What's Good Miami
The Heat Index
Restaurants
Miami's most trusted ranking.
Placement is never for sale.
Vol. 01
Feb 2026
Key
Best of Best
On Fire
Classic
New
Tie
↓ Scroll to see all 25 ↓
1
Boia De
Little Haiti · Italian
Still the #1 locally-earned table. Michelin-starred, no other location diluting the story. Perpetually booked 30 days out.
Best of
the Best
2
Sunny's Steakhouse
Miami · Steakhouse
Made the February 2026 local food editor's personal best-meals list. Chef-industry hangout during SBWFF.
Best of
the Best
3
Recoveco
South Miami · Chef-Driven
The kind of opening that reminds you why Miami's neighborhood restaurant scene is worth paying attention to.
On Fire
4
Cote
Design District · Korean Steakhouse
Michelin-starred. The Butcher's Feast remains one of the best value moves in Miami fine dining.
Best of
the Best
5
Walrus Rodeo
Little Haiti · American
Chef-industry hangout of SBWFF week. A spot that rewards locals over tourists — no hype machine, just quality.
On Fire
6
Yasu Omakase
Miami · Japanese Omakase
Opened Jan 14, 2026. 8-seat counter, $250 omakase, prime time on Dorsia only. Purely Miami, nowhere else.
On Fire
7
Fooq's
Little River · Persian-French
Reopened Jan 23 after a four-year hiatus. The most emotionally resonant comeback in recent Miami dining memory.
On Fire
8
ViceVersa
Downtown Miami · Italian
Quietly becoming the industry insider's favorite Italian in Miami. No velvet ropes, no performance.
On Fire
9
Macchialina
South Beach · Italian
Brought back their pasta omakase at the bar on Wednesdays as of Feb 2026. Locally beloved for years.
Classic
10
Nami Nori & Pari Pari
Design District / Wynwood · Japanese Handroll — Tie
Two different expressions of the same idea. Argue about which is better. You're going to both.
Tie
11
Daniel's Miami
Coral Gables · Steakhouse
Arrived in 2025 and immediately felt like it had been there for years. Fine dining polish with genuine neighborhood soul.
On Fire
12
La Petite Maison
Brickell · French Mediterranean
Miami locals are coming back around to it. A consistency that most restaurants at this price point can't touch.
Classic
13
Thomas Keller at The Surf Club
Surfside · American Fine Dining
A benchmark meal for anyone who wants to understand technical precision at the highest level in South Florida.
Classic
14
The Joyce
South Beach · Speakeasy Bar
The burger won a local food editor's personal vote at SBWFF's Burger Bash. Still on the city's monthly Hit List.
On Fire
15
Marc's & Peppi's Pizza
North Beach / Design District · Pizza — Tie
Two different pizza conversations, both worth having. Argue about which is better. You should be going to both.
Tie
16
Ezio's
North Beach · Italian
The Roberta's team brings their ethos to North Beach. A serious opening landing quietly and building its reputation the right way.
New
17
Ophelia
Coconut Grove · Bakery
An RV in a Grove lot that sells out by 9am Thursday–Saturday. Selected for the Miami Open culinary roster. Still just an RV.
On Fire
18
Yamashiro
Miami Worldcenter · Japanese
Landed with quiet confidence. The kind of opening that builds a devoted following before the press catches up.
New
19
Felice
Brickell · Italian
The truest taste of Italy on the Brickell corridor. No oversaucing, no shortcuts, no need to announce itself.
On Fire
20
Sunshine Coffee
Miami Beach · Coffee
The iced coffee is the best in the state of Florida. A brand that earns everything through the cup.
On Fire
21
Papi Steak
South Beach · Steakhouse
The TikTok volume is enormous — but it's tourists filming the beef case. A spectacle worth experiencing once.
Classic
22
Karyu
Design District · Wagyu Kaiseki
U.S. debut of Tokyo's Michelin-starred Oniku Karyu. Twelve seats, total focus. Too new to rank higher but impossible to ignore.
New
23
Caracas
Miami · Venezuelan
Never needs to be on a list to stay full. Arepas that haven't changed because they don't need to.
On Fire
24
Pastis & Makoto
Wynwood / Bal Harbour · French & Japanese — Tie
Both consistently packed, both great rooms. National names that locals still go to — just not to discover something.
Classic
25
Vecinos
Mid-Beach · Neighborhood
The newest name on this list. Neighborhood-first energy. Locals find it first. Watch this one.
New