Restaurants >>

• BEST-KEPT SECRET
  Boaters' Grill
  With this, it's a secret no longer. But truth be told, Boaters' Grill has developed a devoted following over the past few years. It is one of two concessions inside Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, both operated by the David Gonzalez family. First was the casual, open-air, Lighthouse... More >>
• BEST VALUE ON OCEAN DRIVE
  Front Porch Café
  Despite the hordes of tourists clogging Ocean Drive -- and the tourists traps that have sprung up to serve them -- a few pockets of sanity still exist on that once fabled street. None is more treasured by brunch-seeking locals than the Front Porch Café. While your out-of-town visitors... More >>
• BEST STEAK HOUSE
  Prime One Twelve
  Expecting a baby? Here's a bit of advice: Call Prime One Twelve now to make reservations for the kid's college-graduation dinner. Think that's an exaggeration? This new restaurant from Nemo/Big Pink owner Myles Chefetz has been packed from about five minutes after opening in December -- and not... More >>
• BEST RESTAURANT IN CORAL GABLES
  Norman's
  Norman Van Aken's eponymous restaurant has topped this category for so many years you almost wish he'd screw up just once and give someone else a shot at the gold. This past year it actually seemed possible, what with Van Aken expanding to Orlando and California, as well as opening Mundo closer... More >>
• BEST SEAFOOD RESTAURANT
  Catch of the Day
  Miami is part of the Sunshine State. Emphasis on warm sunshine. And thanks to geography, there's no shortage of fresh seafood. One plus one equals an eatery that offers everything oceanic and atmospheric any diner could wish for. Sit outside on the kitchy, ultra-informal patio from 3:00 to 7:00... More >>
• BEST RESTAURANT WHEN SOMEONE ELSE IS PAYING
  Flute
  At this champagne lounge, the food specialty is caviar -- a problem because procuring Caspian caviar has been difficult for years, ever since the Soviet Union's dissolution resulted in phenomenally increased, unpoliced poaching and black-marketing. A lack of quality control has resulted in... More >>
• BEST RESTAURANT FOR A PARTY
  FifteenOOne Barton G
  Enmeshed in legal disputes, bankruptcy, and buckets of bad blood, Billboardlive, the lavish space on Ocean Drive devoted to presenting live music and keeping folks drinking and dancing, seemed for some time to be as good as dead. That is until Barton G, Miami's high lama of happenings, came to... More >>
• BEST COFFEEHOUSE
  Luna Star Café
  Maybe it's the lack of cold, dank weather, but Miami suffers from an unfortunate dearth of coffeehouses, at least the kind without corporate headquarters based in Seattle. And while there are plenty of cafecito windows and stop-and-gulps for locals to get their caffeine fix, places like Luna... More >>
• BEST CREATIVE USE OF SAKE
  Rosebriar Café
  The Rosebriar Café is tucked into an old Miami house on a side street off Biscayne Boulevard. It's decorated like a Victorian tea parlor. Although the service is often slow, the food, by chef John Stump, is always worth the wait -- especially the pumpkin soup. It's a nice setting for both... More >>
• BEST NICARAGUAN RESTAURANT
  Guayacan
  What Guayacan (Best of Miami winner in 1996) lacks in atmosphere, it more than makes up for with delicious food at reasonable prices. Highly recommended is the superb churrasco steak (charbroiled tenderloin) with gallo pinto and red beans and rice. You'd expect this quality of beef at a fancier... More >>
• BEST WAY TO BEAT THE WAIT AT JOE'S STONE CRAB
  Joe's Take Away
  From the "duh" file: This 90-year-old institution qualifies as one of America's most famous restaurants, with primo food, a vast and varied menu, super service, and a pleasantly hectic ambiance. But only a tourist would endure the notorious wait for a seating. From the "beat the system" file:... More >>
• BEST WATERFRONT DINING (1 Comment)
  Red Fish Grill
  Though this indoor/outdoor restaurant has been open for a decade, it's still something of an insider's secret, likely owing to its hidden location deep inside Matheson Hammock Park. The first pleasant surprise comes at the front gate, when you tell the guard you're going to the Red Fish Grill... More >>
• BEST LATE-NIGHT DINING
  Cafeteria
  It's 3:00 a.m. It's South Beach. You're certainly not ready to call it a night, but you're famished. Where to go? It must be Cafeteria, which is not a cafeteria at all but a casual resto/lounge with knockout cocktails and food based on American diner classics -- but seriously and creatively... More >>
• BEST BRAZILIAN RESTAURANT
  Varanda's Cafeteria
