According to Cote owner Simon Kim, steakhouses should be more fun. So he created Cote, a concept that combines the fun and excitement of Korean barbecue with the upscale ambience of a traditional New York steakhouse. Here the focus is on prime meats, each grilled at the table Korean barbecue-style. The Miami menu mirrors the NYC flagship's selection of American and A5 Japanese Wagyu sourced from the Miyazaki prefecture; cuts are dry-aged for a minimum of 45 days in the restaurant's red-light dry-aging room and seasoned with a proprietary blend of British Maldon salt, Himalayan pink salt, and Korean thousand-day sea salt. If you like your steak rare, you'll get a chance to see it in all its marbled glory; each table is fitted with its own smokeless grill, and dry-aged cuts are presented raw before being cooked to order. In a change of pace from heavier steakhouse sides, meats are served alongside light pickled vegetables and a variety of Korean condiments, from the house kimchi to a ssamjang dipping sauce used in lettuce wraps. In true steakhouse form, the full menu includes shareable appetizers, including a wedge salad, steak tartare, shrimp cocktail and full caviar service. Feeling fancy? Try Kim's favorite, the "Butcher's Feast" — a selection of four different meats served with an assortment of the restaurant's savory sides, pickled vegetables, rice, and dessert.

If Holi Vegan Kitchen had a motto, it would be "Anything you can cook, I can cook vegan —and better." The casual eatery offers a list of everything you could want to eat, only vegan. Tacos? Check! Quesadilla? Check! Burgers? Four different kinds, to be exact (a Beyond burger, an Impossible burger, a black bean burger and a lentil burger — $13 to $16). Holi has meatball heroes, Italian sausage sandwiches, pizzettas, pancakes, and scrambles. Everything is made to order, so it's fresh and delicious. And if you want to go the "healthy vegan" route, Holi's got you covered with smoothies, salads, bowls, and fresh-pressed juices. So take your carnivorous bestie and see what they think: You might just have a new date for Meatless Monday.

Searching for cooking that has breadth and depth at once? This is your place. Michelin-starred chef Alain Verzeroli's menu includes constant refreshes of straightforward vegetarian dishes that are remarkable in their fresh simplicity. Maybe today is the day for summer gazpacho, made with avocado, a sweet dash of Bing cherries, and a creamy layer of fresh ricotta? Or a plate of summer corn tortellini, crowned with chanterelle mushrooms and hazelnuts to savor over a mix of chamomile-infused tequila blanco, green chartreuse, ginger, and lemon? It's all good. The interior is a nod to the Design District's sleekness — a nice stretch of bar, an outdoor dining area done in white and green, and a fancy, light-filled interior. The best part is the intimate outdoor space, which is open on warm summer evenings allowing you to experience Miami's epicenter of trendiness from a serene and satiated remove.

A Brazilian joint at the Village Restaurant & Shops in downtown, Bar da Vila is a great place to feast on richly flavored classics like picanha skewers and feijoada. But what separates this spot from other Brazilian restaurants in town is its lively and welcoming ambiance. It's an ideal spot to grab a drink, catch up with friends, and listen to live music on weekends. Need further inducement? The prices are as friendly as the atmosphere. Try the stroganoff, prepared with your choice of meat in a tomato cream; or marinated sea bass with a nut crust and açaí reduction; or the picanha burger served inside cheese bread with bacon, mozzarella cheese, and caramelized onions. Oh, and a caipirinha to drink. Always order a caipirinha.

NW Second Avenue in Wynwood is known for its eye-popping murals, selfie-obsessed pedestrians, and all-around chaos, but some of the juiciest and most flavorful jerk chicken and oxtail in the city can be found in an inconspicuous eatery just a block north of the hustle-bustle, where a headless mannequin painted in the colors and pattern of the Jamaican flag marks the entrance. Ian Curtis, AKA Chef Slim, runs the kitchen, while his wife, Nadine Patrice, sees to the front of the house. The turquoise walls are dotted with canvases depicting Bob Marley and George Floyd, along with uplifting messages, imbuing the space with a warm, laidback vibe not unlike that of a friend's dining room. Other Caribbean classics are served here, including curry goat roti, fish cakes, Jamaican patties, and conch fritters. Dinner arrives in heaping portions, alongside rice and beans, and sweet plantains. Just don't drop in on a Monday. Every chef is entitled to a day off.

