The Resy Hit List: Where In Miami You’ll Want to Eat in Sept. 2024
There’s no question we hear more often: Where should I go eat? And while we at Resy know it’s an honor to be the friend who everyone asks for restaurant advice, we also know it’s a complicated task. That’s where the Resy Hit List comes in.
We’ve designed it to be your essential resource for dining in and around Miami: a monthly-updated (and expanded!) guide to the restaurants that you won’t want to miss — tonight or any night.
Four Things In Miami Not to Miss This Month
- Now Open: One of the world’s top chefs has debuted what’s sure to become one of Miami’s top restaurants. (Roof-top, that is). Capping off the building that’s home to Julia & Henry’s food hall, Torno Subito is Massimo Bottura’s retro Italian playground. The menu transports guests all over Italy but spotlights two key ingredients from Bottura’s hometown, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and balsamic vinegar. Plus, the cocktails are courtesy of Dante, itself a world-class contender on the bar front, so expect a clever Miami spin on Italian classics, like the Bellini Mojito and Passionfruit Aperol Spritz. And find more new openings in New on Resy.
- The Big Cheese: Meet fellow cheese-lovers at La Bibliothèque’s Melt & Mingle Fondue Night — or a fondue rendezvous, as the clever folks at Chèvre Miami call it. For $140, you’ll enjoy cheese and meat fondue with wine pairings. Heads up: The intimate wine library is temperature-controlled (i.e. cold) to preserve the wines, so bring a sweater. The series takes place select Wednesdays in September. And keep up with more special happenings on the Resy Events page.
- Sunday Supper: Get your red sauce on with Rao’s Miami Beach’s new Sunday Gravy menu. Every Sunday through the end of September, the Southern Neapolitan restaurant is inviting guests to take part in this Sunday tradition with slow-braised selections like beef braciole, short rib, meatballs, and hot & sweet sausage, in addition to the regular dinner menu. For $160 per couple, you get a heaping helping of all these hearty simmered meats, along with rigatoni in marinara gravy and house salad.
- Latin American Feast: The iconic Mayfair Grill has transformed into a new concept now helmed by Giorgio Rapicavoli, the chef behind Eating House and Luca Osteria. Southwestern-themed no longer, the menu still features wood-fired cuisine cooked over an open-flame grill, but Rapicavoli’s creations lean more Latin. Drawing inspiration from Miami’s culinary scene and his own Argentinian heritage (a country known for its asados, or barbecues), highlights include grilled filet mignon with miso au poivre and wood-grilled dates with whipped sheep’s milk cheese and hazelnuts. Book here.
New to the Hit List (Sept. 2024)
Apocalypse BBQ, Ariete, Michael’s Genuine, The Surf Club Restaurant.
1. Boia De Buena Vista
Photo courtesy of Boia De
Look for the neon pink exclamation mark hovering as a marquee over an unassuming strip mall in Little Haiti, and you’ve found one of Miami’s hardest-to-book restaurants. Chef duo Alex Meyer and Luciana Giangrandi offer a modern take on Italian plates so good that reservations sell out the day they go live. Which should come as no surprise when you consider their culinary training in kitchens ranging from Scarpetta and Carbone to Eleven Madison Park. It’s an intimate and adorable space, where you’re as likely to be seated at the counter as you are at a table. Your servers will keep it fun and friendly while you partake in some of the best pasta and Italian-ish plates in town.
Photo courtesy of Boia De
2. Macchialina Taverna Rustica Miami Beach
No matter how many new Italian restaurants come to town, for a satisfying bowl of housemade pasta, we’d choose Macchialina every time. This family-owned and -operated modern trattoria — now, as noted, freshly off a new expansion — eschews the glitz and glam of South Beach dining with a focus on Italian fare inspired by chef Mike Pirolo’s time cooking in Italy and New York. Equally impressive is the wine program, with its emphasis on natural-leaning Italian wines, curated by beverage director (and Mike’s sister) Jacqueline Pirolo. If it’s your first time, choose the chef’s tasting menu as a tour of the greatest hits.
