The restaurants you need to book NOW for Art Basel
Miami’s busiest season is here & reservations are going fast
Nov
04
2021
These are the restaurants you need to book NOW for Art Basel week.
In a month, one of our all-time favorite Miami events will finally return for the first time since 2019 – Art Basel! From December 1st through 5th, you can find us checking out the art, party hopping, and pausing, occasionally for much-needed sustenance between events. Lucky for you, we’ve started our planning early. And that includes finding a list of restaurants on South Beach and Wynwood/Downtown with reservations available for parties of 4 for brunch, lunch, and dinner. Don’t delay! Book NOW for Art Basel week as these reservations will go quickly!
BLUE RIBBON SUSHI BAR & GRILL
Neighborhood: Miami Beach
Address: 336 21st St
Cuisine: Sushi
Book your table: HERE
Blue Ribbon is one of our go-to’s for Sushi in South Beach. With locations in major cities across the US since 1992, they have extensive experience delivering award-winning sushi offerings and Japanese steakhouse fare. This popular spot still has reservations for lunch on Saturday and Sunday as well as dinner reservations for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
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BYBLOS
Neighborhood: Miami Beach
Address: 1545 Collins Ave
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Book your table: HERE
Located at the Royal Palm Hotel on South Beach, Byblos has been a longtime Miami favorite. The interior is sensual and Mediterranean, with blue and gold accents. The outdoor patio is fantastic for dining al fresco and people watching on Collins Avenue. Byblos also delivers on the food front with delicious Eastern Mediterranean cuisine. As of now, Byblos has dinner spots available on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. We recommend the Turkish Kale Salad, the Hummus, and the Baharat Crusted Skirt Steak with smoked eggplant puree.
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STUBBORN SEED
Neighborhood: Miami Beach
Address: 101 Washington Ave
Cuisine: American
Book your table: HERE
The attention to detail at Stubborn Seed reflects the passion of an incredibly talented Top Chef winner. The space itself is modern and inspired, with a large window facing the kitchen for a perfect view of Chef Jeremy Ford and his team hard at work. The decor is earthy and contemporary – no white tablecloths needed. The menu has a wide selection of raw dishes, snacks, meats, and fish. The dishes are beautifully plated and presented, with a focus on herbs and vegetables. For Art Basel weekend, Stubborn Seed is offering a special 9-course prix fixe menu ($200 per person), available Dec 1-5, a great option for your friends visiting with a larger budget. Dinner reservations are available throughout the days of the special menu.
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DOLCE ITALIAN
Neighborhood: Miami Beach
Address: 1690 Collins Ave
Cuisine: Italian
Book your table: HERE
This restaurant has the essential ingredients for brunch during Basel: location, bottomless rose, excellent people watching, and delicious food. Located at the corner of 17th Street and Collins, Dolce Italian has an extensive outdoor dining area that is prime for taking in all the sights. If you prefer to sit inside and check out the pizza oven, that option is available as well. We’ll be enjoying unlimited rose for 2 hours for $35/person with an a la carte selection of late breakfast classics, antipasti, pizza, and pasta. Brunch reservations are available throughout the weekend (and dinner too!). At brunch, order the Sunday Gravy pizza with tomato, onion, meatballs, and fried eggs to keep you going all day long.
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RED ROOSTER OVERTOWN
Neighborhood: Overtown
Address: 920 NW 2nd Ave
Cuisine: Southern
Book your table: HERE
This December will mark the one-year anniversary of Red Rooster Overtown. Chef Marcus Samuelsson opened the Miami outpost of his New York restaurant in the former “Clyde Killen’s Pool Hall”, the centerpiece of Overtown nightlife in the 50s and 60s. The restaurant hosts live music daily, taking guests back to the days of Duke Ellington, Aretha Franklin, and their contemporaries in Overtown, Miami (“the Harlem of the South”). Brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays. On Sunday, you can enjoy a live jazz band during Gospel Choir Brunch. The menu is a combination of Chef Samuelsson’s comfort food classics and local Miami flavors. Reservations for brunch and dinner are available throughout Basel.
If you go to dinner, head upstairs to the Pool Hall after your meal for live music and drinks in their new speakeasy lounge.We love the Deviled Eggs, tasty bites of mustard togarashi and mayo, garnished with caviar and adorned with a chicharron “tail” (to make them look like little roosters, of course). Our favorite entree is Anthony’s Breakfast Beans, a meatier, elevated version of Huevos Rancheros (without the tortilla). For dessert, get the Magic City Donuts, miniature beignets with two dipping sauces: guava cream cheese and dulce de leche.
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MILA
Neighborhood: Miami Beach
Address: 1636 Meridian Avenue Rooftop
Cuisine: Mediterranean & Japanese
Book your table: HERE
Located on a rooftop above Meridian Ave, Mila is a swanky upgrade to the Lincoln Road dining scene. It has a sexy vibe and is a place to see and be seen. The outdoor area features a koi pond, a small bar perfect for enjoying the view, and retractable awnings for unpredictable Miami beach weather. The interior is designed to create a luxe lounge atmosphere. Mila’s cuisine is “MediterrAsian”, a Japanese and Mediterranean menu with dishes meant to be shared. On Sundays, Mila hosts a brunch buffet for $75/person. In the spirit of social distancing, the “buffet” is currently served to diners in courses, and second (or third!) helpings are available upon request. Come hungry, because there is plenty to enjoy! There are brunch reservations available for Sunday the 5th.
We recommend the Shrimp Cocktail, drizzled with mojo rojo, saffron crème fraîche and garnished with micro cilantro. Another crowd-pleaser is the Rye Bread Avocado-Edamame Toast, topped with ripe heirloom tomatoes and seasoned with maja olive oil and Salvador spice. The egg course has an egg benedict, a Mediterranean omelet, and our favorite, the Egg in a Jar. Each jar is filled with egg yolk, potato puree, and topped with feta foam.
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MACCHIALINA
Neighborhood: Miami Beach
Address: 820 Alton Rd
Cuisine: Italian
Book your table: HERE
This Italian gem at 8th and Alton is another Miami staple. While the interior evokes a West Village vibe with its quaint bar and exposed brick, the restaurant recently opened an outdoor “Giardino” garden which is ideal for Miami “winter” dining al fresco. Chef Mike Pirolo is a pasta expert, and Jacqueline Pirolo runs an award-winning wine program. On a normal day, it’s not easy to get a reservation so make yours now! We’re seeing dinner availability on Resy throughout Basel time. Start your meal with the Creamy Polenta with wild mushroom ragu and charred scallions. We also recommend the Spaghetti Pomodoro, simply but superbly prepared with tomato and basil.
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MCHAEL’S GENUINE FOOD & DRINK
Neighborhood: Design District
Address: 130 NE 40th Street
Cuisine: Contemporary American
Book your table: HERE
When you’re in the Design District during Basel, don’t miss a chance to dine at Michael’s Genuine, one of the original Design District establishments, which opened in 2007. This is one of the first restaurants to put the Miami culinary scene on the map, with a James Beard Award-winning chef (Michael Schwartz) and a menu full of fresh and contemporary dishes with a focus on vibrant flavors. Michael’s is reopening after a highly anticipated renovation just in time for Art Basel. We’ve spotted brunch and dinner reservations available throughout the weekend. A new menu will be debuted when the restaurant reopens, but we are hoping to see some signature dishes return, such as the Breakfast Pizza and their Stracciatella Salad.
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