The 10 Restaurants That Defined Miami Dining in 2022

Looking for Michelin-caliber creativity in the most unassuming place possible? South Beach’s Time Out Market features a dynamic young Spanish chef by the name of Aitor Garate Berasaluz. His résumé is cosmopolitan. His food hall stand, Lur, offers creative Basque cuisine crafted with fresh ingredients and refined simplicity in a curated tasting menu format. The food booth also offers more traditional Spanish tapas, like pan con tomate, patatas bravas, grilled octopus and a Basque Cheesecake. From the small plates to the Spanish wines, we felt like we were taking a tour of northern España while sitting at a casual counter in South Beach. Simultaneously laid back yet exceptional, Lur is one of our favorite dining surprises of the year.

An equally admirable pandemic success story was Rosie’s, born out of necessity when owners Jamilla and Akino West had to temporarily close their bed & breakfast in Overtown in 2020. The chef-driven Southern brunch spot quickly won over locals and out-of-towners alike (and even a grant from Beyoncé’s Beygood Foundation in support of Black-owned businesses affected by COVID). Rosie’s has since moved locations twice, most recently landing in a breezy, tree-canopied “backyard” in Little River while they build out their permanent space next door. Now at Rosie’s: The Backyard, there are new local flavors on their all-day brunch menu, craft cocktails, plenty of shaded seating, and most importantly, you can snag a table on Resy instead of enduring the long waits you had to before. Looking ahead, we’ll be first in line when they open their indoor dining room in the adjacent historic house as well.

The story of Chef Phillip Frankland Lee is a resilient one – spontaneously opening new Sushi By Scratch locations in Austin to help his staff earn a living when his California restaurants weren’t allowed to operate. His omakase sushi concept was so popular that comedian and podcaster Joe Rogan endorsed it as the best sushi he’s ever had, so when this buzzworthy spot came to Miami, it was bound to get the town’s attention. Situated in a historic home known as The Carriage House, Sushi By Scratch is a standout addition to the dining renaissance happening in Coconut Grove. With 17 courses and 10 seats, reservations are hard to come by – but worth the hype and worthy of our top choices of the year.

Call 786-254-1204 for reservations.

Above all else, 2022 may just be remembered as the year that Miami officially became a pizza town. Atop the list, look no further than Old Greg’s. You may remember the buzz surrounding this sourdough pizza phenomenon early in the pandemic, when their pop-up in Brad Kilgore’s old restaurant space took local foodies by storm. Now they’ve got a permanent spot in the Design District, and their square pies have quickly made the top of our list of great Miami pizza. It’s no surprise Old Greg’s has earned a pizza our hearts this year.

Feel that sea breeze? Hear those seagulls? Take a deep breath of that fresh Biscayne Bay air as you sit back and enjoy Bayshore Club. This place is all about the ambiance on a historic piece of waterfront in Coconut Grove that was once a naval air station and Pan American Airway’s base for flying boats. This sprawling open-air restaurant and bar features an approachable selection of coastal menu items, a wraparound outdoor bar, and only-in-Miami views of the sailboats bobbing on the bay. We liked the island conch fritters, the “Yankee Style” Lobster Roll, and the local fish tacos. 

Call 305-209-1200 to make reservations.

Coconut Grove’s Main Highway is home to Krüs Kitchen, an unpretentious, ingredient-first masterclass in flavor pairing and delicious experimentation. Situated on the second floor under a skylight, gentle sunshine fills the room with a bright daylight that is sure to raise your spirits. Krüs’ emphasis on natural wines is a lovely pairing, and their market lets you grab your favorite bottles for the road. Downstairs, its sister restaurant is a newly-Michelin-awarded Mexican concept known as Los Félix, but it’s the simplicity of Krüs Kitchen that gets our nod as one of our favorites this year.

Chef Michael Bolen is a Californian at heart and his creative-yet-simple menu features some of the most flavorful seasonal plates we tried this year. Taking over the old Eating House location, Bolen breathes new life into Ponce De Leon Boulevard with Lion & The Rambler’s West Coast sentiment – showcasing products from the best farmers, fishermen and purveyors with an evolving menu of small plates. Still, some of the best dishes we had there featured ingredients that came right out of Bolen’s scratch kitchen, like the focaccia bread with scratchmade flour and flavored butters topped off with finishing salts extracted from Miami’s waters. Bolen gets menu inspiration from his own food memories, and it was the commitment to his craft, along with the Lion & The Rambler team’s unmatched service, that left a mark on our own memory this year.

The influence of New York on South Florida is obvious – and for the three founding partners of Paradis, it was their time in New York that inspired them to bring something novel to Miami. Paradis isn’t a coffee shop, or a bakery, or a bookstore, or a wine bar – it’s all of those brought together in a way that feels like something entirely new. Paradis would be our pick if you need a quiet spot to work, think, converse, and feel inspired over a flatbread. Our suggestion is to try Paradis when you’re in a simple “bread and butter and a bottle of wine” kind of mood. Located on a middle-of-nowhere strip in North Miami, Paradis wins uniqueness points, earning it a spot as not only one of our favorites of 2022 but also Esquire’s, which named Paradis one of the best bars in America. 

Walk-ins only. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

Legendary local chef Timon Balloo, originally of Sugarcane and Balloo fame, has done it again. This time, he’s at the helm of The Katherine in Fort Lauderdale alongside his wife Marissa, with a restaurant deemed an “ode to Broward.” Considered a love story in restaurant form, The Katherine (which is Marissa’s middle name) represents a homecoming to the Balloo family’s roots in Broward County, as well as an homage to their heritage and the places they’ve lived, worked, and traveled, from San Francisco to Belgium. Timon’s parents are from Trinidad with Chinese, Black, Arawak, and Indian heritage, and Marissa is the daughter of a Thai chef –– so as you can imagine, The Katherine’s menu is a true cultural fusion of cuisines, with comforting dishes like clam chowder fries, jerk grilled chicken wings, and Florida snapper curry.

When the New York Times named Zitz Sum one of its Top 50 restaurants in the country, most people probably wouldn’t have expected it was hidden in a mundane office building. It may be a mission to find this spot, but it’s worth it when you do. In a crowded restaurant scene, we’ve got Zitz Sum at the top of the list with its unique brand of refined, exotic and incredibly executed Asian-inspired plates. Whether it’s the Pork Potstickers, the Brisket Bao Buns or the Hong Kong French Toast, we’d put the small bites we had at Zitz Sum up against anyone’s. 

Call 786-409-6920 for reservations.