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

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.

Stepping into Mutra’s dining room feels deeply personal. Named after chef-owner Raz Shabtai’s grandmother, the restaurant centers around an open kitchen with a wraparound chef’s counter, where the aroma of warm spices and bubbling stews lures you in. The menu delivers on updated takes on ancient Middle Eastern cuisine, drawing from the flavors of the multicultural melting pot that is Jerusalem, where Shabtai grew up. Each dish feels like a love letter to his homeland, and that personal touch resonates, which might be why it was recently the first strictly kosher retaurant to receive a Michelin star. Its kosher status is rarely mentioned, of course, as Shabtai’s talents are the focus. So trust your intuition (or a friendly server), and keep an eye out for Shabtai behind the counter, perhaps sharing how many days it took to bake the Yemeni bread from scratch.

For old-school Spanish food, head to this four-story spot on Coral Way. It has a little bit of everything under one roof: tapas, paella, grilled seafood, a terrace, a deli market, and a serious Spanish wine cellar that makes browsing bottles part of the fun. Look for classic tapas — boquerones, manchego or a plate of jamón — and a whole assortment of paellas or shareable plates like whole grilled dorada if the table wants something more substantial. Xixón works best when you bring a group, order for the table, drink Rioja, and let the meal last a while. Save room for churros con chocolate or crema Catalana, then stop by the market on the way out for Spanish pantry goods you did not plan on buying.

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Pao, in the Faena Hotel, is the dinner pick that actually keeps up with the dining room. Set under a glowing golden dome with Damien Hirst’s unicorn holding court in the center, the Miami Beach restaurant could get by on spectacle alone, but Paul Qui’s menu gives you more to talk about than the decor. The food moves through Filipino, Japanese, Spanish, and French influences with plenty of smoke and sweet-savory turns: pan de sal (Filipino salt bread) with wagyu fat butter, hamachi kinilaw crudo with peach and chili oil, fried chicken thighs with banana ketchup, and the signature Unicorn, a dish of sea urchin and grilled sweet corn pudding. Charcoal shows up often, including tableside moments where meats are cooked over a Japanese binchotan grill. Go for a dressed-up Faena night, especially on weekends when live music adds to the glow.

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.

Nearly two decades in, this Kendall favorite still feels like its own little wine-country world, with warm wood, copper accents, and the kind of menu built for birthdays, anniversaries, family dinners, and regulars who already know what they’re ordering. Chef Adrianne Calvo’s “maximum flavor” approach shows up in dishes that go big without feeling gimmicky: the 24-hour braised short rib, brown sugar salmon, and the Tuesday-only French onion soup blanketed in cheese and splashed with Cognac. Expect steaks, seafood, pastas, wine, and enough comfort to make the drive feel worthwhile even if you’re coming from across town.

The three-story import from Madrid turns dinner into a full itinerary: a jungle-toned dining room with live bands and an open kitchen, a second-floor lounge with a sushi counter and DJs, and a rooftop peacock bar that keeps the night moving. The menu matches the maximalist setting with Latin American flavors, Nikkei touches, grilled meats, seafood, and plenty of tableside drama. Start with something bright and refreshing, like the ceviche Amazónico with corvina, sweet plantain, avocado, leche de tigre and crispy cassava, or head upstairs for sushi and raw fish. The fried frog legs with spiced mango dressing might be the sleeper order, while picanha or black cod with tamarind glaze can anchor the meal. This isn’t where you go to disappear into a quiet booth. Get dressed up, bring a group, and treat dinner as the opening act.

Some of Miami’s most beautiful restaurants go big on grandeur, but Wynwood’s Hiyakawa manages to feel remarkably intimate. The iconic ceiling of softly illuminated, undulating wood wraps around the dining room and sushi counter, creating an almost cocoon-like effect. The attentive staff makes the experience feel even more personal. Behind the pristine nigiri and sashimi is a serious sourcing operation: owner Álvaro Pérez Miranda spent more than 15 years in Japan’s restaurant industry and has a trusted buyer there selecting seafood flown in daily. Ask about the specials, which often feature seasonal Japanese fish you’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere in Miami. There’s plenty beyond sushi on the menu, too, from delicate appetizers to traditional hot dishes. For a proper introduction, book the chef’s tasting menu, preferably at the sushi counter, where you can watch the chefs work their magic.

As the restaurant that helped set Miami’s omakase standard long before the format took over, Naoe is for the night when you want the city’s most serious sushi meal, served at a volume just above a whisper. The Brickell Key spot seats just five guests at a cypress counter, where chef-owner Kevin Cory prepares a three-hour menu of seafood sourced from Japan and local fishermen. Dinner starts with a composed bento before moving into nigiri brushed with Cory’s family shoyu, then finishes with a selection of tea, fruit, cake and ice cream for dessert. Sake is not a side note here either — the list comes from Cory’s family brewery in Kanazawa. Naoe can be exacting, and not always flexible, but that’s all part of an exacting experience.

