The Delish Guide To ... Miami
These are best places to eat when you're feeling the Miami heat.
Miami’s the perfect place to visit in the soul-sucking dead of winter. You land, you immediately forget what month it is, and within hours you are sitting by a pool with a large pink drink in your hand, and everything is right with the world. There's not enough time in the world to conduct a comprehensive analysis of this city’s food and drink establishments, but we did our best (and now have an excuse to go back). You can find most of these places in South Beach, so you never have to stray too far from the shore.
Front Porch Cafe; South Beach
There are a lot of cute breakfast spots along Ocean Drive — brightly colored umbrellas are basically required — but everyone inevitably ends up at Front Porch Cafe. You can almost hear the ocean whether you’re sitting on the sun-soaked dining terrace or just inside the quasi-modern dining room. Breakfast is served all day, and it’s pretty much exactly what you want after a night out on the town — creative omelets with fillings like chicken satay or reuben fixings meet classics like huevos rancheros, breakfast burritos, and fluffy slices of French Toast.
Where To Find It: 1458 Ocean Dr, Miami Beach, FL 33139
La Sandwicherie; South Beach
Guy Fieri told Delish we simply HAD to go here, and you don’t say no to Guy. What we found was an absolutely adorable counter-service spot bustling with chattering French staff that couldn’t be more charming. Wait your turn at the window, say bonjour (okay, don’t actually say bonjour) and order one of the largest, most overstuffed sandwiches I’ve ever encountered. Try the SOBE Club — stuffed with turkey, brie and avocado — or the Tropical – filled with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, mozzarella, papaya, mango, pineapple and avocado. Be sure to drown it in the housemade vinaigrette, AKA “magic sauce,” which is basically crack in a bottle.
Where To Find It: 229 14th St, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Byblos; Miami Beach
Middle Eastern food might not be the first thing you think of when you picture Miami’s food scene, but Byblos is a one of the most memorable meals you’ll have in the city. You enter through a low-ceilinged bar, go up a twisty staircase and are seated in a stunning (yet compact) dining room, full of plush couches and bright colors. The food is a trendy mixed bag of classics like labneh and lamb ribs, but also more out-there choices like a delightfully crispy Middle Eastern fried chicken, Turkish dumplings, and an uber-cheesy black truffle flatbread with halloumi. It’s a splurge to be sure, but worth it for the cool points.
Where To Find It: 1545 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Bodega Taqueria y Tequila; Miami Beach
After a night out drinking (or an afternoon drinking, if we’re being honest. Vacation!), you know you’re going to want tacos at some point. Bodega is THE place for this craving. It’s open daily until 5 a.m., plus it has a hidden bar you enter through a bathroom door, so you can keep the party going all night. The queso fundido defines epic cheese pull, and the menu choices are both authentic (tacos al pastor) and unexpected (including a Cuban sandwich-inspired burrito).
Where To Find It: 1220 16th St, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Wynwood Diner; Wynwood
If there was a neighborhood that could get us out of our pool chair, it was definitely Wynwood. We heard it was an Instagrammer’s paradise — every building is covered in absolutely stunning graffiti – and we were not disappointed. Equally awesome was this spot, which purports to be a diner but feels more like a cross between Urban Outfitters, an abandoned warehouse, and a hip plant store. The food is hipster-approved — avocado toast, chicken & waffles, and a towering burger with an egg on it — but overall, the place has a charm that makes you stop judging the cool kids and just join in. Definitely snag a seat in the garden area if you can.
Where To Find It: 2601 NW 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33127
The Bazaar/Bar Centro By Jose Andres; South Beach
We thought Byblos was a splurge, but that was before we tried to get into The Bazaar. The cousin of uber-fancy Bazaar Mar, this restaurant /lounge (located within the SLS South Beach) is also from chef Jose Andres and still operates under a go-big-or-go-home vibe. If you can manage it, snag a reservation for the main dining room, which has a huge chandelier that looks like a sea creature. However, our place was at Bar Centro, the equally pretty poolside bar in the back of the restaurant. Huddled under heaters, we had a blast snacking on Patatas Bravas (potatoes with spicy tomato aioli) and some Croquetas de Jamón (Spanish ham and béchamel fritters) that I still can’t stop thinking about. Those paired with the house specialty, salt air margaritas, made for a pretty perfect dinner without the jaw-dropping bill.
Where To Find It: 1701 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, FL 33139
The Delano Beach Club; Miami Beach
Our tour of hotel bars concluded with another poolside drink (is there any other kind in Miami?) at The Delano Beach Club. It was the kind of place you think Miami is all about — beautiful people drinking overpriced drinks in a scene-y setting. But we couldn’t resist the amazing people watching, or the giant pitcher of rose sangria (...the sweet potato fries and the guac aren't bad either). It’s not for everyone or every night, but at least you can say you saw Miami at its most cinematic (if that cinema is Bad Boys 2 or Miami Vice).
Where To Find It: 1685 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Nautilus Cabana Club; Miami Beach
By the end of your trip, you need to face facts — you want to spend the entire day by a pool. There are plenty of great ones in this town, but we chose the poolside café at The Nautilus Hotel. There are a couple ways you can enjoy a meal here — there’s the sprawling outdoor dining room where you can see and be seen at large, round booths under HUGE wicker lanterns … or you can stay horizontal and order food directly to your deck chair. The Mediterranean-influenced menu isn’t anything crazy creative, but it does the job when all you want to do is eat by a pool. Sunday Brunch comes with the offer of a buffet and unlimited rose, or go a la carte for classics, like avocado toast with poached eggs or a smoked salmon platter.
Where To Find It: 1825 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139
The Frieze Ice Cream Factory; South Beach
You’re by the beach, so you’re gonna crave ice cream at some point. This spot is consistently rated highly among the city’s ice cream shops and is conveniently located in the charming (but touristy) Lincoln Road pedestrian mall. We have a firm belief that any place with string lights is doing something right, and we were proven correct again when we checked out the flavors this place is scooping, like vanilla dotted with chocolate cake, a twisted take on Rocky Road called Bumpy Trail, and boozy sorbets like champagne and red wine.
Where To Find It: 1626 Michigan Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Airport Cafe & Liquors; Miami Springs
Last year, one of our staff members hit this off-the-beaten-path spot while on a road trip and made a video about its massive, super creative burgers. Now that we had a chance to try them for ourselves, we couldn’t let you leave Miami without directing you toward Chef Reuben Ruiz’s insane creations. He makes full use of Delish–approved ingredients like crushed Doritos and Cheetos, and every burger looks like it was designed by an algorithm to maximize Instagram likes — and put you into a food coma. It’s the perfect way to say goodbye to this land of excess.
Where To Find It: 4427 NW 36th St, Miami Springs, FL 33166
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