Closer Look: New Times' Best Reviewed Restaurants of 2017 — So Far

So far, 2017 has been a year of big openings and bigger expectations on Miami’s restaurant scene. The SLS Brickell illustrates the trend via new offerings from both Spanish superchef José Andrés and local hero Michael Schwartz. Then there’s Kris Wessel, whose short-lived Oolite and beloved Red Light Little River still linger on our palates as we await his forthcoming Caribbean barbecue spot. Meanwhile, new projects from chefs Jeremy Ford, Jeff McInnis, and Norman Van Aken are in the works. By contrast, the best restaurants New Times reviewed during the first months of 2017 are mostly small scale and overseen by names you might not know. They offer Mexican, Filipino, Thai, and Chinese fare. One is both old and new — a second outlet for a wildly popular oyster restaurant in a classic North Miami location. Another, in the unpredictable South of Fifth neighborhood, is a pricey-but-worth-it masterpiece by a Philadelphia culinary genius and friends.

Photography by CandaceWest.com