Enjoy dining al fresco? Let yourself be romanced by the sidewalk sounds of a big city or pampered by the peacefulness of a patio garden. Flock to the terrace, deck or boulevard table and share a bite, under the sun, an oversized patio umbrella or the stars. Be it a brunch in the breeze, sunset supper or long lunch, all of it tastes best outside. Check out our list of the top 10 restaurants for outdoor dining in Miami/South Florida, presented in alphabetical order.
Enjoy dining al fresco? Let yourself be romanced by the sidewalk sounds of a big city or pampered by the peacefulness of a patio garden. Flock to the terrace... more
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Created 09/11/08
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1
Acqua
Four Seasons Hotel Miami, 1435 Brickell Ave., Miami, FL 33131 / 305-358-3535
Patrick Duff, the new executive chef at Acqua at the Four Seasons Hotel Miami, has gutted the Italian menu, bringing a renovation of Asian and Latin American dishes instead.
2
Azul
Mandarin Oriental, Miami, 500 Brickell Key Dr., Miami, FL 33131 / 305-913-8254
Since the Mandarin Oriental, Miami hotel is built on prestigious Brickell Key, it is not surprising that its high-end restaurant, Azul, offers unparalleled vistas of Biscayne Bay and the Miami skyline through floor-to-ceiling picture windows. Many sophisticated diners, however, find the view of the place’s extensive raw bar just as spectacular. But the main attraction is the cuisine of chef Clay Conley. Following a celebrity chef with the firecracker charisma of Azul’s former head honcho Michelle Bernstein is no cinch. But the smoothly polished elegance and ease with which Conley manipulates impeccable upscale (and often organic) ingredients into ultra-creative Asian, Mediterranean, New American and Latin-influenced combinations actually is a far better match for the sleek space. Playful reinvention is one of Conley’s strong suits---hence “steak ‘n’ eggs” with beef tartare and carpaccio, crispy egg yolk, and truffled artichoke vinaigrette; a deconstructed “New England clam chowder” with crunchy-coated clams, pork belly confit and malt vinegar; or a witty take on the old continental classic, veal Oscar, with Alaskan king crab plus crab meat “tater tots.” Also delightful are multi-part plates like a three-way Moroccan lamb (spicy harissa-marinated loin, grilled chop, and shank meat in a b’stilla pastry). Top-flight service and wine list, too, which makes Azul one of Miami's premier dining destinations.
3
Baleen
Grove Isle Club & Resort, 4 Grove Isle Dr., Coconut Grove, FL 33133 / 305-857-5007
There is crystal blue water everywhere as you drive over the brief causeway to exclusive Grove Isle for a dinner at that resort's swank Baleen restaurant. The indoor dining room is richly decorated steak house-style with oak-paneled walls, mahogany furnishings and cozy booths around the perimeter. Lovely space, but stuffy compared to sitting on the semicircular patio amidst diaphanous white linen curtains billowing in the breeze. The food provides a bold contrast to this soothing setting. Appetizers include wood-roasted shrimp with roast garlic and tomato confit, and good old American oysters Rockefeller, but don't neglect the wondrous raw bar selections like caviar, farm-raised oysters and tartare of the day. Main courses are also available dressed and undressed, the former featuring dishes like herb-crusted Pacific sea bass with fennel and leek stew, and Chinese fried snapper with coconut rice and black bean vinaigrette, the latter referring to various fish and shellfish that can be ordered simply roasted, grilled or sautéed. Desserts are likewise rewarding in a big way, especially the warm Valrhona Volcanic chocolate cake that is baked to order and served with freshly-churned vanilla ice cream and berries. Sunday brunch is one of the best.
