The best restaurants in Coconut Grove right now

Chef Michael Beltran’s experiments with Cuban food earned him a Michelin star for combining all sorts of flavor profiles and cooking methods to yield an innovative menu that’s exciting to navigate.

Order this: Those willing to try something entirely new will be rewarded, especially with the pressed duck that’s both a tableside show and one of the best dishes in Miami.

These folks take Mexican food seriously, so much so that they have their own grinder to create corn masa that’s then pressed into flaky, light and durable tortillas best used to contain heritage pork braised with chiles and oranges. Upstairs, you’ll find Krüs Kitchen, a chill, light-filled space with curated market shelves, natural wines and a breezy menu that changes with the seasons.

This dimly lit, 10-seat sushi counter feels like a tiny playhouse where actors are just about to take the stage. That's pretty much exactly what happens, as a trio of chefs and a mixologist work their magic via a multi-course sushi experience that’s more about experimentation than sticking to tradition. Maybe you won’t enjoy the slice of fish brushed with a sauce that tastes like Fruity Pebbles, and perhaps, like us, you’ll leave hungry enough to split a burger next door at Taurus. But courses like the just-seared A5 Wagyu or the decadent hunk of bone marrow atop sushi rice are testaments to why this is dinner theater worthy of the hefty admission price.

After the expat New Yorkers behind the Major Food Group opened Carbone and ZZ’s Club in Miami, they turned to Coconut Grove and dropped another lively brunch spot in a neighborhood that was already awash with brunch spots. This one, though, quickly rose to the top of the list of folks who somehow look fabulous first thing in the morning, and they’ve filled the cushy booths and leafy outdoor area to take photos of the Eiffel-tower-tall French toast.

Order this: Sadelle’s famous/infamous bagel tower. It arrives at the table with six bagels on a spear and a gleaming three-tiered tray that looks like it could be part of a royal tea service. 

This quaint neighborhood restaurant with a shabby exterior and a cozy dining room bursts with Italian charm. Mediterranean seafood is the focus of Sapore’s traditional menu but there’s plenty of cheese, fresh pasta and dessert to go around. Try the pasta served inside a wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, which makes for a fun tableside presentation.

This upscale diner pays homage to the dishes that define Miami, with Cuban roots that run deep, with Abuela favorites like lechón asado and camarones enchilados. They’re served alongside diner staples, including an excellent meatloaf and, for breakfast, an oozy egg sandwich with yuca fries. With an excellent cocktail list and a fun vibe, Chug’s makes for a good start to the day or a fine way to end it.

The folks who brought us Miami’s now-shuttered The Wharf upped their game a bit with this party-centric culinary spot in the Coconut Grove Marina. Here, the vibe is more upscale and the food vendors sport menus designed by some of the city’s best chefs—think Jeremy Ford making burgers and Janine Booth doing Aussie food. It’s a scene, in all the best ways.

Longtime South Beach favorite among vegetarians, Planta expanded into Coconut Grove with this Asian-themed version. Just like on South Beach, the space here has a stylish vibe and a happening bar, along with dishes that’ll help anyone forget about meat, like the ahi watermelon atop a dragon roll and bang bang broccoli that just might be your new addiction.

Meraki offers a menu of traditional Mediterranean fare and the kind of fresh seafood you’d expect at a spot on the Aegean. The decor is decidedly more upscale than your average Greek bistro, full of colorful tile, matching throw pillows and big windows with flowy curtains, making it all feel like an escape to Crete.

Level 6, appropriately named at six floors above Coconut Grove, boasts gorgeous views and a style worthy of your next profile pic setting. The concept is Spanish tapas along with a few larger plates, though the crowds are here mostly for sunsets and after-work drinks. (Don't be surprised to find a swarm three people deep around the bar and even spilling into the VIP section.) Prices here are steep, with cocktails starting at $20, but the views and happening scene will ease the hit to your bank account. 

James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Schwartz’s neighborhood pizza joint puts out gourmet-style wood oven pies in a laid-back, family-friendly environment. Harry’s meatballs with ricotta and polenta fries served with house-made ketchup will be the reason you don’t finish your pizza. Make a valiant effort and order them all, plus a spicy pepperoni to go.

