Here Are the 10 Best New Miami Restaurants in 2023 (So Far)

Just when you didn’t think it could get any busier, hyped, or pumped up, Miami’s restaurant scene keeps growing.

The coronavirus pandemic didn’t dampen the Magic City’s spirit. It made everyone, including restaurateurs, realize how appealing a Miami address could be.

Over the years, we’ve seen plenty of influx. Some are transplants from cities like New York and Chicago. Some hail from the West Coast.  Others are longtime Miamians who decided to strike out for new territory. Still others were birthed out of sheer moxie — the product of local chefs and ravenous entrepreneurial spirits finding the courage to conjure their concepts and thrive.

This year saw so many new restaurant openings we had a hard time keeping up with the count. All in all, we’d venture to say more than 100 new establishments opened their doors. A mind-boggling number, to be sure, and so much variety — from fancy New York City sashimi spot Bondi Sushi to Regatta Grove, an open-air, waterfront concept from Breakwater Hospitality — and everything in between.

Among the newbie establishments are plenty of hometown heroes, from Giorgio Rapicavoli’s Eating House, which celebrated with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 13, to News Cafe, a longtime South Beach haunt that reopened in March with a facelift and menu reboot while staying true to its origins. And the New Schnitzel House is a beloved concept brought back to life by the owner of Gramps in Wynwood.

But what are our absolute favorites? The ones we’d name if we had to stop at ten? Glad you asked! Below, in alphabetical order, are our picks for the ten best new restaurants to open in Miami during the first half of 2023.

Amelia’s 1931

13601 SW 26th St., Miami
305-554-4949
amelias1931.com

Chef Eileen Andrade is back to melding Cuban and Asian cuisine with her newly revamped and expanded take on Amelia’s 1931, the diner-inspired restaurant she opened in 2017. She’s also the creator of Finka Table & Tap. The chef’s latest passion project, named after her abuela, goes beyond its origins with a sexy, sophisticated new look and a full bar. Cuban diner fare no more, the upgraded menu offers a melding of Cuban and Asian influences, flavors, and textures, from escargot with umami butter and Cuban bread to a kimchi clam chowder. Composed plates highlight creative fare like boniato gnocchi with rocoto cream sauce, braised oxtail with tamal en cazuela, gochujang paella, and steak frites dressed with guajillo black bean pepper sauce. For dessert, there’s a play on pan con timba, made here with coconut cream cheese mousse and guava sandwiched between two Maria cookies.

Branja

5010 NE Second Ave., Miami
786-765-5555
branjamiami.com

There’s something special about Branja, MasterChef Israel winner Tom Aviv’s new Miami restaurant. A self-taught culinary savant, he uses both humor and fusion to create dishes such as “falafish,” an unexpectedly light, fried hybrid of falafel and fish, and “fishwarma,” where a mix of spiced, fatty fishes, usually salmon and grouper, replicates shawarma. It’s beautiful, too. The indoor-outdoor eatery located in the bohemian retail center that is Upper Buena Vista was designed to evoke Tel Aviv’s acid-washed ’70s with upcycled tortoiseshell and Bakelite-style cutlery, reclaimed synagogue bench seating, and a stunning stained-glass ceiling that throws down color all the time but is especially potent during the golden hour.

Brasserie Laurel

698 NE First Ave., Miami
305-330-9048
brasserielaurel.com

Ariete Hospitality and Michael Beltran offer some of the best dining in Miami, and Brasserie Laurel — named this year’s pick for New Times’ “Best Restaurant (Downtown)” — is no exception. Here, French fare is given the Beltran twist via the creativity of executive chef Ashley Moncada, with dishes like beef Wellington, frog legs, and crêpes Suzette made with a modern Miami touch. Open for brunch, lunch, and dinner, the restaurant highlights all the bistro classics you can imagine, with sweet and savory crêpes for brunch, a steak sandwich for lunch, and escargot and foie gras at dinner.

Calle Dragones

1036 SW Eighth St., Miami
786-722-8370
calledragones.com

Dinner and cabaret pair perfectly at Calle Dragones, the Miami restaurant named for the street in Havana’s predominantly Chinese neighborhood that aims to offer diners a new take on Cuban cuisine with Asian elements. Chef/owner Luis Pous, a Cuban native, has seemingly done it all, rising through the culinary ranks to serve as a guest chef at James Beard House in New York City and working in prestigious spots like George V Hotel in Paris and Little Palm Island in the Keys. But his true pièce de résistance? Opening a restaurant that celebrates Havana’s heyday. From the ribs with arepas to a pineapple & lychee Pavlova, every creation holds a story to showcase his heritage and love for Cuba. So where does the cabaret come in? Weekly programming with live performances and music includes “Spanish Fiesta” Thursdays, “Havana Tropical Nights” Fridays, “Salsa Disco Fever” on Saturdays, and “World Carnaval Day” on Sundays for a truly transportive dining experience.

