Miami's Five Best Outdoor Brunches

Boasting patios, gardens, piers, and courtyards, many of Miami's favorite brunch spots offer alfresco dining. Before the sweltering heat returns, lounge outside this weekend with carbonara fries, jamón serrano croquetas, and tableside growlers of local beer. Grab your fanciest hat and largest shades — these are the five best brunch spots to relish the remainder of springtime in Miami.
1. Habitat. Jose Mendin's indoor/outdoor space at the 1 Hotel South Beach, which offers a charming tree-canopied patio, allows guests to leisurely dine while diving into a seemingly endless selection of items. The experience — part buffet and part à la carte — includes Mendin's prized comfort food and a cocktail bar where diners can create their own drinks. Keep an eye out for the chilaquiles, which come layered with Korean pulled pork, kimchee, black beans, a fried egg, salsa verde, and a generous drizzle of crema. End the meal with a "cinnabao," a mashup of a cinnamon roll and a bao bun. Noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at 2395 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; 305-604-6700; 1hotels.com. Cost is $60 per person.
2. Glass & Vine. If Glass & Vine's charming atmosphere isn't enough to lure you to the Coconut Grove restaurant, maybe a bowl of black truffle carbonara fries will do the trick. The weekend brunch includes crisp jamón serrano croquetas filled with creamy béchamel and served with a heap of roasted fruit jam ($6), as well as those carbonara fries, doused in a black truffle crema with bacon and Grana Padano ($12). There are also growlers of Glass & Vine's own IPA and the favorite Night Life Brewery Brown ($35 for 65 ounces). Besides supersize beers, brunch cocktails include mimosas stirred with Florida orange juice and Charles Lafitte sparkling wine ($10) and sangria blended with Chablis, Sauvignon Blanc, passion fruit vodka, and fresh fruit ($10). 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 2820 McFarlane Rd., Coconut Grove; 305-200-5268; glassandvine.com.
3. R House. Brunch takes on a new meaning at this Wynwood restaurant. R House hosts the ultimate Sunday brunch party. Savor unlimited small plates brought to your table and continually replenished, as well as a choice of hearty entrées. While you dine, watch live drag performances every 15 minutes. Unlimited appetizers include black truffle and porcini mushroom mac 'n' cheese, homestyle scalloped potatoes, grilled Italian mini pork sausages, a cheddar scrambled egg bowl, and tomato, feta, and cucumber salad. Seatings at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday at 2727 NW Second Ave., Miami; 305-576-0201; rhousewynwood.com.
4. Amara at Paraiso. Michael Schwartz's latest restaurant is behind a new waterfront brunch in Miami's Edgewater neighborhood. The toothsome affair, hosted Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., offers a large selection of Latin American-influenced items washed down with a slate of tropical cocktails. The restaurant boasts an indoor/outdoor dining room facing Biscayne Bay and ample seating on a large patio. In addition to offering nearly two dozen plates, the meal includes roaming food carts stocked with sweet and savory items.  Consider the white corn arepas topped with sun gold tomatoes, queso fresco, and a poached egg ($16) or the Amara breakfast, a sampling of some of the restaurant's best items: meaty red beans, crisp eggs, chorizo, avocado, and an empanada ($18). 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at 3101 NE Seventh Ave., Miami; 305-702-5528; amaraatparaiso.com.
5. Lightkeepers. With unobstructed views of the Atlantic, diners can opt for an à la carte meal Saturday from noon until 4 p.m. or an upscale buffet Sunday from 12:30 to 3 p.m. All menus, crafted by executive chef Raul A. del Pozo, emphasize various seafood caught in South Florida waters. Add unlimited brunch punch, sangria, bloody marys, draft beer, or mimosas either day for $25 per person. Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and 12:30 to 3 p.m. Sunday at 455 Grand Bay Dr., Key Biscayne; 305-365-4156; ritzcarlton.com.