The menu at Sunny’s in Little River goes beyond typical steakhouse fare
Photo by Cleveland Jennings
Where Miami Books a Res
The reservation you set a calendar alert for.
Ariete
Coconut Grove
Chef Michael Beltran’s Ariete feels like the kind of Coconut Grove restaurant that wraps you in warmth the second you walk in, where French technique meets Cuban soul in a way that feels deeply personal and unmistakably Miami. The Michelin-starred tasting menu, with dishes like fluke topped with conch escabeche and venison tartare finished with bone marrow sabayon, proves why Ariete remains one of the city’s most confident and defining dining experiences. 3540 Main Hwy., Coconut Grove; 305-640-5862; arietecoconutgrove.com.
Café La Trova
Little Havana
Café La Trova stands as one of the defining restaurants of Miami’s 2020s dining era, helmed by James Beard Award-winning chef Michelle Bernstein alongside world-renowned cantinero Julio Cabrera. Together, they reimagined Cuban cuisine for a new generation, blending heritage-driven recipes with modern finesse, theatrical cocktails, and live music that channels the spirit of Old Havana. In doing so, they helped elevate Miami’s most nostalgic flavors onto the national stage, proving that tradition and innovation can thrive in the same glass and on the same plate. 971 SW Eighth St., Miami; 786-615-4379; cafelatrova.com.
Carbone Vino
Coconut Grove
Carbone Vino brings Major Food Group’s signature Italian-American glamour to Coconut Grove in a way that feels polished yet refreshingly approachable, with a buzzing bar, bookable tables, and even walk-ins welcome. With lunch service now in the mix, it has quickly become both a celebration destination and an everyday indulgence for the Grove. 2911 Grand Ave., Ste. 194, Coconut Grove; carbonevino.com/coconut-grove.
Cote Miami
Design District
Simon Kim’s Cote brings its signature fusion of Korean barbecue and classic steakhouse swagger to the Design District, showcasing dry-aged American Wagyu and A5 Japanese Wagyu from Miyazaki, seasoned with a trio of salts and grilled tableside to perfection. With luxe touches like caviar service and a Michelin star earned in 2022, Cote delivers one of the most theatrical and indulgent dining experiences in Miami. 900 NE Second Ave., Miami; 305-434-4668; cotekoreansteakhouse.com.
Hiden
Wynwood
Hiden is Wynwood’s ultimate culinary hideaway, tucked behind a taco shop and unlocked by a secret passcode that reveals an intimate eight-seat omakase counter once the copper wall slides open. Inside, executive chef Seijun Okano crafts a 15-course journey of pristine fish flown in from Japan, delivering a Michelin-starred experience that feels like stepping through a portal straight to Tokyo. 313 NW 25th St., Miami; hidenmiami.com.
Hiyakawa
Wynwood
Founded by Venezuelan restaurateur Alvaro Perez Miranda, Hiyakawa is a striking Wynwood destination where minimalist Japanese design and curved wooden arches frame a meticulous, high-end omakase experience. With fish flown in daily from Tokyo’s Toyosu Market and luxe bites like toro topped with caviar and uni kissed with Okinawan salt, it’s one of Miami’s most refined and indulgent sushi splurges. 2700 N. Miami Ave., Miami; 305-333-2417; hiyakawamiami.com.
Kaori Miami
Brickell
Amid Brickell’s traffic and drawbridge chaos, Kaori feels like a serene design-forward escape, where clean wood tones frame Asian-inspired dishes that are as artful as they are ingredient-driven. From wagyu and foie gras gyoza to bluefin tuna sashimi layered with coconut-lime and Thai basil oil, plus a weekday happy hour with $1 oysters and elevated cocktails, Kaori balances refinement with approachability. 871 S. Miami Ave., Miami; 786-848-5900; kaorimiami.com.
Macchialina
South Beach
After honing his craft in Michelin-starred kitchens across Italy and opening Scarpetta at the Fontainebleau, chef Michael Pirolo made his mark with Macchialina, a South Beach Italian spot where a tightly edited menu delivers bold, precise flavors through pristine ingredients and flawless technique. From tagliatelle ai funghi to heirloom tomatoes with burrata, and the cult-favorite short rib and Taleggio lasagna that disappears nightly, Macchialina proves that simplicity, when done right, is pure magic. 820 Alton Rd., Miami Beach; 305-534-2124; macchialina.com.
