Mediterranean in Miami

7 Spices Restaurant & Lounge

610 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach South Beach

305-397-8402

Mediterranean, Menu

Aba Miami

9700 Collins Ave., #101 Surfside/Bal Harbour

305-677-2840

Mediterranean

1 article

Abbalé Telavivian Kitchen

2956 NE 199th St. Aventura/North Miami Beach

305-587-4242

Middle Eastern, Mediterranean

1 article

Adrift Mare

1395 Brickell Ave. Brickell

305-503-6529

Mediterranean

Alloy Bistro Gourmet

154 SE First Ave. Downtown/Overtown

786-773-2742

Mediterranean, Recommended, Best Of, Menu

In 2016, Federico Genovese, his brother Claudio, and partner Luna Bertolotti opened this charming Mediterranean-style spot tucked into one of the narrow courtyards hidden between downtown buildings. At Alloy Bistro Gourmet, you can find a survey of cuisine that always includes a house-smoked fish and tender octopus, as well as simple salads such as one composed of whipped goat cheese and watercress with a watercress dressing. The best part is that the short menu changes almost monthly, and the owners are often the ones to guide you through a meal.

2 articles

Almazar Greek and Middle Eastern Fine Foods

1665 SW 107th Ave. Central Dade

305-225-1127

Greek, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Best Of, Menu

It doesn't take much to enjoy the best baklava in town; all you need to do is put $3.50 in your pocket and drive to Westchester. Almazar Greek and Middle Eastern Fine Foods, across the street from FIU's University Park campus, offers two varieties: walnut and pistachio. Unlike many baklavas, these aren't too rich or too sweet. What is sweet: Try both for only $5. If you arrive with an appetite for the savory, order the lentil soup or homemade falafel. Choose from a variety of sandwiches made with baba ghannouj (eggplant), hummus, or shawarma. A refreshing yogurt salad with cucumbers, mint, and garlic is perfect for a light lunch. Almazar is also a bakery and delicatessen full of goodies such as fresh Middle Eastern cookies, ladyfingers, fresh feta cheese, and green olives. You'll run into many FIU students opting for Almazar over the campus cafeteria or fast-food joints. Or could it be the hookah pipes -- also for sale -- that draw them?

1 article

AltaMare

1233 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach South Beach

305-532-3061

International, Mediterranean, Seafood, Menu

The new AltaMare is bigger, busier, and better than the old Alta Mar, which itself was no slouch. The classically elegant dining room is also better-looking. Chef Simon Stojanovic honed his craft under the tutelage of Michael Schwartz, and the influence is obvious: The daily-changing menu is more a Mediterranean mash than that of his mentor, but it showcases similar sustainable sourcing such as local organic produce, free-range and organic meats, and line-caught seafood. The chef also baits the hook with the restless worm of intelligent creativity. Whether it be sweet, papaya-colored cara cara oranges brightening crunchy palm heart shavings, chive snippets, and sprinkles of sea salt over a pink/white quiltwork carpaccio of local sheepshead fish, or yellow jack fish plunked atop a broth-based ragout of cipollini onion and artichoke, or Fudge Farms boneless pork chop wrapped in crisped, cured fatback, the flavors are fresh, vibrant, delicious. An Italy-centric wine list showcases more than 200 bottles. Desserts, such as a deconstructed tiramisu, are excellent as well. The old Alta Mar wasn't broken, but owner Claudio Giordano somehow fixed it.

