Joe's Stone Crab in Miami Beach is the 1913 South of Fifth seafood cathedral, serving chilled stone crab claws with mustard sauce from October 15 to May 1 each year.
Signature dishes: Stone crab claws with mustard sauce, Key lime pie, Hash browns
Must order: Jumbo or large stone crab claws with the mustard sauce and a side of creamed spinach.
Tip: No reservations for dinner; arrive by 5pm or use the take-away counter next door for the same claws to-go.
Address: 11 Washington Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Yardbird in Miami Beach is the Lenox Avenue Southern table that put 27-hour brined fried chicken on the South Beach map and runs brunch through dinner daily.
Signature: 27-hour brined fried chicken, Chicken n watermelon n waffles, Mama's biscuits
Order: The chicken n watermelon n waffles plate; the chicken alone is the order if you only want one bird.
Tip: Book the patio if it's open. Locals brunch Saturday before the queue takes the dining room past 1pm.
Yardbird in Miami Beach is the Lenox Avenue Southern table that put 27-hour brined fried chicken on the South Beach map and runs brunch through dinner daily.
Signature: 27-hour brined fried chicken, Chicken n watermelon n waffles, Mama's biscuits
Order: The chicken n watermelon n waffles plate; the chicken alone is the order if you only want one bird.
Tip: Book the patio if it's open. Locals brunch Saturday before the queue takes the dining room past 1pm.
Cote Miami in the Design District is Simon Kim's Michelin-starred Korean steakhouse, a smoke-and-fire room that opened on NE 2nd Avenue in 2021.
Signature: Butcher's Feast tasting, Galbi, Steak Omakase
Order: The Butcher's Feast; four cuts with banchan, stews and soft-serve to close.
Tip: Book three to four weeks ahead. Counter seats give you full kitchen view; the back banquettes are quieter for groups.
Boia De in Miami is the Michelin-starred 24-seat Italian counter at 5205 NE 2nd Ave, glowing under a neon exclamation mark in a Buena Vista strip mall.
Signature: Bone marrow with anchovy, Cacio e pepe, Crudo of the day
Order: The bone marrow toast with anchovy, then a pasta off the chalkboard.
Tip: Reservations open one month ahead on Resy and vanish in minutes. Walk in at 5pm and try for the bar.
Ariete in Coconut Grove is Michael Beltran's Michelin-starred Cuban-American room on Main Highway, holding a star four years running since 2022.
Signature: Croqueta de jamon, Aged ribeye, Burger night
Order: The croqueta de jamon to open, then whatever the chalkboard says is being aged that week.
Tip: Tuesday burger night is a hard ticket; book the brunch service if you want the kitchen at full curiosity.
Stubborn Seed in Miami Beach is Top Chef winner Jeremy Ford's Michelin-starred South of Fifth dining room on Washington Avenue, holding a star every year since 2022.
Signature: Carolina gold rice with caviar, Hokkaido scallop, Aged duck
Order: The tasting menu if you have the time; otherwise the duck for two is the dish locals book ahead.
Tip: Bar seats take a la carte without the prepay; the dining room is set menu Friday and Saturday.
Hiden in Wynwood is the eight-seat Michelin omakase counter at 313 NW 25th, behind a passcode door, run by Chef Seijun Okano with fish flown from Tokyo.
Signature: Omakase nigiri, Toro hand roll, Tamago to close
Order: There is one order: the omakase. Choose seat, not course.
Tip: Wait list runs months; sign up the moment the calendar opens and accept any seat offered.
