8 Miami Beach restaurants you have to try

Miami Beach is well known for being a foodie paradise. Its coastal location means that fresh seafood is in abundance on many menus, while also being the home of ‘Floribbean’ cuisine. This includes bold Asian, Latin American and Caribbean fusion cuisine, which uses the freshest local ingredients, combined with flavorful spices. 

The affluent Miami Beach area is home to a vast array of excellent places to eat, including a number of Michelin-starred venues and celebrity chef-led restaurants. Many of them can be found within this stunning area’s most desirable hotels and resorts.

Keen to start your gastronomic journey? Here’s your guide through some of the best-loved, top-rated Miami Beach restaurants you just have to try.

Retro-glam in style, the Carbone restaurant is Italian American at its best (think beets Siciliana and veal parmesan). It’s described by TheNew York Times as “a fancy red-sauce joint as directed by Quentin Tarantino…that makes a lot of other restaurants seem like earnest, unimaginative drones.”. 

The dress code is smart casual (so no beachwear), but in true Italian style it has a pretty laid-back vibe. With green leather booth-style seating and its interior gleaming with chandeliers, it’s a beautiful sight to behold and a great place to find mouthwatering dishes in a classically stylish setting. Landing a table at this super-popular restaurant is something of a challenge, with people booking a month or more in advance. So book early, it’ll be worth the wait.

This popular, family-friendly restaurant celebrates well-loved American classics such as chicken and waffles, Maine lobster and the great American burger. Open for brunch, lunch and dinner, it has a children’s menu, a weekday happy hour and the restaurant can also be hired out for fully catered events.

In true American style, the liquor of choice at Yardbird is bourbon, with over 60 varieties on offer including hard-to-find and small batch examples, as well as some of the classics.

A contemporary Mexican eatery known for its fresh, sustainably sourced food, Habitat is a farm-to-table restaurant. Both vegetarian and vegan-friendly, it takes seasonal, local produce to create healthy and delicious traditional and modern Mexican cuisine, which can be enjoyed in the restaurant’s chic, Jose Mendin-designed interior or al fresco in its outdoor patio area.

Its private mezzanine can be reserved for special events and it’s open for brunch, lunch and dinner.

As well as having a catchy name, this seafood restaurant is an all-round winner and must-visit destination if you're visiting Miami Beach. Renowned for its incredible food, flawless service and classy but relaxed ambiance, a visit to A Fish Called Avalon is something of a multi-sensory experience.

Situated on Miami Beach’s iconic Ocean Drive, this restaurant has nightly live music (think Latin Caribbean) accompanying award-winning seafood and steaks, and its happy hour can be enjoyed indoors or on the expansive outdoor porch.

Another prize-winning Italian restaurant, Osteria Del Teatro is located in the art deco South Beach area. 

This well-loved restaurant sits inside the Marlin Hotel and successfully combines the contemporary with the traditional. Its take on Italian fine dining has dishes and saporite (linguine with wild-caught shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico) bringing customers back time and time again.

Arguably the best Chinese restaurant in Miami Beach, Hakkasan Miami, with its timeless signature dishes and cool, sultry atmosphere, presents a modern twist on authentic Chinese dining. 

The vibrant menu boasts numerous accolades from across the foodie world and patrons enjoy dishes which include duck roll, stir-fry lobster and black pepper beef tenderloin. Be sure to check out Hakkasan’s ‘caviar of the east’ – its XO sauce alone is worth the trip to this restaurant.

Headed by a renowned executive chef, Chotto Matte Miami is undoubtedly one of Miami Beach’s unmissable dining experiences. A Nikkei restaurant serving Japanese Peruvian fare, Chotto Matte offers a colorful and beautiful selection of dishes as aesthetically pleasing as they are delicious. 

Paired with a ‘Tokyo to Lima’ cocktail collection, the restaurant’s culinary creativity is reflected not only in its menu, but also in its interior decor, which features unique art walls and avant-garde design features. With nightly DJ-led musical entertainment, a flaming robata grill and spectacular live sushi counter,  a visit to this vibrant destination restaurant makes for a memorable night out.

Voted best sushi, best scenic view and best late-night find, Watr at the Rooftop is located atop the 1 Hotel South Beach. 

Richard Bernaola, a Cordon Bleu Head Chef, was hand picked for Watr at the Rooftop. He uses locally grown, sustainable ingredients and ensures that all animal products are ethically reared and sourced. The chic beachy ambiance in this relaxing venue is suggestive of a hotel spa and the impeccable service just adds to the sense that you’re well looked after here. 

If these suggestions sparked your culinary interest, why not start planning your trip now? Search for flights and car rental options to explore the city, or embark on an epic road trip across Florida. If you’re interested in alternative accommodation options, take your pick from a range of vacation rentals in Miami.