The best restaurants to eat at the bar
100% of these restaurants don’t require reservations at the bar
Apr
12
2023
Keep this guide handy when you’re looking for the best restaurants to eat at the bar.
We love a good bar. It’s our happy place where great conversation, food, and cocktails can co-exist with friends or a date. We also love that it’s an opportunity to make new friends with our neighbors and the people behind the bar.
There’s something about the bar experience that is more intimate than when you’re at a restaurant table. Maybe it’s the informality of being at the bar that allows you to loosen up and feel at home or the time spent in close proximity to those next to you and those behind the bar.
It’s also nice to know that you can still be spontaneous and show up last minute because 100% of these restaurants don’t require reservations at the bar.
Of course, some bar settings are trickier to get into than others. Regardless, we’ll point out what to do to increase your chances of grabbing a seat at the busier bars of these restaurants. Check out this list of our favorite spots to grab a full meal at the bar.
JAGUAR SUN
Neighborhood: Downtown
Address: 230 NE 4th St
Cuisine: Modern American, pasta
Good for: Eating at the bar, date night, budget-friendly, eating alone, drinks and bites, happy hour, late-night munchies, dinner with friends
Jaguar Sun is probably our favorite place in Miami. Some may say it’s a cocktail bar, others, a restaurant with an awesome pasta selection.
If you’re planning on grabbing a seat at the bar we recommend arriving before 6 PM. You can order the full dinner menu as well as the best cocktails in Miami here. Come by yourself, with a date, a friend, or a frenemy. It doesn’t matter.
You’ll be busy sipping on La Reforma, a mezcal cocktail with honeydew, falernum, cocchi americano, and bitters. Or stuffing your face with some of our favorite dishes like the Hokkaido Scallop, the Wagyu Beef Tartare, Agnolotti with blue crab, and the Spicy Rigatoni. Leave room for a Wolf Whistle, their version of a tequila espresso martini paired with dessert. Oh and also, if you stop by on Tuesday, they have $1 oysters available all night. The kitchen is open Monday – Thursday until 11 PM and Friday – Saturday until midnight.
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THE GIBSON ROOM
Neighborhood: Coral Way
Address: 2224 SW 22nd St
Cuisine: New American, pub
Good for: Eating at the bar, date night, eating alone, drinks and bites, eating at the bar, late-night munchies, live music
Chef Michael Beltran and Ariete Hospitality Group have transformed The Mighty on Coral Way into The Gibson Room. It’s dark, mysterious, and a great spot to sit at the bar and listen to live music.
For the best chances of grabbing a seat at the bar, we recommend stopping before 7 PM, on weekdays. Friday & Saturday are harder to predict and busier, however, we would still stop by before 7 PM.
This neighborhood tavern host vinyl nights, live music programming with elevated cocktails, and pub-style dishes with a Miami twist. Stop by for the generous-sized Chicken Schnitzel. This one can be shared and it comes with heirloom tomato, salsa verde, fried egg, and boquerones.
Other favorites included the Grilled Oysters with garlic butter, parmesan, parsley, and the double smash Burger with B&B pickles, special sauce, American cheese, and shaved lettuce. We recommend washing down your meal with a House Gibson Martini with gin vermouth, sherry, and onions.
The kitchen is open from 5 PM -11 PM on weekdays and 5 PM – 1 AM Thursday – Saturday. They also recently launched brunch with a vinyl DJ on Sunday from 11 AM – 3 PM if you want to sit at the bar for a Frita Benedict or Corn Beef Hash.
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BOIA DE
Neighborhood: Little Haiti
Address: 5205 NE 2nd Ave
Cuisine: Italian, pasta
Good for: Eating at the bar, date night, dinner with friends, eating alone, special occasions
Since 2019, Boia De has consistently delivered some of the best food in Miami, if not the best food. So naturally, it’s challenging to score a table at Boia De. However, if being flexible and/or spontaneous is your thing, keep this restaurant in mind.
There is a walk-in counter, specifically held for those without a reservation. They open at 5:30 PM so we recommend arriving between 5:20 PM and 5:30 PM to score a table at the bar.
