The next time you’re in Miami, stop by these restaurants for standout meals. Looking for an appetizer or a full-on entrée? Try a new Thai spot, a celebrity chef’s Italian fare, the signature ocean front rooftop, or so many more. Read on to discover the Magic City‘s favorite hot spots and our recommended dishes to try.

Eat Here: Sweet Liberty
Try This: Buns of Liberty Burger

Here’s Why: As soon as you walk into this place, you’ll fall in love with its charm. Located just steps from Collins Avenue in the Collins Park neighborhood, you’ll be drawn to the establishment’s supercool features like it’s cozy version of a “chef’s table”—known as the bartender’s table—for folks who want to imbibe handcrafted cocktails. The booth sits behind the bar so you can see firsthand how bartenders prepare mega drinks like the Big Banana Julep (banana rum, bourbon, salted banana syrup and mint).

Order the tasty Buns of Liberty Burger, which is served on a brioche roll. You’d never think onion rings, pickles, tomatoes, lettuce, American cheese and chef Michelle Bernstein’s special sauce would taste so good together. But it does—and it’s messy. Along with a huge heap of French fries, satisfy your I-just-left-the-nightclub munchies with a trip to Sweet Liberty.
www.mysweetliberty.com

Eat Here: Cleo South Beach
Try This: Flatbread with Lebaneh

Here’s Why: You’re going to fall hard for the warm flatbread that’s delivered to your table in a brown paper bag. Just be sure to pair it with the Mediterranean restaurant’s lebaneh, a thick and creamy Lebanese dip that is made with olive oil, feta cheese and greek yogurt. Talk about heavenly.

You’ll probably request more of this complimentary item before your small plates  arrive. And speaking of small plates, order the meatball tagine. This must-have dish, which comes with soft egg, smoked tomato and piquillo peppers, is tender, well-seasoned and surely satisfying.
sbe.com/restaurants/locations/cleo-south-beach

Eat Here: Katsuya by Starck
Try This: Whitefish Sashimi with Crispy Onion

Here’s Why: Find this hotspot inside the chic SLS South Beach. Here, chef Katsuya Uechi prepares plates filled with Japanese specialties. One of our favorite signature starters include the whitefish sashimi with crispy onion. It’s straight-out-of-the-ocean fresh, thinly shaved, and topped with momiji ponzu sauce and crispy onions.

Complementing a variety of other entrées, savor this item while soaking up the restaurant’s ambience—think white tables and chairs with pops of red throughout and oversized images of a geisha designed by Philippe Starck—over a cup of Soto Junmai Daiginjo sake.
sbe.com/restaurants/locations/katsuya-southbeach

Eat Here: Rooftop at E11even
Try This: Chicken & Waffles

Here’s Why: Downtown Miami’s 4,700-square-foot rooftop offers a nighttime view of the city unlike any other. Picture scantily-clad females in six-inch heels dancing to live music atop a hardwood plank flooring. After a couple of hours, the revelers are going to want to refuel. Just a few steps away sits the rooftop’s intimate indoor/outdoor 50-seat restaurant with bustling open kitchen.

Head here for chicken and waffles. You’ll inhale the buttermilk fried chicken medallions and three warm waffles (served with honey butter) in a matter of minutes. Be sure to douse a little of the spicy maple syrup over your meal before going downstairs to heat things up in E11even’s 20,000-square-foot nightclub. Our advice? Reserve a seat in the pit corner for an up-close-and-personal view of sexy aerialists and more.
11miamirooftop.com/about-us/24hour-menu/   

Eat Here: NaiYaRa
Try This: Duck Peppercorn

Here’s Why: If you’re not paying attention, you’ll probably drive right past NaiYaRa without even noticing that it’s right there in the Sunset Harbour shopping district. Chef Bee’s always packed Thai street food restaurant was inspired by his grandmother and the products she would sell at her local village market in Ban San Macade. The Thailand-born chef (birth name: Piyarat Potha Arreeratn), who has worked side-by-side with noted toques like Nobuyuki Matsuhisa and Kevin Cory, also owns Oishi Thai. His food is authentic and certainly special. On your visit to Bee’s newest venture, it’s a must to have the crispy duck peppercorn (also known as pad ped prik thai on). He makes it a point to source local products so the bell peppers, onions and basil found in this hot dish are all fresh and straight from the farm.
naiyara.com    

Eat Here: Verde
Try This: Gruyère Omelet

Here’s Why: The best of both worlds await you during a trip to Pérez Art Museum Miami. First, you can visit the many exhibitions like Routes of Influence before making your way to Verde to have brunch on its patio, which provides perfect vistas of Biscayne Bay.

We couldn’t get enough of executive chef Kaytlin Brakefield’s gruyère omelet. Ask for extra cheese and a side of French fries to make the meal complete. If sitting at a table is too “formal” for you, we suggest taking a seat on the patio steps to enjoy pastries on the waterfront while savoring a more “casual” setting with friends.
pamm.org/dining  

Eat Here: Juvia Miami Beach
Try This: Wagyu Short Rib Gyoza

Here’s Why: You’re going to fall in love with more than one aspect of this happening 10,000-square-foot restaurant, which is located in the popular open-air Lincoln Road Mall shopping complex. Take an elevator to the 9th floor where you can expect to see a gorgeous living wall,  fountain and a breathtaking view of the city. At this rooftop establishment, you’ll savor a blend of Japanese, Peruvian and French cooking.

We fell in love with the Wagyu short rib gyoza. The braised short rib appetizer, which comes with shiitake mushrooms, parsnip purée and a honey ginger glaze, will satisfy your greedy taste buds all while leaving enough room in your belly should Juvia be just the first stop in your evening lineup.
juviamiami.com

Eat Here: Driftwood Room
Try This: Lobster Risotto

Here’s Why: You can never go wrong when Alexandra Guarnaschelli prepares your meal. As executive chef of Driftwood Room, which is located inside of Miami Beach’s Nautilus (a Sixty Hotel), the Iron Chef who once worked with Guy Savoy and Daniel Boulud, brings a fresh take to classic plates.

Reserve a table on the restaurant’s terrace overlooking the pool. It’s Moroccan lanterns alongside Mid-century modern elements set the stage for a clean and relaxed retro vibe. Order the lobster risotto. The fresh Maine crustacean, Mascarpone cheese, Arborio rice, fennel, tarragon, shallots, and lemon zest make a delightful combo.
driftwoodroommiami.com

Eat Here: KYU Miami
Try This: Thai Fried Rice Stone Pot

Here’s Why: You won’t be able to get enough of this Wynwood gem with it’s zebra wood chairs, herb garden (look for the tiny potted plants around the restaurant) and wood-fired Asian-inspired fare. Just six months old, KYU is the brainchild of well-traveled chef Michael Lewis and general manager Steven Haigh.

One of our favorite items on the menu is the Thai fried rice stone pot. Arriving to the table piping hot with an egg sunny-side up, you’ll find pleasure in mixing the flavorful ingredients (kaffir lime, lemongrass, cilantro, mint and chili) together before devouring every bit of the golden brown rice.
kyumiami.com