Photo courtesy of Flora Plant Kitchen

GuidesMiami

How to Spend a Perfect 72 Hours Eating Your Way Through Miami

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Miami continues to level up its restaurant game. From Michelin stars to backyard pop-ups turned national darlings, the South Florida food scene is soaring — and showing no signs of coming down.

To maximize your best eating during a three-day Miami weekend, you need a plan. Think you can have happy hour cocktails in Kendall and make a 7 p.m. reservation in Aventura? Without a helicopter? Good luck.

So: You land Thursday night, you’re wheels up by Sunday afternoon, and you want to make every meal count. Here’s your 72-hour guide, fully refreshed for 2025, to eating like you live here.

 

Evan S. Benn is senior director of special projects and communications at The Philadelphia Inquirer and former food editor and restaurant critic of The Miami Herald. He wrote about the 10 moments that defined Miami dining in the past decade. Follow him on Instagram. Follow Resy too.

Thursday Drinks to Friday Breakfast

Photo courtesy of Tam Tam

Itamae AO Midtown

Itamae AO counter
The counter and dry-agers.
Photo by Michael Cedeño, courtesy of Itamae Ao

The Spot of Spots

2025 James Beard Best Chef: South Finalist Nando Chang’s one Michelin star, 10-seat counter is among Miami’s toughest reservations — grab one on Resy when Itamae AO’s books open at 8 a.m a month in advance of your desired date — and for good reason. His Peruvian-Japanese omakase includes courses of fresh sashimi, ceviche, and other innovative dishes from Chang’s next-level dry-aged fish program, which may include Japanese anago and striped bass from the Pacific Northwest.

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Itamae AO counter
The counter and dry-agers.
Photo by Michael Cedeño, courtesy of Itamae Ao

Zak the Baker Wynwood

Photo courtesy of Zak the Baker

Break Friday Bread with Zak

Start your day by fueling up at Miami’s OG bakery-cafe. Whether you go sweet (double-chocolate babka, challah French toast, vegan banana bread) or savory (labneh with eggs, purple kale Caesar, salmon-bacon croissant), you’ll leave sated and ready to go gallery hopping or window shopping for the rest of the morning. Pro move: Get a half-dozen bagels or a loaf of rye sourdough to-go; they’ll make good nibbles throughout your trip, and you can bring home whatever you don’t finish.

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Photo courtesy of Zak the Baker