I can’t believe I’m already back from my first trip to Miami! As I sit here writing this recap post it makes me sad looking out the window to a rainy New York spring day. At the same time I’m excited to re-live the trip and share all of the things we did [and ate] all over again. Just like my last travel guide for Los Angeles Eats, I’m here with my Ultimate “Millennial” Travel Guide: Miami Eats edition. Haha!
My boyfriend [aka Insta-Husband] and I are huge foodies, so obviously we based most of our activities and the places we went around it. I mean, let’s be real . . . what’s a vacation without amazing, insta-worthy eats!? So sit back, enjoy, and I hope you brought a snack because you’re about to be hungry. 😊
Bodega, South Beach
https://www.instagram.com/bodegasobe
Bodega was the very first place we visited as soon as we arrived in South Beach. Our hotel’s front desk was super helpful in providing us amazing recommendations, and this was on the list of must-see’s. Not only does it serve amazing food truck-style tacos and bites, but it’s actually a speakeasy too! There is a fake porta-potty door that takes you around back to a HUGE club/bar! It’s incredible a place as big as this was hidden behind a small storefront.
. . . ok, back to food because that’s what this post is all about. Ronnie and I ordered a bunch of different flavored tacos which were all amazing! You can’t go wrong. The guac was also good, but the corn elote was to DIE FOR! I highly recommend ordering this if you visit. Everything is à la carte, so beware of how much you order. To be honest, it was a bit pricey for a casual food truck-esk meal, but absolutely worth it!
Carmelo Family Kitchen, Lincoln Road
This is the one of MANY places to eat on Lincoln road, but let me forewarn you. If you’ve ever been bombarded by the aggressive salespeople in the center of the mall trying to sell you hand lotion . . . Lincoln road is exactly the same thing, but for food. Haha! It’s actually quite funny watching all the restaurants compete with each other for your business.
Carmelo’s is definitely easy to bypass with all of the action happening on Lincoln, but we had such great service at this restaurant. If you remember, I posted a photo on my Instagram stories about a place where you can smoke hookah, drink margaritas and eat Italian food all at the same time. Well, this is the place. We sat outside next to heat lamps on our last night and snacked on calamari and reminisced about the trip. Our waiter was phenomenal and even gave us recommendations for our next visit here. I can’t say much about their main dinner menu because we only went for a drink + appetizers, but they pretty much serve traditional Italian cuisine. Would definitely go back.
Carpaccio, Bal Harbor Shops
https://www.instagram.com/carpacciobalharbour/
We took a drive over to Bal Harbor shops [which was gorgeous btw] and needed a cute lunch place for a quick bite. We ate outside on the terrace underneath the palm trees. It’s such a beautiful outdoor space. I ordered the pizza pazza and a garden salad, which were both delicious. The portions are quite large [as most Italian restaurants are] but not too expensive for the area we were in.
Pro Tip: If you sit outside, you’ll get a perfect view of all the fancy cars pulling up to valet. Haha!
Dolce Italian, Gale Hotel
https://www.instagram.com/dolce_italian/
Dolce is a modern Italian restaurant attached to the Gale Hotel, where we stayed. It has beautiful seating on the outdoor veranda with views of Collins Avenue, and a gorgeous dining room inside with a retro 1960’s theme. We were able to try both brunch and dinner here during our trip. We ate brunch outside on a gorgeous sunny morning. I enjoyed my iced coffee [typical] and burrata avocado toast [even more typical…]. Ronnie had an egg sandwich on a French croissant, which he said was “decent” but not amazing. Maybe French cuisine isn’t their specialty?
For dinner we ate in the ulta-chic dining room. We split a bottle of sauvignon blanc and both had amazing homemade pasta dishes. I have to say, I had low expectations for Italian food in Florida, but Dolce was great. We enjoyed the service, food and atmosphere here. Even if you don’t stay at The Gale, I recommend you visit for quality Italian food.
Doraku, Lincoln Road
https://www.instagram.com/dorakusushi/
I mentioned Doraku on my Instagram already, but we planned to visit this Japanese restaurant even before landing in Miami! On the menu they have my favorite crispy rice spicy tuna dish [pictured] which was the main reason I wanted to go. Besides crispy rice, they serve all different types of sushi and fusion dishes capturing the Latin flavors of Miami with Japanese food. Seems weird, but it’s so interesting + yummy! Doraku is conveniently located at the end of Lincoln road on the quieter side [in my opinion]. They have happy hour specials every day from 5-7pm, which we were able to enjoy one night for an early dinner. I’m definitely making my way back here next time I’m in South Beach.
