What to eat at Miami's Michelin-starred restaurants
Our favorite dishes & tips for how to dine at these awarded restaurants
May
16
2023
Keep this guide of Miami’s Michelin-starred restaurants handy when dining out.
The Michelin Guide is back for its second consecutive year in Florida and will continue inspecting restaurants in Miami, Tampa, and Orlando throughout 2024.
Before we get into which restaurants got stars, we want you to have some context for why Michelin is now in Miami. According to the initial deal, The Miami Herald reported that Michelin could potentially make $1.5 million from 2022 to 2024 for the production of the Florida guide. Meaning that Michelin is being paid by Visit Florida, the state’s official tourism board to be in these three cities and reviewing restaurants until 2024.
Copied and pasted straight for the Guide, “a Michelin Star is awarded for the food on the plate, nothing else.” That means that service and ambiance play no role when inspectors are dining out. When awarding stars, The Michelin Guide focuses on Michelin Inspectors Five Restaurant Rating Criteria which include product quality; mastery of cooking techniques; harmony of flavors; the chef’s personality reflected in his or her cuisine; and consistency over time and across the entire menu.
This year, the 305 has officially been awarded one and two stars! For those that don’t know, one star means, “a very good restaurant in its category” and two stars mean, “excellent cooking, worth a detour”.
If going to Michelin-starred restaurants is part of your bucket list, well, you have 12 Miami restaurants to hit in 2023. This guide will offer tips, favorite dishes at the restaurants we’ve been to, and insight on what you need to know to make the most of your dining experiences at Miami’s Michelin-starred restaurants.
TAMBOURINE ROOM BY TRISTAN BRANDT
Neighborhood: North Beach
Address: 6801 Collins Ave
Cuisine: French, Asian
The Tambourine Room by Tristan Brandt, located inside the Carillon Miami Wellness Resort, received its first Michelin Star this year, making it Miami’s only new Michelin Star recipient in 2023.
Chef Tristan Brandt’s culinary accomplishments include receiving two Michelin Stars as Head Chef at OPUS V in Germany and one Michelin Star at Epoca by Tristan Brandt in Switzerland’s Waldhaus Flims Wellness Resort.
The Tambourine Room offers a tasting menu for 18 guests at a time featuring modern classic French cuisine with Asian influences, utilizing locally sourced and seasonal ingredients from South Florida farms. Signature dishes include beef tartare with caviar and guinea fowl with praline and spicy aubergine stew.
The Tambourine Room offers a six-course menu on Wednesday – Thursday, and Sunday; as well as a three-course menu for Friday and Saturday seatings.
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ARIETE
Neighborhood: Coconut Grove
Address: 3540 Main Hwy
Cuisine: New American
Ariete is Chef Michael Beltran’s first Michelin-starred restaurant. The menu merges French fine dining with Cuban influence. You’re coming here for the Canard a La Presse, that’s French for duck press. The Rohan Duck feeds two guests with limited quantities available every night and as available as part of the three or four-course menu at Ariete.
We recommend scoring an early reservation to secure this dish. This is one of the only four restaurants in the U.S. carrying out what is known traditionally in France as The Duck Press. The Rohan Duck is dry-aged for approximately 20 days and lightly glazed with guarapo (sugarcane) and local honey. Part of the preparation is presented tableside and served with different sides that include the roasted calabaza tamal, wild mushroom foie gravy, duck fricasse pastelitos, and a delicious and simple French-inspired salad. Feeling decadent, add foie gras to your duck feast for an additional charge.
If they’re sold out on ducks for the night, go for their six-course tasting menu. It includes the wood-grilled oysters with bone marrow butter, charred lime, and chive as well as the pastrami style wagyu short rib with red pepper beef jus, shaved vegetable caesar, and served with an oyster and short rib croqueta.
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BOIA DE
Neighborhood: Little Haiti
Address: 5205 NE 2nd Ave
Cuisine: New American
Since 2019, Boia De has consistently delivered some of the best food in Miami, earning Chefs Luciana Giangrandi and Alex Meyer their Michelin star for a second year in a row.
If you’ve driven past an unassuming strip mall and seen a glowing pink exclamation point, then you have found your destination. Boia De offers some culinary love to Chef Giangrandi’s Italian background roots, so think freshly made pasta, polenta, and of course one of the best tiramisu’s we’ve ever had.