16 articles

Amalia

1900 Collins Ave., Miami Beach South Beach

305-531-6800

Mediterranean, Best Of

1 article

Andu Restaurant & Lounge

141 SW 7th St. Brickell

786-871-7005

Greek, Mediterranean, Recommended, Menu

This groovy-glam lounge-ish downtown restaurant features a modern-Med-by-the-numbers menu, a pastiche of popular items served in numerous other restaurants. Warm starters include steamed mussels, Moroccan-spiced calamari, and potato gnocchi. The last, forged from Yukon Gold, are light and luscious in a pink cream sauce salted with pecorino Romano and Serrano ham. A cold appetizer of charred beef carpaccio brought beautiful red tissues of meat with delicately caramelized outer rings, but the flavor was obfuscated by an avalanche of panzanella salad sitting on top. Main course menu descriptions are so unreliable that one might reasonably suspect they were ghost-written by James Frey: Grilled Maine lobster with chili garlic butter came coated with tomato glaze instead, "traditional paella" brought overcooked rice and no seafood besides mussels, and "milk-fed veal parmigiana" is eggplant parmigiana with minced veal in the sauce. Six mini doughnuts with crunchy orange glaze and a side cup of hot white chocolate suffice as a decent dessert.

2 articles

Apeiro Kitchen & Bar

3252 NE 1st Ave., Ste. 101 Midtown/Wynwood/Design District

786-800-5389

Mediterranean

13 articles

Astra

2121 NW Second Ave. Midtown/Wynwood/Design District

305-573-5778

Mediterranean, Bars and Clubs, Best Of

8 articles

Atlantikos

9703 Collins Ave. Surfside/Bal Harbour

305-993-3300

Greek, Mediterranean, International

6 articles

Avo Miami

1834 Bay Rd., Miami Beach South Beach

305-397-8881

Fast Casual, Mediterranean

1 article

Azul Restaurant

500 Brickell Key Dr. Brickell

305-913-8358

Contemporary, Mediterranean

Azul chef Joel Huff apprenticed under José Andrés, and the notion of many teeny flavors in petite portions conspiring to form a larger-than-life meal is at play here. But instead of a procession of miniature courses, the tiny taste explosives come bundled upon each plate. Too many misfire. When the idea works well, as with a smoked octopus appetizer, it's like incongruously styled musicians harmonizing in a surprisingly moving manner. When it doesn't work, as with an Alaskan king crab appetizer, it's like a variety show with jugglers, drag queens, and clowns crammed onstage at once, each clamoring for your attention. What else works: pumpkin soup with goat cheese and rock shrimp; risotto with wild mushrooms; smoked octopus; and braised Wagyu short ribs. What else misses: pan-seared branzino, duck breast, and overgarnished oysters. Dishes are pricey, excellent wines are expensive, service is inconsistent, an air of pretentiousness reigns, and valet is a ripoff at $13.Read our full review.

61 articles

Barbar Grill

440 SW 8th St. Little Havana

305-854-6381

Lebanese, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Vegetarian, Best Of

Some of the best falafels in this city are to be found, oddly enough, in Little Havana. Barbar Grill, with a façade that evokes more corner store than dining establishment, serves up Lebanese fare behind a counter that overlooks a stockpile of hookah pipes, shisa tobacco, and packaged Middle Eastern condiments. Fresh falafels ($3.99) are assembled to order - doughy, flaky homemade pita is stuffed with creamy tahini, on-the-spot-fried chickpeas, fresh tomatoes and lettuce, thinly sliced pickled turnip, and a dousing of a special spicy house sauce. The family-owned market is also known for its shawarmas ($5.99) - hot, flaky pockets of lavash bread packed with juicy marinated shaved lamb, veggies, and tahini sauce. For vegetarians, the hummus ($6) offers heavy notes of lemon and paprika and is served with homemade pita. There's also a rotating assortment of desserts behind a glass display. If you decide to stop by, take note that there's a tiny parking lot in the back - you can't see it from the street, and unaware patrons have been observed paying for metered parking spots.

