The best seafood restaurants in Miami for a fresh-caught feast

Right as you walk in, there's really no question of the freshness of soon-to-be dinner, considering all those king crabs are having a last swim in aquariums right there in the entranceway. Servers carry out the crimson crab legs stacked in a geometric pattern before de-shelling tableside, then artfully arranging them to be eaten with the totally optional herbed butter. Sure, there are other reasons to come, like the stunning remake of a historic bayfront building and dry-aged steaks from special purveyors, but those clean-the-savings-account-out crabs will surely steal the show.

Order this: The cuts are always changing, but if it’s available, order steaks from the steer that are fed kimchi, imparting a wonderful earthiness. 

Renowned Portugueses chef Henrique Sá Pessoa tapped Miami native Miguel Massens to run the kitchen of his first American foray, and the result is a modern seafood restaurant where high prices will yield some of the most expertly built dishes anywhere. 

Order this: The salt cod takes a staid grandma dish and turns it into something as pretty as a delicate flower, with a cured egg yolk mixed into the flaky cod tableside. 

Perhaps Florida’s most famous restaurant is a South Beach attraction. Thankfully they’ve ditched the no-reservation policy, although reserved tables are in limited numbers. But even if you have to wait, people-watching in the old-school bar makes the time go by quickly. 

Order this: Scoring chilled stone crabs (October through May) in the place that invented the dish is ideal, with Joe's special mustard sauce for dipping. Pros know to order the famous fried chicken as a starter, too.

Gramp’s is the tiki bar you’ve always wanted: excellent cocktails and food with views of the bay and skyline beyond. It’s become a popular spot for UM students, causeway commuters and a serious happy hour crowd, with DJs on some weekends. 

Order this: Start with a dozen on the halfshell from the Lazy Oyster window, a popup within the restaurant, then move on to whatever fish is on special that night, like, hopefully, the spicy tiger prawns.

La Mar’s executive chef is technically Peruvian legend Gastón Acurio, but it’s Diego Oka who runs the kitchens and plates Insta-worthy dishes that taste just as good as they look (and whose kitchen antics have become one of my favorite things on Instagram). The menu largely highlights local catch, best exemplified by bright, delicate ceviches full of tangy citrus flavor. It’s just a bonus that La Mar’s balcony has stunning views of the bay and Brickell’s skyline beyond. 

Time Out tip: Oka recently added a tasting menu option billed as a separate restaurant called Amano, where he even makes some of the pottery himself; while it’ll cost a grand with optional wine tasting, it’s an indulgence into the minds of a truly talented chef.

Editor’s note: With the Mandarin Oriental closing for construction in May 2025, La Mar is expected to relocate to a new space. 

River Oyster’s menu covers the full seafood spectrum, from fresh and local to flown-in and wonderful, like Florida’s own yellowtail or salmon that came all the way from New Zealand. Whether it’s a simple crab cake or an elaborate shellfish platter stacked with shrimp, lobster and everything else, River Oyster always delivers.

Time Out tip: River Oyster is the token spot for bivalve-loving people thanks to an unbeatable $1.75-each oyster happy hour from 3 to 7pm.

Chef Fernando Salazar dreamed up this Peruvian steakhouse concept after three years running a ceviche food truck, and his handsome space in a Pincrest strip mall feels like a spot for that nice date night you’ve been putting off.

Order this: The Galapagos lobster tail is an 18-ounce beast that’ll serve two, maybe with leftover for tomorrow, and comes in a towering presentation with pico de gallo and a rich aji amarillo.

Downtown's seafood bistro serves an array of oysters and excellent fish in a delightful, laid-back setting. Despite its otherwise casual digs, I’ve found it's easy to indulge here, with dishes at above the three-figure mark like Osetra caviar and the seafood towers. But I’ve also walked out in reasonably priced territory after pounding a dozen middle-neck clams, a bowl of chowder and some of the freshest catch anywhere done up however they're feeling that day.