Order the Potato Skins with Stracciatella, hard egg, and caviar, or Luci’s chopped salad to start. Work yourself down to the pasta section and try out the bufala ricotta gnocchi pomodoro and the tagliolini nero (served cold) with king crab, vin juane, truffle, and herbs. And as we mentioned earlier, end the meal with a crispy tiramisu. They’re constantly adding new dishes to the menu, so make sure to ask what’s new. Our favorite new dishes are the seasonal squash blossoms lightly battered and stuffed with zucchini pesto and black truffle risotto; and the doppio agnolotti with morel mushrooms, asparagus, and Calabrian crumb. Hello Summer!
It was already challenging to score a table at Boia De, so we can only assume it just got harder. But don’t cry just yet. There is a walk-in counter, specifically held for those without a reservation.
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COTÉ
Neighborhood: Design District
Address: 3900 NE 2nd Ave
Cuisine: Korean Steakhouse
Coming from New York to Miami it is no surprise that Coté delivers its exceptional service and flawless wine program here in the 305. Being awarded not only a one-star in the Michelin Guide but also the Florida Sommelier Award in 2022; it’s clear Coté is here to make waves in Miami’s Design District. When entering Coté you will be met with seamless service from start to finish. And if you are craving exceptionally cooked meat that melts in your mouth, then look no further.
We recommend getting the Butcher’s Feast, featuring a selection of Chef’s favorite cuts and a feast of USDA Prime & American Wagyu beef for $68. Additionally, if you come with a big group, we’d also get the Korean bacon, the kimchi Wagyu paella, and the chicken nuggets only available off the bar menu. Soft serve ice cream topped with soy sauce caramel is included with the Butcher’s Feast.
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THE DEN
Neighborhood: Miami Beach
Address: Inside Azabu, 161 Ocean Dr, Miami Beach
Cuisine: Japanese
The Den at Azabu Miami Beach is one of two Miami Omakase restaurants to earn a Michelin star. Coincidentally, both these concepts are speakeasies with hidden entrances. Led by Head Sushi Chef Atsushi Okawara, The Den features a traditional Edomae-style sushi menu, meaning the tasting menu is comprised of fresh seafood caught near Tokyo Bay.
The ultimate omakase experience includes a toro tasting and a sushi finale with uni from Hokkaido, sea eel nigiri, and a hand roll. Some of our favorite bites that change often include the striped jack nigiri with ginger; the tuna tasting with akami zuke, chu-toro, and o-toro; the red shrimp, Hokkaido scallop, and orange tosazu sauce, and hands down the best tamago we’ve ever had.
The Den at Azabu Miami Beach is open all week except for Sundays and Mondays with seating at 6:30 PM and 9 PM for 18 guests at a time.
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EL CIELO
Neighborhood: Downtown
Address: 31 SE 5th St
Cuisine: Latin American
If you’re looking for a full sensory dining experience stop by El Cielo in Brickell. Chef Juan Manuel Barrientos is broadening his guests’ minds and educating them on traditional Colombian cuisine through different avant-garde dining “moments”.
This is a tasting menu filled with theatrics with mist, lengthy explanations of what you’re eating, and how they represent Colombia. Our favorite “moments” were the tableside “choco therapy” and “Tree of Life” bread service.
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HIDEN
Neighborhood: Wynwood
Address: 313 NW 25th St
Cuisine: Japanese
Tucked away in the back of a taco joint, you will find a secret wooden door ready to transport you to a whole new world. As soon as you enter with an exclusive code only granted to you on the day of your reservation, you will be met with warm smiling faces and an 8-seat Omakase counter that takes intimacy to a whole new level.
Chef Seijun Okano and his team deliver a flawless service that has you wondering are you really in Miami? Hungries if you are already booking your reservation as you read this just know there is truly only one way to have this meal. The meal is a progressive Chef’s Choice Omakase that includes the freshest fish flown in from Japan and A5 wagyu that melts in your mouth. The beauty of this new one-star Michelin restaurant is that all you need to worry about is getting into your seat on time because once you’re seated it’s all about enjoying the experience.
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LE JARDINIER
Neighborhood: Design District
Address: 151 NE 41st St Suite 135
Cuisine: French
Le Jardinier is the French word for “gardener”, which is the theme of this modern, refined eatery focused on high-quality vegetables, seasonal ingredients, and fresh herbs. We love to see a Michelin star go to a restaurant hyper-focused on veggies.
The restaurant is stunning, with custom black and white marble walls and a vertical garden on the back wall. We also love the black marble bar with circular accent lights highlighting bottles of high-quality craft spirits and fortified wines.