Maty’s

3255 NE First Ave., Miami
786-338-3525
matysmiami.com

Miami’s Val Chang opened her passion project Maty’s in March, a concept inspired by her grandmother and memories of childhood dishes. The menu doesn’t separate starters from main plates but instead reads like a list from light to heavy. Some highlight single ingredients, like the “tortitas” corn fritters, “choclo” Andean corn in a creamy huancaína sauce, or tomatoes with lima beans in an aji limo pepper broth. Don’t miss Chang’s many variations of ceviche, a specialty that rotates according to what is fresh and in season but always served with a colorful presentation.

Pastis Miami

380 NW 26th St., Miami
305-686-3050
pastismiami.com

Keith McNally opened a Miami outpost of Pastis, his New York City rendition of a classic Parisian bistro, to great fanfare this spring. The restaurant does a dandy job of channeling the original, from the curved zinc bar and vintage mirrors to the handwritten daily specials and a mosaic-tiled floor. If it’s the classic bistro fare you’re after, Pastis won’t disappoint. The menu covers brunch, lunch, and dinner with signature offerings like garlic, parsley-seasoned escargots, moules frites, and a steak sandwich topped with caramelized onions and melted Gruyère.

Shingo

112 Alhambra Cir., Coral Gables
shingomiami.com

Former Hiden chef Shingo Akikuni’s omakase opened in Coral Gables earlier this year. Located inside the historic La Palma building in Coral Gables, the intimate 14-seat bar offers guests an 18-course dining experience from a chef who led the team at one of the city’s first restaurants to be awarded a star from the 2022 Michelin Guide. The menu presents his take on traditional Japanese nigiri, seasonal sashimi, and Yakimono-style dishes prepared using traditional grilling practices and accompanied by sake pairings.

Tablé by Antonio Bachour

180 NE 40th St., Miami
786-842-0551
tablebachour.com

Tablé by Bachour is a dream come true for chef/owner Antonio Bachour, who opened his restaurant and café in the Miami Design District in March. The Tablé menu is rooted in French cuisine and offers diners an ambiance that evokes the spirit of a Parisian brasserie — with a Miami twist, of course. Favorites include the breakfast demi baguette with ham and Gruyère; a crab cake made with king crab; lobster frites; caviar and chips; and a Green Circle whole chicken for two. Don’t forget the pastries — petit gateaux options like the “Rocher” (gianduja mousse, chocolate ganache, and hazelnut praline), “Exotic” (coconut pressed sable, passionfruit cremeux, exotic fruits jelly, and a coconut whipped ganache) and “Cheesecake” (Camembert cheesecake with a cherry jelly). On the go? The café comes into focus with select grab ‘n’ go fare like sandwiches or Bachour’s beloved baked goods; you can even watch the magic of the in-house bakery through glass walls.

Tâm Tâm

99 NW First St., Miami
786-359-4647
tam-tam-mia.com

Husband-and-wife team Harrison Ramhofer and Tam Pham are the general manager and chef (respectively) behind Tâm Tâm, a Vietnamese eatery that set up shop in midtown Miami earlier this year. The establishment is styled after “quán nhậu,” where a lively atmosphere encourages drinking, eating, and — maybe a little more drinking. Dreamed up from the couple’s home-based underground supper club, the idea morphed into sold-out dinners and pop-ups at places like 1-800-LUCKY, Over Under, and Low Key before opening a brick-and-mortar location in May. Today, the booze-fueled energy is part of the magic at this chef-driven restaurant where Pham’s rotating menu offers eclectic small plates like lemongrass and coconut steamed clams, salt and pepper frog legs, and steamed grouper head with ginger, scallions, and cilantro. A sommelier-chosen wine list gets you curated varietals by the glass alongside frozen mai tais, spiked Vietnamese coffee, and beer.

Zeru

1395 Brickell Ave., Miami (at Hotel AKA Brickell)
786-809-1395
zerumiami.com

It should come as no surprise that we love Zeru, the Basque-inspired restaurant that opened in the Hotel AKA Brickell. The restaurant offers a range of Spanish-style cuisine, with most main courses and side dishes cooked using a Spanish Josper Basque grill. Dishes range from tasty pintxos (snacks) to socarrat (a rice dish that mimics the burned, stuck-to-the-pan part of paella), each highlighting seafood and proteins sourced from all over the world. Don’t miss the fish fillet roasted Getaria-style, Alaskan king crab with miso glaze, a Wagyu tomahawk, or the perfectly cooked Japanese Kobe strip loin.