  Aziza Yuself's café has been open for five years, and while the place is small and the décor low-key, there is one telltale sign that points to the excellence of the cuisine: Brazilians hang out there. Wander into Varanda's in the middle of the day and you'll likely find some of... More >>
• BEST RESTAURANT FOR INTIMATE CONVERSATION
  Restaurant St. Michel
  Place St. Michel is an old (by Miami standards), European-style hotel built around the time Coral Gables was master-planned into existence as the City Beautiful. The environs inside the ivy-covered walls are both lush and elegant enough to suggest a miniature version of the Pontchartrain Hotel... More >>
• BEST DINER
  Big Pink
  Big Pink doesn't look like a diner, but the menu contains all the comfort-food classics you'd find (or hope to find) in a world-class diner, even if Big Pink's versions are definitely more Reform than Orthodox. From a list of hefty ten-ounce burgers, the upgraded Big Mac (called the Pink Daddy... More >>
• BEST EXPENSIVE ITALIAN RESTAURANT
  Romeo's Café
  His name is Romeo, and he'll be taking your reservation for this evening, and greeting you at the door, and introducing the cuisine, and preparing your prix-fixe six-course meal. So naturally the place would be called Romeo's Café, and the creatively prepared, exquisite northern Italian... More >>
• BEST SPANISH RESTAURANT (CLASICO)
  Casa Juancho
  Owned by the venerable Valls family (masterminds behind Versailles and La Carreta), Casa Juancho feels like the Epcot version of Spain, which is exactly what many locals and especially tourists like about it. The giant fortress plunked on Little Havana's main drag for nearly twenty years has... More >>
• BEST JAMAICAN RESTAURANT
  Irie Isle
  It's not that we forgot about Irie Isle after giving it this award way back in 1998. It's just that, for no good reason, we hadn't been back to the nondescript strip mall it calls home. But Irie Isle is still there. Still funky. Still delicious. Remember that it's primarily designed for... More >>
• BEST SUNDAY BRUNCH
  One Ninety
  More bohemian hangout than formal restaurant, One Ninety is the sort of place you hope won't be ruined by too much exposure. So please don't bring your L.A. or New York friends here for Sunday brunch. Let's keep it in the family. The place already has an authentically homespun feel to it:... More >>
• BEST BUFFET
  Fontainebleau Hilton Resort
  It's common to associate "buffet" with "table." Wrong. Here, on any given Sunday, it's a roomful of tables overflowing with at least 200 items covering the spectrum, from raw seafood to the sweetest sweets. Juicy meats, salads, breads, stews, and soups line up side-by-side across the vast... More >>
• BEST SPANISH RESTAURANT (NUEVO)
  Mosaico
  Located in the upstairs area of the old Firehouse Four restaurant/bar, and offering indoor and outdoor dining (choose outdoors if possible), this classy and hip addition to the Brickell dining scene owes its acclaim to Barcelona chef Jordi Vallès. Before coming to America, Vallès... More >>
• BEST RESTAURANT FOR GLUTTONS
  1200 Restaurant and courtyard

  Biltmore Hotel

  There used to be only two seatings for the Biltmore's famous Sunday brunch. Now seating in the outdoor fountain court is continuous, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This means your table is not always ready when you arrive. But that's a good thing! While you wait, you'll be ushered to a side bar... More >>
• BEST SERVICE IN A RESTAURANT
  Tuscan Steak
  There is one very good reason why Tuscan Steak recovered more quickly than most other Beach restaurants following the economically disastrous 2002 season. And the reason isn't the authenticity of its Florentine T-bone. (Good as it is, true traditional bistecca alla fiorentina would never be... More >>
• BEST BARBECUE
  Pit Bar-B-Q
  Everyone pretends to visit Everglades National Park to commune with nature. But every local knows we really go for the food -- and not the alligator sushi, either. Not far from the park's main entrance down south, the temptations for detours come from Knaus Berry Farm's sticky buns and the... More >>
• BEST OUTDOOR DINING
  Barton G the Restaurant
  Admittedly not everything on the menu is a knockout, but Barton G's expansive, lushly planted tropical-jungle dining patio always is. Just what you'd expect from a flamboyant former Broadway set designer. Definitely reserve a table outside (the indoor space is glitzy but nothing special) and... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO FIND A SANDWICH AND A COP
  Frankie's Big City Grill
  There's something comforting about seeing a big man behind the grill. Frankie is big. So are his sandwiches, all 77 varieties from around the country. And addictive, especially the Philly cheese steak, with a side of hot peppers. Maybe that's why the inside of Frankie's always looks like an... More >>
