The best restaurants in Miami Beach for every occasion

For years, Macchialina was the place I’d name when somebody asked for my favorite Italian restaurant in Miami. And yet, I’d also have to explain that, while charming, the dining room was simple and notoriously tightly packed. After renovating and expanding in the summer of 2024, the neighborhood spot has reaffirmed its standing as a beloved Miami institution. Queens-born chef Michael Pirolo’s specialty is house-made pasta, delivered by warm servers who’ve never failed to make me feel like a regular.

Try this: The four-course tasting menu is a downright bargain at $70. 

There’s a reason everyone agrees Thomas Keller is one of the greatest American chefs alive right now. His Surfside outpost channels the old American glam of the ’50s with its classic dishes. But I’m happy to report it’s far more fun than it sounds, with lively music, top-notch service and a Maine lobster thermidor so pretty you might want to buy it a frame for the family room.

Try this: Start with a round of fancy snacks. The marinated olives, French onion dip and kettle chips, deviled eggs and pickled veggies arrive on a literal silver platter. It's the best way to ease into your decadent meal as you sip a perfect gin martini. 

A Michelin star and taking home the top prize on Top Chef have made Jeremy Ford something of a celebrity. But his home base in South Beach isn’t quite as fancy as all that, feeling more like a party (in the best way). At the base of Stubborn Seed’s buzzy ambiance is a well-executed menu boasting an eight-course, $175 tasting menu to get a full sense of this truly exceptional kitchen staff.

Those of us who grew up in South Florida or have called it home for a while know it as the place where the family celebrated everything from birthdays to a little league game without an error, and we’re glad to report it’s just as good as you remember from your drunk uncle’s engagement party. Many people come here for the crab claws, which makes sense considering they invented the dish—but the fried chicken and burger are also worthy of a trip out to South Beach, as is the seemingly never-ending air of celebration in Joe’s dining room.

Try this: An order of fried chicken as your appetizer—a hot tip we recently got from the fourth-generation Joe's CEO, Stephen Sawitz. He also recommends ordering select-sized claws for the best value.

It would be hard not to love Orilla simply for its lovely space, with a chic dining room that spills out into a courtyard enclosed by lighted palms. Luckily, the food is also stellar, starting with tangy tiraditos, some of the best empanadas in Miami and entrees headlined by a black rice dish with smoky pork belly and a whole lot of crispy socarrat along the edges.

Try this: End your meal with the Tropical Pavlova, a textural mix of crunchy mascarpone, rich labneh cream, bits of fruits and edible flowers bringing pops of color and citrus. 

New York City export Kissaki offers affordable omakase from a lounge-like space at the southern tip of South Beach. It’s not authentically Japanese, instead offering a more entertaining experience headlined by a fusion menu. The vibe is Clubrestaurant Lite, the beats kept low enough for conversation, and the space all very attractive. 

Try this: The 15-course omakase is a relatively affordable $150, but I’d suggest going for happy hour, when deals from 6-8p Wed-Sun are pretty stellar too, with $10 martinis and $5 sushi. 

Italian restaurants transplanted to South Beach from New York might get more attention, but Casa Isola outshines them from a little spot in Sunset Harbour. There’s carpaccio with a fresh-snow layer of truffles and a pair of crispy branzino filets draped over a bowl of brothy clams. There’s a spicy rigatoni ala vodka (a shot at Carbone, perhaps) that’ll feel like grandma just plopped down her signature dish.

Try this: Take in the bay breezes and people-watching at an outdoor table on the same Sunset Harbour block with neighbors Pubbelly and always-bustling Barceloneta.

How might a chef work walnut béarnaise and cognac flambé into sushi? Head to Sushi | Bar, located inside the Esmé Hotel on Española Way, and you just might find out. The lineup here consists nearly entirely of nigiri or, generally, fish on a bed of sushi rice served in ways you probably wouldn’t think possible.  Of course, the ending arrives all too quickly, even if it has lasted two hours. That’s a testament to how much fun it is at Sushi | Bar.

Try this: There are a few options for drinks, but if you're down for a splurge, the sake pairing is excellent.

The Sunset Harbour outpost of Lucali, the famed Brooklyn-based pizza shop and wine bar, is perpetually slammed. Neither the limited menu—pizza, salad, two desserts and not much else—nor the higher-than-usual prices for a pie ($24 for plain cheese) deter crowds from stopping in daily.

Try this: To understand why no one can resist Lucali in all its costly and crowded splendor, simply dig in to a slice of the traditional pizza (which you can sprinkle with free fresh basil), the kale Caesar (the best around) and the warm Nutella dessert pizza (sprinkled with powdered sugar, no less).

After a $40 million renovation of Miami Beach’s historic Paris Theater, every inch of Queen’s outlandish opulence feels designed for drama. The over-the-topness is a theme carried over to the staff, a downright gorgeous collection of humans, and in the built-in stairs that allow guests easy access to dance atop tables. Along with a Japanese steakhouse-inspired menu, there are regular performances, including aerial acrobatics performed far above the dining room.

Try this: For a truly upgraded Queen experience, there’s a $195 omakase counter perched in a lavish balcony.

Miami Beach has lots of glitz and glam, but sometimes what we all want is a neighborhood spot—a place like the wife-and-husband-helmed Silverlake. The food is always good, the service is consistently friendly and I’ve yet to find anything on the menu I wouldn’t recommend.

Try this: Test that theory with the double patty cheeseburger, slathered in an umami punch of porcini mayo, bacon and cheddar, served alongside nostalgia-inducing shoestring fries.

From Argentinian grill-master Francis Mallmann, Los Fuegos in the Faena Miami Beach hotel centers around wood-fire cooking. Mallmann’s contemporary asado transforms a traditional Argentine barbecue into a sophisticated dining experience packed with sweetbreads, skirt steak, rib eye and chorizo drizzled in the restaurant’s signature aioli sauce infused with garlic and olive oil. 

Try this: On Sundays, follow the smoky scent of the poolside asado to indulge in a three-course meal prepared in the traditional Patagonian fire dome. Live music and a desserts spread accompany the $115 pre-fixe experience.

Excellent tacos, great quesadillas, even better margaritas—these are the things that win my heart. Add to the fact that this location is right across from the beach (and casual enough to show up with sand on your flip-flops), and you have a place destined to rank among your favorites.

Try this: An order of the crispy, chewy nixtamalized blue corn tortillas, which are ground fresh daily in-house and pair perfectly with the chunky guac.