Order the Baby Artichoke with brown butter hollandaise and pine nuts or Luci’s Chopped Salad to start. Work yourself down to the pasta section and try out the Saffron Tagliatelle Pomodoro and the Tagliolini Nero (served cold) with king crab, vin juane, truffle, and herbs. We also recommend getting the Lamb Ribs Fra Diavola with urfa yogurt and spicy cucumber pickles. End the meal with a Crispy Tiramisu or Carrot Cake. They’re constantly adding new dishes to the menu, so ask what’s new.
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DOYA
Neighborhood: Wynwood
Address: 347 NW 24th St
Cuisine: Turkish, Aegean, Mediterranean
Good for: Eating at the bar, big groups, birthdays, budget-friendly, date night, drinks and bites, eating alone, outdoor seating, dinner with friends
Doya located in Wynwood is serving Aegean flavors from the coast of Turkey. We are talking dips, local produce, refreshing and light plates.
At Doya you are stopping by for top-notch hospitality, a lively atmosphere, and one of the best meze dining experiences. You’re sitting at the spacious bar that was created to hold multiple dishes at a time. You can order the whole menu and not feel cramped when dining at Doya’s bar. Arrive before 7 PM to help your chances of snagging a seat at the bar.
We love the Cretan Feta Dip, the Manti, beef dumplings, drenched in a garlic yogurt sauce, and the Adana Kebab with lavash bread. Oh, and if they have the Dolmas cabbage leaves, get them.
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UCHI
Neighborhood: Wynwood
Address: 252 NW 25th St
Cuisine: Japanese, sushi
Good for: Eating at the bar, clients, date night, eating alone, drinks and bites, special occasions, happy hour
For those of you who can indulge on a night out in the middle of the week, Uchi will more than likely have your back when it comes to scoring a bar seating for those impromptu meals. We heard through the grapevine that Tuesday and Wednesday are a little bit easier to score a seat at this coveted spot. Make sure to arrive right at 5 PM. You are more than likely to catch a seat at the bar. Oh, and happy hour is available from 5:30 PM – 6 PM with lots of nigiri and sushi roll options.
We love the hot and cold dishes off the menu at Uchi. However, if you’re in the mood for a modern take on Japanese sushi and crudo, check out the hama chili, ora king crudo with passion fruit zu, the kinmedai golden eye snapper, and the managatsuo pomfret.
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PHUC YEA
Neighborhood: Little River
Address: 7100 Biscayne Blvd
Cuisine: Modern Vietnamese
Good for: Eating at the bar, big groups, birthdays, budget-friendly, date night, eating alone, drinks and bites, outdoor seating, happy hour
Half Vietnamese and Half Cajun, you are getting a culinary melding from the chefs helming the kitchen front at Phuc Yea. With Aniece Meinhold’s Vietnamese heritage and Chef Cesar Zapata’s Colombian roots, they come together for soulful, family-rooted plates.
The recent new additions to the menu will have you coming back to Phuc Yea’s bar for more. We recommend passing through when the sun is down for a dimly lit night.
We always love the OG Edamame Hummus and PY Noodles. But if you want to try something new we’d go for the refreshing Watermelon Salad, Curry Rigatoni with duck confit, and the Jumbo Diver Scallops with a green peppercorn sauce & cognac sauce.
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JOLIET
Neighborhood: South Beach
Address: 1209 17th Street
Cuisine: American, Southern, seafood
Good for: Eating at the bar, date night, clients, birthdays, drinks and bites, happy hour
Joliet, a new neighborhood seafood restaurant located in Miami Beach by the Lost Boy & Co. team proves to be an exciting and rare find. The menu created by the talented Chef Juan Garrido is inspired by the sweet, spicy, soulful, and bold Cajun flavors found in New Orleans cuisine.
If you’re stopping by with a friend or a date, we recommend sitting at the oyster bar so you can catch all the shucking.
You’re getting a dozen Oysters. We had the East Coast Beau Soleil and Momma Mia. They have four variations of mignonettes, fine herbs, Calabrian chili, passion fruit, and a classic white pepper. Get all of them.