2 articles

BarMeli Miami

725 NE 79th St. Miami Shores/Biscayne Park

305-754-5558

Mediterranean, Tapas, Greek, Wine Bar, Recommended

This tapas and wine bar shares a small, slightly seedy shopping center with a hair salon and a tiny gym that promises personal training at discount prices. That makes it seem all the more like a hidden gem, a personal find, one of those so-called secret places that people whisper about to their friends, as in "I just found this great little joint." Inside, the restaurant feels like one of those wonderful little bistros or tavernas seen in movies. You really can't pinpoint the exact country or town; you just know it's damn charming. The bar is a welcoming place for commiserating with a comrade over a tough workday. The place is also friendly enough if you're on your own. Wines are predominantly from the Mediterranean, with some interesting selections from Sardinia and Israel. The tapas are all delicious, but the show-stopper is the flaming saganaki. The Greek cheese dish is doused with brandy and set aflame. Proteins include plenty of lamb, octopus, and a chicken breast that's nicely charred on the outside and juicy on the inside. Vegetarians have many options, such as piquillo peppers stuffed with manchego cheese, pine nuts, and almonds. A friendly, casual vibe, along with good food and drinks at reasonable prices, make BarMeli a great neighborhood joint. http://www.miaminewtimes.com/restaurants/barmeli-wonderful-tapas-and-affordable-wines-define-this-neighborhood-joint-7560716

8 articles

BarMeli69

6927 Biscayne Blvd. Miami Shores/Biscayne Park

305-754-5558

Mediterranean, Greek, Recommended

This tapas and wine bar, located in Miami’s MiMo District, sits alongside a no-tell motel. The location makes BarMeli69 seem all the more like a hidden gem, a personal find, the kind of place you whisper about to your friends, as in, “I just found this great little joint.” Inside, the restaurant feels like one of those wonderful little bistros or tavernas you only see in movies. You really can’t pinpoint the exact country or town; you just know it’s charming. Wines are predominantly from the Mediterranean, including off-the-grid selections from Sardinia and Israel. All the tapas are delicious, but the showstopper is the flaming saganaki; the Greek cheese dish is doused with brandy and set aflame. A friendly, casual vibe, an outdoor patio in back, along with good food and drinks at reasonable prices, makes BarMeli69 a great neighborhood joint.

5 articles

Beachcraft

2395 Collins Ave., Miami Beach Mid/North Beach

305-604-6700

Mediterranean, Modern American, Seafood, Recommended, Menu, Slideshow

It seemed inevitable Tom Colicchio would open a place in Miami. He’s been eyeing the city since David Bouley’s Evolution vacated the Ritz-Carlton South Beach in 2007. But there was little hint the smooth-domed chef whose face is a fixture everywhere from television to Capitol Hill would take on a project as large as the 1 Hotel South Beach. The hotel's eco-friendly obsession jibed with Colicchio's longstanding culinary sensibility, which revolves around sustainably raised produce and proteins. Here, he asked Michelle Bernstein and Michael Schwartz to set him up with local purveyors. Some dishes fade from memory not due to any fault but because of their almost ascetic simplicity. Occasionally there are moments when you have to remind yourself that sourcing factors into the high cost. Nevertheless, an organic vegetable plate is one that should be on every table. The raw bar breaks from the usual with a pair of razor clams served side-by-side heaped with sliced meat. The Atlantic variety used here, also called Jackknife clams, are at once sweet and savory. Pastas have become a fast signature and mostly revolve around semolina varieties extruded daily. The simplest is toothsome garganelli twists tossed with thick shreds of braised rabbit that are reminiscent of a winter stew, with elegant carrot spheres, bitter greens, and crushed pistachios for an earthy crunch.Read our full review.

19 articles

Bianco Bistro Cafe

8190 SW Eighth St. Westchester/West Miami

786-762-2459

Cuban, Mediterranean, Fusion

Boulud Sud Miami

255 Biscayne Blvd. Way Brickell

305-421-8800

Mediterranean, Recommended, Best Of, Slideshow

The latest Miami venture by Daniel Boulud, the James Beard Award-winning French chef and restaurateur, Boulud Sud takes the place of DB Bistro Moderne, his former restaurant in the same space. Here, he serves a modern interpretation of his cuisine in a reenergized and decidedly more glamorous atmosphere. It's his way of adapting to a more casual dining culture without compromising quality. Begin a meal with a mezze platter filled with two lightly fried herb falafel and a handful of crisp crackers ready to plunge into a spicy Moroccan hummus and an eggplant baba ghanouj. Then opt for the chicken tagine, showered in a blend of North African spices, from coriander to cardamom, followed by a warm basket of madeleines for dessert.

