Miami is known for its beautiful beaches, year-round warm weather, and most importantly, its incredible food scene. Miami’s food scene is filled with delicious must-visit spots, which can actually leave you in a pickle when deciding where to go and what to devour. So, how exactly did we come up with our list of the top 10 restaurants in Miami? We spent hours scanning through the Internet to find the top-rated hot spots, new and up-and-coming venues, and some local destinations. Then we narrowed it down to create the ultimate list of the 10 best restaurants in Miami for 2024.
Top 10 Restaurants in Miami
Our top 10 restaurants in Miami list can help you plan your food adventures for your vacation or a quick weekend food crawl, ensuring you’re able to check out some of the best spots in the city. Whether you’re looking for a quick bite to eat at one of the best lunch spots in Miami, or a fine dining experience for dinner in the design district, we’ve got you covered.
1. Katana Japanese Restaurant
Katana Japanese Restaurant, opened over 30 years ago, and is a hidden gem loved by Miami locals with a 4.5 star rating and over 1,200 enthusiastic reviews on Google. The restaurant offers a unique take on conveyor belt sushi, as guests’ food is delivered on steaming boats, which circulate in a stream of water on a conveyor belt. You can choose from various Japanese eats, including sushi rolls, udon, donburi bowls, and nigiris. And if you feel like indulging in more of a Japanese delicacy, you can try the sea urchin sashimi.
With a limited seating of 25 seats and no reservations option, it’s best to choose an off-peak time or join the restaurant’s waitlist between 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. By doing so, you will ensure an opportunity to enjoy this unique dining experience while you’re in Miami.
2. No Reservations Wine Bar
No Reservations is a chic and sleek wine bar owned by Liza Meli, which has an intimate open kitchen run by Chef Christophe Bibard, who was a finalist on Top Chef France.
The restaurant has a cozy, intimate, and friendly atmosphere, as well as a fantastic selection of bar bites to share with friends or loved ones. And to pair with their incredible selection of dishes, there are 50 different wines, most of which hail from the Mediterranean.
You can also check out No Reservations’ unique bar design, which features the restaurant’s “no reservations” neon lit sign while enjoying the happy hour menu between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Happy hour truly is the best hour in Miami!
3. Red Carpet Italian Restaurant
Endlessly searching for an Italian restaurant that serves up some of the best Italian food in Miami? Look no further than the Red Carpet Italian Restaurant, created by two brothers whose dream was to bring Italy to Miami. According to the restaurant’s website, the team spends up to 80 hours creating their original homemade sauces and their pastas are specially crafted, showcasing their commitment to Italian cuisine to everyone who dines here.
Without a doubt, Red Carpet Italian Restaurant is easily some of the best Italian food in Miami, due to the numerous recognition the restaurant has received. Some of those accolades include Yelp’s Top 10 Best Family-Owned Restaurants in Miami for 2021, TripAdvisor Traveler’s Choice award in 2020 and 2021, and much more.
4. L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Miami
Chef Joël Robuchon recently opened his newest location of L’Atelier and, luckily for Miami locals and visitors, it’s located right in the heart of Miami Design District. With L’Atelier being the only restaurant in Miami to have received two Michelin stars, it’s a Parisian hotspot to be reckoned with that certainly deserves a spot in our top 10 restaurants in Miami.
According to its website, L’Atelier “[combines] gastronomic cuisine with an unique atmosphere of relaxed conviviality and interaction with an open kitchen.” The restaurant also offers a few tasting menu options, including a seasonal, holiday, and evolution tasting menu, giving guests the flexibility to choose the option that fits their dining preferences.
5. Cote Miami
Cote Miami is a winning restaurant in our books. However, don’t just take our word for it, as plenty of esteemed celebrities have dined here, including David Beckham. It’s also highly recognized in the restaurant industry, as it’s been awarded one Michelin star and is a James Beard award-nominated Korean Steakhouse.
As for what you can expect, Cote Miami is an elevated interactive restaurant with state-of-the-art tabletop grills, so you can cook your food to your preferred preference. The butcher’s feast is a must-order for first timers and is recommended by the Michelin Guide and TimeOut as the best way to sample what Cote Miami has to offer. There’s also a wide selection of high quality meats, ban-chan (Korean side dishes), and seafood to choose from. This includes the 45-day USDA prime dry-aged beef and an exceptional steak omakase experience.