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At Anthony’s Runway 84, bringing a group isn’t just encouraged — it’s practically required if you want to make a dent in the enormous portions. The Fort Lauderdale institution has been serving Italian-American red-sauce classics since 1982, but a glamorous makeover has given it the feel of an old-school New York supper club. Think jewel-toned booths, sharply dressed servers who make everyone feel like a VIP, and a dining room that gets progressively louder as live music takes over. The plates match the big personality: spicy vodka rigatoni, massive chicken Parm, and a Sunday Feast loaded with meatballs, sausage, braciole, and pork ribs. Whatever you do, leave room (and recruit a few extra forks) for the towering pistachio cream cake. Book an early seating if you want to hear your dinner companions; later reservations come with a full soundtrack.

Sunny’s feels almost improbable in Little River: a full-blown South Florida showpiece where you least expect it. The steakhouse centers around a sprawling banyan tree and a string-lit courtyard that does more scene-setting than many of its waterfront counterparts. And best of all, the food matches the setting: Parker House rolls with honey butter, blue crab agnolotti, raw bar staples, and dry-aged steaks you’ll want to share. Yes, it has become one of the city’s toughest reservations, but the move is not limited to a prime-time table. The walk-up terrace is a smart backdoor in, especially because it has its own burger available only to guests seated there, and the indoor bar is just as useful for martinis and a less scripted night. Go for the courtyard if you can get it, but don’t overthink the backup plan.

La Sponda is not a restaurant you end up at by accident. Set on gated Grove Isle, this waterfront Italian newcomer from the team behind Daniel’s feels like a special occasion before you’ve even reached the dining room. Inside, white tablecloths, a baby grand piano, and sweeping Biscayne Bay views set the scene for a menu that travels through Italy, with particular affection for Puglia, where the owners’ family roots lie. The ricotta cavatelli al pomodoro is worth ordering for its backstory alone: the kitchen spent six months perfecting that deceptively simple tomato sauce. Fresh crudo gets a tableside pour of Puglian olive oil, while a whole salt-crusted branzino brings a bit of dinner theater. And don’t overlook a serious wagyu bistecca Fiorentina, a 500-plus-bottle wine list, and housemade gelato served tableside with your choice of toppings.

Flora Plant Kitchen has the look of a Tulum daydream, but a meal here has more bite than the name suggests. The daytime wellness cafe goes all in on soft neutrals, woven lights, greenery, and breezy patio energy, yet there’s a smoky scent of charcoal coming from the open kitchen. The menu at this MiMo spot is plant-powered in spirit, but not vegetarian by default, which means you can go fully vegetable-forward or land on meatier plates and bowls with steak, chicken, or ropa vieja. Plus, Latin flavors keep the food from feeling too health-coded, with ingredients like chimichurri, guava, mojo onions, charred corn, and bright sauces.

Macchialina is the South Beach standby you recommend when someone insists they can’t find a good dinner on the Beach. More than a decade in, this modern trattoria still runs on what made it beloved in the first place: homey handmade pastas, warm service, and Italian wines you probably haven’t seen poured anywhere else. An expanded space provides the restaurant more room to breathe, with a bigger dining room and covered patio. Begin with antipasti like gnocco fritto and whatever version of the creamy polenta is currently on offer, then dive right into all the pastas: a simple spaghetti pomodoro; hearty cavatelli with baby meatballs and porchetta; or an umami-forward tagliolini ai funghi. Wine is half the fun here, especially if you let the team steer you toward something from the all-Italian list.

Ro Steakhouse looks like the kind of high-gloss steakhouse you’d expect to find in Brickell, but the Coral Gables address keeps it from becoming a full corporate-card commitment. The room brings the drama — curved ceiling panels, stone, bronze, an illuminated bar, and enough polish for a proper night out — while the menu gives the usual steakhouse script a Mexican rewrite. Yes, there are prime cuts, big rib eyes, and large-format steaks, but the better move is to explore the enormous menu. Start with Fire & Bone Tacos, stacked with grilled steak and roasted bone marrow, then go for plates like hamachi tostadas, pistachio-crusted tuna, or the Berkshire pork chop. It’s vibey, expansive, and more flexible than most steakhouses that look this dressed up.

Flagler St. Bakery gives Downtown Miami a very good reason to get out of bed early. After building a following through pop-ups, baker-owner Julian Gheiler now has a permanent home for his meticulously crafted pastries and breads, all made from scratch. For something sweet, grab a pistachio rose croissant or an Earl Grey morning bun alongside a Mamey Matcha. But there’s no need to wait for your sweet tooth to call. The medianoche croissant is already a Miami classic in the making, with roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard tucked into buttery laminated dough. And the sandwiches are just as exciting, especially the Morty, stacked with mortadella, creamy stracciatella, and pesto on housemade focaccia. Make a note to visit on Fridays, when Gheiler bakes beautiful, glossy challah loaves that he says are his personal favorite thing to make.

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