The best restaurants in Miami Beach, from glam spots to locals’ gems

A Michelin star and taking home the top prize on Top Chef have made Jeremy Ford something of a celebrity chef. 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 Cacio e Pepe Cheese Puffs that are a legend in their own right. Opt for the eight-course, $175 tasting menu to get a full sense of this truly exceptional kitchen staff.

There’s a reason everyone agrees Thomas Keller is one of the greatest American chefs alive right now. His first Miami outpost (it’s technically located in Surfside) channels the old American glam of the ’50s and ’60s with its classic dishes. But we’re happy to report it’s far more fun than it sounds, with lively music, friendly service and a Maine lobster thermidor so pretty you might want to buy it a frame for the family room.

Somehow, Macchialina hasn’t landed on the Michelin list of best Miami restaurants, and we’re OK with that—solely because we appreciate that we can still (usually) get a table. Macchialina has a lively little bar scene and a surprisingly complex cocktail program, a great patio out back and a charming dining room doling out homey Italian dishes like slow-simmered polenta and perfectly portioned, housemade pasta.

The gents behind some of our favorite spots in town—Lost Boy, Joliet, Fox's, et al—went for something entirely different with this spot at the end of Española Way: an Andalusian gin bar. Dripping with old-world charm, the place seems rebuilt from the square of a Spanish village, with a menu to match, full of traditional dishes like patatas bravas and new riffs on classics, like a paella with duck confit and saffron aioli.

How might a chef work mojo or mamey sapote 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. Along the way, there are options for drink pairings, but definitely spring for the sake option. 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, and also to the fact that nobody has figured out how to avoid omakase’s awkward endings.

Joliet’s laid-back vibe and been-there-forever ambiance give it the feel of a neighborhood joint in the Garden District of New Orleans, which seems to serve as the inspiration for its Cajun-ish menu. Start with a cognac-spiked sazerac with a side of baked oysters Rockefeller, then move on to a jambalaya with baked chicken that'll rival abuela's arroz con pollo. 

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 rigatoni ala vodka (a shot at Carbone, perhaps) that’ll feel like grandma just plopped down her signature dish.

The dishes of Lebanon and its Eastern Mediterranean neighbors get elevated treatment in this space that’s just as fancy as you’d expect for South Beach. Divided into two spaces, the front dining room glows with afternoon light, while the back room feels more like a loungey nightclub after dark. It seems every dish here is a winner, like Turkish dumplings, kibbeh, wood-fired pides and a roasted lamb shoulder braised with sumac.

The Lennox Hotel is an ode to Art Deco style, and its restaurant is well-matched, looking like a throwback to a more glamorous era. Chef Hernan Griccini mixes his Argentine roots with Italian classics to put out smoky eggplant with burrata, cheesy gnocchi with roasted tomatoes and porcini ravioli with toasted hazelnuts dotting the cream sauce.

Excellent tacos, great quesadillas, even better margaritas—these are the things that win our hearts. 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.

Miami Beach has lots of glitz and glam, but sometimes what you 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 we’ve yet to find anything on the menu we wouldn’t recommend. 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.

Those who grew up in South Florida 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.

This homey, 1930s cottage on the Freehand Miami property is where the cool kids go for meals —and they probably stumbled over just a few steps from the excellent Broken Shaker bar. A night here should begin with happy hour in the upstairs Eagle Room lounge (note that happy hour here is a two-hour affair starting at 8pm) with snacks like falafel and shrimp dumplings. Then, head down to the main dining room for gambas al ajillo and a burger slathered in black garlic aioli.