UCityGuides.com Home > MIAMI > MIAMI CAFÉS & RESTAURANTS
Stop for a drink on Lincoln Road and dine in style
|
|
CAFÉS
Ice Box Café
Just steps from all the Lincoln Road shopping, this is the perfect stop for a refreshing drink. Locals come here to cool down, but so do savvy tourists who've done their homework and know that this little café is renowned for its cakes and pastries such as its signature peanut butter ice-cream cake. Sit at one of the wooden tables or on the sofas of the cosy modern interior, and also order a light lunch or dinner. See the website for menus.
Segafredo
You'll probably have to fight for a table, but that's the price you pay in order to experience one of South Beach's most fashionable cafés. Ideal for a cup of coffee, snack, glass of wine, or light meal, this is our choice for a quick lunch or afternoon snack. It's an Italian café in Miami style.
Tiramesu
A locals' favorite on Lincoln Road, sit outside and enjoy the sun and an Italian menu. But if you choose to stay inside take a look at the modern art on the walls of the dining room. There is also a large bar to recharge your batteries in between Lincoln Road shopping.
THE VAN DYKE CAFÉ - 846 Lincoln Road, South Beach North
This jazz café and music lounge on Lincoln Road is always packed from brunch to dinner, both indoors and outdoors. Salads, pizzas, omelettes, huge burgers, and some great desserts make up most of the menu on the ground floor, while upstairs is the house band and guest musicians playing live jazz every night of the week.
RESTAURANTS
Azul
The first thing that stands out is the views of downtown Miami's skyline and of Biscayne Bay but then the food will demand your full attention. It fuses French, Japanese, and Italian cuisine cooked to perfection in the open kitchen. This sophisticated restaurant located in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel also has a good wine list, and the hotel's M-Bar has over two hundred Martini varieties.
Barton G
This hip restaurant by culinary artist Barton G offers dishes such as swordfish served on a sword and popcorn shrimp over real popcorn. Yes, it's over the top, but this is Miami, so even eating should be an offbeat and fun experience. If you choose not to dine but still would like to experience the relaxed atmosphere of this place, head to the bar by the entrance and join Miami hipsters for cocktails.
Blue Door at Delano Hotel
For a real taste of South Beach lifestyle, head towards the Blue Door. Formerly co-owned by Madonna, the menu has been given a French fine dining makeover. The wine list is impressive, as is the design complete with white leather screens. While you wait for a table, stop at the Rose Bar for a drink.
CARAMELO - 264 Giralda Ave. Coral Gables, FL 1-305-445-8783
Dress up for this high quality Italian restaurant in Coral Gables. With two dining rooms, a bar, and cigar room, this is an elegant space where booking is recommended. Otherwise, wait for your table at the stylish bar.
Casa Tua
This Mediterranean villa with an interior designed by Ralph Lauren is arguably the most stylish restaurant in town. It's also one of the priciest, but the exceptional Italian food is worth it. The wealthy clientele also has the option to sit at one of the few tables in the flower garden or go upstairs to the sleek members-only cocktail lounge.
China Grill
The place to see and be seen as you eat, it is not unusual to spot a local celebrityhere. The menu mixes Italian, French, and Asian flavors, and the dishes to try are the lobster pancakes stir-fried with red chilli or the tempura sashimi with mustard champagne sauce. There is also a large and expensive wine list.
Joe's Stone Crab
Always full with hundreds of locals and tourists, this is the place to go if you love crabs and don't mind covering your outfit with a bib or having a napkin tucked into your shirt. It can be messy, it's always informal, but it's also a classic. The Kennedys and other famous names such as Al Capone loved it, and it's been world-famous for decades.
Ago
Co-owned by Robert DeNiro and chef Agostino Sciandri, this restaurant inside The Shore Club Hotel serves Italian cuisine and an extensive wine list in a sophisticated setting. The terrace area has views of South Beach, adding to the pleasure of dining here.
L'ENTRECOTE DE PARIS - 419 Washington Ave, Miami Beach
Here's a little of Paris in Miami. It's an unpretentious bistro with a French atmosphere, a French staff, French cuisine, and a mostly French wine list. It's a good option for a dinner for two.
Mark's South Beach at the Nash Hotel.
The owner is Chef Mark who has been rated one of the ten best chefs in America, but Larry La Valley takes over in his absence and does an equally excellent job. The menu changes constantly but always satisfies every palate.
Nemo
Real trendsetters have found Nemo. This laid-back yet sophisticated restaurant presents high quality dishes in a friendly and unpretentious atmosphere. The cuisine is "new American," having repeatedly earned it a spot in Zagat as one of the country's top restaurants.
Nobu at The Shore Club
There are a dozen Nobu restaurants around the world, and Miami Beach's is found inside the The Shore Club Hotel next to "Ago" (see above). The dishes to order are the chef's signature rock shrimp tempura and the black cod. The attractive crowd is usually a mix of locals and hotel guests who dine here before moving to the Sky Bar in the same building.
Ortanique on the Mile
This Coral Gables restaurant offers a warm atmosphere and some great fish, although the decoration is all oranges - on the doors, the menus, the plates, the curtains... That reflects the name of the restaurant which is a Jamaican orange. Jamaica is also present in the menu, such as the signature dish mussels in spicy Jamaican Red-Stripe beer.
Pacific Time
We recommend Pacific Time for an unhurried meal during a day out shopping on Lincoln Road. It's an award-winning restaurant with innovative Pan-Asian cuisine of fish and crabs. You may choose to sit outside to observe all the Lincoln Road action as you eat.
Prime One Twelve
This is the place for the glitterati and for those who love streak. As the hippest restaurant on Miami Beach, expect to wait even if you book well in advance. But that's your opportunity to wait at the stylish bar. As a steakhouse, this is obviously not the option for vegetarians, or for those on a budget, as prices are quite high.
Sushi Samba Dromo
A celebrity favorite (and a favorite for celebrity sightings), this restaurant offers the same Japanese-Brazilian-Peruvian cuisine as the other famous Sushi Sambas. Of course food is secondary to socializing but it's one of those places you just have to go, even if you only sip on warm sake.
Touch Restaurant
Touch Restaurant offers one more touch of luxury on Lincoln Road, with its foie gras, caviar, and seafood justifying the high prices. When dinner is over wait for the belly dancers and the live music that transform the space into a party zone.
Santo Miami Beach
Innovative contemporary American cuisine at the restaurant and live music with guest DJs at the lounge are what Santo Miami Beach is all about. This hotspot has an upscale urban cool atmosphere, enhanced by the edgy photographs and sexy lighting. Occasionally there are special events, which are another excuse to head here and spend the night drinking at one of its three bars.
MORE MIAMI:
SIGHTS & ATTRACTIONS | HOTELS & HOSTELS | BARS & CLUBS | CAFES & RESTAURANTS | SHOPPING | BODY & SOUL |
GAY & LESBIAN | MAP & TRANSPORTATION | CAR RENTAL | TOURS & DAYTRIPS | CONCERTS & EVENTS
