorestaurant.com
- Cuisine: Nicaraguan
- Favorite menu item: Nacatamales
- Price point: $$
When you think of Nicaraguan or Central American cuisine, a food truck comes to mind. Or, in Miami specifically, a 24-hour corner spot that has the best late-night bites. But this made-to-order menu is giving some love and attention to traditional Nicaraguan favorites.
8. NUI Kitchen
- Address: 104 NE 2nd Ave, Miami, FL
- Website: niukitchen.com
- Cuisine: Catalan Spanish
- Favorite menu item: Poached eggs and truffled potato foam or cold tomato soup with mustard ice cream
- Price point: $$$
Just looking at the must-eat menu items here will have you understanding a little bit of this restaurant’s dining experience. This South Florida restaurant is all about Catalonia’s dynamic flavors and novel combinations. The most innovative entrees in the Miami restaurant scene and the taste is just sublime.
9. Cote Miami
- Address: 3900 NE 2nd Ave, Miami, FL
- Website: cotemiami.com
- Cuisine: Korean Steakhouse
- Favorite menu item: Dry-aged beef on the Korean BBQ
- Price point: $$$
The flagship restaurant in New York City is Michelin starred and the Miami sibling doesn’t leave you lacking. For those looking to get a more budget-friendly sampling of the menu, try the Butcher’s Feast!
10. Jaguar Sun
- Address: 230 NE 4th St, Downtown Miami, Florida
- Website: jaguarsunmia.com
- Cuisine: Pasta
- Favorite menu item: Pasta and an Ice cream sandwich. Trust me.
- Price point: $$
More approachable than the Michilin winners on this list, Jaguar Sun earned itself the respectable Bib Gourmand for its reasonably priced and deliciously flavored pasta and crudos. Here, the bar program is just as strong as its menu, and each dish has its boozy perfect pairing.
11. Boia De
- Address: 5205 NE 2nd Ave, Miami, FL
- Website: boiaderestaurant.com
- Cuisine: Italian
- Favorite menu item: Tagliolini Nero
- Price point: $$$
This packed unpretentious favorite re-invents Italian classics and serves them alongside a vibrant wine list and a slew of other low-ABV cocktails. And it works. This spot is always busy. It’s well worth the buzz, but if you can’t get in, you can always pop over to the sister restaurant, Walrus Rodeo.
12. Ghee Indian Kitchen
- Address: 8965 SW 72nd Pl, Miami, FL
- Website: gheemiami.com
- Cuisine: Indian
- Favorite menu item: Smoked Lamb Neck with Green Millet.
- Price point: $$
Farm-to-table South Asian in the Miami suburbs. Chef/owner Niven Patel grows tons of his ingredients at his own little ranch in Homestead. Don’t let the seasonal curries, uniquely Miami-influences (like combining ceviche and bhel puri), and rave reviews from food critics fool you; this is still a family-run operation despite its upscale nature. It’s also been recently Michelin recognized.
13. Zitz Sum
- Address: 396 Alhambra Cir Suite 155, Coral Gables, FL
- Website: zitzsum.com
- Cuisine: Chinese/Asian
- Favorite menu item: Hand-rolled dumplings and scallion pancakes
- Price point: $$$
The eclectic pairings of German-Mexican chef/owner Pablo Zitzmann are Instagram-famous, freshly Michelin-starred, and definitely worth the hype. You can choose between a rotating menu of delicious concoctions or simply go all in with the tasting menu for the best of the best.
14. Joe’s Stone Crab
- Address: 11 Washington Ave, Miami Beach, FL
- Website: joesstonecrab.com
- Cuisine: Seafood
- Favorite menu item: Florida’s Original Stone Crab
- Price point: $$$$
This 110-year-old restaurant is a Florida staple. Not only is it one of Miami’s best restaurants it’s likely the one with the longest line. Prepare to practice patience, but as a reward, you can stuff your face with succulent stone crab claws, garlic-creamed spinach, and crispy fried chicken. This institution created the stone crab scene in Florida, and if you visit between October and May (stone crab season), you MUST pay tribute to this icon.
15. La Mar by Gaston Acurio
- Address: 500 Brickell Key Dr, Miami, FL
- Cuisine: Peruvian
- Favorite menu item: Ceviche
- Price point: $$$
The absolute talent of Chef Gaston Acurio, the elegantly stocked raw bar, and panoramic views from the waterfront outdoor patio make this THE place to be in Miami. Weekend brunch has made a comeback here with a huge bang for your buck menu.