4
Barton G. The Restaurant
1427 West Ave., Miami Beach, FL 33139 / 305-672-8881
Barton G. is an event impresario with a reputation for over-the-top theatrics. So it’s almost disappointing that his eatery’s interior---swathed in surprisingly subtle earth tones, along with zebra woods, giant floral bouquets, iridescent curtains and a glass wall---is so sophisticated. We recommend reserving in the lushly landscaped garden patio; it’s a far more fitting setting for the festive New American comfort food. Start with popcorn shrimp served with real popcorn in a paper movie theatre container, or a foie gras, hickory-smoked duck, and truffle aïoli club sandwich that comes in a lunchbox. Main course options include first-rate Southern fried chicken with cowboy mashed potatoes, and grilled swordfish skewered with root vegetables on a gentleman's sword nearly a foot long. For dieters or the humor-impaired, more straightforward entrées are also available, including simply grilled meats and seafood. You've no choice but to go extreme with desserts, whether it be a DIY sundae containing three pints of homemade ice cream, or a shrub-size wad of lavender cotton candy accompanied by popcorn balls wrapped around bonbons bursting with chocolate truffles. All of the above, plus a wine list stocked with boutique California vintners and Barton’s own wines---a Cabernet, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc that leave standard house plonk in the dust---have made Barton G. one of South Beach's most delightful dining destinations.
5
Bice Ristorante
Le Meridien Sunny Isles Beach, 18683 Collins Ave., Sunny Isles Beach, FL 33160 / 305-503-6011
Seamlessly interred in the lobby of the ultra-modern Le Meridien, this South Florida location of Bice boasts a striated wood floor and lots of light coming in through the glass. Spare and polished, it's a perfect setting for the reflective if expected cuisine; ever-changing wine list; and slick service. The solid Italian fare hails back to its roots with quality ingredients, but also looks forward with a touch of nouvelle creativity; a dish of raw ahi tuna rolled around fresh crab and perched over a mixed salad of watercress, arugula, baby chicory, orange and grapefruit segments and shavings of ripe avocado, for instance, bodes well for the sushi bar. More traditional entrées include a pressed, roasted baby chicken that showcases skin as crisp as a tourist's and a juicy, mild flesh. Desserts run the gamut from tired tiramisu to a refreshing seasonal fruit platter with lemon sorbet. For a truly Italian experience, order the cheese plate for dessert, which comes with a trilogy of hard, soft and blue cheeses; a trio of chestnut, acacia and millefiori honeys; and freshly roasted walnuts. The textural and flavor counterpoints of these combinations energize rather than weigh down the palate.
6
Blue Door
Delano, 1685 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, FL 33139 / 305-674-6400
Whatever you do, don’t miss out on Miami’s favorite spectator sport: people-watching in Ian Schrager's stunning Delano hotel. The restaurant, decadent in an understated ’90s way, wows with white curtains, white candles, white grand piano and impossibly high ceilings. The outdoor verandah is an equally impressive spot to dine, overlooking a Philippe Starck life-size chessboard and eclectic, pastoral garden. The food is also a sight to behold---and to be eaten with gusto, as illustrious Claude Troisgros is the consulting chef for a menu of tropical-accented French cuisine. Appetizers exhibit Troisgros' refined but flavor-packed style, especially Big Ravioli with taro root mousseline and truffle cream sauce, and a duck foie gras burger with caramelized onions and sweet-sour tomato glaze. Entrées reinforce the chef's trademark manner of innovatively fusing ingredients into cohesive and unforgettable dishes. A filet of black grouper gets eloquently enhanced with cashews, brown butter and roasted fresh hearts of palm; beef tenderloin is crusted with distinction by a green peppercorn tempura; and roast duck breast is enlivened by bacon, figs and caramelized pears. Don't miss the passion fruit crêpe soufflé for dessert. Blue Door remains South Beach's standard of grandeur, befitting Miami’s flashy elite, deep-pocketed tourists, or anyone who dares to dream.
