usa · November — April
The shift is on Brickell. Seia opened on the 54th floor of 830 Brickell in March, The Mexican on the Key in April. Karyu in the Design District is the omakase. MILĀ and Casa Neos remain the anchors of the social calendar, with Claudie holding the Brickell table and AVA the Coconut Grove one. The new geography of the city, room by room.
Where to begin
The addresses I would send to a friend on the first visit. The full guide is below.
5★ · Mid-BeachThe Alan Faena operation on Mid-Beach — Baz Luhrmann interiors, the gilded Damien Hirst mammoth, the most theatrical hotel in the city.
Brickell · French-MediterraneanThe Brickell room that brought the French Riviera to the financial district — Chef Michaelidis at the pass, opened February 2025 at 1101 Brickell.
Coconut Grove · GreekThe Coconut Grove room of the season — considered Greek cuisine and the AVA MM members club, the Grove's most consequential opening this year.
South Beach · Icon · EnnismoreSix years of silence, one full renovation. The Starck building on Collins is back — and Paris Society just made it the most interesting hotel dining stack in South Beach.
Wynwood · Sushi speakeasyThe 12-seat sushi speakeasy behind a Japanese cigarette machine inside Niño Gordo — Chef Carlos García, A5 wagyu, the most theatrical omakase in town.
Miami River · Lounge & rooftopThe 30,000-square-foot riverfront destination on the Miami River — restaurant, beach club, third-floor lounge, fourth-floor members-only rooftop above.
5★ · South BeachThe all-suite Asian-coded operation on Collins — three pools, the longest beachfront in South Beach, the most adult hotel on the strip.
Indian Creek · Ocean lunchThe Indian Creek beachfront lunch room — the open terrace, the simple fish kitchen, the most consistent ocean-view lunch in the city.
Rooftop · MediterrAsianThe South Beach rooftop room that anchors the city's social calendar — top-grossing independent restaurant in the country, a private members lounge above.
Hotels
Book the room.
5★ · SurfsideThe Richard Meier extension to the 1930 Russell Pancoast clubhouse — Surfside's only five-star, the Thomas Keller signature on the dining card.
5★ · Mid-BeachThe Ian Schrager × Marriott operation on Mid-Beach — Matador Room downstairs, the bowling alley and ice rink in the basement, the city's only true club-inside-a-hotel.
Festive · clubs, line-ups, long lunches
Reserve the table for the night out.
EDITION Mid-Beach · Bowling & discoThe basement at the Miami Beach EDITION — the bowling alley, the ice rink, the disco, the only club-inside-a-hotel that runs the format complete.
Design District · Pharrell × David GrutmanPharrell Williams and David Grutman's Design District room — Bishop Cocktail Bar above, the Ken Fulk interiors, the social calendar's most photographed table.
Wynwood · Listening barThe New York Dante team's Wynwood listening bar — the vinyl programme, the Negroni list, the most precise bar in the neighbourhood.
Brickell · JapaneseMaster sushi chef Katsuya Uechi at SLS Brickell — the Philippe Starck dining room, the crispy rice with spicy tuna, the late-Brickell social calendar.
Brickell · NiçoiseLa Petite Maison's Brickell chapter — the Nice original by way of London and Dubai, the dining room calibrated to the financial-district lunch.
Wynwood · MexicanThe Wynwood Mexican room — the mezcal programme, the late-night register, the long courtyard that handles the gallery-night crowd.
1 Hotel South Beach · Open-air cinemaThe open-air rooftop cinema on the 1 Hotel — the deck chairs, the headset audio, the format that runs through the dry season.
Authentic · the quiet rooms
Reserve the quiet dinner.
Opened March 2026Vlad Doronin's OKO Group with The Bastion Collection (ten Michelin stars) — the Italian room and private members club on the 54th floor of 830 Brickell.
South Beach · TuscanThe Ocean Drive Tuscan room imported from the Versilia coast — the most credible old-school Italian dining room on the strip.
Opens April 2026The Dallas flagship's Brickell Key expansion — Prix Versailles laureate, ten thousand square feet on Biscayne Bay, northern Mexican cuisine at scale.
South Beach · IsraeliThe Sunset Harbour Israeli room — Tel Aviv kitchen translated intact, the hummus, the lamb kebab, the most credible Middle Eastern address in the city.
Aventura · Kosher JapaneseThe Aventura kosher Japanese steakhouse — robata grill, sushi counter, the most ambitious kosher kitchen in South Florida.
South Beach · ItalianThe Lincoln Road Italian room from the Babe team — pasta cut behind the bar, the late-night register, the antidote to Lincoln Road.
Coral Gables · Northern ItalianThe Niven Patel Coral Gables room — Northern Italian register, garden produce, the most precise pasta kitchen south of Brickell.
Opens 2026 · Wagyu omakaseThe US debut of Tokyo's Oniku Karyu — one-Michelin-star wagyu omakase, Tajimaguro premium beef, the most anticipated Design District opening of 2026.
Bal Harbour · JapaneseStephen Starr's Bal Harbour Japanese room — sushi counter, robatayaki grill, the long lunch on the Shops upper level.
Design District · Greek-TurkishThe Design District Aegean garden — Greek-Turkish small plates, the white-and-blue courtyard, the lunch the gallery crowd books for the chef.
Wynwood · HandrollsThe 25-seat Wynwood handroll counter under Michelin chef Yasu Tanaka — Japanese fish, French-Japanese desserts by Yann Couvreur.
South Beach · Sunday buffetThe Setai's Sunday buffet — the courtyard, the seafood tower, the most precise hotel brunch on the strip.
