Miami is a city where flavors dance as boldly as the people who call it home. From Latin-infused eateries to chic cocktail lounges, the city’s culinary scene reflects its cultural melting pot. While visitors often flock to well-publicized spots in South Beach, locals know that true Miami flavor hides in neighborhoods like Little Havana, Wynwood, Coconut Grove, and beyond.
If you’re ready to eat, drink, and savor the city like a true Miamian, here’s a guide to the restaurants and bars locals actually frequent — with all the details you’ll need to find them, budget for them, and book your spot.
1. Versailles Restaurant – Little Havana
Location: 3555 SW 8th St, Little Havana
Average Price: $20–$30 per person
Signature Dish: Ropa Vieja (shredded beef in tomato sauce) with sweet plantains
Booking Method: Call ahead during busy dinner hours to reserve a table
No local food list is complete without Versailles. This Cuban institution has been serving hearty plates and strong cafecitos since 1971. The mirrored dining room is pure old-school charm, and the menu is as comforting as it is flavorful. Locals pop in for a quick cortadito, but if you’re here for a meal, the Ropa Vieja and buttery Cuban bread are must-tries.
2. Mandolin Aegean Bistro – Design District
Location: 4312 NE 2nd Ave, Miami Design District
Average Price: $40–$60 per person
Signature Dish: Lamb Chops with Orzo Pilaf
Booking Method: Phone reservations recommended, especially for weekend dinners
Tucked inside a restored 1940s house painted in Mediterranean blues, Mandolin feels like a little island escape in the heart of Miami. The menu is Greek and Turkish inspired, with fresh seafood and grilled meats stealing the show. A garden patio surrounded by bougainvillea makes it perfect for a slow, wine-filled evening.
3. La Mar by Gastón Acurio – Brickell Key
Location: 500 Brickell Key Dr, Brickell Key
Average Price: $70–$100 per person
Signature Dish: Tiradito Nikkei (Peruvian-Japanese sashimi)
Booking Method: Call for table reservations or ask your hotel concierge to arrange
Set in the Mandarin Oriental with panoramic views of Biscayne Bay, La Mar delivers refined Peruvian cuisine that balances traditional flavors with innovative presentation. Ceviches here are as fresh as the breeze off the water, and the pisco cocktails are dangerously good.
4. Joe’s Stone Crab – South Beach
Location: 11 Washington Ave, Miami Beach
Average Price: $80–$120 per person (seasonal stone crab claws)
Signature Dish: Large Stone Crab Claws with Mustard Sauce
Booking Method: Phone reservations highly recommended in peak season
A Miami legend since 1913, Joe’s is where locals go when stone crab season arrives. The dining room is bustling, the service impeccable, and the crab claws — served chilled with tangy mustard sauce — are worth every penny. If you’re not a seafood fan, the fried chicken is a surprising local favorite.
5. Ariete – Coconut Grove
Location: 3540 Main Hwy, Coconut Grove
Average Price: $60–$80 per person
Signature Dish: Duck Pressed with Sour Orange and Foie Gras
Booking Method: Call to book; small dining room means space fills quickly
Coconut Grove’s Ariete takes Cuban-American flavors and elevates them to fine-dining artistry. Chef Michael Beltran’s menu is inventive yet rooted in nostalgia, with dishes like pork shoulder with yuca and citrus. The wine list is as carefully curated as the plating.
6. Broken Shaker – Miami Beach
Location: 2727 Indian Creek Dr, Miami Beach
Average Price: $15–$25 per drink
Signature Drink: El Guapo — tequila, lime, agave, jalapeño, cilantro
Booking Method: Walk-in friendly, but expect a wait on weekend evenings
Housed in the Freehand Miami hostel, Broken Shaker is the city’s most celebrated craft cocktail bar. The garden setting feels laid-back and tropical, perfect for sipping creative concoctions made with house-infused spirits and fresh herbs.
7. Mac’s Club Deuce – South Beach
Location: 222 14th St, Miami Beach
Average Price: $6–$10 per drink
Signature Drink: Ice-cold beer with a whiskey shot (classic dive order)
Booking Method: No reservations — it’s a walk-in dive bar
If you want an unfiltered slice of Miami, skip the velvet ropes and head to this cash-only dive bar. Beloved by locals and bartenders, Mac’s is gritty, cheap, and refreshingly judgment-free. Come for the two-for-one happy hour, stay for the stories.