• BEST RESTAURANT IN SOUTH BEACH
  Talula
  At Wish in South Beach, the bold Mediterr-Asian cuisine of Andrea Curto was awesome. At both the Heights in Coral Gables and later at the Gaucho Room in the Loews Hotel, Frank Randazzo's Southwest-influenced creations were equally dazzling. Put these two inventive chefs together and what do you... More >>
• BEST HAITIAN RESTAURANT
  Tap Tap
  You'll definitely want a side of kalalou to go with your savory poul di. Unless you order the fresh pwason gwosel, in which case we'd recommend the mayi moulen. It may sound Greek to you, but the Kreyol specials at this long-time South Beach eatery seem to have gotten better of late. The sauces... More >>
• BEST MEXICAN RESTAURANT
  Paquito's
  It isn't just the amazing albondiguitas (spicy meatballs in vegetable stock) or the fantastic fajitas that have earned Paquito's this award three times already. The food is excellent and the service impeccable. What gives this place so much appeal is the authentic Mexican atmosphere. Walk inside... More >>
• BEST WINE SELECTION IN A RESTAURANT
  The Captain's Tavern
  Bill "the Captain" Bowers owns and operates this 33-year-old landmark (with the indispensable help of wife Audrey). He'll soon turn 75, but he refuses to retire. "I just can't get enough of the restaurant business," he says. "It's been a great ride and I love what I do." He also loves wine, and... More >>
• BEST RESTAURANT IN COCONUT GROVE
  Bizcaya Grill
  Upon opening in 2002, Bizcaya immediately became the top all-purpose restaurant destination in the Grove. For those looking for a dressed-to-impress place to take business colleagues or conservative visiting parents, the posh Ritz-Carlton setting was sure to please -- as was that portion of the... More >>
• BEST NATURAL FOOD/VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT
  Tree of Zion
  With its low ceiling and calming interior, Tree of Zion harkens back to the storefront health restaurants of yore, with the added influence of Rastafarianism abundant but not overpowering. The menu at ToZ is low-tech, handwritten daily on a dry-erase board. The food, however, is strictly modern... More >>
• BEST MIAMI BEACH RESTAURANT TO AVOID TOURISTS
  Joe Allen
  This casually stylish restaurant, whose namesake operates similar establishments in Paris, London, New York, and elsewhere, recently celebrated its sixth anniversary. And it's as popular as ever. No surprise given the smart design, friendly staff, welcoming atmosphere, and moderately priced menu... More >>
• BEST FRENCH RESTAURANT IN A STRIP MALL
  Cafe Pastis
  Since August 1999, when French native Philippe Jacquet joined with Miami native Scott Price to open this cozy little café, the place has become a neighborhood favorite, with scores of fiercely loyal customers dining here regularly -- strip mall or no strip mall. It's easy to see why.... More >>
• BEST INDIAN RESTAURANT
  Renaisa
  Indian restaurants of even the standard sort are hard to come by in these parts. Additionally, for whatever reason, they tend to be located in shopping malls. Renaisa is housed in a picturesque wooden structure on the Little River, which makes for an engaging atmosphere. Many of the menu items... More >>
• BEST BRAZILIAN INVASION
  Cypo Café
  The Brazilian diaspora is all over town now, but its most marvelous manifestations are often hiding in places off the beaten path. Like that ultrasmooth Rio de Janeiro-style wax job inside your new girlfriend's old jeans. Or singer Rose Max's euphoria-inducing sets in candlelit bars, beyond the... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO DINE DURING A HURRICANE
  S&S Diner
  The chatty waitress with the raspberry rinse brags to whomever will listen that she made $385 working her shift during Hurricane Andrew. Yolanda may be full of stories but we know she doesn't lie. The classic diner that reaches back to the Thirties recently won historic designation, so you can... More >>
• BEST RESTAURANT FOR A POWER LUNCH
  Chispa
  At a power lunch the idea is to subtly one-up the other guy, to be intimidating while simultaneously demonstrating what a cool character you are. Chispa, which means "spark" (a nicely dangerous suggestion), is the ideal setting for this traditional dance of the business set. So sweep your client... More >>
• BEST DINING INDULGENCE
  Sensory Odyssey Dinner at the Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne
  Money to burn is one thing. Money to eat is another. And possessing a whopping bank balance is definitely a requirement if you want to treat anyone to a lavish meal like the Ritz-Carlton's Sensory Odyssey Dinner. When you and your guest arrive, a private butler leads the way through a lush... More >>
