The Resy Hit List: Where In Miami You’ll Want to Eat Right Now

Macchialina remains our favorite spot in town for a satisfying bowl of housemade pasta. At this most unpretentious of South Beach trattorias, chef Mike Pirolo channels his time cooking in Italy and New York into rustic, comforting dishes, while his sister Jacqueline curates a standout list of natural-leaning Italian wines. The vibe? Think modern Italian farmhouse, with a pergola-covered patio, a cozy 12-seat bar, and a dining room that feels like a neighborhood fixture. If it’s available when you visit, their pasta omakase on Wednesdays has become a hit for guests at the bar willing to try whatever new creations the chef wants to share with you that week.

Cotoletta is the first (and perhaps best) restaurant concept from 84 Magic Hospitality, the group now known for a growing collection of one-dish menus around town. This one is all about the cotoletta: a thin, crisp breaded veal cutlet, prepared Milanese-style and served with nothing but a sprig of rosemary and a lemon wedge. With your entree selection already taken care of here, the rest of your choices remain minimal: a few antipasti starters come out automatically, and then there’s a short list of Italian sides to pick from and optional tiramisu for dessert. Leave all the decision fatigue at home. Until recently, reservations required an actual phone call, which only added to the mystique. But here’s the update most regulars already know: you can now book a table on Resy. It still feels like a secret, even if it isn’t.

Drinking Pig delivers some of the best barbecue in Miami, served in a laid-back Coconut Grove courtyard. The concept comes from Raheem Sealey, the chef behind Shiso, and it started as a residential neighborhood pop-up before landing this permanent location. The menu covers the essentials and does them exceedingly well — things like brisket with a proper bark, juicy sausage, pulled pork, and smoked chicken. But the sides here don’t play second fiddle. The cornbread has a loyal fan base, the mac ‘n’ cheese comes topped with crispy breadcrumbs, and banana pudding closes things out on a high note. Order at the counter, grab an outdoor table, and settle in for a casual feast. They’ll close once they sell out, so arriving early is always a good idea. 

 Find more info here. 

Just a few doors down from its Michelin-starred sibling, Walrus Rodeo shouldn’t be underestimated. Boia De’s rowdy little sister restaurant has carved its own spot in Miami’s dining scene. Known for wood-fired fare, Walrus Rodeo is bold and offbeat, with pops of color, retro details, and a lively open kitchen anchored by an imported pizza oven from Naples, Italy. The menu revolves around that roaring oven, turning out pies and vegetable-forward dishes with a smoky edge. Think charred cabbage with burnt garlic gastrique, mustard green lasagna, and standout pizzas that are both playful and expertly prepared.

Dinner at Palma is a bit of a gamble — in the best way possible. Chef Juan Camilo Liscano, who trained in Michelin-starred kitchens across Europe and the U.S., brings those techniques home to Miami, using them to showcase local farms and ingredients. The tasting menu changes monthly, so we can’t tell you exactly what’s coming beyond the signature sweet plantain brioche and butter served mid-meal, but expect compact, ingredient-focused plates that range from inventive to knockout-delicious. Their unexpected pairings might not always sound like they should make sense — but that’s exactly what makes this experience so satisfying. The nine-course menu runs $115, though you can also cautiously dip into this culinary adventure on your own terms with new à la carte options.

You might be familiar with Fratesi’s as the newest name in Miami’s battle for best pizza, though fans will remind you it first made waves as a pop-up at spots like Over Under and Tam Tam. Now with a permanent home, the focus stays sharp on tavern-style pizzas with cracker-thin crusts. Pies arrive with the sauce, cheese, and toppings spread all the way to the edges, which means there are no wasted crusts here — your tablemates will quietly claim every last crumb. The dining room was designed as your usual unfussy neighborhood pizza joint with a bit of flair (like quirky stained glass chandeliers and tomato cans repurposed as wine chillers), but all the drama is truly in that crust — a style that’s light, crisp, and totally irresistible.

This 12-seat counter is shaped by the chef’s upbringing as well as Japanese tradition. Raised in Manila and trained across upscale Asian kitchens and omakase counters in Miami (including Chef Paul Qui’s El Secreto and MILA Omakase), the chef brings Filipino and French influence into a 15-course raw fish progression that stays grounded in technique. That heritage surfaces in details like nigiri finished with asín tibuok, a rare artisanal sea salt that comes shaped like a dinosaur egg, or sashimi sharpened by the signature Filipino flavor of tamarind. The format follows a clean omakase rhythm, with impeccably sourced fish from Japan and carefully calibrated pacing. The intimate space remains calm and focused, letting those personal touches surface naturally, bite by bite.

Book now on Tock.

This casual counter spot in Wynwood serves made-to-order handrolls with crisp nori and perfectly prepared sushi rice. The format is straightforward: choose a set or order à la carte, and the chefs hand you each roll one at a time, since they’re meant to be eaten while the rice is still warm and the seaweed crisp. The menu covers the essentials (salmon, tuna, hamachi) — which you can dress up with squeeze bottles of their homemade sauces — along with decadent signature options, like torched toro tuna with bourbon or wagyu with uni. And because it’s run by a trio of Parisian friends in partnership with acclaimed local sushi chef Yasu Tanuka, you can expect an attention to detail across the board, and a simple, focused experience.