Maxine’s, Catalina Hotel
https://www.instagram.com/maxinesbistroandbar/
We had brunch at Maxine’s one day before the beach. Like most places in South Beach, we ate outside on the outdoor patio. Maxine’s has a young, upbeat, and more casual atmosphere located in the Catalina hotel. There was even a DJ playing house music on the patio while we brunched! The menu had classic breakfast dishes and specialty cocktails. They also serve lunch + dinner, and are open 24/7! If you are looking for a fun, casual meal or late night snack, this is a great spot right on Collins Ave!
Mercato Della Pescheria, Española Way
https://www.instagram.com/mercatodellapescheriaew/
Mercato is an authentic Italian seafood restaurant located on Española way. The entire street takes you back in time to Old World Europe, and is filled with bars and restaurants that make you literally feel like you were transported out of the country. All of the restaurants have outdoor seating underneath the twinkling lights on the beautiful cobblestone street. The atmosphere is loud, exciting and energetic. I definitely recommend making a reservation for dinner in this area because it was definitely crowded the entire time we were there. For dinner we both had authentic Italian seafood dishes and wine [duh]. I definitely recommend visiting Española way one night if you’re in South Beach. It’s out of this world . . . literally. Totally a bad joke, but I couldn’t resist. 🤣
Morgans, Miami
https://www.instagram.com/morgansmiami/
We look a short road trip away from South Beach to have brunch at Morgans in Wynwood — which is the design district of Miami. If you couldn’t already tell, we are definitely brunch people! The restaurant is an adorable renovated 1930’s house, complete with a retro black and white striped awning over the huge outdoor patio. We sat outside on yet another gorgeous morning and enjoyed eggs benedict and the largest breakfast burrito I’ve ever seen. Literally. Their menu is composed of classic American homemade dishes all made from scratch.
Paul Bakery & Patisserie, Lincoln Road
https://www.instagram.com/paul_usa_1889/
Paul . . . I felt the name didn’t fit it’s fancy, Parisian café vibe. We rode bikes from our hotel and ate outside with a gorgeous view of Lincoln Road for lunch [I felt so French . . . haha!]. They are well-known for fine breads, gourmet sandwiches and light pastries. I had an amazing sandwich with french fries and Ronnie enjoyed a panini. This is a cute, outdoor Insta-worthy spot with so many fancy French sandwich options. Stop by for lunch or just a coffee!
Pizza Bar, South Beach
https://www.instagram.com/pizzabarsb/
Oh Pizza Bar, how I loved you. This pizza shop was not even a block away from our hotel on Collins Ave. They’re open late to feed your after-hours cravings, because Miami apparently never sleeps . . . and here I am thinking New York is the city that never sleeps.
I was wrong.
Pizza Bar is famed for serving the largest slices and pies in Miami Beach. Their hashtag, #SizeDoesMatter can’t describe the pizza any better. We stopped by and took two of their famous slices back to the room to enjoy in our fancy hotel robes. It was a perfect end to the night.
Rosetta Bakery, South Beach
https://www.instagram.com/rosettabakery/
Rosetta bakery’s flagship is right on Collins Ave. We passed this cute bakery almost every day, and decided to finally go in one day for a delicious Italian sfogliatelle after seeing it in the window. If you’re not Italian, it’s the shell-looking pastry in the center of my photo. Flakey on the outside and filled with ricotta, this is one of my favorite Italian pastries. Yum! Rosetta is known for their timeless Italian baked goods, made with fresh ingredients in an open-concept style kitchen. You literally can watch them bake all the sweets through a glass wall. It’s so cool!
Shelborne Caffe, Shelborne Hotel
https://www.instagram.com/shelbornesobe/?
The Shelborne is part of the Menin Hospitality group along with our hotel, The Gale. Because they are partners we had access to both hotel’s amenities during our stay! The Shelborne Caffe is right on the pool deck with a fabulous view of palm trees and the gigantic pool! We enjoyed a delicious brunch buffet in the sunroom while watching guests lounge poolside. The caffe’s décor is modern nautical-chic [is this a thing?]. Along with the beautiful spread of fruits, pastries, breads, and eggs all different ways, there was a full-service bar serving mimosas and bloody mary’s too! YUM. I totally recommend checking out the Shelborne Caffe if you are staying here or The Gale.
