Where to Dine With a Group in Miami

Zuma’s chic Downtown Miami setting and izakaya-style menu gives a group plenty to share at the table, from prawn and black cod gyoza to sashimi and dishes from the robata grill. Weekend brunch is an especially good time to visit with a group, as the $98 food-only menu includes a massive sushi and raw bar, plus live stations serving its forever popular miso black cod, udon, and NY strip steak. For a more private group gathering, the restaurant has a 36-seat private dining room and several waterfront terrace setups available for brunch, lunch, or dinner.

Barcelona Wine Bar is an easy go-to for a casual night out with friends. Settle into the greenery-filled courtyard, where mismatched chairs and string lights make for an ideal laid-back atmosphere, or grab a street-side table for prime people-watching. Start with an aperitivo board piled with jamón Serrano and Spanish cheeses, then add gambas al ajillo or jamón and Manchego croquetas. The paella mariscos are perfect for the table, and the team can help your group navigate the extensive — and very well-priced — Spanish and South American wine list or help your group put together a flight if you can’t decide on one bottle.

Both capacious and stylish, this buzzing Wynwood import feels tailor-made for fun group dinners. Slip into a long table beneath a mosaic-lit vaulted ceiling and amid plush furnishings for an uncomplicated good time, with Japanese sharing plates — yakitori, fried chicken, dumplings — that will disappear moments after hitting the table, and you’re encouraged to order more. Cocktails like the signature Double Knot with both bourbon and rye are expertly made and, as a concept, the restaurant proves that sometimes, more is more.

Spanish mainstay Xixón has been a Coral Way fixture for more than two decades, and its sprawling, lively dining room is perfect for groups of any size. Order off a menu filled with Spanish classics like jamón croquetas, tortilla española, and pulpo a la Gallega before committing to a paella mixta to share with your group. For more adventurous eaters, there are also Asturian specialties such as the Saturday-only fabada and crisp-skinned cochinillo, all of which can be paired with a large selection of Spanish wines.

Even grill masters want to be wined and dined. This Michelin-starred Korean barbecue steakhouse boasts a dimly lit, sexy dining room with intimate booths where your group can admire the meat sizzling on your personal tabletop grill while choosing from more than 1,200 wine labels. For first-timers, we suggest the $82-per-person Butcher’s Feast prix fixe menu, a fantastic introduction to Cote’s cuisine. It’s an understandably popular restaurant, so be sure to read our primer on how to get in.

You’ll instantly feel the love when you step into chef Timon Balloo’s restaurant. The James Beard-nominated chef excels in the kitchen while his wife, Marissa Katherine, reigns over the charming dining room with a warm smile. Balloo draws inspiration for his small plates from their blended cultures and travels, so you’ll find creamy clam chowder fries sharing the menu with Thai red curry branzino. Their whimsical Peacock Room table, which seats five to eight and is adorned with bright peacocks, is the perfect place to sit back, relax, and enjoy Balloo’s international fare among friends.

Chef Michael Solomonov’s Miami Beach outpost combines lofty ceilings, a relaxed neutral palette, and cozy booths to create a prime destination for group dining. Best of all: The Tayim family-style menu, at $95 each, makes ordering easy, sending out family-style rounds of hummus, mezze, and grilled meat dishes so there’s plenty to go around. Just don’t let the table skip the beef shishlik with black garlic toum.

This hidden gem, tucked into a dead-end street, serves some of Miami’s best pasta and Italian classics. Depending on your group’s mood, settle into the buzzy dining room, verdant patio, or private dining room, and let the team guide the meal. Start with the zucchini flower tempura with ricotta and basil, then share the candele Genovese with slow-cooked beef ragù or the salt-crusted branzino with lemon citronette with the table.

Now settled into its permanent Little River home, Sunny’s remains one of the city’s toughest tables to snag — and for good reason. Outside, tables sit beneath the string-lit branches of a banyan tree that anchors the space, while inside the dining room offers that old school Florida glamour that is hard to come by. Start with a martini made your way, then share Parker House rolls and the must-order corn-and-blue-crab agnolotti. For the table, choose between a 26-ounce dry-aged ribeye or 32-ounce Wagyu porterhouse with potato butter and creamed spinach on the side. Save room for the kouign-amann ice cream sandwich.

Slip into those sexy heels you’ve been eyeing in your closet and sashay into this Brickell hot spot for a buzzy (and boozy) night out. Komodo shines with its see-and-be-seen vibe throughout its three-story venue, which is as expansive as it is energetic. Expect the ambiance to be boisterous, but you’ll still be able to hear one another when you slip into one of its dimly lit nooks. Asian-inspired shareable plates abound, including a variety of dumplings and sushi alongside its famed Peking duck. When you’ve had your fill, head to the upstairs lounge and dance the night away.