The 10 best new restaurants in Miami

We've said it many times before and we'll say it again, one of the best things to come out of the pandemic was Old Greg's pizza. It started as a home pop-up that very quickly gained an enormous Instagram following (and subsequent waitlist) and eventually expanded to a temporary takeout-only space in the Design District's Paradise Plaza. Now, we're happy to report it's found a permanent space just a few blocks south, featuring dine-in service, a bar and an open kitchen where you can watch Greg himself sling his signature square pies as well as the new thin-crust 18" round 'zzas.

Lincoln Road is regaining some of its luster with help from the new Mediterranean restaurant Issabella's. Conceived by restaurateurs Jonathan and Keva Balan, the breezy indoor/outdoor restaurant serves as an ideal spot for lingering lunches and people-watching during the day while the evenings provide a romantic setting for couples and an inviting place for groups to dine. Find classic dishes from Italy, Spain, Greece and France complemented by a beverage program that also takes its cues from Europe with a wide array of imported gins and aperitif-style cocktails, plus an extensive wine list.

Amalia, located at 19th and Collins, might be in a place that not all Miamians frequent, but it's certainly worth seeking out. Chef Hernan Griccini, who's Argentine, works with a Mediterranean theme that’s largely Italian. There’s the bed of arugula above smoky eggplant, and a hunk of burrata halved on a tomato salad served with a hunk of bread to sop up the sweet-tangy dressing. The gnocchi comes, like a lot of Argentinian-Italian dishes, swimming in a sea of gooey cheese, dotted with little islands of roasted tomatoes. The dishes are all well-executed and attractively plated, matching the equally stylish, Art Deco-inspired space. 

Wynwood’s Jattö challenges even the most creative among us with big culinary swings. The most showstopping? It's foie gras dippin’ dots, little balls of savory freeze-dried ice cream that are rich and earthy, gamey from the duck liver and sweet from a jelly that hides below. Will you love it or hate it? Maybe both? The rest of your dining experience will go similarly as you counter trepidation with excitement, testing your tastebuds with things like the salty-crispy octopus chips and the suckling pig, roasted and served in the shape of a banana, with the backbone running down the center—a challenge no doubt for the squeamish among us but also tender and flavorful.

If imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery then the Hillstone Restaurant Group has one steadfast admirer in The Key Club. Groot Hospitality's latest endeavor in Coconut Grove draws considerable inspiration from the popular upscale American chain, putting its own twist on some items and peppering in a few dishes from Groot's defunct (but sorely missed) diner, Winker's. Some highlights include the french onion dip with caviar (do get the extra side of chips for $3 to scoop up all the goodness), the crispy chicken sandwich, the shrimp cobb (a nod to Winker's lobster version) and any of the sushi rolls and desserts, which corporate pastry chef Dallas Wynne always gets right. 

This chill brewpub for locals is the offspring of Wynwood’s dearly departed Boxelder Craft Beer Market and one of our favorite Miami restaurants, Taquiza. Off Site's menu offerings are few but the dishes make a big impression as mostly everything is made in-house—from the beer to the fantastic hot dog to the burger to the wings—and what’s not has been impeccably curated to make you happy. 

From a tiny restaurant in New York's East Village to a sizable industrial space in Wynwood, Whitmans brings its homey American cooking to Miami. There's the classic cheesesteak, a two-hander hoagie roll topped with sautéed onions and melted cheese, and the grilled chicken club with applewood smoked bacon, both equally comforting in their own right. Although the main attraction here is the Juicy Lucy, a beef short rib burger stuffed with pimento cheese, creating a molten core that oozes out from the center upon that first juicy bite. It's like nothing you've ever tasted before. 

It’s an age-old Miami conundrum: so much ocean, so little oceanfront restaurants from which to enjoy it. But that’s where the beachy restaurant at the Eden Roc Miami Beach resort hits that magical sweet spot—its perch above the Miami Beach dunes offers unrestricted views of the sea and sky along with a casual come-as-you-are vibe. And what was once Malibu Farm is now Ocean Social, a coastal dining spot with an approachable menu of crowd-pleasing dishes—from wood-fired pizzas to fresh fish and steaks.

The Bath Club's swanky members-only restaurant harkens back to a bygone era of Miami Beach, the revered 1950s and '60s, when midcentury-modern design abounded, glamorous cocktail lounges ruled and supper clubs emphasized dining more than they did bottle service. You'll find old-timey favorites like a fresh seafood platter, pepper-crusted prime rib and dark chocolate fondue to wrap things up. Reservations are for members or friends of members with social access to the premises. 

Doral's new massive food hall spans 13,000 square feet and features 15 food different food concepts, including outposts of popular Miami restaurants and second locations of other food hall favorites. Folks will find Ash Pizza, a spinoff of Brickell’s Stanzione that’s also at the Citadel; Trattoria Dal Plin Italian Eatery, which originated at MIA Market in the Design District; local Asian chains Pubbely Sushi and InRamen; Poke MIA; BFF Burgers, Franks Fries; The Bakery/Café, featuring Juice & Java, Sweet Manifesto and Tintto By Tributto; Ella's Oyster Bar (formerly on Calle Ocho) and a street food area with bites from Little Havana’s Doce Provisions and Shahs of Kabob. In short, there's no reason to go anywhere else in the neighborhood.