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.
August 2019: We've entered the doldrums of summer when it's simply too hot for life—as evidenced by the inactivity in our local restaurant scene. Among the few notable openings this month, we welcome the highly anticipated reopening of Stephens Deli, a Hialeah staple that opened more than six decades ago. On the opposite side of town, South Miami gets a new wine bar and restaurant, while Coconut Grove gives us a new place to go get our pasta fix: Bellini Restaurant & Bar.
Summer is in full force, and the new season brings with it fresh dining options across Miami. Downtown gets a much-anticipated sandwich shop from the folks behind Blue Collar and Mignonette. While Buena Vista beams with Boia De, the hip new spot from the duo who brought us La Pollita. And finally, the swanky South of Fifth neighborhood gets an equally bougie Italian restaurant by the name of Amare. What summer diet?
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
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.
Stephens Deli
What is it? Hialeah’s famous Jewish deli reopens in a revamped space, featuring kitschy Walter Mercado wallpaper, a welcoming open-kitchen layout and plenty of delicious deli classics.
Why go? The pastrami is hand-sliced by one of the restaurant’s original employees, Henderson “Junior” Biggers, and the authentic matzo ball soup is the closest thing you’ll find to your Bubbie’s without actually having to visit grandma.
Bellini Restaurant & Bar
What is it? The flashy Italian restaurant atop the new Mr C hotel in Coconut Grove serves rustic fare with a modern twist.
Why go? The Cipriani family always does things with flare, and Bellini is no different with its sleek, mid-century design and blue-hued dining room. On a nice day, dine outdoors and enjoy the view of Biscayne Bay over a round of the restaurant’s namesake cocktail.
Domaine Souviou Wine Bar Boutique
What is it? This bright and cheery boutique wine shop makes and sells its own olive oil, French wines and delicious Provencal cuisine.
Why go? Learn about new varietals while you sip all kinds of new wines. Like something? The perk of drinking at a store/restaurant is that you can bring home your favorite.
Vinaigrette Sub Shop
What is it? Danny Serfer’s Downtown sub shop serves up giant sandwiches made with freshly baked rolls, imported Italian meats and other high-quality ingredients.
Why go? The shop’s namesake sauce is a house-made specialty whipped up by Serfer himself. Even if you’re not into sauces, this one is so good you’ll want to drink it straight out of the bottle.
Ember
What is it? The latest from multiple James Beard Award nominee Brad Kilgore is an update on the classic American restaurant. It’s bougie but not stuffy, and cool without being pretentious.
Why go? Kilgore doesn’t do anything simply, a culinary fact that holds true at Ember where meat and potatoes are far from straightforward. Though, it’s worth breaking from the expected steakhouse combo to try the fried chicken topped with caviar butter, the 30-layer wood-fired vegetarian lasagna and the most Miami very of banana cream pie made with maduros.
Caja Caliente - Coral Gables
What is it? Caja Caliente’s much-anticipated expansion into Coral Gables means more room (1,500 square feet!) to tuck into its signature Cuban-style tacos.
Why go? Owner Monica “Mika” Leon introduces to customers to even more of her family’s recipes, including a filling pan con lechón topped with a fried egg, and gator tacos—because Florida.
B-Side at 1-800-Lucky
What is it? The founders of Itamae at St. Roch take their talents to a new food hall, where they’re serving up inventive sushi with a Peruvian edge.
Why go? The James Beard-nominated, brother-and-sister duo of Valerie and Nando Chang pushes the boundaries of traditional sushi with dishes like the octopus tiradito (sliced paper thin and dotted with an addictive, briny olive mousse) and a shrimp tempura roll topped with torched salmon and a tangy special sauce. Trust us, you won’t miss the soy sauce.
The Egg Spot
What is it? This Downtown offshoot of Wynwood’s the Butcher Shop serves breakfast all day, plus brunch favorites like chicken and waffles and additional sausage-centric fare.
Why go? When the craving for eggs strikes midday, this place more than satisfies it, offering a variety of options that range from filling and healthy—like the quinoa power bowl—to hangover-curing and decadent like a bagel egg sandwich.
Time Out Market Miami
What is it? A massive dining-and-culture destination housing 18 of the city’s best chefs and restaurants under one roof in South Beach. From Wynwood’s Kush and Coyo Taco to Little Havana’s Miami Smokers and Azucar, the gang’s all here.
Why go? Our editors curated the joint, so you know it’s quality.
Amare
What is it? This upscale restaurant in the South of Fifth neighborhood serves Southern Italian fare that everyone will surely recognize but few can afford.
Why go? Prices are high but so are the ceilings at this spacious, indoor/outdoor restaurant. Take a seat on the courtyard, order up a glass of crisp prosecco and enjoy the scenery while tucking into a scrumptious bowl of pasta.
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?
Sala’o Cuban Bar and Pescadería
What is it? This retro-style, seafood-driven Cuban restaurant in Little Havana draws inspiration from Ernest Hemingway’s Cuba, featuring a cozy, 1940s-era dining room.
Why go? If those familiar with Cuban food won’t immediately recognize lots of what’s on the menu, which gives everyone plenty of room to try something new—from a Carribean version of a tirai’to and a tomato-based fish stew to sauteed clams done up with chorizo.
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