Restaurateurs Javier Ramirez and Leo Monterrey first imagined the space on NW 29th Street as a Thai kitchen, but ultimately decided to go with classic Cantonese fare inside a Miami-fied take on a Chinese restaurant. With its brightly painted exterior and salsa-infused playlist, Palmar — Spanish for "palm grove" — indeed reflects the Magic City's tropical elements. But don't be fooled: This spot is Chinese cuisine at its best. An early à la carte menu offered a number of modern takes on classic dishes — immediately identifiable as Chinese, but with ingredients that fell outside the traditional cuisine. A few such dishes can still be found on the well-composed menu overseen by executive chef Pedro Lara. The lineup moves from dim sum, rice, and noodles to heartier entrees such as Szechuan beef in a velvety sweet and tangy sauce. But dumplings — handmade and stuffed with everything from eggplant and lamb to scallops and pork — steal the show at Palmar, along with savory crab and veggie versions of Filipino-style lumpia. The fried rice is also notable, arriving in mountainous heaps flecked with confetti-like nibs of cooked egg and diced scallions. Peking-style roasted duck, served tableside, is, as the menu notes, an experience.

At Semilla, fresh-from-the-oven baguettes are served with terrine de foie gras and Granny Smith apple jelly just to get things going. Frederic Joulin and his wife Laetitia have been running this French comfort-food restaurant since 2013 and host one of the best South Beach happy hours. The bistro-style cooking is carried out in an open kitchen that allows guests to see what's happening behind the line as classic, delectable dishes — moules marinière, boeuf bourguignon, and New York steak au poivre come together. It's the kind of place one goes for dinner but stays for the evening, enjoying the sounds of lounge music and sipping the wine.

Tucked in the center of downtown Miami, Meraki beckons with its warm ambiance and virtually hidden location away from the fray. Diners aren't here for frills or fuss. They come for the homey feel of the whitewashed space, dotted with flowers, lamps, and blue and gold accents, a vibe that's just the ticket for dates, groups of friends, or a girls' night out. Tried-and-true dishes of kebabs, seafood, and moussaka share the menu with specials and family platters. A list of Greek wines contains the perfect ride-along for any choice, and the Greek fries, roasted veggies and other sides are delicious. Meraki also operates a second location on Main Highway in Coconut Grove.

Miami is a melting pot, but it's a helluva lot easier to find a good Cuban sandwich or empanada than it is to find a decent plate of chicken tikka masala. Bombay Darbar in Coconut Grove, however, offers an authentic Indian dining experience in a luxurious atmosphere. Whether it's a traditional vegetarian dish, a spicy curry, or even a mango lassi you crave, Bombay's got it, and got it good. After years of success, the restaurant eventually relocated to a larger location to accommodate its customers. It remains a hit and a favorite among Indian food aficionados.

When it comes to culinary trends, this was the year of the osteria. And none did it — or continues to do it — better than Osteria Morini. Located at the Kimpton Hotel Palomar and overlooking the Collins Canal, Morini features corporate executive chef Bill Dorrler's andchef de cuisine Julio Cesar Ramos'dishes, which stem from the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. Whether you're going rustic withprosciutto and mortadella meatballs, savoring a reinvented pasta course with ricotta gnocchetti, black kale pesto, tomato conserva, and smoked ricotta salata, or indulging in ultimate sophistication with a pistachio-crusted, dry-aged duck breast with fennel, citrus celery root purée, the big flavors of Morini will stay with you — and bring you back again and again.