7
Casa Tua
1700 James Ave., Miami Beach, FL 33139 / 305-673-1010
Casa Tua is a gorgeous stone Mediterranean-style beach house whose front gates open to a lush outdoor garden terrace of white linen-topped tables, and an indoor series of dining rooms decorated to make diners feel as though they're in the home of a good friend---assuming their friends are Martha Stewart and Ralph Lauren. Oft-changing menus showcase simple, sophisticated ingredients that typify the best of Italian cooking, such as an appetizer of deliciously moist burrata mozzarella cheese with six types of tomato. There are culinary missteps along the way, like a dry, too well-chilled carpaccio of red wine-marinated beef, but these are few and far between. Pastas prove consistently gratifying, none more so than pappardelle in a rich lamb ragu, as well as the most reasonably priced items on an expensive menu. Neatly dressed, unfussy seafood entrées satisfy as well, though our favorite main course consists of two boneless quails bathed in black truffle sauce and puffed with a stuffing of chopped veal, fresh sage and Parmesan. Casa Tua is defined by its utterly enchanting setting, but the quality food, professional service, and smart selection of Italian wines make this more than just another pretty facade.
8
Giorgio's Grill
606 N. Ocean Dr., Hollywood, FL 33019 / 954-929-7030
Ballroom dancing in the bar area, table-top dancing in the main dining room and diners arriving by automobile, tour bus, motorcycle, and yacht---Giorgio's is strategically located on the edge of the Intracoastal Waterway, across the street from Hollywood Beach. It is always a scene here, and always scenic, too. The Greek menu is almost as exuberant as the crowd, a mix of meze like fried calamari, spanikopita, and spicy lamb sausage leading up to a variety of generously portioned, heavily garlicked pastas and various seafoods and meats prepared Mediterranean style---simply grilled, herbed and splashed with lemon. The enormous private lounge is frequently host to Greek weddings and other festivities, so when you hear the smashing of plates and festive Greek music, rest assured it's not a clumsy server. If you don't enjoy loud, boisterous restaurants, you'd better pick a different place to eat.
9
La Marea
The Tides South Beach, 1220 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach, FL 33139 / 305-604-7090
Dining on The Tides’ terrace---due to its elevation, the only outdoor dining space on Ocean Drive where it’s possible to glimpse the ocean---has always been one of South Beach’s most sparkling visual experiences. But the dated, and rather stiff, indoor dining room was disappointing, as, most often, was the wildly fluctuating food, from rotating chefs who seldom lasted more than a year or two. With new owners (Kor Hotel Group) the restaurant received a name change (from 1220), a striking décor makeover by designer Kelly Wearstler and, from Italian chef Pietro Rota, a menu of Italian-French Riviera-style food that finally matches the spectacular setting. Typical of Southern Europe’s seaside restaurants, the emphasis is on first-rate seafood, featuring both local and flown-in Mediterranean fish. As in Italy (but in few of America’s overwrought Italian eateries), each dish highlights just a few ingredients---like bigoli with fresh sardines and walnuts, inventive yet evocatively Venetian. And in true classical French fashion, the cooking technique, in dishes like pan-seared Dover sole with beurre blanc and organic vegetables, is topnotch; even a simple roasted loup de mer needs nothing more than a sprinkling of fruity olive oil and one of several offered exotic salts. An open black truffle ravioli (a delicate pasta sheet over airy potato mousse, topped with poached eggs, Taleggio cheese, and a generous shavings of truffle) is quite seductive, as are a side of custardy-rich polenta with mascarpone, and a lemon tart dessert topped with subtly herb-infused meringue. Many Sobe eateries have more star chef-owner hype. Here, the food’s the star.
10
Little Palm's Dining Room
Little Palm Island Resort & Spa, 28500 Overseas Hwy, Little Torch Key, FL 33042 / 305-872-2551
A deliciously romantic setup (under 16 not permitted), the restaurant at the secluded Little Palm Island Resort & Spa is in a class of its own. The remote natural surroundings are a breathtaking backdrop for opulent outdoor dining. Located three miles offshore and accessible only by boat, The Great House offers Floribbean cuisine, with dishes like coconut-conch chowder, mojo-marinated duck, chile-rubbed grouper or local fish ceviche. Wines are exceptional, and the service, with a practically two-to-one patron-to-employee ratio, is attentive. If you're aching to splurge and be pampered---to experience the absolute finest ambience that South Florida has to offer---look no further.
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