The best new restaurants in Miami

Chef Niven Patel struck gold with his Kendall restaurant last spring and now he’s duplicating its success with a second outpost in the Miami DesigDistrictct. Aside from a new zip code and a smaller dining room, the new restaurant is nearly identical to the original, down to the wall of pickled jars and the modern Indian fare, most of which is made using locally sourced ingredients (Patel grows about 20 percent of the produce and herbs on his farm in Homestead). Ghee offers a generous tasting menu ($55 for three courses), though if going the a-la-carte route, make sure to order the cheddar naan (warning: it’s spicy!), smoked lamb neck (it takes about five days to make, says Patel) and the green millet, which is like polenta and happens to be the chef’s favorite. “We get the millet from a small Indian village where my ancestors are from; we support the whole village on this one dish because we buy out everything they can produce,” says Patel.

Louder than the fanfare surrounding Jeremy Ford’s new restaurant was the collective sigh of relief reverberating through the city’s foodie circles—the Top Chef-winning toque who’d left his post at Matador Room months prior was behind the line once more. Stubborn Seed is Ford’s first solo restaurant (a second one with Grove Bay Hospitality Group is in the works), and he’s every bit the fixated parent fussing over his new baby—in a good way. The eight-course tasting menu is sign of a chef who’s poured over every detail of the culinary experience: small, meticulously plated dishes that surprise (think a Spanish-inspired smoked foie gras paired with quince paste), delight (a warm celery root purée with a crackling maitake mushroom explodes with flavor) and amuse (foam, like the green curry froth beneath Seed’s Maine lobster claws, really makes everything taste better). Pastry chef Dallas Wynne’s snickerdoodle cookies make for a satisfying finish to any meal.

This new Sunset Harbour restaurant doesn’t really take to labels. Is it Peruvian? Is it American? Don’t bother searching for answers—the combination of cuisines, techniques and inspirations represented on the pared-down menu were designed to fall under the “all of the above” category. “You see a mix of people in this city and I want to be reflective of that,” says executive chef Michael Mayta, explaining his approach. So what are Miamians eating? Pillowy gnocchi, like the seasonal pumpkin with fresh sage that’s currently on the menu, creamy burrata over a delicate beet jelly and mushrooms cooked saltado-style with wispy potatoes. One of Lutum’s most popular dishes is chef Mayta’s burger of the week. The original creations with punny names (think “Aruguela the berdayes,” with goat cheese, arugula and poached beets) are inspired by the cartoon show Bob’s Burger.

Few restaurants can shutter and return with as much fanfare as the new BLT Steak inside the renovated Berkeley Shore Hotel. After closing its original location inside the Betsy in May 2016, the much-loved steakhouse reappeared with a new chef, an updated menu and a fresh cocktail program, featuring seasonally inspired drinks. For the adventurous eater, chef de cuisine Carlos Torres has introduced starters such as uni toast, a small but tasty bite that explodes with umami flavor; steak tartare tacos with black garlic; and foie gras empanadas, which are stuffed with fresh fig jam and served over lightly dressed greens. Steakhouse purists can rest assured—BLT’s selection of USDA prime cuts, and its famous gruyere popovers, have also made comeback. 

While most folks will never get out to one of those fabled wood-stilt houses off Biscayne Bay, they now can savor a fresh catch straight from those waters at Stiltsville. Inspired by chef and co-owner Jeff McInnis’s childhood spent fishing in the panhandle and Florida’s abundant marine life, the Sunset Harbour restaurant specializes in locally sourced seafood with a modern twist. Here, he and partner/chef Janine Booth turn basic fare into something exciting—think smoked oysters, pimento cheese croquettes and spoonable corn bread piled with fresh lobster. Sides and small starters—such as the scallops with plantain chips, cobia ceviche with sour orange and mofongo—introduce some Latin flair to the otherwise American menu.

Crate Plant-Based Kitchen & Bar is where you'll go blow off some steam, binge on cheeseburgers (hold the cheese, please) and organic fries, knock back an herb tonic and huddle around velvet couches listening to music. The Brickell spot nails the trifecta of bar, lounge and restaurant with an all-vegetarian menu and a full bar that boasts organic tonics, cold-pressed juices and booze, of course. It has plenty of outdoor seating for a breezy lunch or laidback dinner as well as a huge indoor area with plush seating and dim lighting that stays open late.  

It was an unusual dining experience in China that inspired owner Jason Gordon to open Soul Tavern, a vegan and vegetarian restaurant with a Chinese elixir bar. He recalls walking into a restaurant, where he was greeted by a maître d', which happened to be a doctor. Rather than asking him the number of people in his party, the gentleman inquired about Gordon’s condition, wrote him a prescription and handed it to the chef. What came to his table was both a meal and a remedy. Now Gordon, a doctor himself, designed a menu in which every dish harmonizes with one of the five principles of Chinese medicine. Yes, even the pizza has some levelling benefit and it tastes good. Tacos, pastas and other standard fare is made with whole ingredients and are free of GMOs. Though the real health kick is found in any of the 32 elixirs available to sip solo, with a cold-pressed juice or as part of a cocktail—because alcohol has its own restorative properties. 

For pizza lovers, this pop-up of one of Brooklyn’s most famous pizza joints could very well be the apex of New York’s restaurant transplants. And while it’s only a small kiosk in Jungle Plaza, Roberta’s Miami has its benefits: The thin, wood-fired pies are just as good as what the Brooklyn pizzeria doles out daily, but you won’t have to wait hours in line to try them. Customers can choose from four signature pizzas, including the margherita and the famous original, as well as a selection of beer and sodas.

With all the Cuban restaurants and spate of touristy destinations, Little Havana needed a gastropub like Edukos. The neighborhood bar and restaurant is one of the few places in the area where locals can get a craft beer, a solid meal and, on occasion, catch a football game. “We brand ourselves as a tavern for the adventurous,” says owner John Guilarte, who’s crafted a menu that blends Venezuelan, Peruvian and American influences. You’ll find traditional tequeños alongside gator sliders (a nod to Guilarte’s alma mater Florida State University in Tallahassee, where it’s a popular dish) and arepas, which are handmade according to an old family recipe.

Israel’s popular hummusiya has found its way to Wynwood. Named after a street in Tel Aviv, Dizengoff features a menu that centers entirely on hummus. Order it topped with veggies, lamb merguez and a slew of other options, and enjoy it with toasted pita, pickles and Israeli salad. On Sundays, the focus shifts to shakshuka, the traditional Mediterranean baked egg dish American brunchers can’t seem to get enough of.