8. Jaguar Sun – Downtown Miami
Location: 230 NE 4th St, Downtown
Average Price: $16–$20 per cocktail, $20–$35 for small plates
Signature Drink: Saturn — gin, passion fruit, falernum, orgeat, lemon
Booking Method: Call ahead for seating; small, intimate bar
Hidden inside an unassuming apartment building, Jaguar Sun is a cocktail bar with a serious pasta game. Yes, you read that right — cocktails and pasta. The pastas are handmade, the drinks are imaginative, and the atmosphere is sophisticated without being stuffy.
9. KYU – Wynwood
Location: 251 NW 25th St, Wynwood
Average Price: $50–$70 per person
Signature Dish: Wood-fired Korean-style Short Ribs
Booking Method: Reservations by phone are essential for dinner
KYU blends Asian grilling techniques with Miami flair, resulting in smoky, flavorful dishes perfect for sharing. The Wynwood location means you can stroll through street art galleries before or after your meal.
10. Café La Trova – Little Havana
Location: 971 SW 8th St, Little Havana
Average Price: $40–$60 per person
Signature Drink: Classic Cuban Mojito
Booking Method: Call to reserve for live music nights
Created by renowned bartender Julio Cabrera, Café La Trova is a Cuban cocktail bar that combines flawless drinks with live music and authentic Cuban fare. The energy here is infectious, and the mojitos taste like Havana in a glass.
How to Plan Your Food & Drink Adventure
Mix It Up by Neighborhood
Plan your meals so you explore different neighborhoods — breakfast in Coconut Grove, lunch in Little Havana, cocktails in Wynwood, and dinner in South Beach. You’ll taste more of the city’s cultural diversity this way.
Budget Like a Local
In Miami, you can spend $10 for a delicious Cuban sandwich or $100 for a fine-dining experience — often on the same street. Locals mix high and low dining without hesitation.
Booking Tips
Call directly — Many Miami spots still prefer phone bookings over online platforms.
Ask your hotel concierge — They often have standing relationships that can help secure prime seating.
Be flexible with times — Dinner starts late here, so you might find easier reservations if you dine early.
Miami’s culinary heartbeat is found in these restaurants and bars where locals gather, celebrate, and connect. Each spot tells a story — sometimes through the hiss of garlic hitting a hot pan, sometimes through the clink of cocktail glasses under the glow of string lights. These aren’t just places to eat or drink; they’re meeting points where cultures mingle, laughter flows, and the city’s identity is served on every plate and in every glass.
Imagine starting your evening at a waterfront table, the bay breeze curling through your hair as you crack open a perfectly chilled stone crab claw at Joe’s. The tang of mustard sauce lingers as you watch boats drift lazily by. From there, maybe you wander into Wynwood, the scent of wood smoke from KYU’s kitchen drawing you in. You share short ribs that are smoky, tender, and meant for hands and conversation.
Later, you find yourself in Little Havana, where a small stage glows in the corner of Café La Trova. A band starts up — guitar strings, trumpet notes, and a voice that makes the whole room sway. Your mojito is cold, the mint fragrant, and you realize you’ve been smiling since the first sip.
This is what it means to eat and drink like a local in Miami — it’s not about ticking off “famous” spots on a list, but about letting the rhythm of the city guide you. A dive bar like Mac’s Club Deuce might not look like much from the outside, but step in and you’re part of a decades-long story of unpretentious hospitality. Likewise, a refined dinner at La Mar offers more than stunning Peruvian cuisine — it’s a connection to a global chef’s vision, perfectly set against the shimmer of Biscayne Bay.
The beauty of Miami’s food and drink scene is that it doesn’t force you to choose between upscale elegance and laid-back charm. You can dress up for a Mediterranean feast at Mandolin, then end the night in flip-flops sipping craft cocktails in Broken Shaker’s tropical garden. You can spend $10 on a Cuban sandwich at Versailles that tastes like home cooking, then splurge the next night on duck pressed with sour orange at Ariete.
Travelers often think the best part of Miami happens on its beaches, but locals know the real magic unfolds at tables and bars all over the city. It’s in the way a bartender remembers your order the second time you visit. It’s in the casual generosity of a server slipping you an extra slice of key lime pie “just because.” It’s in the unspoken invitation to linger, talk, and savor.
So go ahead — eat like a Miamian, drink like a local, and let the city’s flavors lead you through its streets. Take your time. Order that second drink. Try the dish you’ve never heard of. In Miami, the night never really ends; it just changes flavor. And when you head home, you’ll carry those flavors with you — memories you can taste, long after your plane has touched down.