Miami Beach’s Ocean Drive in sunlight on February 2, 2020. Photo Credit: baileyc1/Shutterstock.com
If you are heading to South Florida soon, you may want to stop and enjoy all the delicious food and sweets that are offered in Miami. From local bistros to fine dining restaurants Miami has it all. The following polite suggestions might be on the (*warning*) pricey side, but believe us, it is worth it.
Stay tuned for the 5 best (and even exclusive) restaurants in Miami, Florida, USA.
KOMODO
In the heart of Brickell there is a nice lounge restaurant known to many locals and tourists as KOMODO, one of Miami’s best restaurants. At this beautiful place, diners find fine dining and Southeast Asian cuisine with a South Floridian twist. KOMODO is a three-story eatery with dining inside or outside and a nightlife experience that comes to life. The menu features signature dishes such as the Peking Duck, Tuna & Toro Roll and Lobster Dynamite.
The restaurant seats up to 300 people and has a lounge with a full bar. KOMODO offers a multi-level dining experience and a “birds nests” seating option, where diners can experience a delightful treehouse feel. KOMODO is the brain-child of Miami Beach’s LIV and STORY nightclub owner, David Grutman.
The trendy, hip hotspot also offers a space full of modern art by renowned artists such as Mari Kim and Hebru Bantley. Grutman also offers his patrons a special weekend programming where talented musicians and celebrities perform. Big-time headliners and up-and-coming DJs also drive KOMODO Lounge’s weekend programming.
KOMODO is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner and features a nightly happy hour. Visit KOMODO Miami’s website for the lunch and dinner menus (and/or for more information in general).
The River Oyster Bar
If you’re a seafood lover, hit up The River Seafood & Oyster Bar downtown. It’s been open since 2003 and is owned and operated by Chef David Bracha. The place has a local bistro vibe to it and boasts the freshest seafood platters this side of the Miami River. According to The River’s website, oysters are “flown in from all over the United States directly from the farm where they were raised in pristine waters, tagged with the harvest area and date to ensure the highest quality and safety.” The oyster selection changes but usually includes eight to ten types.
Raw bar selections include Peruvian ceviche with sea bass, sweet potato, choclos, red onions, lime juice, and cilantro, Caicos conch salad, a small dice of shellfish soaked in sour orange juice, perked with red peppers, and barely scorched by Scotch bonnet peppers, snapper tartare minced to a near-purée, lightly touched with yuzu, and crowned with wasabi tobiko to name a few.
Prices range from $22 to $30 for the à la carte fish, plus $4 to $9 if you choose a side such as Brussels sprouts, roasted broccoli, rosemary French fries, mac ‘n’ cheese, or fried crab brown rice. Non-seafood entrées available are meat loaf, skirt steak, duck three ways, and risotto with truffles. For dessert you have the Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake, a pie of warm, fresh cherries in light syrup atop a flavorful butter-based crust with vanilla ice cream. For more delicious desserts go visit the River’s website.
Joe’s Stone Crab
Joe’s Stone Crab is practically a landmark location in Miami Beach. The wait to get in is long and legendary. The wait can take hours and year after year people still come to try the food at Joe’s Stone Crab (Don’t worry if you don’t want to or can’t wait too long; they have a convenient take-out area in the back where you can sit at a patio table and enjoy wine from the bar.) The food is reasonably (sort of) priced but the food is delicious. The restaurant serves the best seafood in the city and is only open October-May every year. To find out more, visit Joe’s Stone Crab’s website.
Chef Adrianne’s
Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant and Wine Bar is a local eatery that serves American-style food and also has a full wine bar. Local Cuban-American girl Chef Adrianne Calvo is the owner and operator of Chef Adrianne’s and several other restaurants she is opening here in Miami. Chef Adrianne’s sits quietly and quaintly in a strip mall in the Kendall area of Miami. It has been a favorite place to dine for locals since 2007. Read about Adrianne Calvo’s journey to becoming one of Miami’s best chefs and about the restaurant itself on the Chef Adrianne’s website.
Fun fact: Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant & Wine Bar is the first (and currently the only) restaurant in Miami to offer Dark Dining, an unusual experience which encourages customers to test their senses and get a unique dining experience by having their meal blindfolded and in the dark or a dimly-lit room. Watch a video about Dark Dining here.
The Forge
And last but not least, what is the most expensive and exclusive restaurant in Miami? Drum roll, please…The Forge Steakhouse, located at 432 Forty-First Street in Miami Beach. It is currently closed for renovations and will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year (2020) The Forge’s website assures customers they will re-open in the fall. Owned and operated by entrepreneur and Make-A-Wish Foundation Chairman Shareef Malnik, The Forge offers different types of food options. They offer Florida Stone Crab Claws and Caviar, Jamaican Jerk Bacon with Tropical Salsa and General Tso’s Octopus just to name a few of the many dishes available at the restaurant. Have a look-see at The Forge’s website and maybe make a reservation for yourself and your family!
We hope no matter where you choose to wine and dine, the experience will be memorable (and not too pricey!)
Melissa’s career in writing started more than 20 years ago. Today, she lives in South Florida with her husband and two boys.