Order this: The buttery Connecticut-style lobster roll is an absolute delight of an indulgence.

Celebrities frequented the original Catch in Miami before it closed and made way for a massive 23,000-square-foot version now found South of Fifth on Miami Beach. With sister locations from New York to Aspen, Catch’s menu spans the seafood gamut from ceviches and crudos to a dramatic Cantonese lobster. 

Order this: Catch’s cocktail menu generally hovers in the $20 range, but among the premium offerings are a $45 old fashioned with Angels Envy Rye, Angostura bitters and dried cherry Demerara.

This buzzy seafood restaurant grew from a no-frills counter spot to a large, full-service establishment with a string of TV endorsements and legions of adoring fans. La Camaronera serves it all—from fish to lobster to stone crabs—and nearly all of it is caught right here in South Florida. 

Order this: Everything on the menu is tasty but this is the place you go for a mondo piece of fried snapper sandwiched between a fluffy Cuban roll.

Partners Janine Booth and Jeff McInnis took inspiration from those homes teetering on top of stilts deep into Biscayne Bay for this cozy Sunset Harbour spot, which lights up with the glow from sunsets across the bay. 

Order this: The menu here runs the gamut of coastal cuisine, from low-country shrimp and grits to escabeche fresh catch.

Restaurateur Myles Chefetz rethought the fish shack into a glamorous concept where giant seafood platters accompany lobster cocktails and enough caviar to give bumps to everyone in the place. No matter the weather, it’ll be hard to choose between the dimly-lit dining room topped with all those dark wood beams or the terrace, shaded by the long limbs of a grandad oak.

Born in Montreal with Greek roots, Estiatorio Milos now has locations from Vegas to Dubai. It’s forever popular thanks to a simple, winning combination: Greek seafood classics served elegantly. You’ll pay for all that elegance—as in, $36 for a tomato salad and $67 for bigeye tuna—but it’s still cheaper than heading to the actual Milos.

Time Out tip: Whole fish can be selected from the iced display and fried or grilled, but pay the $15 extra for your pick to be baked in sea salt for a dramatic tableside unveiling.

A Pinecrest classic since Bill “The Captain” Bowers opened it in 1971, the Captain’s Tavern’s decor may seem dated, but the fresh fish and welcoming buzz of energy is enough to distract. The massive two-page menu features a slew of crowd-pleasers, including a grouper oscar made with jumbo lump crabmeat, asparagus and hollandaise; and a seafood medley mixed with fish, scallops, shrimp and spicy tomato sauce, plus a side of jasmine rice and sweet plantains. Everything is made in-house—down to the sweet chili sauce that’s served with the Thai-style lobster nuggets. 

Time Out tip: Regulars know to stop in on Tuesdays for two-for-one Maine lobsters.

This buzzy Chinese-Japanese restaurant from Russian restaurateur Arkadiy Novikov boasts sister locations in London, Dubai and Moscow. The crowd is equally international and characteristically posh. It's a scene but one I’ll welcome for the chance to dig into a treasure trove of sashimi, maki, robata skewers and dim sum. 

Time Out tip: Sure, you’ll be more in the party inside, but it’s the patio out back with sweeping views of Biscayne Bay.

Founded in 1966 by the Garcia brothers, this family-owned spot along the Miami River serves as a restaurant, fish market and wholesaler to numerous local businesses. It’s not unusual to see Garcia’s fishing boats casting nets along the Florida shores, so why not sample it straight from the source? 

Time Out tip: You’re getting nothing but the freshest fish here but the catch of the day is what makes it to the restaurant’s simple chalkboard menu—go for that.

What started more than two decades ago as a North Miami seafood distribution center soon morphed into a retail market and then finally a restaurant, with a menu full of fresh catch cooked up simply, with whole-fried fresh fish and sandwiches that look like they’re about to go for a swim with fish fins flying out behind them. 

Order this: Briny oysters over ice are just quite simply some of the freshest in the city.