3. Sanguich Little Havana, Little Haiti, and Coral Gables
You can’t talk about Miami cuisine without mentioning the Cuban sandwich, and for the best, you head here. This Calle Ocho walk-up counter has perfected the Cubano. The bread is housemade and brushed with lard before being pressed, the lechon (pork) is marinated in garlic and spices for 24 hours, and the sweet ham is brined for a week. There are only a few sandwiches, snacks and shakes on the menu, but that’s because it’s what they do best. Order a batido and Cuban coffee while you’re there because when in Little Havana … or, if you want to avoid the legendarily long lines, there’s also a takeout-only ventanita in Little Haiti and a new larger location with plenty of seating at The Plaza in Coral Gables.
Find more info here.
4. Itamae AO Midtown
Itamae AO is the more intimate and interactive iteration of the original Itamae, which had become one of Miami’s best restaurants in its five-year run spanning from food hall stand to full-service restaurant. The new version run by chef and owner Nando Chang is a Nikkei-style omakase counter with only 10 seats, located right next to sister restaurant Maty’s (run by Nando’s sister Valerie Chang). Melding Japanese techniques with Peruvian influences, the eight-course omakase menu features plenty of seafood in the form of dry-aged fish, sashimi, and nigiri, alongside Peruvian bites like anticuchos (skewers) and aguadito (soup).
5. Dirty French Steakhouse Brickell
Dirty French is the steakhouse antithesis of the very stiff-and-standard Morton’s that used to occupy the same space. Over-the-top in the best possible way, the restaurant’s unapologetic decor makes you feel like you’re on a 1980s movie set, with the soundtrack to match. Yes, this is where you’re coming for a night out when you want to throw it back to the glam of the ‘80s in Miami. Gather the crew to indulge in a shareable menu of prime-aged steaks, French-influenced plates like chicken and crepes, and a must-order mushroom millefeuille of thin-sliced king trumpet mushrooms. The cocktails are a must too, so stop by the bar for an Instagrammable drink.
6. Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink Miami Design District
Michael’s Genuine is considered the trailblazer of seasonal cuisine in Miami, and it’s not overreaching to say that the Design District — and frankly, our city’s culinary scene — wouldn’t have taken off without this restaurant. After more than 15 years, chef Michael Schwartz’s flagship remains a gem. In the midst of the city’s most expensive stores, it’s a comfortable respite that feels as upscale or as casual as you want it to be. The American-style menu offers something for everyone — from raw bar plates to wood oven-fired dishes — and so does the restaurant space, with its open-kitchen dining room, cozy outdoor courtyard, and a bar that’s a happy hour hot spot.
7. Caracas Bakery Doral and MiMo
Venezuelan-French inspired baked goods might not sound like anything you’ve seen before, but trust us when we tell you this bakery is worth going out of your way for. Run by the father and son team of Manuel and Jesús Brazón, at Caracas Bakery, you’ll find expertly crafted croissants, sourdough and baguettes, alongside Venezuelan specialties like golfeados, cachitos, pan de jamón and pan de queso. Visit the MiMo location if you’re looking for a full-on cafe experience (i.e. sandwiches, toasts and actual seating) or Doral if you’re in the area, on-the-go, and speak at least enough Spanish to be able to order some of the best breads you’ve had in a long time. If you leave Caracas Bakery without trying a traditional cachito (a soft, golden ham and cheese-stuffed bread), you’ve done it wrong.
Find more info here.
8. Zak the Baker Wynwood
Zak the Baker has become synonymous with sourdough by pioneering Miami’s artisan bread revolution and giving rise to (no pun intended) new bakery businesses helmed by Zak Stern’s own protégés. At this iconic kosher bakery and café in the heart of Wynwood, the façade is splashed with blocks of bright colors, fitting of its location in the arts district. Drop in anytime for a loaf of naturally leavened bread and handmade pastries, or sit down for breakfast or lunch at the full-service cafe to order exceptional sandwiches, soups, and salads.
