The 12 best new restaurants in Miami

Kissaki is a New York City export offering affordable omakase from a handsome, lounge-like space at the southern tip of South Beach. It’s not trying for the authentically Japanese approach that’s defined Miami omakase in the past, instead offering a more entertaining experience headlined by a fusion menu. The vibe is Club-Restaurant Lite, the beats kept low enough for conversation. An a la carte menu is available, but stick with the chef’s choice. At $94 for seven courses, it might be Miami’s best omakase deal. These days, there’s lots of excellent omakase in Miami. But the combination of a vibe-heavy space serving creative dishes at relatively affordable prices make Kissaki a new favorite.

The idea at Oise is to combine Japanese and Italian ingredients, a theme they’re calling “itameshi.” Which sounded initially like the very-played-out Asian fusion thing, until we tried the Oise meatball. It’s soft and tender within and caramelized on the outside to give it a glazed, crispy texture. It sits on an umami-rich tomato sauce and wears a crown of toasty fondue foam. It’s worthy of any fine-dining restaurant we've been lately, and yet the concept here is far more casual. Chef Brad Kilgore teamed up with Andrew Mayer of the affordable-yet-excellent Mr. Omakase to devise a simple space in the back of The Oasis food hall where you order by phone. There are no servers, just a food runner and a single person back in the open kitchen.

Skinny Louie is the creation of Gonzalo Rubino and Matias Palloni of Crazy Poke and Sushi Mas. The simple, late-night smashburger joint serves just seven items: three burgers, three shakes and fries. Aside from an Impossible Meat option, there are no substitutions and no secret menu items—smart, especially when considering Skinny Louie’s rowdy 2am crowd. These are tasty burgers. The best smash burgers in Miami? Nah. Ted’s crisps up the edges of the patties better. The USBS buns take the win on fluffiness. And Babe’s patties are wonderfully beefier. But you’ll be glad you got a Skinny Louie, especially if it’s after the staff at Gramp’s has broken out the mops.

This modern seafood restaurant in Coconut Grove seems destined for the Michelin Guide—multiple stars, even—because it succeeds at every key fine dining metric, from impeccable service to dishes displaying a sophisticated level of technique. Take the bacalao, a salt cod tarte, pretty enough for the front window display of a French bakery, topped with a cured egg yolk mixed in tableside. This refined approach is the work of Henrique Sá Pessoa, who earned a pair of Michelin stars before opening Sereia in Michael Beltran’s old Navé spot.

Witnessing the transformation of the old Moe’s space is a reason to visit the new RedFarm in Coconut Grove alone. (You wouldn’t for a second think the modern, well-appointed restaurant was a dark, divey bar in its past life.) Though its menu of highly craveable interpretations of Chinese classics is the real reason you’re there. Start with the spicy crispy beef, a double-fried flank steak flavored with Grand Marnier that’s sweet, salty and best accompanied with a cocktail. Presented in different shades of pastel with cute, tiny eyes, the signature Pac-Man dumplings and the pastrami egg rolls are two of the most popular items on the menu. Duck in several preparations and various noodle and rice dishes round out the offerings.

Downtown’s new wave of eclectic restaurant and nightlife offerings continues with the arrival of Mangrove, a new Jamaican concept from the same team behind Jrk! in Aventura and Downtown. Unlike the local fast-casual chain that preceded it, Mangrove gives off serious tropical speakeasy vibes with a full cocktail menu to complement its more elevated, authentic Jamaican and Caribbean-inspired fare. Vintage furnishings, plenty of live greenery, local artworks and a DJ booth lined with vinyl records add to the hip, intimate mood.

For a city bordered by an ocean and a bay, waterfront restaurants and bars are surprisingly hard to come by. And a decently priced one where the food and drinks don't just rely on views, that’s actually good? It doesn't exist—until now. Pioneering Wynwood bar Gramps expands to Key Biscayne with Gramps Getaway, a campy, authentically Florida joint with boat access, skyline views, freshly caught seafood, tropical drinks and all the funky thrills Gramps has come to be known for—with a more "come-in-your-flip-flops" vibe. The schooner-like bar slings craft cocktails and frozens and while the onsite kitchen is being prepared for its full debut, snacks like fresh oysters and buttery lobster rolls are available to purchase from a Lazy Oyster pop-up shack.

Drawing inspiration from the cuisines and laidback coastal lifestyles found along the Adriatic in the Italian, French and Spanish Rivieras, La Màrtola is the creation of hospitality veterans Paolo Domeneghetti and Martino de Rosa. Located in the former Palat space in charming Buena Vista, the intimate restaurant has been completely redesigned to evoke salty, windswept towns of the Old World. Expect to find local, seasonal and imported ingredients, Neapolitan pizzas, wood-fired proteins and vegetables and an extensive wine list focusing on Champagne, Burgundy, Barolo and rosé. 

Morgan's had a great run in Wynwood. Established in 2010, the multilevel American comfort food restaurant quickly became a favorite among Miami's brunch and lunch set for its filling but wholesome family-friendly fare—along with its more indulgent options like the chocolate-dipped waffle and peach bellinis by the pitcher. Though it's closed up its original shop on 29th Street Morgan's has made itself a new and bigger home nearby in Allapattah. Designed by Eduardo Suarez, the man behind the beautiful Tigre and Casa Florida spaces, Morgan's 2.0 has been modeled from the previous concept just blocks away. 

Ossobuco is a beautifully designed Wynwood restaurant with an everything-is-grilled theme. It puts out dishes that run from fatally flawed to so perfectly executed that it’s almost as if there are two opposing chefs in the kitchen. Inside, it’s all stone, amber woods and concrete with an open floorplan that spills out to the leafy courtyard. It’s moody and buzzy, with every seat in the dining room and a handsome L-shaped bar offering a view to the kitchen’s grill stations. And that’s the point. Each dish, even the cold apps and some of the cocktails, includes a grilled element. Chef Guillermo Eleicegui, an Argentine who’s worked at Sugarcane, the Delano and the Hilton West Palm Beach, has designed a menu here that’s like a modern version of a South American parrilla. Usually, it works. Sometimes it flops as hard as a flipped T-bone.

Pulling up to Edan Bistro is like landing in San Sebastian for a meal. Chef Aitor Garate Berasaluze is the chef and owner of this modest Spanish restaurant in North Miami, and the Basque region native is pouring years of experience and limitless dedication into every detail. Formerly of Lur, chef Aitor cooks the kind of ingredient-forward, technique-heavy Basque dishes you’d expect from the Spanish region’s Michelin-starred restaurants (where he also happens to have worked). At Edan, diners can order á la carte at brunch and dinner, but the latter offers a special eight-course tasting menu you’d be remiss to skip. It’s a bargain at $100 and includes highlights like scallop carpaccio over crispy parmesan toast with a basil emulsion and micro greens and crispy mushroom croquetas with a black garlic emulsion and smoked shiitake. Also an experienced sommelier, Chef will happily offer a wine pairing for some or all of your dishes. It’s terrific if you’re interested in sampling some lesser-known Spanish wines.

One of the best Cubanos in Miami comes from a quaint, 25-seat restaurant along Calle Ocho, and now you can also order them from an unsuspecting ventanita in Little Haiti (6500 NE 2nd Ave). The tiny shop makes most of its ingredients in-house—ham, pork and brined turkey, as well as pickles, pickled onions and mustard. The bread, essential to any Cuban sandwich, is made to Sanguich's specifications by a bakery in Homestead. The menu features seven sandwiches, including the medianoche and pan con croqueta, and five batidos (Cuban milkshakes, for the uninitiated), all of which are made to order.