The Fish Dip is by far one of the best fish dips we’ve ever had. Each bite is set to be enjoyed with chow chow pickles, and a housemade hot sauce on a fried saltine cracker. The New Orleans-style BBQ Prawns soaked in a Worcestershire, garlic, and beer sauce is a must-order. We also loved the simple Johnny Cakes served with pimento cheese and country ham. They tasted like childhood.
Sharing is the best way to do Joliet right, especially if you’re getting the Whole Broiled Lobster with melted Parmesan and lemon. This dish was delicious and cooked to perfection. Leave room for the Coconut Rum Cake. We took a second home.
Oh, and they also recently launched their brunch menu which has a delicious French Onion Burger with a 25 Wagyu beef patty served with Comte cheese, and garlic mayo on a brioche bun. Worth it.
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OVER UNDER
Neighborhood: Downtown
Address: 151 E Flagler St
Cuisine: American
Good for: Eating at the bar, birthdays, budget-friendly, dancing, eating alone, happy hour
When you want to be surrounded by neon lights, frozen drinks in plastic kiddie cups, and one of the best burgers in Miami, stop by Over Under before 7 PM to snag a bar seat with a friend.
The cheeseburger from Over Under reminds us of an elevated version of In-N-Out’s burger. It’s a smash burger with Florida grass-fed beef, American cheese, shredded lettuce, onions, pickles, and a house-made 1000-island dressing.
At Over Under, they serve food until midnight and offer happy hour from 5 PM to 7 PM.
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MIAMI SLICE
Neighborhood: Downtown
Address: 1335 NE Miami Ct
Cuisine: American, pizza
Good for: Eating at the bar, budget-friendly, date night, eating alone, outdoor seating
Located in Downtown near the Arsht Center, Miami Slice, the most craved pizza spot in South Florida is of course on our list.
This artisan slice shop ahead of its time offers the most incredible pizza experience at the bar. Grab a front-row seat and witness every slice being finished and topped with the highest quality ingredients.
We recommend arriving at 6 PM and keeping your party small. The line usually starts forming at 4 PM but rather than waiting before it opens we recommend stopping by at 6 PM when everything is already flowing. You’ll leave your name and number with their staff and most likely get a call back at 8 PM. In the meantime, while you wait. Head by neighboring bars like Esotico Miami or Mike’s at the Venetia.
You can order by the slice when dining in. Ask for the “kicks” which are “IYKYK” type of add-ons like stracciatella, and hot honey to pimp your slice. Our recommendations include La Salsera with a kick of stracciatella and the Leeks on Bacon. But they’re honestly all good and you’ve never had a simple Margherita, this good. Miami Slice is currently open Wednesday – Sunday from 5 PM – 9 PM.
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LUCA OSTERIA
Neighborhood: Coral Gables
Address: 116 Giralda Ave
Cuisine: Italian, pasta
Good for: Eating at the bar, birthdays, clients, date night, drinks and bites, outdoor seating, special occasions
Luca Osteria is Chef Giorgio Rapicavoli’s second restaurant. Tapping into his Italian background, Rapicavoli has created a fresh and inventive menu where every ingredient has a purpose. If you’re dining with one other person we recommend a seat at the bar. Arrive between 5:30 PM & 6 PM to help your chances of grabbing a bar seat. The best days are typically Tuesday – Thursday.
Expect to order half of the antipasti on the menu. Start with the Patate Fritte. It’s their soft potato balls/bites covered in Parmigiano fondue, egg yolk, and black truffle specks. The Grilled Wild Mushroom should also be part of your meal. These mushrooms are served with Bagna Cauda, a sauce from Piedmont with garlic, salted anchovies, and olive oil; and shaved bottarga di muggine or grey mullet roe. The simple Little Gem Lettuce with a cacio e pepe dressing is light, has a great crunch, and is finished with some limoncito.
Share a pasta dish. Our favorites include the Pasta al Limone with 24-month Parmigiano Reggiano or the Pasta al Pesto.
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PHOTO CREDIT JOLIET
The best restaurants to eat at the bar
