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Restaurants Miami boasts a huge range of restaurants catering to all tastes and pockets. We have selected 25 restaurants, which we have divided into five categories: Gastronomic, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. The restaurants are listed alphabetically within these different categories, which serve as guidelines rather than absolute definitions of the establishments. As well as a 6.5% state sales tax, most municipalities levy special taxes on restaurants varying from district to district from 9.5% to 12.5%. These taxes are not included in menu prices but they are added to the bill. A few places also include the tip in the bill, but this is not common. It is normal to leave a tip of 15%, or 20% for outstanding service. The prices quoted below are for a three-course meal and for a bottle of house wine or equivalent, unless otherwise stated. Gastronomic Chef Allen’s Chef Allen’s is an ideal restaurant for a special occasion. Chef-owner Allen Susser counts among America’s most respected chefs, celebrated for his innovative New World and ‘Floribbean’ cuisine. The stylish Art Deco restaurant, with its contemporary artwork, fresh flowers and pink neon lighting, is dominated by a glass-enclosed kitchen where you can watch Allen create masterpieces from his nightly changing menu, such as Bahamian lobster and crab cakes with strawberry ginger chutney or tamarind chilli BBQ dry-aged prime sirloin steak with smoked onion mashed potato and mango ketchup. Evenings only. Reservations recommended. 19088 North East 29th Avenue, North Miami Beach Tel: (305) 935 2900. Fax: (305) 935 2900. E-mail: reservations@chefallens.com Website: www.chefallens.com Price: US$65. Wine: US$40. The Forge With its elegant 19th-century façade, plush oak-panelled dining rooms, Tiffany chandeliers and haute cuisine, this veritable institution has catered for the stylish Miami Beach crowd since its opening in 1968. The Forge is best known for its succulent steaks, but the menu also features a wide variety of seafood and chicken dishes. It also boasts one of Miami’s most extensive wine cellars. Reservations recommended. 432 Arthur Godfrey Road (41st Street), Miami Beach Tel: (305) 538 8533. Fax: (305) 538 7733. Price: US$60. Wine: US$25. Norman’s One of America’s most celebrated chefs, Norman Van Aken, is considered by many to be the originator of ‘New World cuisine’ – a blend of Latin, Caribbean, Asian and American cooking, and his restaurant is one of Florida’s finest. Among menu highlights are rum-and-pepper-painted grouper on a mango habanero mojo or yucca-stuffed crispy shrimp with a sour-orange mojo, served from an open kitchen in ultra-modern surroundings to a chic clientele of food aficionados. Reservations recommended. 21 Almeria Avenue, Coral Gables Tel: (305) 446 6767. Fax: (305) 446 7909. E-mail: comments@norman.com Website: www.normans.com Price: US$65. Wine: US$40. Pacific Time This stylish South Beach restaurant offers the finest in contemporary Asian-American and Pacific Rim cuisine. From the open kitchen, star-chef Jonathan Eismann prepares innovative and intensely flavoured dishes, such as Mongolian lamb salad, Sichuan grouper and sweet sake-roasted sea bass, from a predominantly seafood menu. Each dish is a work of art, served to a trendy, appreciative clientele in elegant, airy surroundings. It is a great place for celebrity-spotting too. Reservations recommended. 915 Lincoln Road, South Beach Tel: (305) 534 5979. Fax: (305) 534 1607. Price: US$65. Wine: US$27. Wish This is one of South Beach’s latest culinary hotspots, located in The Hotel – an Art Deco boutique hotel with interiors by fashion designer Todd Oldham. Wish’s chef, Andrea Curto, is one of a new wave of up-and-coming local chefs specialising in American fusion cuisine. Her flavoursome signature dishes include ginger fresno tuna tartare with taro-root chips and caviar or crispy-skinned yellow-eye snapper served with sweetcorn and poblano risotto. The unusual outdoor-indoor restaurant provides a choice of alfresco dining in a lush tropical garden setting or in the colourful, cosy Persian-inspired restaurant. The Hotel, 801 Collins Avenue, South Beach Tel: (305) 674 9474. Fax: (305) 695 9539. E-mail: info@thehotelofsouthbeach.com Website: www.thehotelofsouthbeach.com/wish.html Price: US$50. Wine: US$28. Business Cafe Abbracci The best Italian restaurant in town is a favourite choice for business entertaining, thanks to the upscale cuisine, the efficient but discreet service, and the elegant Art Deco-style setting with modern wood and marble, crisp white linens and fresh flowers. The menu focuses on specialities such as mouthwatering antipasti, homemade pastas, risottos and carpaccios, as well as a knock-out tiramisu for dessert. Reservations recommended. 