• BEST CHAIN RESTAURANT
  Baja Fresh Mexican Grill
  So-called quick-casual restaurants are popping up all across America. The concept combines fast-food speed and service with higher-quality food, which is supposedly healthier and fresher. Baja Fresh, a Mexican-inspired operation (owned since 2002 by Wendy's), advertises that it has no freezers... More >>
• BEST ARGENTINE RESTAURANT
  Graziano's Parrilla Argentina
  Once you see the open-pit rotisserie in the middle of the dining room, che, you'll understand why Graziano's leaves even the most ravenous carnivore sedated after a full-course meal. Tender cuts of churrasco steaks, blood sausage, and other meats are grilled over the flames burning quebracho, a... More >>
• BEST THAI RESTAURANT
  Thai House South Beach
  The Thai House, run by cousins Timmy Junbua and Ae Thanoosorn, is so authentic it maintains two menus, one in English and one in Thai. They are not the same. If you know your Thai, you can order dishes that might sear a Westerner's mouth but please the native tongue -- for example,... More >>
• BEST INEXPENSIVE ITALIAN RESTAURANT
  Laurenzo's Italian Market
  The restaurant at Laurenzo's Italian Market isn't really much of a restaurant in the classic table-service kind of way, what with the cafeteria line running past steam trays and a décor that might be described as church-rec-room-homeless-shelter classique. But for cheap Italian eats, you... More >>
• BEST CUBAN RESTAURANT
  Versailles
  The best Cuban restaurant should feature the best Cuban food, right? But that's not so easy to determine in a town with as many Cuban eateries as Miami. A judge could spend a lifetime sampling a million dishes. Most would agree, though, that the fare at Versailles ranks near the top. Cuban... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO DINE ALONE
  Talula
  Solo diners often feel uncomfortably like actors in a one-person show, with all audience eyes on the next forkful heading to the mouth. At Talula, though, singles can avoid the table and the awkward, onstage feel by taking one of five stools at the informal, inconspicuous "food bar" in the back... More >>
• BEST NEW RESTAURANT
  Carmen the Restaurant
  This winner is no surprise. Chef Carmen Gonzalez's Latin-influenced, post-New American eatery has landed on the hottest-new-restaurant list of so many national publications that any other pick would be scandalous. If the place were booked any more solidly (even on weeknights), diners would have... More >>
• BEST SOUL FOOD RESTAURANT
  Jumbo's Restaurant
  The food at Jumbo's certainly qualifies as soul food but will read, and eat, as simply Southern to anyone who has spent time in Georgia or the Carolinas. The iced tea is sweet, and the greens -- collard, mustard, kale, or turnip -- are salty with bobbing bits of fatback. Other sides, such as... More >>
• BEST JAPANESE RESTAURANT
  Nobu
  When you think in purist terms about top Japanese eateries, the impeccably classic cuisine at Matsuri (in the Redbird Mall) comes to mind; so does the home cooking at Hiro San in North Miami Beach. But aesthetics play a major role in the Japanese dining experience, and on that score nothing tops... More >>
• BEST RESTAURANT FOR KIDS
  Aquatica
  Kids -- you can't live with 'em, you can't pawn 'em to finance a meal at Casa Tua. So take 'em to Aquatica. The Eden Roc's casual indoor-outdoor restaurant is open from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m., which gives you plenty of flexibility. After the little ones have had roughly three bites of... More >>
• BEST CHINESE RESTAURANT
  Pao
  The valets in front, not to mention the white-tented poolside dining cabanas out back, clearly convey the message that Pao is not the sort of Chinese joint where you run in for a couple of egg rolls on the way home from work. In fact, despite early publicity touting the cuisine as "vintage... More >>
• BEST GREEK RESTAURANT
  Ouzo's Mediterranean Bistro
  What would you rather have in your face: the bellies of other drunken diners as they circle your table clumsily attempting Grecian folk dances, or a mouthful of taramasalata so silky smooth you'll think you're in heaven rather than just North Beach? If you prefer the latter, Ouzo's is the place... More >>
• Personal Best
  Norman Van Aken
  For more than a decade, Norman's in Coral Gables was the only venue where diners could sample master chef Norman Van Aken's creations prepared under his immediate supervision. (There are now namesake Norman's in Orlando and Los Angeles.) When a second local Van Aken outlet, Mundo, was... More >>