Culinary crazy man/visionary Matt Kuscher typically fills his restaurants full of kitsch, including VHS tapes and things you haven’t seen since childhood. But here it’s all clean lines and bright light streaming in from the arched windows. The menu stayed decidedly more seafood-centric, though, like the grouper Reuben, Baja fish tacos and crab cakes in either traditional or vegan style.

With owner David Grutman behind this place, you might expect the flash and circumstance of his nightclubs and South Beach restaurants. Here, he went for a decidedly more neighborhood restaurant vibe, somewhat diner-like in its mid-century-modern aesthetic, The menu, though, stays more true to Grutman's flair, with steak tartare, a coconut lobster roll, and a branzino dotted with crispy capers.

With its unexpectedly modern decor—it’s a cross between banquet hall and velvet regal, with a heavy air of curry—and a constant flood of crowds, the buzzy Coconut Grove restaurant’s popularity goes beyond its ranking among local Indian cuisine. It may be one of the few, but it’s also one of the best. Bombay specializes in northern Indian fare, like Goan dishes, and kills in the chutney department.

This casual burger joint takes its food very seriously, sourcing locally grown ingredients for its fresh salads and sandwiches, and partnering with homegrown breweries and small-batch distributors for its thoughtful beer selection. LoKal’s selection of grass-fed beef burgers includes one between glazed doughnuts, another blended with chorizo and a not-even-slightly traditional frita smeared with guava jam.

Even with all the newcomers arriving to Coconut Grove, Green Street remains sidewalk dining central. Weather notwithstanding, it’s the Grove’s prime spot for people-watching, drinking Bloody Marys al fresco and tucking into an extra-large omelet after a run. An interesting cast of characters breaks bread here, from college students and families to bachelor parties and pet-toting locals.

Owned by the same folks behind Strada across the street, this Italian restaurant specializes in light antipasti and crispy, wood-fired pizzas. On the shortlist of appetizers, the tender meatballs with ricotta are not to be missed. Farinelli's outdoor courtyard fills up at night, while the bar is a prime spot for catching a game.

Everything about this bistro screams "France"—except for the warm service. The cozy room, the closely packed tables and the convivial buzz are all très Paree.

Order this: The home-made foie gras terrine and the onion soup are especially good.

A restaurant where toddlers are as happy as their parents to go out to dinner, Glass & Vine subs a kids’ menu for a playground, where children can explore a playground steps away from where the adults sip craft cocktails and snack on grilled fish and fresh salads. At brunch especially, nab a table in the courtyard and dig into sensational egg dishes with foams and truffle oil that pair delightfully well with the restaurant’s selection of boozy, fizzy drinks.

Meraki offers a menu of traditional Mediterranean fare and the kind of fresh seafood you’d expect at a spot on the Aegean. The decor is decidedly more upscale than your average Greek bistro, full of colorful tile, matching throw pillows and big windows with flowy curtains, making it all feel like an escape to Crete.

Fourth-generation Cipriani brothers Maggio and Ignazio follow in their family’s footsteps with this upscale Italian restaurant perched atop Coconut Grove’s modern boutique hotel, Mr C. In keeping with the luxurious waterfront space, the cuisine is rustic Italian with a modern twist. Expect to see lighter versions of traditional pasta dishes such as the spaghetti with sea urchin and the standout bucatini cacio e pepe, plus Italian staples like polenta and branzino.

Time Out tip: Whether you regularly drink them or not, there’s no leaving Bellini without trying the namesake cocktail, which Giuseppe Cipriani, founder of Harry’s Bar in Venice, Italy, invented in the late 1930s. 

Located next to a marina, this casual Grove hangout is a go-to for drinks and seafood. Thatch-roofed huts surround a stage from which reggae and calypso bands do their damnedest to persuade the diners and drinkers to dance.

Time Out tip: Those who believe young kids and alcohol don’t mix should avoid it on Friday afternoons—when the happy hour crowd (heavy with thirsty UM kids) are eagerly slurping up strong frozen drinks. But on weekends, feel free to bring the whole family. Order a basket of fried seafood and a pitcher of beer for yourself, and send the kids off to dance to the live music.