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

Slim’s knows exactly where it is: inside Bal Harbour Shops, surrounded by designer bags and people who came dressed for dinner. Stephen Starr’s new steakhouse takes over the original Makoto space and goes full Old Hollywood. Think pale leather banquettes, checkerboard floors, Art Deco murals, cold martinis, and just enough drama to make a weeknight feel expensive. The menu is classic steakhouse with whimsical touches, like crab-stuffed avocado brightened with citrus and the infamous $100 cheesesteak with wagyu, black truffle, foie gras, fried onions, and American cheese on a sesame roll. Save room for the pink Champagne cake or the tableside bananas Foster, because subtlety is not really the point here. Go when you want steak, martinis, and people-watching that feels almost too perfectly cast.

Stepping into Mutra’s dining room feels deeply personal. Named after chef-owner Raz Shabtai’s grandmother, this homey 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 rich flavors of the multicultural melting pot that is Jerusalem, where Shabtai grew up cooking beside his grandmother. Each dish feels like a love letter to his homeland, and that personal touch resonates, which is 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 long it took to braise the beef cheeks ,or how many days went into baking 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.

Book on

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.

At Emelina in West Palm Beach’s up-and-coming Flamingo Park District, a 16-seat counter frames a focused, ambitious take on Cuban cuisine. Chef-owners Osmel González and Camila Salazar draw on deep fine-dining experience (including SingleThread, Disfrutar and Miami’s former EntreNos pop-up) to ask a thought-provoking question: what if Cuban cooking kept evolving? The answer arrives across a 10-course tasting menu that shifts with the season. Dishes like rabo encendido (braised oxtail) with Carolina Gold rice or a tempura-fried black drum fish as an interpretation on the classic minutiae display restraint and precision over nostalgia. Expect close interaction with the chefs as they present plates and explain the dishes across the counter, and genuine service from the hospitality heavyweights behind Hiyakawa and Ogawa.

Book on

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.

Midorie is what high-end sushi looks like in its most everyday form. The 79th Street spot comes from the same family as Hiyakawa and Michelin-starred Ogawa, but this is where you go when you want the fish quality without the full splurge. Fresh seafood is flown in daily from Tokyo’s Toyosu Market, then turned into donburi bowls, hand rolls, nigiri, and omakase-style platters in a fast-casual setting. The Midorie Bowl is the easy favorite, layered with salmon, tuna, blue crab, tobiko, shiitake, seaweed salad, and yuzu avocado. For something closer to a streamlined omakase, the $100 chef’s selection of nigiri and a maki roll is the move. It gives you the pleasure of a serious sushi spread without committing to the whole special-occasion production.

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.

Book on

Stand is the Shingo team’s reminder that Japanese dining doesn’t always need to be a hushed omakase counter. This quick-service Coral Gables cafe comes from chef Shingo Akikuni and Kenzie Motai, who wanted to bring Miami the everyday Japanese breakfasts and lunches they grew up with. Mornings start with fluffy shio pan (buttery salt breads), and matcha drinks made with tea sourced directly from Japanese farmers. By lunch, the move is thick-cut milk bread sandos and bento boxes, all built around bread baked fresh in-house daily. The chicken katsu is crisp and juicy, while the egg-salad sandwich channels the creamy convenience-store versions travelers chase down in Japan. Don’t miss the hojicha specialty drink, made from roasted tea leaves for a nutty flavor closer to coffee.

Find more info here.

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.

This local outpost of one of Boston’s favorite Israeli bakery-cafés comes from Uri Scheft (he was also behind Breads in NYC), and while the chocolate babka is the obvious move here, the list of other fillings and pastries is a long one. Almond babkas, cinnamon babkas, cheese burekas, challah, sourdough, and rugelach round out the bakery case, with sandwiches and deli salads if you’re making it a proper lunch. All these goodies are baked fresh throughout the day, so there’s a chance something warm will be coming straight out of the oven when you walk in. Order whatever smells best, grab a babka for later, and accept that “later” may mean the car ride home.

Find more info here.

In Wynwood, where more new restaurants than we can count seem to pop up every month, Cha Cha Cha has quickly earned attention by knowing exactly what it wants to be: a seafood-forward Mexican spot built for aguachiles, tostadas, oysters, and mezcal. The restaurant brings a Baja-style sensibility to the area, with a menu that feels especially right for Miami’s heat. Start cold and bright with acidic aguachiles, crisp tuna tostadas, or oysters dressed with chamoy and Tajín, then keep going with lobster tacos or larger plates that come with tortillas, sides, and sauces for building your own bites. It’s polished enough for date night, loose enough for a group, and focused enough to stand out in a neighborhood that doesn’t suffer from a shortage of dining options.

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.

Miracle Mile has plenty of places to sit down but Buccan Sandwich Shop might be its best argument for grabbing lunch on-the-go and getting on with your day. This walk-up window from the Palm Beach favorite has plenty of strong options, but everyone is talking about the Beef Carpaccio for a reason. Think of the delicate carpaccio you’d want at an Italian restaurant, then turn it into an umami-loaded sandwich with crispy fried onions, sweet balsamic onions, Parmesan, arugula, mayo and lemon vinaigrette. The Steak Bomb is another heavy hitter, all melty prime beef and cheese sauce, while the Buffalo chicken gets the balance right with blue cheese dressing. Order online ahead of time unless you enjoy waiting in line.

Find more info here.

Bistro Ocho brings Little Havana something unexpected: polished Mexican cooking with a relaxed neighborhood feel. Chef Pancho Ibáñez was formerly chef de cuisine at Pujol in Mexico City, and the food has that same respect for masa, smoke, acid, and restraint. Start with a refreshing ceviche or tiradito. Then go for the grilled catch of the day or pork belly al pastor served with warm corn tortillas, salsa, black beans, and pineapple pico de gallo, perfect for making your own bites at the table. The bar is just as dialed in, with an agave program from Eli Martinez Bello, also formerly of Pujol. Sunday brunch is its own reason to go, especially for fresh baked concha and other Mexican pastries, the roving Mezcal cart, and dishes like caviar y huevo revuelto or chilaquiles with wagyu tenderloin.