The September Hit List: Le Bilboquet, Freehold Miami, Mamey, and More

Stroll down swanky Worth Avenue to find the unassuming corridor that leads to this French bistro. As it opens to a lush courtyard peppered with umbrellas, the doors swing open and you’re greeted with the chic bar before slipping into a posh banquette. Traditional French dishes like beef tartare and steak frites share the menu with a lavish raw bar, creamy burrata, and sautéed calamari. Pro tip: wait to hear the specials before making your final menu selection.

Whether you’re looking for a lively happy hour scene or intimate dinner, you’ll find it at this Miami staple. Plus throughout this month you can take advantage of the $42 Wynwood Appreciation Menu (known as WAM!), a three-course prix fixe meal that includes its most popular dishes, such as Japanese eggplant with miso mustard, and arroz con pollo. 

At this restaurant, located down a quiet alley off buzzy Lincoln Road, things aren’t exactly what they seem. Once you find it, you step inside and as your eyes start to adjust to the dim lighting they’re quickly drawn to the central bar that’s spotlighted with an impressive skylight, flooding it with natural light. After sunset, the restaurant’s sultry vibes shine bright and are complemented by the Nikkei cuisine that can be enjoyed as part of a prix fixe menu or as a la carte shareable plates.

Call 305-690-0743 for reservations.

What started out as a delivery service that launched at the height of the pandemic last year has now opened its own brick and mortar along with a market that sells locally sourced goods and seasonal wines. Lunch service offers salads, bowls, and sandwiches. For dinner, chef Sebastian Vargas lets his imagination run free with housemade pastas and a plethora of seasonal ingredients. 

For some of the best fried chicken you’ll have in town, come to this classic corner restaurant. Farm fresh ingredients create Southern dishes that will have you planning a return trip instantly. Start with an order of the fried green tomato BLT, deviled eggs, and smoked brisket biscuits before diving into the perfectly crunchy fried chicken and rich, gooey grits. Pro tip: brunch here is a memorable experience, trust us.

Call 305-538-5220 for reservations.

On a busy Miami street, it would be easy to overlook this bar and restaurant but once you find it you’ll be rewarded with vibrant art, an expansive outdoor courtyard and lively bar scene. Order a classic cocktail and pair it with one of the famous pizza pies. 

This quaint cottage is home to a family-run café that’s serving up exceptional Israeli dishes like hummus, fire-roasted onion tahini, falafels, Jerusalem bagels, pita sandwiches, grilled lamb chops, and so much more. Opened for lunch, dinner, and brunch service, there are plenty of opportunities to stop in for a quick snack or a long, relaxing meal in its verdant courtyard. Read more about the people, place, and menu here. 

Chef Niven Patel has created an oasis with lush gardens, and a menu incorporating the bright flavors and ingredients that he grows in his private Homestead farm. After a meal spiked with island flavors like Jamaican short rib empanadas, conch fritters, and peri peri chicken, make sure to head up to the rooftop bar, Mamey on 3rd, for a nightcap. And since it is located just steps away from the University of Miami, students and staff can take advantage of its Hurry Canes express two-course lunch for a very reasonable $25.

Call 305.266.2639 for reservations.

Feel the racing pulse of Miami Beach as you survey it from above at this rooftop restaurant. A seamless blend of Mediterranean and Asian cuisine, the menu boasts items like shareable tapas alongside entrées from the robata grill and an omakase experience.

Call 786-706-0744 for reservations.

This kosher restaurant has exploded onto the scene with its variety of dishes from veal tacos and chicken and waffles to 28-day dry aged steaks, lamb, and sandwiches. The tower crunchy hot and spicy sandwich is a sight to behold, stacking a crispy fried chicken breast with pickles and a pile of sweet ‘n spicy Asian slaw between two buns.