August and September means it’s time for Miami Spice, that special time of year when temperatures rise and restaurant check totals fall. Each summer, the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) offers a two-month promotion from August 1 to September 30, where more than 100 Miami restaurants offer prix fixe, three-course meals for $35 for lunch and $45 or $60 for dinner.
Call it Christmas in August, as Miami’s version of “restaurant week” lasts two months. Several restaurants with MICHELIN Stars will be participating, along with Bib Gourmands and restaurants that are included in The MICHELIN Guide selection. Here’s our take on the best menus in town for Miami Spice.
Cote Miami (One MICHELIN Star)
Cuisine: Korean, Steakhouse
Neighborhood: Miami Design District
When staring down the long, neon-lit entrance hallway that booms overhead with a subwoofer and ends with a giant mirror, rest assured that this is a serious operation. Owner Simon Kim and his team know what they're doing in this highly stylized Korean steakhouse, which almost feels like a temple to beautifully marbled and aged beef, much of it on display in a nearby room. Just as you would find at the original location in New York City, top-quality ingredients, astutely seasoned dishes and engaging servers make for a seamless experience.
Inspector notes: "First-timers should start with the butcher’s feast, a generous tasting that includes an assortment of banchan, multiple cuts of beef and two kinds of stews. Round it off with the kimchi Wagyu paella—a marvel on its own."
Le Jardinier Miami (One MICHELIN Star)
Cuisine: French, Contemporary
Neighborhood: Miami Design District
When it comes to running serious, highly accomplished restaurants in multiple cities, Chef Alain Verzeroli learned from the best. After two decades under the late Chef Joël Robuchon, Verzeroli has stepped out with his own brand of culinary excellence. Stylish from head to toe and with locations in both Houston and New York City, this dining room is a celebration of the seasons. With neighbors like Gucci and Christian Louboutin, this gorgeous Design District lair feels right at home.
Inspector notes: "The menu is a study of vibrant tastes and smart compositions that pack big flavor minus the heaviness. Highlights include a wonderfully smooth summer gazpacho with avocado; butternut squash ravioli with a brown butter emulsion; as well as seared Hudson Valley foie gras with cherry. Plant-based ice creams and sorbets are impossibly creamy."
Stubborn Seed (One MICHELIN Star & MICHELIN Green Star)
Cuisine: Contemporary, American
Neighborhood: Miami Beach
Standing sentry on a busy corner, Stubborn Seed is sexy and sleek with an industrial chic décor and glass-fronted display kitchen. Whether you’re posted at the bar or in the main dining room, Chef Jeremy Ford brings the heat with an ambitious and brashly creative tasting menu. This is a kitchen that likes to take risks, weaving in Latin and Asian influences in a manner that is both bold and busy. Sourcing is a point of pride here too, as many ingredients come straight from the team’s organic five-acre farm in Redland."
Inspector notes: "Dinner begins with a series of small bites—like celery root croquette with beef bacon jam or beef tartare with black truffle, pine nuts, and Japanese milk bread—and escalates with pastas like ricotta gnudi with Manchego foam."
Beauty & the Butcher
Cuisine: Contemporary, American
Neighborhood: South Miami
A gleaming, square bar anchors the center of this attractive, sizeable restaurant styled with a floor-to-ceiling glass wine cellar and personalized wine lockers placed throughout the room. Much like the restaurant itself, the menu walks a fine line of comfort, creativity, and class.
Menu
$35 Lunch (Friday)
Appetizers: Caesar Salad, French Onion Soup
Entrees: Cacio e Pepe, Organic Chicken, Crispy Skin Salmon, Steak Frites (+$15)
Dessert: Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookie, Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake
$60 Dinner (Sunday - Thursday)
Appetizers: Caesar Salad, Manchego & Serrano Ham Croquettes, Hamachi Crudo, Beef Tartare (+$5)
Entrees: 15 Day- Dry Aged Pork Chop, Organic Chicken, Crispy Skin Salmon, Steak Frites (+$15)
Dessert: Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookie, Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake, The Beauty Cake (+$8)
Cafe La Trova
Cuisine: Cuban, Latin American
Neighborhood: Little Havana
Of Jewish and Latin descent but born and raised in Miami, Chef Michelle Bernstein is intrinsic to the city's culinary scene. For this concept in Little Havana, she teams up with cocktail guru, Julio Cabrera, and the result is extraordinary. It's a vivacious place that hums with live music and a décor that transports guests through decades of history—from Cuba to the Cuban experience in Southern Florida.
Menu
$45 Dinner (Sunday - Thursday)
Appetizers: Empanadas (2), Croquetas (4), Caesar Tradicional, Shrimp Tiradito
Entrees: Skirt Steak Ropa Vieja, Catch of the Day, Lechón, Arroz con Pollo
Desserts: Flan de la Flaca
Hakkasan
Cuisine: Chinese, Contemporary
Neighborhood: Miami Beach
Finding Hakkasan means wading through the lobby of the Fontainebleau—a historic, if riotous, hotel in Miami Beach swimming with beach bodies and night owls. The restaurant’s signature imperial style is on display, featuring dramatic lights, sleek marble tables and ornate wooden slat dividers. Its clubby beats are a constant reminder that you are never far from the party.
Menu
$60 Dinner (Sunday - Thursday)
Appetizers: Green Salad with Mango, Three Treasure Dumplings, Crispy Almond Prawns
Entrees: Crispy Prawn, Vegetarian Chicken, Stir-Fried Beef, Half Peking Duck (+$40), Beef Tenderloin (+$35). Side Dishes: Dan Dan Noodles, Lotus Root, Fried Rice.
Desserts: Mango Custard, Sorbet
Michael’s Genuine (Bib Gourmand)
Cuisine: Contemporary, American
Neighborhood: Miami Design District
This Design District pioneer from Chef Michael Schwartz is as popular now as it was when it first debuted almost 15 years ago. A well-heeled crowd flocks here, but whether it's a requisite respite from boutique hopping, a spot to catch up with friends or a meal to close a business deal, this dining delight is for everyone. The courtyard is a lovely place to linger, thanks to its lush greenery, fans and heat lamps (when necessary). The interior space features concrete flooring and an inviting bar. A jazz playlist adds to the upbeat and conversation-filled air.
Menu
$35 Lunch (Monday to Friday)
Appetizers: French Onion Soup Croquette, Marinated Mussels or Wood Oven Roasted Halloumi
Entrees: Short Rib Panini, Wood Roasted Cobia Meuniére, Grilled Chicken Kefta
Desserts: Espresso Flan, Banana Upside Down Cake
$45 Dinner (Monday to Sunday)
Appetizers: French Onion Soup, Beef Tartare, Baked Island Creek Oysters
Entrees: Rainbow Chard Lasagnette, Wood Roasted Cobia Meuniére, Pork Milanese
Desserts: Espresso Flan
Mignonette
Cuisine: Seafood
Neighborhood: Downtown Miami
You could wander in solo wearing flip-flops or pull up with a date in a dinner jacket. Nobody minds either way at Chef Danny Serfer’s oyster bar, which has lit up this corner of Edgewood since 2014 and sits directly across from the city cemetery. Once a 1930s gas station, this refitted space is retro-cool, thanks to warehouse floors, comfy booths and floor-to-ceiling windows. Standing under a vintage marquee that lists the day’s bivalves, chefs may be found shucking for a crowd that gets louder as the night moves on.
Menu
$60 Dinner (Monday - Sunday)
Any appetizer, entree and dessert from the regular menu.
Hero image: Courtesy of Hakkasan / Hakkasan Miami