9. Walrus Rodeo Buena Vista
The rowdier little sister of Boia De, Walrus Rodeo might be more accessible but offers an equally fun and frankly delicious time when you can’t get a table around the corner. This quirky spot is located in the same nondescript Little Haiti strip mall with a similarly eclectic, Italian-influenced menu, but it’s truly its own concept. The focus is on wood-fired fare, thanks to the restaurant’s imported Italian pizza, oven used to cook everything from lamb ragu lasagna and charbroiled oysters to, well, pizzas. While the cuisine might not be something you can easily categorize, the Rodeo team makes food feel new and exciting, and the service is our favorite kind of skillful-yet-unpretentious.
10. Tâm Tâm Downtown Miami
Photo courtesy of Tâm Tâm
Bonded by their love of Vietnamese food and culture, the husband-and-husband team of chef Tam Pham and GM and sommelier Harrison Ramhofer set out to showcase the vibrancy of Vietnamese cuisine beyond the standard pho and bánh mì. The result is a loud and lively Viet drinking food spot inspired by the quán nhậu of Saigon — nothing like other restaurants you’ll find in Miami. At these taverns, food is mainly meant to facilitate the drinking — think a Vietnamese take on an izakaya — and here that amounts to shareable plates like crispy fish sauce chicken wings, tamarind-glazed pork ribs, and betel leaf-wrapped lamb. You’ll wash them back with warm-weather wines or frozen mai tais and spiked Viet iced coffee for a guaranteed good time … especially if you find the karaoke machine in the bathroom.
Photo courtesy of Tâm Tâm
11. Ariete Coconut Grove
Ariete is what happens when Miami flavors meet classic French techniques in a Michelin tasting menu format. Chef Michael Beltran has grown his ever-expanding restaurant empire here in Miami, but his firstborn, Ariete, remains his best. Inspired by the chef’s Cuban-American heritage and Miami roots, you’ll find signature dishes like foie gras with plantain pavé and flan with candy cap mushrooms. Choose from the Versos Clasicos tasting menu for a selection of Ariete’s greatest hits or Versos Modernos for the latest twists, or just order a few menu items a la carte if you’re looking to keep it simple.
Call 786-615-3747 for reservations.
12. Miami Slice Downtown Miami
At Miami Slice, there are only five varieties of New York-style pizza, but that’s when you know it’s going to be good. Artisan flavors like the Pepperoni Proper with hot honey and the Salsera with red sauce, vodka sauce, and a swirl of pesto are sold by the slice or the full-size 20” pie. Getting your hands on a slice isn’t without its challenges, though. This walk-in only slice bar is only open in the evenings from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. (closed on Tuesdays), and whether you’re dining in or taking out, expect to wait.
Find more info here.
13. Los Félix Miami Coconut Grove
With a menu of housemade tortillas, totopos, and tamales, Los Félix honors Mesoamerican tradition by spotlighting one of the most essential ingredients in indigenous cooking: heirloom corn. In their open kitchen, maize is ground daily using their in-house molino — or corn mill grinder — and then undergoes a process called nixtamalization to turn it into fresh masa. Be sure your order here includes plenty of maiz, whether that’s chilaquiles at brunch or a lobster arepa at dinner. Los Félix also brings all the vibes, with a DJ spinning vinyl records and a natural wine selection to pair with your plates.
14. Maty’s Midtown
The team behind Itamae — sister Val Chang, brother Nando and father Fernando (aka the Chang Gang) — have become one the most loved and lauded culinary families in Miami. Maty’s is Val’s first solo act, an expansion of her family’s culinary traditions with deeply comforting, yet finessed Peruvian plates that are rooted in her grandmother’s recipes. You can certainly expect some of the expertly executed Nikkei-style ceviches and tiraditos that brought Itamae acclaim, but the hot plates here are where Maty’s truly shines. No matter which entree you choose, order the tortitas (corn fritters) and the choclo (Peruvian sweet corn) in huancaína sauce, which tastes like an appealingly smoky mac ‘n’ cheese.
