Coral Gables Dining Guide

Top Restaurants In Coral Gables

The New Year is here, and what better way to celebrate than by dining in one of Coral Gables’ many fine dining establishments. What follows is our list of the best of the tried and true, and the best of the innovative and new. We dine at all locations anonymously, and we list only the places where we love to eat.

$ ............ Under $25

$$ .......... $25-$40

$$$ ........ $35-$75 $$$$ ...... $70-$100+

Prices are per person for appetizer and entrée, without tax, tip, or drinks. Prices are approximations.

AMERICAN Bachour

Maybe it was the lure of pastries by world-renowned chef Antonio Bachour, but this airy, industrial-chic spot has become the new power breakfast place in town, with amazingly good eggs benedict and challah French toast. Also open for lunch and an early dinner, with great Greek salad and roast chicken breast. $$

2020 Salzedo St. 305.203.0552

Cebada Rooftop & Raw Bar

It’s hard to pigeonhole this new rooftop restaurant by Chef Jorge Ramos (fresh from his acclaimed Barley restaurant in Dadeland). He calls it “contemporary American with a Latin overlay,” which means roast bone marrow with salsa verde and baby back ribs with pimiento marmalade. A good raw bar, a great view. $$-$$$

124 Giralda Ave. 786.409.2287

Cheesecake Factory

We still don’t know how they can offer over 250 menu items, but there is something for everyone here, from Thai peanut lettuce wraps to chicken salad sandwiches on toasted white bread. Their cheesecake is still a calorie overload, but now balanced by their “SkinnyLicious” menu. Still, our favorite: Godiva chocolate cheesecake. $$

2418 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.529.0703

Clutch Burger

You may have to unhinge your jaw to take in some of their burgers, but they are the best. Most of the burgers hover close to $20 because they’re made with quality Wagyu beef. The “Clutch” is the cheeseburger of the house, but our favorite is “My Boy Bleu.” They also specialize in craft beers brewed here in Miami. $$

146 Giralda Ave. 305.400.8242

Doc B’s Restaurant + Bar

Doc B’s Restaurant + Bar serves craveable American fare dishes made from scratch daily. Offering brunch, lunch, dinner, and a solid happy hour, signature dishes include the Wok Out Bowls, but our favorites are the candied bacon, the grilled artichokes, and the Southern fried chicken. $$

301 Miracle Mile. 786.864.1220

The Globe

The Globe is a Gables icon, and one of the coolest places to eat in the city – assuming you like a smart, Euro-style bistro. Decorated with classic paintings (and globes over their old-world bar), the menu is mostly American dishes – salads, burgers, fish, steaks, etc. – perfected over the years. Best conch fritters. $$

377 Alhambra Cir. 305.445.3555

The Gramercy

They meant it to be over the top, and they succeeded. To us, it feels a little like a bordello in New Orleans, circa 19th century. But this is now the singles hot spot, replacing Tarpon Bend. Good sushi counter, interesting sides, and Wagyu hamburgers, but happy hour is where they shine. $$$-$$$$

65 Miracle Mile. 786.747.4854

Hillstone

There are very few restaurants in the Gables where clients will wait in a line outside. Hillstone is one of them. A power lunch spot, a happy hour singles anchor, and a family restaurant at night, the food and service are consistently top notch, with an elegant interior that is both comfortable and sophisticated at the same time. $$$

201 Miracle Mile. 305.529.0141

Lion & The Rambler

At Lion & the Rambler, everything is made from scratch, from the créme fraîche down to the finishing salts, which are extracted from Miami seawater and hand-delivered to the restaurant by a local fisherman. The inventive restaurant serves up a menu as much inspired by the three-Michelin-star Denmark restaurant Noma as the humble Cool Ranch Dorito. Try an infladita and see what we mean. $$-$$$ 804 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.603.7612

Orno

Located in the same building as Mamey (THēsis Hotel), Orno is Chef Niven Patel’s latest creation, focusing on “New American” cuisine with farm-to-table local produce. An eclectic menu lets Patel stretch his culinary imagination, using a wood-burning oven and a wood-burning grill. Be prepared for new and fascinating flavors. $$$ 1350 S. Dixie Hwy. (THēsis Hotel) 305.667.6766

Seasons 52

The restaurant for healthy eaters who enjoy quality as well. The menu, changing four times a year with each season, is always full of inventive treatments for fresh veggies, soups, and salads. Their fish and meat dishes are great values, and the flatbread menu is a nice touch. It’s a chain, but we forgive them. $$ 321 Miracle Mile. 305.442.8552

Tap 42

Tap 42 is big, noisy, and fun, with a huge island bar and lots of booths. Reliably good ribs, steaks, and burgers, plus shines in the sides (roasted Brussels sprouts with maple mustard, truffle mac & cheese with parmesan crust). Nice random Asian dishes (grilled salmon Zen bowl, Asian coleslaw). $$-$$$

301 Giralda Ave. 786.391.1566

Yard House

A cavernous space with huge screens for sports fans, oversized paintings, classic rock in the background, and large booths, all making for a comfortable space in which to pick and choose from an immense and reliable menu of American classics with Asian dishes interspersed. Literally something for everyone. $$ 320 San Lorenzo Ave. 305.447.9273

