It's hard to believe that along our miles of South Florida coastline, a waterfront restaurant is a rarity. These restaurants are situated right on the water, so when the temps soar this month, you can dine here and enjoy cooling bay, river, or ocean breezes, not to mention spectacular views.
On Biscayne Bay in Miami Beach is Baia Beach Club (305.514.1949) at the Mondrian South Beach, 1100 West Ave., Miami Beach. Dock your yacht at their marina and enjoy the indoor-outdoor restaurant's easy bohemian vibe, with panoramic sunset views of the bay and the downtown Miami skyline. Baia Beach Club has been a secret gem of locals for a while, with a buzzy bar scene and a popular Sundown Social Happy Hour featuring colorful, crafted cocktails.
The Mediterranean menu features fried artichoke hearts with olive oil and wild garlic salsa verde, as well as a salad with baby tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, red onion and Kalamata olives. Pescatarians will love the Branzino with tomato, olive, and herb caponata; carnivores will find the extravagant 32 oz. tomahawk irresistible. For dessert, the decadent carrot cake with berry coulis is unsurpassable.
(instagram.com/lamarmiami)
Peruvian cuisine with a view of the downtown Miami skyline from the terrace at La Mar by Gastón Acurio.
Even better, membership at the private Baia Beach Club Miami features 15% off the entire menu, and 50% off on Tuesdays from 6-11 p.m., plus other great amenities.
Situated right at the water’s edge, La Mar by Gastón Acurio (305.913.8358) at 500 Brickell Key Dr., Brickell Key, Miami, boasts the city's finest view of Biscayne Bay and the Miami Brickell skyline. Be sure to opt for the expansive outdoor terrace seating.
In addition to the drop-dead view, the restaurant is recognized as Miami's go-to destination for the best in Peruvian gastronomy. It features the cuisine of acclaimed Peruvian chef Gastón Acurio, and is helmed by executive chef Diego Oka, one of our most celebrated local chefs and a leader of Latin American cuisine in the U.S.
La Mar's menu ranges from upscale novo-Andean fare to Asian-Peruvian fusion, with signature ceviche to freshly grilled anticuchos. Start with the ceviche chifa made with Peruvian trout, pickled veggies, cilantro, sesame oil, peanuts, and crispy noodles. (Chifa Cantonese elements fused with traditional Peruvian ingredients.) Follow with the tiradito lujoso: Japanese Hamachi, blue crab, avocado, smoked trout eggs, vegetable confit and leche de tigre. Next try the anticucho di pulpa piqueo, grilled Spanish octopus with chimichurri and pesto foam.
(Bruno Frontino)
Seaspice has a front row vantage point for the passing parade of yachts on the Miami River. / Bruno Frontino
The winner here is the sudado a la Norteña, the fisherman's stew with Florida grouper, calamari, octopus, shrimp, and clams. For dessert, it must be the cherimoya alegre, a merengue with crushed almonds, goat cheese-infused dulce de leche, strawberries and Chantilly cream.
Celebrated for its vibrant waterfront location on the Miami River, Seaspice at (305.440.4200) 412 Northwest North River Dr., Miami, has a front-row vantage point for the passing parade of yachts on the Miami River. Arrive by yacht, dock at the restaurant and their waitstaff will serve you on board. (Be sure to reserve your spot in advance.) You might even spot a celebrity or two arriving by yacht; It seems every celeb who ever visited Miami has been here, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Beyonce and Jay-Z.
(facebook.com/amaraatparaiso)
A Seafood Parrillada with grilled scallops, octopus, giant prawns, and cobia wrapped in banana leaf at Amara at Paraiso.
Brunch on Saturday or Sunday is a must. The best bet is the $49 three-course Mediterranean menu with the added option of three cocktails for $30. Choose from among diverse offerings such as Eggs in Eggs, with egg custard, shakshuka, and caviar; tomato avocado salad; hand-crafted burrata with tomato coulis and baby arugula; truffle tagliatelle and the short rib or Maine lobster Benedict. For dessert, the guanaja chocolate cremoso. with cocoa nib crumble should not be passed up.