6. Coyo Taco
Coyo Taco is arguably one of the best restaurants in Wynwood for none other than Mexican street food. You can choose from a selection of affordable and delicious meat and fish-based tacos in hand pressed on corn tortillas. There are also other options for non-meat eaters, including the restaurant’s cauliflower-based taco or esquite. According to their website, all of Coyo Taco’s ingredients are fresh and 100% natural, providing Miami with the “freshest Mexican street food experience”.
And one of the best parts is that the Wynwood location is open from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 a.m. Monday to Thursday, and until 2:00 a.m. Friday to Sunday, so you can stop by to enjoy one of the best lunch spots in Miami or get your late-night taco fix.
7. Rishtedar
Vikram Thadani debuted his Indian restaurant Rishtedar in Miami early in 2023, making it one of the new additions to the list of the best restaurants in Wynwood. Rishtedar provides a unique opportunity for those in the Wynwood area to experience what it’s like to dine at an authentic Indian restaurant. All visitors will experience a warm welcome with a bindi and then a water ritual at the end of their visit.
Rishtedar has a beautifully decorated interior and the best ambiance, as described by many reviewers. And if you’re a seafood lover – more specifically a lobster lover – owner Vikram of Rishtedar shared in an article with Forbes that the Lobster Masala on the menu is elevated with imported spices from India – a truly unique dish to find in this Southern U.S. state.
8. Joe’s Stone Crab
Joe’s Stone Crab is a seafood restaurant that has been around for over a century. It’s not only loved by locals, but has also attracted many celebrities to dine here. According to Forbes, celebrities like Elton John, Barbra Streisand, and Tom Cruise have all made the trek here, which makes Joe’s Stone Crab, one of the more well-known and best restaurants in South Beach.
Although the restaurant is best known for its stone crab claws, chilled, cracked, and served with mustard sauce, you can also devour some of Joe’s other signature menu items, such as the seafood paella, coleslaw, lobster rolls, and skirt steak. And of course, you can’t leave Joe’s Stone Crab without dessert, so don’t miss out on getting the restaurant’s famous key lime pie – a Miami staple!
9. Ariete
Ariete is a one Michelin star rated restaurant for both 2022 and 2023. The executive chef and owner Michael Beltran uses locally sourced ingredients from both land and sea, paired with classic French techniques, to create an exceptional dining experience for guests. TimeOut has spoken highly of his skills and mentions that “few chefs take more risks than Beltran,” which is a huge testament to the restaurant’s offerings. And if you’re a fan of duck, the canard a la presse for two, which is prepared tableside, seems to be Ariete’s restaurant specialty dish.
You can also indulge in one of two tasting menus available, at $145 or $205 per person for the options without wine pairings. For a bigger crowd, Ariete is the perfect place to host a private dinner. The Cave provides an “old-world-style dining experience,” which seats up to 50 guests who can enjoy the chef’s tasting menu or more of a family style meal.
10. MILA
MILA is an absolute crowd favorite and one of the best restaurants in South Beach. With a restaurant social media following of over 100,000 followers on Instagram, along with a 4.7 star Google rating and 7,000 enthusiastic reviews, MILA nicely rounds out our top 10 restaurants in Miami list.
Michaël Michaelidis, the chef at MILA, is a 26 Michelin-starred chef offering Asian and Mediterranean-infused dishes for Miami’s gourmands. So, whether you choose to dine here for brunch or dinner, you know that you’re in for a treat. The brunch menu is a 2-hour multi-course buffet experience that includes various fixings, such as charcuterie, cheese, mezze, raw bar, and sushi, and can be served with or without alcohol.
Armed with our list of the 10 best restaurants in Miami, you’re better prepared to venture out along the streets and beaches of Miami and get eating! Did we miss your Miami restaurant? Shoot us a message to be featured!
Megan is the Content Marketing Specialist at TouchBistro, where she uses her passion for food to write about the restaurant industry. She’s a big “foodie” at heart, and you can always find her enjoying a delicious meal at a restaurant with friends and family, or cooking one up at home. She also loves relaxing with a good book and making progress at the gym.
Free job application template for restaurants
Your Complete Guide to Restaurant Reservations
Download Guide