31 articles

Byblos

1545 Collins Ave., Miami Beach South Beach

786-864-2990

Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Recommended, Best Of, Slideshow, Readers' Choice, Essentials

Byblos, the Eastern Mediterranean restaurant at the Royal Palm South Beach, focuses on interpreting dishes from Levantine culture, found mostly in Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, Syria, and parts of southern Turkey. The original Byblos is in Toronto, and as is often the case with Miami outposts, this one offers a more extensive seafood selection than its Canadian sibling. It's equipped with a wood-burning oven, used to bake pide (Turkish flatbread) and to finish off whole fish, lamb, and chicken dishes that are rustic yet refined.

31 articles

Café Roval

5808 NE Fourth Ct. Miami Shores/Biscayne Park

786-953-7850

Mediterranean, Seafood, Critics' Pick, Menu, Slideshow

Café Roval is a feather in the cap of Mark Soyka's long and storied career. It began with the now-iconic News Cafe on Ocean Drive and culminates with the conversion of Morningside's coral-rock pump house into the intimate restaurant the Israeli-born restaurateur says will be his last. Beyond the dining room accented with dark wood and bronze furniture illuminated by sweeping metal chandeliers awaits a garden patio that's part Zen retreat and part urban oasis. A weathered bronze Buddha statue sits atop a dribbling waterfall that empties into a rock-ringed pond. Stone pathways snake among towering palm trees. At the far side of the enclosure, a few bistro tables are shaded by the maroon umbrellas that once stood outside the Van Dyke Cafe. Yet Soyka's food here is strikingly similar to the comforts he has long provided the neighborhood at his namesake only a couple hundred yards away. The pricey deboned yellow snapper comes with charred cherry tomatoes that accent the juicy flesh. The paste of garlic, paprika, lemon, and thyme used to season the fish unfortunately prevents any crisping of its skin, but the aromatic runoff does double duty in seasoning supple coins of confit Yukon Gold potatoes. An $18 quarter-chicken is just as well executed, though the price does sting a bit for such a small portion. At least the kitchen has the good sense to send out dark meat, which is gently braised in a Dominican-style sofrito of charred red onion, cilantro, garlic, parsley, and tomato. This yields crackly skin that's ingeniously drizzled with honey. Soyka says Roval is his most ambitious project, yet his ability to offer simple, familiar fare in comfortable surroundings still shines through. Read our full review of Café Roval.

6 articles

Calista Taverna

150 Giralda Ave. Coral Gables/S. Miami

786-310-7660

Greek, Mediterranean

1 article

Calista Taverna

1444 Drexel Ave., Miami Beach South Beach

786-803-8657

Greek, Mediterranean

Casa Neos

40 SW North River Dr. Little Havana

305-800-6367

Mediterranean

Cleo South Beach

1776 Collins Ave., Miami Beach South Beach

305-534-2536

Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Recommended, Best Of

You will quickly cozy up to Cleo, the Redbury Hotel's eatery. Stellar cocktails and mezzes certainly help, while the affordable menu and reasonably priced wine list are impressive for South Beach. Then there's the enticing room replete with photos of starlets portraying Cleopatra. Tables, meanwhile, are set with butcher-block paper, a colored pencil for doodling, and mismatched antique plates. Then there's the pace — very fast. If you've never experienced a meal with this kind of food, the goal is to fill the table. The signature dish is Brussels sprouts. The vegetables' leaves are removed, fried, and bathed in a vinaigrette of capers, anchovies, chili, parsley, almonds, and red wine vinegar. There's nothing cutting-edge here, but when it's so delicious, who cares? The same can be said about the falafel. Seven lightly fried spheres are paired with tahini and tabbouleh, a classic Middle Eastern bulgur salad. Well seasoned and crisp even the following day, the falafel seems like a steal.

