As we close out the year and scroll through thousands of photos, we realize we’ve eaten hundreds of meals at hundreds of restaurants, and there have been so many good meals. But we wanted to ask our chef community where they thought they had their best meals of the year. Right this way.
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon
Design District
“For a lovely date night, my wife and I try to make it to L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon once a year. It’s just so classic. The true star of the show, though, is their service team. Every time we go there, they make us feel like family. They do an incredible job. It’s so nice to just be able to sit down for a couple of hours, be taken care of, and forget about things for a while. It’s so hard to find that in Miami.”
— Michael Bolen, Chef/Owner at Lion & The Rambler
Shingo
Coral Gables
“One my top meals of 2023 was Shingo in Coral Gables. We visited a few weeks after their opening and despite being such a young restaurant, one could tell you were dealing with very experienced professionals. The thought and care that goes into every detail, from the menu to the plates, is evident. It’s difficult to get a reservation because of the small amount of seating, as it is an omakase-only place, but the weeks you spend dreaming about your next bite of nigiri from Shingo only makes the experience that much more magical. If only I had more special occasions to celebrate …”
— Luciana Giangrandi, Chef/Owner at Boia De and Walrus Rodeo
“My top restaurant meal of 2023 was the new opening of chef Shingo Akikuni. Shingo, a very intimate omakase experience in Coral Gables, definitely made the top of my list. Shingo, for me, represents the love for our craft, the passion to master a skill, and share with guests an intimate relationship between Japanese traditions, hospitality, design, and exquisite flavors.”
— Sebastián Vargas, Executive Chef/Co-Founder at Grass Fed Culture (Los Félix, Krüs Kitchen, and Zeyzey)
Tâm Tâm
Downtown Miami
“Tâm Tâm is where our top Miami restaurant meal took place this year. The contemporary-fun environment paired with a well-executed menu of Vietnamese dishes is an exciting and fresh addition to Miami’s food scene. From the wings and ‘lamb wrap situation‘ to the level of hospitality, Tâm Tâm is an innovative and interactive experience that simply feels good.”
— Jamila West, Chef/Owner at Rosie’s
Vice City Pizza
“I think that there are two that really stand out. My first has to be Vice City Pizza. [The other is L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon; see above] I have two daughters and we are all infatuated with pizza — we even make it at our restaurant on Thursday nights. The pizza there is what I love: grandma-style, thick, long-fermented, and has a ton of flavor. As a family, we just absolutely love what they are doing there. Also, don’t skip out on any of their other items — it’s all so good!”
— Michael Bolen, Chef/Owner at Lion & The Rambler
