The best new restaurants in Miami to try right now
Fresh out of ideas? Find inspiration in the best new restaurants Miami has to offer, plus new cafes and buzzy bars.
October 2019: It’s officially fall, and we can hardly keep up with the onslaught of restaurants rushing to open before Miami hits peak season. This month, the city welcomes the much-anticipated and awaited Le Jardinier, a sophisticated, vegetable-focused eatery in the Design District. Over in Little Havana, supper club El Santo breathes new life into the neighborhood’s nightlife scene. In South Beach, we get two new places to eat and party: Papi Steak and Swizzle.
You rule the city’s food scene: You’ve wined and dined at the best restaurants in Miami, and if someone wants to know where to get brunch in Miami, you’re their go-to egg master (and pancake master… and mimosa master!). The coffee shops in Miami? They know your name, they know your order and they know you mean business. But there’s always something new to discover, and new to learn—that’s part of the reason you love the Magic City. Stay up to date—and stay reigning supreme—with our guide to the best new restaurants Miami is welcoming to town right now.
Best new restaurants in Miami
Swizzle Rum Bar & Drinkery
What is it? The return of the popular tiki bar, formerly located inside the Washington Park Hotel. It’s now bigger, boasts indoor and outdoor seating and features an extensive menu of rum-based cocktails.
Why go? There’s an unheard-of happy hour that runs daily from 7 to 10pm.
Papi Steak
What is it? David “Papi” Einhorn’s eponymous steakhouse, opened in partnership with David Grutman, is a cozy, velvet-strewn supper club brimming with celebs.
Why go? For fancy Jewish deli fare, like potato latkes and the best—and likely most expensive—wagyu pastrami you’ll ever try. It’s rich, marbleized perfection.
Le Jardinier
What is it? This futuristic-inspired, vegetable-forward restaurant from the team behind the late chef Joël Robuchon specializes in seasonal fare.
Why go? For beautifully composed dishes you’ll want to photograph as badly as you’ll want to eat them. Save room for the equally stunning desserts, made from fresh fruits and the highest quality chocolate.
Blind Barber
What is it? Nearly 10 years after opening its doors in New York City’s East Village—and expanding to Los Angeles and Chicago—the barbershop by day and speakeasy by night finally opens in South Beach.
Why go? The hidden bar trend may have come and gone but there’s still something sexy and fun about a secret entrance. Find it and you’ll be rewarded with stiff cocktails and a menu of indulgent grilled-cheese sandwiches.
El Santo Miami
What is it? Part Mexican taquería, part restaurant and part club, El Santo is breathing new life into Little Havana’s nightlife scene.
Why go? It’s a one-stop night out. Start at the supper club restaurant for dinner and move the party to the backroom for drinks and dancing at El Diablo.
Delicious Raw - Aventura
What is it? The Aventura Park outpost of the South Florida wellness restaurant chain stays loyal to its ethos of providing healthy food that tastes good.
Why go? The famous Noble veggie burger with truffle-infused garlic dijon is just the kind of tasty treat yo’ self meal you won’t hate yourself after.
La Mesa
What is it? A trendy Cuban restaurant in the heart of Westchester, La Mesa is helping put the quiet suburb on the restaurant map.
Why go? Reasons for the reverse nighttime migration from Downtown to Westchester include Cocktail Cartel drinks, modern twists on Cuban food and live entertainment nearly every night of the week.
La Cocina Cocteleria
What is it? Hialeah’s first proper cocktail bar is adjacent to Stephen’s Deli, the city’s first and only Jewish restaurant. If those two things seem incongruent in the predominantly Cuban area, it’s because they are—but somehow they work.
Why go? No culture clash here. La Cocina reveres all things Cuban and Hialeah (which is its own brand of weird Spanglish society) with cleverly named drinks like the Qué Cute and funny accents that even people who don’t hail from the area will appreciate.
Esotico Miami
What is it? This sweeping tiki bar is a cocktail lounge and restaurant all rolled into one funky, neon-lit spot.
Why go? A full Polynesian experience from the pu-pu platter to the tropical decor, down to those sweet and deceptively strong rum cocktails served in those adorable tiki mugs.
Boia De
What is it? Hip and intimate, this 24-seat restaurant in a Buena Vista strip mall charms with a cool interior and forward-thinking, seasonal fare. Rabbit pasta, anyone?
Why go? Chef/owners Luciana Giangrandi and Alex Meyer cut their teeth at award-winning kitchens such as New York’s Eleven Madison Park, which should bode well for serious diners. Plus, the wine list specializes in small-batch, organic varieties.
Tigertail + Mary
What is it? James Beard-winning chef Michael Schwartz is at it again in Coconut Grove, this time with a lush, laid-back restaurant serving a Florida-inspired, vegetable-forward menu.
Why go? The bar scene is like none other in the neighborhood, thanks to an expansive counter and a cocktail program helmed by the Bar Lab folks. If you’re not there to drink, don’t miss the mashed fava pizza. If you didn’t order pizza at a Schwartz-led establishment, did you eat there at all?
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