North Beach · Sushi conveyorThe North Beach sushi-boat room — the conveyor format, the no-reservation queue, the closest Miami has to a Tokyo neighbourhood sushiya.
Brickell · HandrollsMiami's first dedicated hand-roll bar — the Brickell counter format, four-handroll set at lunch, the most direct way to eat sushi in the city.
Wynwood · NeapolitanThe Wynwood Neapolitan kitchen — wood-fired pizza, fresh pasta, the late-Wynwood dinner that holds up to scrutiny.
Brickell · IzakayaThe Brickell izakaya — sashimi counter, robata, the late-Brickell dinner that runs without the suit-and-tie register of the larger rooms.
Miami Beach · ItalianThe Sunset Harbour Italian — fresh pasta, the short list, the neighbourhood room that books two weeks ahead.
Tables
Book the table.
Allapattah · Italian-AmericanThe LA Italian-American room's Miami chapter — the Sunset original transplanted to the Rubell Museum, the green booths, the LA Woman pizza.
South Pointe · Waterfront steakhouseThe South Pointe steakhouse on the water — the cruise-ship view, the dry-aged sirloin, the long terrace that handles the boat-watching.
Wynwood · Bakery & caféZak Stern's Wynwood kosher bakery and café — the sourdough programme, the morning sandwiches, the most committed bakery in the city.
Brickell · French boulangerieBiloula Monnier's French boulangerie and wine shop on Brickell — the croissants, the baguette tradition, the wine programme that runs deep into Burgundy.
Miami Beach · BrunchThe Miami Beach brunch room — the avocado programme, the all-day kitchen, the corner that handles the late-morning crowd.
Coconut Grove · CoffeeThe Coconut Grove micro-roastery — the espresso programme, the counter format, the only coffee in the Grove a Roman would order.
Downtown · French brunchThe Downtown Parisian café — the brunch, the long counter, the espresso programme that holds up to a Marais cross-check.
Coconut Grove · BagelsThe Mat Chiarelli bagel programme in the Grove — sourdough-water bagels, the morning queue, the only proper New York bagel in Miami.
Wynwood · Coastal MexicanThe Wynwood coastal Mexican room — the ceviche programme, the weekend brunch, the courtyard that handles the long Saturday afternoon.
Coral Gables · CoffeeThe Coral Gables specialty coffee bar — the espresso programme, the counter format, the only credible coffee on Miracle Mile.
Aventura · Borekas & IsraeliThe Aventura borekas counter — the Israeli breakfast, the kosher dairy register, the morning queue that justifies the drive north.
Surfside · Waterfront seafoodThe Indian Creek waterfront seafood room — the dock, the simple kitchen, the family-style lunch the locals book on weekends.
Design District · Ice cream & cerealThe Ronnie Fieg ice-cream and cereal counter inside the Design District flagship — the soft serve, the cereal milkshakes, the after-shopping stop.
Wynwood · Coffee & wineThe Wynwood Italian café — espresso in the morning, natural wine in the evening, the room that handles the day and the night with the same kitchen.
Coconut Grove · All-day caféThe New York French café group's Coconut Grove chapter — the nutty chocolate chip cookie, the lavender latte, the all-day room the neighbourhood orbits.
Wynwood · By the sliceThe by-the-slice room from the Lost Boy Dry Goods team — sourdough pizza, the late-night Wynwood antidote to the four-hour dinner.
Brickell · Onigiri & matchaThe Brickell Japanese market-café — onigiri, matcha programme, the day-stop that runs from morning to early evening.
Wynwood · All-dayThe Wynwood all-day garden restaurant — the brunch, the long terrace, the most consistent neighbourhood room in the quarter.
Brickell · Israeli caféThe Brickell Israeli café — the shakshuka, the hummus plate, the all-day kitchen that handles the morning and the lunch with equal precision.
Coconut Grove · Open-top handrollsThe New York handroll group's Coconut Grove chapter — the open-top temaki format, the chefs from Masa, the counter that books a week ahead.
Wynwood · Late-night cookiesThe late-night Wynwood cookie counter — fresh-baked through the night, the after-bar exit, the only address that handles three in the morning.
Coral Gables · ItalianThe Coral Gables Italian neighbourhood room — the wood-fired oven, the small short menu, the family-run format that books two weeks ahead.
Island Gardens · MarinaThe Watson Island marina deck — the view of the skyline, the casual fish kitchen, the right lunch between the boat and the city.
Bakery · CroissantsThe croissant programme that the bakery community in Miami concedes — the laminated layers, the morning sell-out, the only address worth lining for.
South Miami · Ice creamThe South Miami small-batch ice-cream counter — the rotating flavours, the cones the locals queue for, the only address worth crossing US-1 for.
Sport · tennis, padel, polo, golf
Book the court · the green · the chukkers.
Golf · 18 holes · MembersEighteen holes in the old Gables — banyans, coral rock walls, the historic round inside Miami that the Doral conversation has forgotten.
Private aviation · jets
Charter a jet · point to point.
Opa-Locka · Fort Lauderdale ExecOut of Opa-Locka or Fort Lauderdale Executive for Cabo, New York, Caribbean — NetJets, Flexjet, VistaJet.
Clubs & members rooms
Get on the list.
Downtown · Open-format clubThe downtown techno institution — the terrace, the sunrise sets, the only club in Miami that does the all-night-into-morning proposition seriously.
Members clubThe South Beach members club at the 1941 Sovereign Hotel — the rooftop pool, the dining room downstairs, the most international membership in the city.