Not all New York-to-Miami migrations make sense, but famed Italian restaurant Rao’s is one of the few whose southern expansion actually does. Now open at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel, the Miami iteration of the impossible-to-get-into Harlem icon has, thankfully, shed some of its NYC exclusivity. Instead of 10 tables, Rao’s Miami Beach offers a sprawling 160-seat dining room—complete with big, cushy booths you’ll want to sink into after loading up on classic Italian comfort food.
Hearty red sauce is the name of the game here: think traditional veal and chicken parm the size of your head, oversized meatballs and heaping bowls of pasta—from lobster fra diavolo to penne vodka and rigatoni bolognese. For something lighter, there’s linguini and clams, Uncle Vincent’s famous lemon chicken (with that iconic lemon sauce), and red snapper with lemon and fennel that still tastes homey, just without the heft.
And if you’re ever feeling nostalgic for the original, Rao’s Miami Beach has a private dining room that’s nearly an exact replica of Harlem’s—celebrity photos, intimate ambience and all. The difference? This one is infinitely easier to book.