1. Soyka’S Restaurant, Cafe And Bar
City: Downtown Miami, FL
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (305) 759-3117
Address: 5582 NE 4th Court
Description: For his eponymous restaurant, Miami impresario Mark Soyka of Miami’s News Cafe, choose to spruce up an abandoned warehouse that was originally supposed to house his vintage car collection. It has since become a downtown culinary pioneer. It’s hard now to imagine Ferraris wedged in between the overstuffed chairs and low lighting. The restaurant’s atmosphere is more lounge than restaurant and attracts a fashion forward crowd. The standard American fare is always rated well and the restaurant offers an impressive wine list and selection of after-dinner drinks. The menu recently underwent a revamp with new items like osso buco over a mushroom risotto and linguine and clams in a shallot wine sauce added alongside longtime staples like the 10 oz. burgers and Cobb salad.
City: Downtown Miami, FL
Category: Restaurants
Address: 626 South Miami Ave.
3. Botequim Carioca Brazilian Bar And Grill
City: Downtown Miami, FL
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (305) 675-1876
Address: 900 Biscayne Blvd.
Description: This Downtown Brazilian joint is one of the best in town and caters to an eclectic crowd who appreciate Latin American flavors and sounds. A few favorite appetizers (which you can catch for free between 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. during the weekday happy hour) include fried sausage with garlic, deep-fried Brazilian-style onion rings, yucca croquettes, and chicken dumplings filled with cheese called coxinhas. Carioca means Rio native, which any visitor can pretend to be while sipping Brazil’s national drink, Cachaca, sugar cane liquor with muddled limes, sugar, and a splash of club soda.
4. The Cheese Course
City: Downtown Miami, FL
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (786) 220-6681
Address: 3451 NE 1st Ave.
Description: This European-style cheese shop specializes in just that but is certainly not limited to it. The bistro menu includes sandwiches, salads, and . . . cheeses. The sandwich favorite is the prosciutto di parma, which has fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, pesto, extra virgin olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. The Cheese Course also offers free tastings throughout the year and are scheduled on the website’s calendar. Many of the tastings are paired with wine, which can also be purchased and paired at the bistro by country of origin or flavor.
5. Area 31
City: Downtown Miami, FL
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (305) 424-5234
Address: 270 Biscayne Blvd.
Description: Located on the 16th floor of the Epic Hotel and named after its United Nations designated fishing area (Major Fishing Area 31), this restaurant is strongly committed to using sustainable seafood. Its menu is as simple and minimalist as its decor. The ocean-to-table section allows diners to choose a freshly caught fish and the sauce they would like it prepared in. A five-course tasting menu using ingredients sourced from Area 31 is priced at a reasonable $50. There are several meat dishes including interesting options such as flat iron steak and braised pork cheeks, but otherwise the offerings tend to be of the gill and shell variety.
6. Elie’S Cafe
City: Downtown Miami, FL
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (786) 594-0196
Address: 145 E. Flagler St.
Description: Never mind its location on the second floor of a mall, this kosher Moroccan deli produces some of the city’s best falafel, shawarma, and fried eggplant along with a spicy chicken sandwich that could move mountains. Elie’s is truly a word-of-mouth place (there’s no website, no menu on Menupages, and one Yelp review) so it’s the perfect adventure for intrepid foodies.
7. Pizza Volante
City: Downtown Miami, FL
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (305) 573-5325
Address: 3918 North Miami Ave.
Description: The lack of decent pizzerias in Miami has always been a point of contention for pizza lovers, especially those transplanted from New York City. Chef and Owner Jonathan Eismann was raised in Brooklyn so when he installed a wood-burning oven in 2009, it was an instant local favorite (and even written about in the New York Times). Eismann uses fresh ingredients such as buffalo mozzarella and Sicilian sea salt to craft his personal pies. His calzones are of truly mammoth proportions and are great for sharing. One of the best perks is the drinking: Every bottle on the wine list costs $18 and all glasses are $4. That alone should quiet whining New Yorkers.
8. Garcia’S Seafood Grille And Market
City: Downtown Miami, FL
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (305) 375-0765
Address: 398 NW North River Dr.
Description: This hidden shack is one of the best al fresco dining spots in Miami. Run by a father-son team, the unassuming atmosphere, waterfront location, and local fish caught daily make it a neighborhood favorite. The menu is pretty straightforward—fish are grilled, blackened, or fried and served with a side of plantains or buttery potatoes. Conch fritters are one popular appetizer and the grilled grouper sandwich will please even the pickiest of fish eaters. Be sure to order a couple of cold beers and you’ve got yourself the perfect afternoon. This is primarily a lunch spot so don’t wait too late in the day to stop by.