Here's a rundown of this year's best restaurants in Miami by neighborhood.
Best Restaurant in Brickell: La Petite Maison. As gastronomy has become cultural currency, France's lauded cuisine has been forced to share the stage with the other great cultures of the world. La Petite Maison, a French concept in the stable of restaurateur and Zuma founder Arjun Waney, shows why we shouldn't forget the primacy of
Best Restaurant in Coconut Grove: Glass & Vine. In an idyllic setting overlooking the bay and Peacock Park, you can find celebrated chef Giorgio Rapicavoli's creativity throughout a menu that changes constantly. Sometimes his dishes are inspired by a single color. Other times they're stoner-friendly items such as carbonara fries. Sometimes he'll toy with an unusual ingredient like bison and follow it with instant classics such as homemade semolina pasta tossed in a green-pea pesto with pistachios and lemony breadcrumbs. Call it ingenious, call it Rapicavoli growing up, but whatever you do, be sure to call in your reservation. 2820 McFarlane Rd., Coconut Grove; 305-200-5268; glassandvine.com.
Best Restaurant in Coral Gables: Miss Saigon Bistro. When Miss Saigon opened in Coral Gables in 1997, most South Floridians were more familiar with the Broadway musical of the same name than Southeast Asian cuisine. In the past two decades, though, Miss Saigon has helped familiarize Coral Gables. Pho might not yet be as ubiquitous as foreign foods such as hummus or sushi, but Miss Saigon's six varieties of the northern Vietnamese beef soup have helped right that wrong one order at a time. The dinner menu lists a wide range of dishes, including an inspired vegetarian section with a $21.95 seitan watercress that's worth a drive. The weekday lunch special from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. is more economical, offering 23 items — from bun (rice noodle bowls) to pad thai — for $9.95 to $12.95. 148 Giralda Ave., Coral Gables; misssaigonbistro.com
Best Restaurant in the Design District/Midtown: St. Roch Market. On a cool Friday evening, stylishly dressed crowds scurry up an escalator toward the recently opened St. Roch Market. The 10,000-square-foot food hall holds 12 distinct food and drink concepts. You can sample house-made Italian ravioli, wolf down a bowl of spicy ceviche, and slurp a few oysters on the half-shell. The idea is based on the successful flagship of the same name in New Orleans. Start with a drink before dinner at the Mayhaw, which serves tiki cocktails made with fresh juices and mixers. Then try gnocchi-like spinach dumplings called gnudi
Best Restaurant in Downtown Miami: Alloy Bistro Gourmet. In 2016, Federico Genovese, his brother Claudio, and partner Luna Bertolotti opened this charming Mediterranean-style spot tucked into one of the narrow courtyards hidden between downtown buildings. At Alloy Bistro Gourmet, you can find a survey of cuisine that always includes a house-smoked fish and tender octopus ($20), as well as simple salads such as one composed of whipped goat cheese and watercress with a watercress dressing. The best part is that the short menu changes almost monthly, and the owners are often the ones to guide you through a meal. Most recently, they served a duck prosciutto ($17) and black pasta infused with coconut charcoal tossed with soy and portobello mushrooms ($22). If any of that sounds enticing, don't delay. 154 SE First Ave., Miami; 786-773-2742; alloybistro.com.
Best Restaurant in Little Havana: Taquerias El Mexicano. Although Little Havana is named for the capital of Cuba, the beauty of the neighborhood is its vast array of cultures and nationalities. For example, Miami boasts a large Mexican community, and Taquerias El Mexicano is easily one of the best culinary contributions to the area. The menu is vast, and the question "Do you have...?" will inevitably be answered with a resounding, "Sí." For the most part, the dishes are old-school, but Taquerias El Mexicano is under new ownership that is modernizing the restaurant. The colorful decorations inside and out are still traditional and proudly celebrate all things Mexican. The service is friendly and the food
Best Restaurant in North Miami-Dade: Chayhana Oasis. If you decide to pay this Uzbek hideaway a visit, be sure to go on a Friday or Saturday, when a resident belly dancer does her thing across the room all night long while music blares and an oversize flat-screen TV loops video of a fireplace. Secure a bottle of vodka — this could be a long night. Luckily, Chayhana Oasis serves plenty of deeply satisfying food representative of not only Uzbekistan but also the entire central Eurasian region where the former Soviet republic today traces its borders. Hence, a meal might begin with the tender stuffed Turkish-style grape leaves called
Stubborn Seed's lavash
Photo by CandaceWest.com
Best Restaurant in South Miami-Dade: No Name Chinese. Do you want a wine that goes best with roast duck and pickled vegetables? Or maybe you would like to know which varietals pair well with dumplings and steamed buns. Fret not. At No Name Chinese, the team has the perfect bottle to go with thoughtfully sourced and executed Chinese cuisine that turns what was once familiar into something that honors Chinese traditions with a South Florida twist. The turnip cake ($12) is a dim sum classic with sweet soy, Japanese mayo, katsuobushi flakes, lap
Best Restaurant on the Upper Eastside: 'O Munaciello. 'O Munaciello isn't your regular pizza shop. The Neapolitan-style restaurant on Miami's Upper Eastside makes a slate of unique pies. Some are infused with activated charcoal, creating a black-hued dough. Most are topped with traditional fixings such as mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. The eatery offers other fare from Italy's Campania region as well, including homemade tagliatelle
Best Restaurant in Wynwood: Alter. It's not hyperbole to say Alter has changed Miami's culinary game forever. When Brad Kilgore opened his Wynwood restaurant, naysayers said it might not last. Sure, the food was impeccable. Kilgore impressed guests with his intricate dishes that combined molecular gastronomy, traditional culinary techniques, and an artistic worldview. But there was more. The food was not only delicious but also lovely. Dishes such as soft egg white sea scallop
Next Thursday, June 21, X Miami will host New Times' Best of Miami party, where you can enjoy bites from more than a dozen of the area's best restaurants while sipping unlimited cocktails and jamming to live music.
Purchase tickets for $50 in advance, or pay $60 at the door. A portion of ticket proceeds will benefit Miami Lighthouse for the Blind.
New Times' Best of Miami Party. 8 to 11 p.m. Thursday, June 21, at X Miami, 230 NE Fourth St., Miami. Tickets cost $50 via 305-571-7579 or newtimesbestofmiami.com or $60 at the door.