Mandolin Aegean Bistro
Buena Vista
At Mandolin Aegean Bistro, romance begins the second you step into the charming 1930s house and out onto a candlelit patio that feels more like a Greek village than Buena Vista. Between housemade dips, grilled sea bass, and kebabs meant for sharing, it’s the kind of transportive, slow-paced dinner that turns an ordinary night into a Mediterranean escape. 4312 NE Second Ave., Miami; 305-749-9140; mandolinrestaurant.com.
Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink
Design District
For nearly two decades, Michael’s Genuine has anchored the Design District with James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Schwartz’s ingredient-driven cooking and heartfelt hospitality, long before the neighborhood became Miami’s luxury playground. A true pioneer and mentor to talents like Niven Patel and Michael Beltran, Schwartz built a restaurant that continues to evolve with intention while remaining one of the city’s most influential dining cornerstones. 130 NE 40th St., Miami; 305-676-0894; michaelsgenuine.com.
Recoveco
South Miami
Recoveco proves that some of Miami’s biggest flavors are tucked into its smallest corners, where chefs Maria Teresa “Tere” Gallina and Nico Martinez transform a tight nine-dish menu into a masterclass in balance, intention, and creativity. Intimate and quietly game-changing, the South Miami gem has already earned Best New Restaurant honors from New Times, a Best Chef nod for Gallina, and even a spotlight from the New York Times. 6000 SW 74th St., Ste. 1, South Miami; recovecorestaurant.com.
Red Rooster Overtown
Overtown
As the decade turned, Marcus Samuelsson brought his Harlem-born Red Rooster to Overtown, honoring the neighborhood’s rich Black cultural history on the former site of Clyde Killens’ pool hall while serving a vibrant menu that weaves together African, Southern, and Caribbean influences, earning a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2022. With live music, a lively weekend brunch, cornbread ice cream from the Creamery, and the lovingly re-created Pool Hall lounge upstairs, Red Rooster is equal parts restaurant, celebration, and cultural tribute. 920 NW Second Ave., Miami; 305-640-9880; redroosterovertown.com.
Shiso
Wynwood
After leading Kyu Miami and launching Drinking Pig, chef Raheem Sealey steps into his own spotlight with Shiso, a Wynwood Asian smokehouse that fuses Caribbean roots, Japanese technique, and wood-fired barbecue into one bold, shareable menu. From barbecue brisket nigiri and oxtail gunkan to smoked sticky ribs and a split-personality Cornish hen, Shiso delivers swagger on the plate and on its graffiti-lined rooftop, making it one of the season’s most exciting openings. 239 NW 28th St., Miami; 786-559-1706; shisomiami.com.
Stubborn Seed
South Beach
Chef Jeremy Ford, the Florida-born, smooth-scalped winner of the 13th season of Bravo’s reality cooking show Top Chef in 2016, presents gorgeous dishes the likes of which Miami has rarely seen. Though Ford offers an à la carte menu that’s ever-changing, the best way to experience Stubborn Seed is through its six- or nine-course tasting menu. The restaurant’s commitment to delivering the “perfect bite” with every dish earned it a Michelin star in 2022. 101 Washington Ave., Miami Beach; 786-322-5211; stubbornseed.com.
Sunny’s
Little River
Sunny’s went from pandemic parking lot pop-up to one of Miami’s most celebrated steakhouses, reopening in Little River with Florida charm, an open-air courtyard beneath a twinkle-lit banyan, and a sleek midcentury dining room. With wood-fired steaks, handmade pastas, Parker House rolls with honey butter, and a “pick your path” martini menu, it’s the kind of place that makes dressing up for dinner feel fun again. 7357 NW Miami Ct., Miami; sunnysmia.com.
Tâm Tâm
Downtown
Tâm Tâm brings the bold, soulful flavors of Vietnam to a downtown corner that might look unassuming from the outside but buzzes with energy within, earning a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2024. Led by Michelin Young Chef Award winner Tam Pham, the restaurant channels his family’s recipes and a joyful “eating and drinking” ethos into dishes that feel both deeply personal and unmistakably fun. 99 NW First St., Miami; 786-933-6378; tam-tam-mia.com.
Zitz Sum
Coral Gables
Zitz Sum has grown from a cult-favorite dumpling pop-up into one of Coral Gables’ most dynamic dining destinations, where chef Pablo Zitzmann’s borderless cooking pulls from Asia, Latin America, Italy, and beyond with fearless creativity. With dishes like shrimp har gow with tamarind-black garlic chutney and pork-belly potstickers earning it a Michelin Bib Gourmand year after year, Zitz Sum delivers some of the most playful and craveable plates in Miami. 396 Alhambra Cir., Ste. 155, Coral Gables; 786-409-6920; zitzsum.com.
Dining and Cooking