Miami’s 6 Must-Book Restaurants Right Now

Hidden in plain sight, Gold Standard transformed a conference room at the Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour into a 90-minute omakase experience when it opened in December. The space morphed into an urban art gallery, with pieces by artist Jona Cerwinske and rotating installations by the Museum of Graffiti. In true omakase fashion, chef Anderson Osorio (formerly of Makoto) prepares a 15-course meal featuring nightly seating for up to eight people at a time. Courses highlight the freshest fish and seafood from Japan, as well as A5 wagyu beef sourced locally from Josh’s Premium Meats, a south Florida favorite. Diners are encouraged to enjoy the old school hip-hop playlist while sipping on cocktails, Japanese whisky, sake, and beer as they savor each bite presented by the chef.

Combining culinary inspiration from Peru, Colombia, and Spain, chef and owner Henry Hané presents New World cuisine and high-end cocktails in a chic and welcoming setting, complete with a lush patio ideal for al fresco dining. A play on the Peruvian term “jato,” which translates to “home,” the restaurant, which opened in November, pays homage to Hané’s Peruvian heritage. The menu teems with creative fusion plates prepared with meats and produce from Miami-based farms and purveyors, ensuring a locally rooted dining experience. Popular dishes include the fufu croquetas with plantain skin relish and lime; ikura arepa topped with whipped cream cheese, caper, pickled shallots, dill, and everything bagel; and foie gras ice cream spheres with seasonal fruit, savory pastry cream, and sweet wine gelee.

Helmed by James Beard awarded-chef Michelle Bernstein, La Cañita opened at Bayside Marketplace in October with gorgeous views of the marina and Biscayne Bay. Designed to feel like a beachy distillery, this spot features vintage tropical wallpaper, a bar lined with carefully mismatched cement tiles, and dusky pink walls that conjure up colonial Caribbean architecture. When it comes to the food, diners will find hot and chilled appetizers, soups, empanadas, salads, and sandwiches, along with entrees from the land and the sea and pan-Latin desserts. Standouts include shrimp enchilado served alongside coconut rice, fresh snapper filet served with vanilla-spiced rum butter, a family-recipe of arroz con pollo, and lechon asado, or Cuban roast pork, with a ragu of black-eyed peas and breadfruit as a nod to Trinidadian cuisine.

This Miami institution just reopened in December after undergoing a four-month renovation, giving the nearly 15-year-old restaurant a major facelift. The new space features a bright, airy indoor space that flows into the outside terrace via sliding doors leading to a lush and breezy spot for people to sip and dine, and the new terrace is now equipped with a retractable roof that makes outdoor dining possible every day of the year. As far as the food, it’s many of the same delightful dishes whipped up by James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Schwartz, such as the beloved stracciatella, wood oven-roasted octopus, and pan-roasted poulet rouge. Of course, there are plenty of new additions, including a whole roasted tuna collar prepared Sicilian style — with roasted heirloom tomatoes, basil, and anchovy oil — and a lamb massaman curry with thai fried egg salad and jasmine rice.

Tucked on top of Little Havana’s Lifehouse Hotel, Terras is the only rooftop in the area boasting views of Miami’s Brickell skyline. The menu features an array of bites and cocktails inspired by street foods from South America, the Caribbean, and Latin America, using herbs, fruits, and spices pulled from the property’s gardens. Popular cocktails include the guavaloma, made with mezcal, guava grapefruit syrup, grapefruit soda, and grapefruit sugar, and the aye mamey, a blend of rum, mamey syrup, coconut cream, pineapple, and lime juice. Both pair well with the shrimp ceviche or pollo tacos. There’s often a DJ that adds to the ambiance, making Terras a perfect unwinding spot with friends.Tried them all?