318 Aragon Avenue, Coral Gables Tel: (305) 441 0700. Fax: (305) 442 0061. Price: US$35. Wine: US$22. Capital Grill This upscale, New York-style steakhouse is a popular restaurant for power lunches and dinners, and is conveniently located in the heart of the financial district of downtown Miami. Specialities include dry-aged beef and succulent seafood. There is live music in the evenings from Tuesday to Saturday. 444 Brickell Avenue Tel: (305) 374 4500. Fax: (305) 374 2777. Price: US$60. Wine: US$35. China Grill The name is misleading. There are no mini pagodas and Chinese dragons on the walls here, as this buzzing, atmospheric restaurant specialises in ‘world cuisine’, combining ingredients, flavours and techniques from around the globe. Menu highlights include irresistible treats such as crispy duck with caramelised black vinegar sauce or seared tuna sashimi with a spicy Japanese pepper rim. It is especially popular for business lunches and with the ‘beautiful people’ of South Beach. Reservations recommended. 404 Washington Avenue, South Beach Tel: (305) 534 2211. Fax: (305) 534 2565. Price: US$55. Wine: US$33. Christy’s One of the most exclusive and elegant establishments in prosperous Coral Gables, Christy’s prides itself on its quality aged beef – filet mignon, prime ribs, New York strip, tenderloin tips and other classic cuts. It has also received numerous accolades for its Caesar salads. In the dimly lit, red-walled dining rooms, the tables are carefully positioned to create privacy for diners wishing to discuss business. Reservations recommended. 3101 Ponce de Leon Boulevard, Coral Gables Tel: (305) 446 1400. Fax: (305) 446 3257. Price: US$45. Wine: US$22. Fishbone Grille Centrally located in the main business district and ideal for a cheap, quick working lunch, this spartan fishmonger-cum-restaurant is acknowledged as one of Miami’s best value seafood joints, serving fresh grouper, snapper, Florida spiny lobster, bay scallops and other local catch. There is not much atmosphere, but the daily specials are sensational, especially the fishcakes and the ceviche (raw fish ‘cooked’ in lime juice and served with a spicy sauce). Reservations recommended at weekends. 650 South West Seventh Avenue Tel: (305) 530 1915. Fax: (305) 379 2545 Price: US$30. Wine: US$15. Trendy 1220 at The Tides Located at The Tides, one of South Beach’s most glamorous Art Deco hotels, this beautiful, minimalist restaurant is decorated almost entirely in white, with crisp linens, candles and fresh flowers on all the tables. The food is equally simple and uncluttered, focusing on fusion or ‘progressive American’ cuisine, such as lobster gazpacho and grouper in a curry-ginger broth, with a small but select wine list to compliment the menu. 1220 Ocean Drive Tel: (305) 604 5130. Fax: (305) 604 5180. Website: www.islandoutpost.com Price: US$70. Wine: US$30. Big Pink At the heart of the South Beach hustle, this upscale, modern diner and sports bar serves classic all-American fare to a young, hip crowd. Living up to its name, everything is pink – the bar stools, the lamps, the Plexiglas tables… even the menu, which consists predominantly of pizzas, burgers, pasta and salads all served in hearty, value-for-money portions. The real speciality here, however, is the TV dinner (US$13.95) – a six-compartment metal tray loaded with satisfying comfort food. 157 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach Tel: (305) 532 4700. Fax: (305) 532 4187. E-mail: info@bigpinkrestaurant.com Website: www.bigpinkrestaurant.com Price: US$20. Wine: US$22. Café TuTuTango This hugely popular café-restaurant, at the heart of the action in Coconut Grove, is decorated to resemble an artist’s loft in Spain, with dozens of original paintings on the walls. Diners lounge in comfy armchairs or at sturdy wooden tables, entertained by artists poised at easels, strolling musicians and magicians, while chefs at three open kitchens prepare an adventurous menu of hot and cold tapas dishes. The choice is bewildering, ranging from pizzas, kebabs, BBQ wings and