Narbona succeeds by being versatile and dependable, offering food that feels familiar but thoughtfully done. The concept blends market, café, and restaurant into a space built for the everyday, with a menu that bridges European and Latin traditions. Shelves are lined with imported oils, tins, and sweets, while the kitchen turns out reliable all-day fare, from empanadas to simple salads and sandwiches. Italian and South American influences run throughout, from fresh pastas served without fuss to a generously stacked Uruguayan chivito sandwich. But the real draw here is the ease of the place – you can linger over a glass of wine, stock up on groceries, or do both without friction. Narbona works because it’s practical yet polished, and woven neatly into your daily routine.

Lala’s Burgers has landed in Kendall with its first brick-and-mortar, extending the steady momentum the Apocalypse BBQ team has built in the area. What started as a pop-up at Apocalypse now stands on its own, adding another reason locals don’t have to leave the neighborhood for a solid meal. Burgers remain the anchor, now served with thick, juicy patties in place of their previous crisp edged smashburgers. The expanded menu is full of new specialty burger options with clever topping combos (any of which can also be turned into a chicken sammie), plus hot dogs and a brownie sundae layered on to fit the casual vibe. Their seasoned twice-fried French fries are a must, especially dunked in Lala Sauce, the house “special sauce” reworked with harissa and mint for a compelling Mediterranean twist. It’s straightforward comfort food, dialed in and ready for repeat visits. 

Find more info here. 

This longstanding MiMo District favorite with a fun-to-pronounce name reflects the delicious result of its owners’ combined backgrounds, drawing from co-owner Ani Meinhold’s Vietnamese heritage and chef-owner Cesar Zapata’s Colombian and Cajun culinary roots. That mix drives both the menu and the mood. Amid a menu of familiar Viet flavors like green papaya salad and crispy imperial rolls, you’ll also find creative specialties shaped by Zapata’s Southern and Latin experience, like Cajun-spiced buttermilk fried chicken and ceviche de chicharron featuring five-spice crispy pork. The sprawling space includes a 15-foot raw bar built for oysters and cocktails, a speakeasy-style dining room, and the Lantern Garden out back. Mid-century lines, street art, Asian accents, and ‘90s hip-hop music tie it all together, giving Phuc Yea a sense of place that matches its point of view.

To Be Determined is a rotating menu concept with about a dozen two-person tables that fill up quickly. Translation: Insist that your significant other makes a reservation (for several weekends from now) to take you here for date night. The small menu at this dimly lit spot changes frequently based on what’s fresh and seasonal, which means you’ll need to keep coming back. And while it’s usually hard to guarantee quality without staple menu items, To Be Determined has proven so far that you can expect a meal full of wow-worthy flavors even with the constant changes, capped off by an excellent flan. Too late to snag a reservation, or rolling solo? Grab yourself a seat at the bar. 

Don’t think of plant-based dining as a limitation. Here it fuels creativity, as the menu leans into bold Latin American flavors and builds around them with confidence. You’ll find ingredients like smoky mushroom skewers, torched avocado, and Okinawa sweet potato with chimichurri. Plus a passed-down family recipe for Colombian corn arepas. (Yes, there are meat options, too.) Colorful produce-forward plates taste simultaneously rich, vibrant, and complex, while the space reinforces that nature-inspired energy. Lush greenery, warm textures, and an easy indoor-outdoor flow give the dining room the feel of a tropical hideaway rather than a wellness concept. Flora feels grounded and transportive, delivering food with real personality in a setting that invites you to stay.

At this artisan cafe. the space is minimalist and so is the menu — the kind of place that runs on sourdough and restraint. Here, sweet and savory baked goods share the attention equally. The baker comes from La Natural, and that pedigree shows in breads and pastries made in-house and used across the menu. Breakfast brings soft-scrambled eggs with caramelized onion and chili crunch on sourdough toast, while lunch options turn that same bread into simple sandwiches, like a chicken salad made with chicken marinated in the buttermilk left from churning their own butter. There’s no WiFi, by design, making it a safe space to leave your work behind and meet up with a friend for some serious catch-up time. 

Find more info here.

Fire and ice share the table at Uchi’s sister spot. While you’ll still find the pristine sushi and cool raw crudos that made the original famous, Uchiko leans harder into the smoke and flames. The coastal ambiance feels fitting for its South Beach location, and the hearth is the star, sending out charred bites like unagi (freshwater eel), smoky roasted oysters with koji creamed spinach, and quadruple-seared Denver steak. Order both ends of the spectrum — crisp, refreshing sashimi like the premium bluefin selection, alongside a taste of something smoky from the hearth — and you’ll get the full picture of what the Uchi family does best.

Kaori stands out in buzzy Brickell by keeping its execution disciplined. The menu centers on modern Asian cooking, pulling from Japanese, Korean, and Southeast Asian influences with dishes like carefully balanced crudos, dumplings, and composed plates built around sauces, spice, and texture. But the range feels intentional rather than broad. The kitchen isn’t chasing spectacle; it’s cooking with control. After dinner, the Listening Bar adds another layer, offering a Hi-Fi quality sound system, thoughtful cocktails, small plates, and a relaxed place to settle in without leaving the building.