11 South Beach Staples
Miami Beach's gilttering jewel offers everything from dive bars to Michellin-starred experiences
Miami Beach is a tourist destination of dreams: white sand beaches, swaying palm trees, and neon lights. Restaurants abound here and there’s something for everyone — from sequined drag shows to dark dive bars to Michelin-starred tasting menus and everything in between.
If you’re going to South Beach, bring your wallet and your sunscreen and enjoy the decadence like a local at these spots.
Abbalé Telavivian Kitchen
Miami Beach is a lot to take in. Crowds, loud music, flashy cars, and flashier people can assault your senses. Abbalé Telavivian Kitchen is a much-needed respite with a patio filled with lush greenery and colorful toss pillows to lounge on as you sip on a spritz and enjoy fresh takes on Israeli cuisine. Best part? The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, brunch, and dinner.
Cheese Burger Baby
When the party’s almost over and you need something to sate your late-night hunger, Cheese Burger Baby is there for you until the wee hours of the morning. If the burgers are good enough for Beyonce — they’re good enough for you.
Joe’s Stone Crab
Miami Beach’s iconic Joe’s Stone Crab has been serving stone crabs (a local luxury) for longer than the city of Miami Beach has been chartered. The restaurant, still family-owned since 1913, is legendary. The restaurant now takes limited reservations, but the traditional way to enjoy Joe’s is to get there when it opens for happy hour at 4:30, add your name to the list, and be one of the first to get seated when the dining room opens at 5 p.m. Though you have to try the stone crabs (when in season), the real hit is the half fried chicken that’s still only $8.95.
Margot Bar & Bistro
Bar Lab’s Elon Zvi and Gabe Orta opened a small natural wine shop in Downtown Miami named Margot. Now, they’ve expanded to South Beach with a charming 70s-themed spot. This time, there’s a full food menu (don’t sleep on the shakshuka), a good wine selection, and a peaceful outdoor patio.
Mac’s Club Deuce
When the Miami Beach sun hits too hard, you need a dark, cool bar to soothe your sunburn and heat stroke. The “Deuce” cures what ails you with a no-nonsense bar. A long favorite of Anthony Bourdain, this is the classic no-frills watering hole that’s been authentically serving up booze and stories since 1926.
Macchialina
Italian restaurants are best when they’re intimate and locally owned. Chef Michael Pirolo’s menu is concise and authentic and is paired with a wine list of mostly Italian varietals. Don’t forget to end your meal with some house-infused grappa at this Michelin-recommended restaurant, located in the non-touristy west end of South Beach.
Palace Bar
This Ocean Drive icon is best known for its high-energy drag shows that spill onto the streets. The Palace is a long-standing tradition in Miami Beach that has served fierceness for three decades.
Red South Beach
Red is one of those restaurants where its executive chef is in the kitchen. Peter Vauthy takes his work so seriously, that everything that comes out of that kitchen is lovingly (and personally) attended to. From C.A.B. steaks to seafood to red sauce classics, Red is simply the best steakhouse in Miami Beach — and you’ll be able to enjoy your food without sparklers, diamond-encrusted meat suitcases, and other SOBE trappings.
Stubborn Seed
Chef Jeremy Ford and his team excel at this Michelin-starred restaurant in Miami Beach’s South of Fifth neighborhood. In a land where dropping lots of money on glittering restaurants where the food is disappointing, Stubborn Seed is a shining star. The impressive tasting menu features many dishes using produce from the chef’s farm. The restaurant offers both eight and 11-course tasting menus.
Sweet Liberty
Sweet Liberty is a watering hole for both locals and visitors. Owned by Miami restaurant/bar veterans Dan Binkiewicz, David Martinez, and Michelle Bernstein, Sweet Liberty is a neon-hued place where anything can happen. It’s a lively scene that’s welcoming any time of day — from a 4 to 7 p.m. happy hour to late-night revelry until 5 a.m.
Water Lion
Tucked away inside the Sagamore Hotel in South Beach, Water Lion is a small wine bar featuring vintages carefully curated by owner, Abbe Diaz. There are also oysters, housemade pickles, and plenty of deviled eggs to nosh on. Water Lion feels less like a bar and more like walking into the apartment of a fabulous friend who happens to have an amazing wine selection. It’s my absolute go-to spot for a glass in Miami Beach.