ribs to specialities such as alligator bites, hurricane shrimp fritters and Cajun chicken egg rolls, washed down with a jug of sangria, ‘Matisse Margarita’ or ‘Picasso punch’. Reservations are not accepted. CocoWalk, 3015 Grand Avenue, Coconut Grove Tel: (305) 529 2222. Fax: (305) 461 5326. Website: www.cafetututango.com Price: US$5-US$8 (per dish). Wine: US$19. Larios on the Beach Owned by local heroine, Gloria Estefan, this ultra-chic, minimalist café-style restaurant serves nuevo (lighter) Cuban cuisine to a trendy crowd of Ocean Drive strollers and strutters, with funky Latin music and lethal mohitos (white rum, lime juice and sugar). Diners enjoy fabada asturiana (black bean and sausage soup) or camarones al ajillo (shrimp in garlic sauce) on the pavement terrace – one of the best locations in South Beach to see and be seen. 820 Ocean Drive, South Beach Tel: (305) 532 9577. Fax: (305) 531 5725. Price: US$30. Wine: US$18. Nemo’s Not only does this ultra-chic restaurant count among America’s best, it also represents the epitome of South Beach cool. Chef Michael Schwartz’s eclectic menu blends Caribbean, Asian, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean influences with his seafood-oriented cooking to produce signature dishes such as steamed Mediterranean mussels with tomato-harissa broth, sticky black rice and garlic chips; wok-charred salmon with four-sprout salad, toasted pumpkin seeds and soy-lime vinaigrette; and key lime and white chocolate cheesecake flan for dessert, served with a drunken tropical salsa. The bright colours of the jewel-studded restaurant create the perfect backdrop for the sophisticated cuisine while the tree-shaded terrace tables offer a more relaxed seaside atmosphere. 100 Collins Avenue, South Beach Tel: (305) 532 4550. Fax: (305) 532 4187. Website: www.nemorestaurant.com Price: US$50. Wine: US$21. Budget Gables Diner Located amid the gourmet restaurants of sophisticated Coral Gables, this simple, classic family-style diner is a welcome find for those on a tight budget. With its quick and friendly service, an impressive menu of American-style comfort food with a gourmet twist, and unparalleled value for money, it is hard to beat for a light bite. The meatloaf and the chicken pot pie are especially tasty and there are plenty of vegetarian options too. 2320 Galiano Drive, Coral Gables Tel: (305) 567 0330. Fax: (305) 567 0091. Price: US$15. Wine: US$17. Johnny Rockets The pastel-coloured Art Deco buildings of South Beach provide a suitably light-hearted backdrop for Johnny Rockets diner, one of the most popular breakfast venues in the district, with its sensational cooked breakfasts served on the pavement terrace in full view of all the film-star wannabes, supermodels, tourists, joggers and rollerbladers cruising on Ocean Drive. The rest of the day, this classic diner, decked out with old jukeboxes and a Harley Davidson, serves old-time favourites – hamburgers, hot dogs, salads and club sandwiches – along with milk shakes, ice cream sodas and hot fudge sundaes. 728 Ocean Drive, South Beach Tel: (305) 538 2115. Fax: (305) 538 2567. Website: www.johnnyrockets.com Price: US$18. Bottle of local beer: US$3.99. News Café A cult address – where Gianni Versace drank his last cup of coffee shortly before being gunned down on his doorstep just two blocks away. This trendy, European-style café of minimalist decor is one of South Beach’s coolest hangouts, open 24 hours, and an ideal place to while away the hours. (The adjacent News Store is conveniently stocked with magazines and newspapers.) The menu boasts everything from eggs Benedict to bagels and ice cream sundaes, and has an excellent wine list. The signature ‘News Cake’ is a must for chocoholics. 800 Ocean Drive, South Beach Tel: (305) 538 6397. Fax: (305) 531 0394. Website: www.newscafe.com Price: US$35. Wine: US$22. Shorty’s Bar-B-Q This barbecue house is a veritable institution located in a log cabin in South Miami and decorated with mounted boar and caribou heads, saddles and cowboy hats. The informal, fun menu is served at long wooden picnic tables, with specialities including barbecued ribs and chicken – slow-cooked over hickory logs and smothered in Shorty’s own spicy barbecue sauce – accompanied by tangy baked beans, corn on the cob, coleslaw and chilled, thirst-quenching beers. 