*Please note the half eaten bagel in this photo, because clearly someone [ahem..] was too hungry to wait for my perfect shot. 🙄🙄
Taco Taco, Catalina Hotel
https://www.instagram.com/tacotacosouthbeach/
Taco Taco is another restaurant attached to the Catalina hotel. This place was packed with people outside on the front deck all hours of the day. They were constantly blasting house music, but not sure if this was only for Miami Music week. It’s a casual, affordable taco spot perfect for lunch or just some margaritas and guac! In my honest opinion, I thought Bodega’s food was much better, but this place was colorful, fun and definitely insta-worthy!
Tanuki, South Beach
https://www.instagram.com/tanukimiami/
We were craving dim sum for dinner one night, and took a drive over to Tanuki to try it out. Tanuki is known for being one of the best modern Asian restaurants in Miami, and after eating here I can totally understand why! Everything we ordered was delicious! Instead of ordering everything at once, we decided to order a bunch of dishes as we went since the portions are small. I recommend doing this as well, because we were afraid of not ordering enough! We ended up ordering a second round of beef long bao [soup dumplings] because they were THAT good! On top of the dim sum, we had some excellent sushi, and of course . . . my favorite spicy tuna crispy rice! I already can’t wait to go back.
Upland, Miami
https://www.instagram.com/upland_mia/
Saving the best for last! We had dinner at Upland to celebrate our 1 year anniversary, and it was probably my favorite meal of the trip! This is a spin-off of the original smash-hit location in Manhattan, serving wood-fired Californian + Italian inspired dishes. I loved the rustic-chic décor . . . it felt like we literally stepped into a trendy NYC restaurant. Since we were trying to take in as much of the Florida weather as possible, we sat outside next to heat lamps under moody lights with a street view.
Our waitress was phenomenal, and provided the most amazing service for us. She pretty much recommended everything we ate that night, and OMG wow. I’m glad we let her take the reins on this.
To start…
we had the avocado + falafel sprouted bean salad [pictured]. Even though I like falafel, I never end up actually ordering it. Surprisingly, both us of really enjoyed this unique dish.
For our main course…
I enjoyed the bucatini cacio e pepe [also pictured]. This pasta was cooked PERFECTLY al dente, and the pecorino romano sauce was incredible. Ronnie had the char-grilled skirt steak, which was cooked exactly to his liking. On the side, our waitress highly recommended the charred broccoli [pictured]. I’ve never had broccoli like this before, and was pleasantly surprised I liked the texture.
We had to try dessert…
We were both blown away by each course and couldn’t stop here! Our waitress chose the pear crostata for our dessert [pictured!]. I was skeptical because I’m definitely not a pear person, but OMG the toasted walnut crumble on top was a perfect touch to the brown sugar flavored ice cream on the side. My mouth is actually watering thinking about it.
I definitely took some extra time to describe this meal in particular because this night was so special to me. If you had to visit one place on this list, I HIGHLY recommend visiting Upland.
I really hope you enjoyed reading all about the places we ate on this trip! I’m already looking forward to planning my next trip down to South Beach and adding to this list of Miami Eats! Send me a message, or drop a comment below if you’ve tried any of the places above, or have any new recommendations for me!
Until next time guys!
/ / As always, this is my personal blog. This blog post is not sponsored. Any views or opinions represented in this blog are my own and do not represent the views of any company or individual I may mention. This post may contain affiliate links where I make a small commission if you click and shop using my links. It won’t cost you a penny, but helps keep this blog running!
/ / As always, this is my personal blog. This blog post is not sponsored. Any views or opinions represented in this blog are my own and do not represent the views of any company or individual I may mention. This post may contain affiliate links where I make a small commission if you click and shop using my links. It won’t cost you a penny, but helps keep this blog running!
Liz Shamooni says
Next time I go to Miami, I know where to go.
Michelle Russo says
Yes! Definitely make sure to hit Bodega and Upland! 🙂
Elise says
I love Miami so much, I was loving all your insta shots too. this food seriously looks so amazing, I am drooling!
xx, Elise
http://www.sparkleandslippers.blogspot.com
Michelle says
Thanks Elise! It was definitely a trip based around food! BAHAH 🙂
Aurora says
Great pictures! The food selections look so yummy!! #scsister
xo Aurora
Michelle says
Thanks so much!! Everything was so good!