Amara at Paraiso (305.676.9495) at 3101 NE 7th Ave., Miami, has one the best waterside views in town, offering expansive views of Biscayne Bay from the Edgewater area. Snag a table right on the water on the breezy outdoor deck and enjoy the expansive views of the Julia Tuttle Causeway and the Miami Beach skyline.
One of The Genuine Hospitality Group of restaurants by James Beard Award-winning chef, Michael Schwartz, Amara is helmed by executive chef Ivan Barros, who serves upscale Latin fare. Start with the tuna crudo or the Paraiso seafood tower with Maine lobster, oysters, crudos and ceviches. Try the parrilla wood grill offerings, which include skirt steak, chorizo rojo, veal sweetbreads, and a short rib. The seafood parrillada offers half a Maine lobster, giant prawns, local fish, and a seafood "chorizo." For dessert, save room for tres leches with mixed berries.
(Courtesy of Smith & Wollensky)
Smith & Wollensky has views of the Miami skyline.
Don't miss Amara's monthly summer dinner series with Miami's top chefs. On July 24, it's guest chef Pablo Zitzmann, executive chef/owner of Zitz Sum (786.409.6920) at 396 Alhambra Circles, Coral Gables, (recipient of a 2024 Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand Award), featuring a Colombian four-course prix-fixe dinner, $175 pp.
Smith & Wollensky (305.673.2800) at 1 Washington Ave., Mami Beach in South Ponte Park offers waterside dining with a Miami skyline as well as ocean views. The secret here is to time your happy hour at the outdoor deck bar or dinner at your waterside table to the departure of the cruise ships sailing from the Port of Miami through Government Cut, the channel between Miami Beach and Fisher Island. It's an amazing experience to see huge ships sailing past while you are mere yards away.
As an appetizer, try the tuna tartare with cucumber salad and avocado mousse, or the American Wagyu carpaccio with black truffle aioli. There is always a fresh catch of the day, such as seared yellowfin tuna, plus an extensive shellfish menu, but steaks are the star of the show here. Try any of their USDA prime steakhouse cuts, such as the signature USDA prime bone-in ribeye, or the American wagyu NY strip. For dessert, the baked Alaska for two, served tableside, is legendary.
News and Openings
The Wagyu Bar (786.5792498) at 2257 Coral Way, Miami is a casual steakhouse that focuses on steak without fancy steakhouse frills. The menu offers quality steaks at every grade and price point. Their products are sourced from the best meat programs in the world, are organic and non-GMO. For weekend grill masters, the Wagyu Bar is located next to their flagship boutique/butcher store, Meat N'Bone, where they feature an extensive menu of steaks for your July 4th weekend grilling celebrations. Or order online -- incredibly, they offer free, fast delivery.
Just debuted, The Blakery by Blake Warman, is an online cookie company offering mouth-watering cookies such as Deep Dark Secret (brownie batter), Cookie Menage (a menage of Oreos and Biscoff cookies on a chocolate base), and Creamy Dream (cookies 'n cream). They are all yummy enough to get Warman an audition for a spot on Gordon Ramsay's Food Star. There's a cookie of the month, a variety box, and you can build your own box, available at theblakery.co.
1 of 3
(Ruben Cabrera)
The Tiradito Lujoso at La Mar by Gastón Acurio.
2 of 3
(Courtesy of Baia Beach Club)
A delicious tomahawk steak at the Baia Beach Club facing the bay.
3 of 3
(Courtesy of Smith & Wollensky)
Steak is the main event at Smith & Wollensky
Irene Moore is a Miami-based writer and certified sommelier whose vivid descriptions take readers through culinary cultures around the world.
(Irene Moore)
Irene Moore