What and where to eat in Miami

This Little Havana Cuban institution is part restaurant, part social hub for much of Miami’s Cuban community. The brass-and-mirror dining room is filled nearly every night, with families and locals enjoying the extensive menu of traditional Cuban classics.

Address: 3555 SW 8th St., Miami

This little fish shack along the Miami River is synonymous with the pan con minuta – a whole snapper filet breaded and fried on a Cuban roll with onions, ketchup, and tartar sauce. It’s a must-try while in Miami, and this is the restaurant that made it famous.

Address: 1952 W Flagler St., Miami

Way out west near Miami International Airport you’ll find this little Cuban lunch counter tucked into a strip mall. Inside, a little man will be working behind the grill the same way he has for over 40 years, flipping fritas – the Cuban take on a hamburger with chorizo and shoestring fries – so good President Obama made this place a regular stop.

Address: 5828 SW 8th St., Miami

Miami’s oldest fine dining establishment serves up heavily sought-after stone crab claws from October to May. The opulent setting and old-world service is a true Miami dining experience, and if you’re not up for seafood, the fried chicken is some of the best in the city.

Address: 11 Washington Ave., Miami Beach

Miami has gotten a glut of omakase restaurants over the past few years, and while it’s hard to pick a bad one, this small sushi bar inside the Esme Hotel stands out. Beyond using fish flown in fresh from Japan, the chefs top each selection with creations like condensed pineapple, homemade habanero sauces, and other stuff not usually found atop raw fish.

Address: 1438 Washington Ave., Miami Beach

This Korean steakhouse in the Design District combines a sexy, low-lit décor with Miami’s finest collection of meats from across the world. The best part is that the Korean steakhouse format allows you to sample them all as your server grills them right at your table, alongside a collection of traditional Korean sides.

Address: 3900 NE 2nd Ave., Miami

Since it received a Michelin Star in 2022, it would be tough to call this 19-seat Italian restaurant wedged into the Bravo Supermarket plaza a “hidden gem.” But the intimate setting combined with inventive Italian dishes and an unusual wine list make it Miami’s best date spot.

Address: 5205 NE 2nd Ave., Miami

Miami’s lone two-Michelin-starred restaurant is more than just a place to taste French creations from a culinary legend. It’s as much a show as it is a dinner, where chefs work like a silent precision drill team creating elegant plates in an open kitchen.

Address: 151 NE 41st St, Miami

Have you ever eaten a salad out of a toy firetruck? How about steak in a mocked-up coffin, or dessert from a flower pot? These are just a few of the head-scratching presentations you’ll find at Barton G, where the food is equally as important as whatever it’s served on.

Address: 1427 West Ave, Miami Beach

Carbone makes diners feel as if they’ve stepped onto the set of a mob movie, and though you may wait a while for your table, the immersive experience can make waiting at the bar feel like fun.

Address: 49 Collins Ave, Miami Beach

For fast and casual vegan fare, this multi-store chain offers the widest variety anywhere in Miami. Salads, falafels, smoothies, and sandwiches all offer plant-based options, and because Carrot Express has spread so rapidly throughout South Florida, you’re likely to find a location almost anywhere.

Address: Various locations in Miami

Inside the Time Out Food Hall, you’ll find this little Chinese stall near the back. It’s a complete tour of Chinese cuisine, offering everything from kung pao brussels sprouts to dan dan noodles with Impossible pork, all made without meat.

Address: Time Out Market, 1601 Drexel Ave., Miami Beach

This small restaurant South of Fifth packs a powerful vegan punch, with Miami Beach’s most extensive menu of plant-based options. Look for black bean and mushroom tacos, acai bowls, fried chicken sandwiches, and a full complement of salads. Or just kick back with a cold-pressed juice.

Address: 110 Washington Ave # Cu-3, Miami Beach

This Michelin-starred spot in the Design District comes to us from chef Alain Verzeroli, who’s crafted a vegetable-forward menu highlighted by miso-glazed tofu, ravioli with roasted tomatillos, and seasonal farro risotto.

Address: 151 NE 41st St. Suite 135, Miami

If you’re looking to explore the best of Miami’s food scene without eating a dozen heavy meals, make a reservation with Miami Food Tours. The ladies running this culinary adventure have been doing it for over a decade, running through neighborhoods like Wynwood and South Beach with tours lasting from 2.5 to 3.5 hours.

Address: Al Sufoh, Sky Dive Dubai

Miami’s favorite taco shop might be best known for its margaritas. The savory grilled meats, fresh guacamole, and house-made tortillas all draw lines around the block at the Wynwood Original. But the margaritas, which are available to go by the gallon, have drawn a legitimate cult following.

Address: Various locations around Miami

For healthy food and acai bowls, this shop on the ground floor of Mary Brickell Village offers top value. Its bowls based with spicy sweet potato noodles, garlic kale, or seasoned rice come topped with generous portions of proteins like fajita chicken and braised barbacoa.

Address: 900 S. Miami Ave. Suite 125

Whether you’re queuing up for a sandwich at 4 am or in the middle of the day, this French sandwich shop never fails to satisfy. Its bread always tastes like it came straight from the streets of Paris, and when filled with flavorful fresh veggies and deli meats, it’s equally heavenly after a long night out as it is in the middle of the workday.

Address: 229 14th St, Miami Beach

From the moment you pull up to the neon valet at Dirty French you feel transported into a culinary work of art. From the brass palm trees in the bar to the Moorish dining room décor, the Brickell steakhouse seems more like an immersive trip into cinematic Miami than a meal. The steaks and other French delicacies like the mushroom millefeuille are equally jaw-dropping as the décor.

Address: 1200 Brickell Ave, Miami

Jaya’s twinkling lights and floating lily pads make it a runaway hit for Miami’s most alluring restaurant. The collection of South Asian specialties adds spice and excitement to the photogenic date, creating the city’s top combination of atmosphere and stellar cuisine.

Address: 2001 Collins Ave, Miami Beach

Interestingly, Miami’s most famous sandwich was actually invented in Tampa, a staple of cigar factory workers who flooded the city in the early 1900s. Miami’s take is ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard on Cuban bread, and can be found at cafeterias all over the city. Please note, though, locals never call it a “Cubano.”

You might get a little 3 oz styrofoam cup of this thick, black coffee and think, “This isn’t going to wake me up.” Then you take about three sips, and you wonder if your pulse will ever slow down. Think of it as high-octane espresso—and drink it accordingly.

Croquetas are a popular pairing with Cuban coffee, often filled with ground ham and cream, then covered in breadcrumbs and deep fried. They’re available pretty much anywhere you find Cuban coffee and are perfectly acceptable as breakfast, dinner, or a 3 am snack.

You’ll find variations of this mojo-marinated chicken over saffron rice on menus across the city, but the one Miamians flock to can be found at Chicken Kitchen. It’s a staple lunch food that natives have been eating since childhood, and though it comes in variations like Mexican, Cuban, and Creole, the original chop with curry mustard sauce is the only way to order.

If you asked any Floridian to drill down why deli subs from the state’s preeminent grocery chain are so good, they’d be hard-pressed to give you a definitive answer. But the “Pub Sub” is a Miami obsession, traditionally filled with fried chicken tenders, veggies, and whatever else you can find at the Publix deli sandwich stand.