9200 South Dixie Hwy, South Miami Tel: (305) 670 7732. Fax: (305) 670 7733. Website: www.shortys.com Price: US$12. Pitcher of local beer: US$6. Versailles Versailles is where the local Cuban community of Little Havana come to eat simple, authentic cooking from their home country. Large, lively and brimming with immigrant optimism, this is one of Miami’s most ornate budget eating places, with tuxedoed waiters and an elaborate decor of mirrors, murals and chandeliers. The sopa de platanos (plantain soup) and ropa vieja (beef stew) are especially tasty, and the café cubano (a thimble-sized cup of exceedingly strong, sweet black coffee) is reputedly the strongest shot of caffeine in South Florida. 3555 SW Eighth Street, Little Havana Tel: (305) 444 0240. Price: US$20. Wine: US$14. Personal Recommendations 94th Aero Squadron In an unlikely location overlooking the Miami International Airport runways, this upmarket restaurant contains a choice of small (well-soundproofed) dining rooms, some decorated in country-house style and others with aeronautical memorabilia. One room even has a head set enabling plane spotters to tune in to the control tower while tucking into a simple but quality menu of fish and steak served with delicious garlic mash, Latin specialities and salads. On Sundays, there is a sensational Sunday buffet brunch (US$19.95). An ideal dining venue for anyone suffering a flight delay. 1395 NW 57th Avenue Tel: (305) 261 4220. Fax: (305) 264 2143. Price: US$35. Wine: US$22. Astor Place The delicious ‘Floribbean’ cuisine of chef Johnny Vinczencz, combined with exceptional service and a dazzling wine list, has made Astor Place one of Miami Beach’s hottest dining locations. His innovative culinary creations include flavourful combinations such as smoked tomato soup with grilled brie and coriander sour cream or seared tuna steak served with rock-shrimp rice, cashew nuts, seaweed and sprout salad and pineapple ponzu. The airy, poolside restaurant has a casually chic atmosphere and is a favourite with celebrities. Astor Hotel, 956 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach Tel: (305) 674 6400. Fax: (305) 531 3193. E-mail: info@hotelastor.com Website: www.hotelastor.com Price: US$50. Wine: US$28. Joe’s Stone Crab A meal at this venerable institution is undoubtedly one of Florida’s most entertaining dining experiences, with its huge baskets of stone crab claws – Florida’s tastiest seafood delicacy – boiled, cracked and served with melted butter, piquant mustard sauce, a cracking board, mallet and bib. Opened in 1913 as a simple shack and steeped in tradition, the restaurant has now grown to over a thousand covers – all non-smoking. No reservations are accepted and there are frequently long queues, but the delicious fare (which also includes soups, steaks, salads and other seafood dishes) is well worth the wait. Closed mid-May to mid-October. 11 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach Tel: (305) 673 0365. E-mail: QandA@joesstonecrab.com Website: www.joesstonecrab.com Price: US$55. Wine: US$22. Rusty Pelican Located on the peaceful island paradise of Key Biscayne, this romantic colonial-style restaurant offers the best views of any restaurant in Miami – overlooking Biscayne Bay and the sensational skyline of downtown Miami. Seafood is the speciality, but there are also excellent surf-and-turf combinations, prime steaks and vegetarian options. The food is good but the real reason to dine here is the view, especially at sunset and by night when the city’s skyscrapers are magically illuminated. 3201 Rickenbacker Causeway, Key Biscayne Tel: (305) 361 3818. Fax: (305) 361 8384. Price: US$65. Wine: US$23.50. Smith & Wollensky This branch of the celebrated New York steakhouse boasts a magnificent location at South Pointe Park, the southernmost tip of Miami Beach. Through the huge picture windows of the smart, dark-wood restaurant, diners can watch the endless parade of ships large and small pass through the Government Cut, the shipping channel of the Port of Miami. At the same time, they can tuck into large, juicy steaks, chicken or fish dishes, served with tasty side dishes, such as onion rings, creamed spinach and hash browns, followed by scrumptious desserts. The restaurant attracts an upbeat crowd, especially for weekday business lunches and for weekend brunch. 1 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach Tel: (305) 673 2800. Fax: (305) 673 5943. Website: www.smithandwollensky.com Price: US$60. Wine: US$30. |
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