It’s been a minute since we went to Le Jardinier. However, it’s always lovely. Whether you go for lunch, brunch, or dinner it’s always a delicate and refreshing experience created by Chef Alain Verzeroli. The menu changes seasonally and we’ve had variations of the burrata, ora king salmon, and bavette au jus. The best bang for your buck is probably the prix fixe 3-course menu for lunch Tuesday – Friday. It includes an appetizer, entree, and dessert.
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LOS FÉLIX
Neighborhood: Coconut Grove
Address: 3413 Main Hwy
Cuisine: Mexican
Inspired in part by Mexican heritage and the indigenous ways of Milpa farming, Los Félix executes simple, yet thoughtfully curated dishes with an emphasis on ingredients. Accompanied by an extensive natural wine list and signature ‘cocteles’, Los Félix hits the note in every aspect of their ambiance. It’s all about groovy vinyl spins and a modern approach to honoring heirloom corn in every dish. Hungries, you may be coming for tacos, but you will be staying for the vibes. Go ahead and order the pork cheek carnitas, al pastor tacos, and their day’s catch crudo! And of course, don’t forget that bottle of bio-dynamic wine to pair with your meal.
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STUBBORN SEED
Neighborhood: Miami Beach
Address: 101 Washington Ave
Cuisine: American
If you have ever found yourself in Miami Beach just South of Fifth, you will find nestled on the corner of 1st and Washington the newly awarded one-star Michelin restaurant: Stubborn Seed. Chef Jeremy Ford helms this badass kitchen with a powerful team that delivers consistent flavorful dishes that pack a powerful punch every.single.time.
And that goes for the desserts made by Chef Bella Pinelli as well, so don’t even think about skipping them. To best enjoy this meal, just go ahead and treat yourself to Chef’s tasting menu, featuring 8 courses that give you the perfect idea of what Stubborn Seed is all about. Favorite dishes on the current tasting menu include the crunch truffle bravas and the charred local fish. With a low-lit dining room and classic rock singles playing overhead, this is a dining experience worth treating yourself to over and over again.
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THE SURF CLUB RESTAURANT
Neighborhood: Surfside
Address: 9011 Collins Ave
Cuisine: American
Alright, if you know Michelin then you know Chef Thomas Keller, famously known for The French Laundry in Yountville, California, and Per Se in New York City. The Surf Club is a perfect representation of keeping expectations high and met to a T. The à la carte menu interprets classic Continental cuisine for a contemporary audience all the while delivering a sense of nostalgia through every dish. Have a beautifully executed cocktail at the bar before heading to your table for some classic American dishes. We recommend trying the oyster Rockefeller, the bay scallop crudo as well as the prime beef short rib beef wellington.
You have the option of booking in three different spaces. Reserve in the Club Room if you’re going for a more pristine and classic outing. The Banyan room is brighter, for those looking to feel like they’re dining al fresco except you’re not and there’s AC. And the lounge is more vibey with live music at times. Choose wisely, that’s all.
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L’ATELIER DE JOËL ROBUCHON
Neighborhood: Design District
Address: 4100 NE 2nd Ave
Cuisine: French
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon by the world-renowned & late Chef Joël Robuchon was the only restaurant to receive two stars in Miami. Enter through sister restaurant, Le Jardinier, and make your way to the second floor of a sexy red and wood-toned restaurant space.
The best way to experience L’Atelier is to sit at the bar with one other person. Your neck might hurt after but it’s the best seat in the house to catch all the action.
You can order a la carte, the seasonal tasting menu for $190, or the evolution tasting menu for $280 (however if you want to do this option everyone in your party must choose this menu as well). These were the prices last time we checked, however, they could be more. We went for the Spring menu so that we could pick a total of eight different dishes for two guests and share. Our favorite dishes included the crudo kampachi, the roasted baby artichoke, the filet mignon, and the spring carrot cake. We also loved the bread basket baked in-house. Oh, and when your main course comes, rest assured that it will come with Chef Robuchon’s iconic pomme puree. It’s the silkiest mashed potato we’ve ever had.
In retrospect, if we’d go back we’d order a la carte and probably take out our calculator and just make sure to not overdo it. Their burger looks delicately delicious and easy to share since it’s cut in half by their team.
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THE HUNGRY POST
PHOTO CREDIT Kevin Hayden
Miami’s Michelin-starred restaurants
Miami’s Michelin-starred restaurants
Miami’s Michelin-starred restaurants
Miami’s Michelin-starred restaurants
Miami’s Michelin-starred restaurants