16. Panya Thai
- Address: 520 NE 167th St, Miami, FL
- Website: panyathaimiamifl.com
- Cuisine: Thai
- Favorite menu item: Yen ta fo (Wide Noodle Soup with Tart Broth and Fish Balls)
- Price point: $$
Although the restaurant is windowless and strip mall style, unlike the sometimes pretentious dining rooms of other Miami food favorites, sometimes all you need is truly good food. Here, you can get obscure Thai dishes done right, as well as Miami’s best version of the Thai classics like red or green curry.
17. El Rey De Las Fritas
- Address: 1821 SW 8th St, Miami, FL
- Website: elreydelasfritas.com
- Cuisine: Cuban
- Favorite menu item: La Original Frita Cubana w/ a pile of fries.
- Price point: $
You might be a little shocked to see Cuban sandwiches on the best restaurants in Miami list. But this is perhaps the most googled meal by travelers in this city. No one does it better than El Rey. The fries specifically are worth writing home about.
18. Cafe La Trova
- Address: 971 SW 8th St, Miami, FL
- Website: cafelatrova.com
- Cuisine: Cuban
- Favorite menu item: Skirt Steak Ropa Vieja
- Price point: $$
Cafe La Trova is pure Cuban nostalgia. In the heart of Little Havana, you’ll find live music, the best mojito in Miami, and a slew of foodie favorites like serrano ham croquetas, arroz con pollo, and delicious empanadas. Cuban food is a Miami staple, and with a James Beard Award-winning chef like Michelle Bernstein manning the kitchen, every single dish is worth ordering.
19. Macchialina
- Address: 820 Alton Rd, Miami Beach, FL
- Website: macchialina.com
- Cuisine: Italian
- Favorite menu item: Cavatelli Macchialina or anything pasta-related.
- Price point: $$$
I don’t say this lightly, this is Miami’s best pasta. This South Beach family-run Italian comfort food spot is run by a brother/sister duo slinging everything from scratch. House-made pasta, delicious and moist meatballs, and mini-martinis are house favorites for dining indoors or out.
20. Klaw Miami
- Address: 1737 N Bayshore Dr, Miami, FL
- Website: klawrestaurant.com
- Cuisine: Seafood
- Favorite menu item: Surf and Turf.
- Price point: $$$$
With a killer happy hour, a stunning wood-covered dining room, and panoramic Biscayne Bay views at their rooftop wine bar, Klaw is a dining experience, not just exceptional food. With an emphasis on sustainability and excellent service, this is the perfect place for any kind of celebration.
21. Tam Tam
- Address: 99 NW 1st St, Miami, FL
- Website: tam-tam-mia.com
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
- Favorite menu item: Sticky fish sauce caramel wings.
- Price point: $$
Lively, quirky, and darn good food. This Vietnamese spot has upscale, authentic dishes that celebrate the best of Vietnam’s food scene. Don’t come here for a comfortable bowl of Pho; come here to have your mind blown with punchy flavors and a great atmosphere.
22. Leku
- Address: 1100 NW 23rd St, Miami, FL
- Website: lekumiami.com
- Cuisine: Basque Spanish
- Favorite menu item: short rib sliders on milk buns.
- Price point: $$$
Hit two birds with one stone at Leku! This is the onsite restaurant at the Rubell Museum, where you’ll find thousands of contemporary artworks on display. But the food here is not a sideshow.
23. Tropical Chinese
- Address: 7991 Bird Rd, Miami, FL
- Website: tropicalchinesemiami.com
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Favorite menu item: Peking Duck and Dim Sum
- Price point: $$
Chinese cuisine is weirdly limited in Miami. Considering how prominent a good Chinese takeout place is on the NYC food scene, it’s a little surprising. But Tropical Chinese fits the bill. Authentic San Fran-style Chinese food is served on white tablecloths and is almost always crowded with ex-pats looking for a taste of their homeland.
24. Red Rooster Overtown
- Address: 920 NW 2nd Ave, Miami, FL
- Website: redroosterovertown.com
- Cuisine: Caribbean Southern Fusion
- Favorite menu item: Jerk-spiced rum-glazed chicken and jambalaya.
- Price point: $$$
This Haitian favorite celebrates everything that makes southern cooking so delicious. Fried, spicy, and delicious. Try the Marcus Grand Jubilee to sample a little of all the favorites.
25. Hiden Miami
- Address: 313 NW 25th St, Miami, FL
- Website: hidenmiami.com
- Cuisine: Omakase Sushi
- Favorite menu item: Omakase meal.
- Price point: $$$$
This sneaky, highly coveted, limited-seating sushi bar is tucked behind The Taco Stand speakeasy style. But Hiden is not just a gimmick. This place is serious about sushi, and the list of patrons hoping to score a table here on any given night is proof enough. Be sure to make a reservation as this little pop-up spot only seats eight people.
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