15. The Surf Club Restaurant Surfside
Amid a flurry of flashy and expensive restaurants in Miami, The Surf Club is the ultimate special occasion spot, where you go to treat yourself to an unforgettable meal that feels like you’re dining in a bygone era. That’s because when chef Thomas Keller takes on fine dining at a historic institution like the Surf Club — an iconic South Florida social club that opened in the 1930s — you get old-school cuisine that oozes glamor. Think classics like tableside Caesar, beef Wellington and lobster thermidor, with the top-notch service to match. It’s exactly what you would expect from a Thomas Keller restaurant that was made for Miami.
16. Luca Osteria Coral Gables
While Giorgio Rapicavoli might be known for his outlandish flavor combinations at Eating House, the chef honors his Italian heritage with his take on the classics at Luca Osteria. Sure, you’ll find us obsessing over the creativity of an antipasti dish like ‘nduja-style tomato spread, but Rapicavoli’s skill shines through in the simplicity of his housemade pastas. From pasta al limone to cacio e pepe, each plate is focused on only a few ingredients (bring some friends to share them with so you can try several!). To balance out that simplicity, know you can’t leave without ordering the crispy fried potato balls (patate fritte) smothered in silky Parmigiano fonduta. It’s full of rich black truffle flavor that’s as indulgent as it gets and a must-order every time.
17. Mandolin Aegean Bistro Miami Design District
Mandolin’s signature blue doors, whitewashed decor, and shaded outdoor tables transport diners to the Aegean coast. But it’s the combination of fresh ingredients and relaxed atmosphere that makes Mandolin a must-visit (if you can get a table). Known as the ultimate Miami outdoor dining spot thanks to its charming garden patio, Mandolin opened 15 years ago, serving some of the best Greek and Turkish plates in town. That not-so-well-kept-secret has turned it into one of the hardest reservations in town, even for locals. If you snag a Resy, order their famous manti dumplings and a handful of mezzes (you can’t go wrong with the Greek or Turkish samplers). Enjoy it with rosé, sangria, or a spritz, and you’ll know you’re doing Miami right.
18. Apocalypse BBQ Kendall
Miami’s barbecue scene has exploded in the last few years, and Apocalypse BBQ is arguably the best in town (so named, because it started as a pop-up in the middle of the pandemic). This is Miami-style barbecue, so you’ll find coffee-rubbed ribs and chicken wings, a wild boar burger with brisket bacon, and delicious sweet skull-shaped cornbread (remember, it started during what felt like the end times). A few things to know before you visit: Apocalypse doesn’t take reservations so be prepared to wait a while (lines often form before they even open, but hey, they’ll give you free beer to pass the time) and some of their smoked meats sometimes run out, so seriously, come early.
Find more info here.
19. Edan Bistro North Miami
Spain’s Basque country is known for being home to some of the best restaurants in the world, including the ones that the young chef behind Edan Bistro was trained at. At his first full-service restaurant, chef/owner Aitor Garate Berasaluze delivers exceptionally executed, ingredient-forward Basque dishes at surprisingly fair prices – a rarity in Miami (please don’t tell them). In fact, Edan Bistro at first appears quite unassuming, but its range spans from simple (European-style brunch plates) to finessed (an eight-course tasting experience available upon request every night). The talented chef is also trained as a sommelier and pastry chef, so trust him on his Spanish wine pairing recommendations and don’t miss out on a slice of his creamy Basque cheesecake, a contender for best in the city.
Find more info here.
20. L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Design District
Florida’s only reigning two-Michelin star restaurant for three years now, L’Atelier serves a modern French-inspired tasting menu, crafted with the late legendary Joël Robuchon’s culinary philosophy of elevating simple dishes with extraordinary ingredients and technique. (Fun fact: it’s also the only two-star Joël Robuchon location in the U.S.) The restaurant is designed with 34 counter seats so that every guest faces the open kitchen. Opt for the eight-course Evolution Menu, or a seasonal four-course for a more abbreviated experience. For those looking for a lighter indulgence, there are 3- and 4-course lunch menus available Friday and Saturday and à la carte offerings Sunday through Thursday.