23 articles

Corsair Kitchen & Bar

19999 W. Country Club Dr. Aventura/North Miami Beach

786-279-6800

Mediterranean, Recommended, Best Of

Corsair, celebrity Italian chef Scott Conant's second Miami restaurant, doesn't stray too far from home. It's located in an Aventura resort owned by the same family behind Miami Beach's iconic Fontainebleau, where his place Scarpetta has been a favorite since opening in 2008. It's a bit more relaxed here, but that doesn't mean flip-flops and shorts. Conant's pastas are still precise and coax deep flavors out of only a handful of ingredients. Though his latest effort seeks to pull from regions beyond the boot of Italy, plenty of proteins overlap. But that's not to be held against them, particularly considering flavor options like sweet, briny clams sautéed with house-made chorizo, both settling in a fragrant paprika oil. The only true decision is whether you want a big night with Conant at the Fontainebleau or something more low-key up at Turnberry Isle.

33 articles

Côté Gourmet

9999 NE Second Ave., #112 Miami Shores/Biscayne Park

305-754-9012

French, Mediterranean, Recommended, Best Of

The space is small (hidden inside an office building, in a way-off-the-tourist-track, zero-glamour locale), and the food is simple — mostly soups, sandwiches, salads, and crepes, plus a few daily specials and more substantial entrées. Prices are luncheonette-level low, but fine-dining niceties — such as house-made breads and pastries — abound. A solid French technique shows throughout the menu, from humble items such as butter/sugar crepes (made with a signature buckwheat batter) to unusually subtle pea soup.

5 articles

Cvltvra

1100 Biscayne Blvd. Downtown/Overtown

305-808-3507

Latin, Mediterranean, Fusion

2 articles

Deck Sixteen

1600 Collins Ave., Miami Beach South Beach

305-695-7400

Mediterranean, Best Of, Menu

1 article

DiLido Beach Club

1 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach South Beach

786-276-4000

Contemporary, Mediterranean, Bars and Clubs, Best Of

With all the oceanfront venues in SoBe, it's surprising that the Ritz-Carlton's DiLido Beach Club is one of a stingy handful of restaurant/lounges that allows guests open access to and from the beach. Named after the original building the Ritz Carlton now inhabits, The DiLido is open to the public and offers a Mediterranean-inspired menu from noon to sunset. Notable mezes are prosciutto wraps ($9), fava sliders ($9), and chickpea falafel ($8). For a bigger appetite, try Florida snapper ($18), the DiLido burger ($16), and signature kebabs. More exotic selections include lobster curry ($12), preserved lemon shrimp ($17), and haloumi vegetables ($14). From October through April, the club hosts monthly Full Moon Nights, featuring fire dancers, complimentary flavored hookahs, high-tech telescopes, DJs spinning world lounge music, $10 tropical cocktails and "lite bites," and $5 beers from 8 to midnight, all with no velvet ropes or cover charges attached.

16 articles

Dolores But You Can Call Me Lolita

1000 S. Miami Ave. Brickell

786-648-8400

Eclectic, Mediterranean, Recommended, Best Of

At Dolores, but You Can Call Me Lolita, there are Vietnamese salmon egg rolls, but you can call them yummy. Dinners encompass pork tenderloin, short-rib ravioli, and linguine with pesto and shrimp, but you can call it all a great deal either way. A dozen wines are poured by the glass, and desserts include items such as mango carpaccio and coconut crème brûlée, but you can call the person to whom you owe a dinner, invite them to Dolores, but You Can Call Me Lolita, and call it money and an evening well spent.

13 articles

Doya

347 NW 24th St. Midtown/Wynwood/Design District

305-501-2848

Mediterranean, Greek, Recommended, Best Of, Readers' Choice, Essentials

With modern Aegean cuisine hailing from the shores of Greece and Turkey, Doya inspires with its dishes and its setup. Maybe it's the bohemian decor, impressive wooden tables, lush patio for dining al fresco, and giant windows that usher in the perfect amount of light from dawn to dusk, but this is one of the most handsome restaurants in Wynwood. And the food is divine. You're guaranteed to savor both big and small plates, from branzino ceviche to the baked feta. Make sure to order meats and veggies prepared over wood fire and coals, lending a distinct flavor that will ship you off mentally to a sea-sprayed, sparkling evening on the Aegean Sea.

4 articles

Mediterranean in Miami

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