Asian

Canton

Why there are not more Chinese restaurants in the Gables remains a mystery, but Canton has been serving reliably good Cantonese-style food for decades. Feels like you are in New York’s Chinatown, with sweet and sour pork, chicken chop suey, barbecue spareribs, and wonton soup. Plus, the best lunch deals in town. $$

2614 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.448.3736

Ichimi

This off-Mile eatery has developed a cult following, with diners content to stand and wait just for the opportunity to eat Ichimi’s Japanese noodles and rice bowls. And the wait is worth it. Delicious, rich, and faraway flavors in dishes you can’t find just anywhere, in a raw, cool space. $-$$ 2330 Salzedo St. 305.960.7016

Izakaya

Located across the street from the Colonnade building, this tiny, bustling Japanese restaurant serves a great bento box – along with an impressive array of daily specials that are posted on the wall in chalk. Super popular lunch spot, for good reason. $$

159 Aragon Ave. 305.445.2584

Khaosan Road

Formerly Bangkok, Bangkok, this

Giralda Plaza mainstay – with plenty of outdoor tables – has reinvented itself as the new home for Thai street food. Think you know Thai food? Be prepared for new and delicious flavors. $$

157 Giralda Ave. 305.444.2397

KAO Sushi & Grill

Not sure of the vibe here – the décor inside feels oddly like you’re in Las Vegas – but the outside seating on the Mile is quite nice. Menu-wise, it has specialty rolls with an interesting Peruvian spin that includes a wide selection of ceviche, along with empanadas and chorizo. $$

127 Miracle Mile. 786.864.1212

Malakor Thai Isaan

This eatery on Miracle Mile prides itself on delivering true, tasty Thai food. That means pork skewers with sticky rice, grilled fatty pork neck sliced and tossed with lime juice, or the Gang Aom, a Thai curry with fish sauce, dill, and herb paste. $$ 90 Miracle Mile 786.558.4862

Miss Saigon

Repeatedly voted the best Vietnamese restaurant in Miami by the readers of New Times, Miss Saigon serves the kind of vegetable-rich food that makes you feel light and clean afterwards. Excellent seafood choices, and any of their crispy rolls or dumplings make great starters. Their clear, hearty soups – what they call Pho – are the big winners here. $$ 148 Giralda Ave. 305.446.8006

Moon Thai & Japanese

Can’t decide between Japanese or Thai food? No problem. Here, you can have a Japanese house salad or miso soup as an appetizer and pad thai as an entrée. Truly the best of both worlds. Comfy booths inside and umbrella-covered outdoor tables. Across the street from UM’s campus. $-$$ 1118 S. Dixie Hwy. 305.668.9890

Namaste

Hidden on a side street off Ponce, the last standing Indian restaurant in the Gables is small and humble (“namaste” means “I bow to you”), yet superb in its rendering of classic Indian dishes, from tandoris to biryanis. Our favorite is the mango curry chicken, followed by the chef’s special black pepper shrimp. $$ 221 Navarre Ave. 786.534.2161

Sakura Japanese

A vast menu for rolls, along with selections of noodles, yakitori, katsu, tempura, teriyaki, etc. But they serve some of the best sushi and sashimi in town if raw fish is your thing. We also love their seating – a half dozen alcoves that line the walls and provide a sense of private space. $$

440 S Dixie Hwy. 305.665.7020

Sawa

Delicious take on Japanese flavors served in parallel with Lebanese Mediterranean, Sawa offers seating inside or outside at Merrick Park. A vast selection of sushi rolls and tapas that range from chicken yakitori to octopus ceviche, along with super fresh Middle Eastern comfort food. World’s best lamb chops. Also has a doggy menu. $$$

360 San Lorenzo Ave. (Shops at Merrick Park) 305.447.6555

Sushi Sake

Just one block south of Sushi Maki, Sushi Sake is the latest contestant in the battle for sushi fans, with an upscale edge and a menu that stretches past sushi, sashimi, and handrolls to hibachi, katsu, and noodle dishes. A full bar gives them happy hour honors (weekdays 4 to 6 pm) with half-off drinks, appetizers, and Thai donuts. $$-$$$

202 Miracle Mile. 786.636.8125

Zitz Sum

Brought to you by Chef Pablo Zitzmann of No Name Chinese fame, this “pop up” restaurant off the huge lobby of the 396 Building is here to stay. The result of a year-long pandemic dive into dim sum by Zitzmann, the dumplings (dinner only), hand-rolled daily, are superb. Other menu items are highly inventive and flavorful. $$-$$$

396 Alhambra Cir. 786.409.6920

French

Brasserie Central

Secretly owned by Pascal’s on Ponce, this restaurant is half inside, half outside in the courtyard of the Shops. A typical French bistro with wonderful onion soup, fresh bread, and superb paté. Everything on the menu is fresh, French, and all you would expect from Pascal. Lots of little French touches. $$-$$$

320 San Lorenzo Ave. (Shops at Merrick Park) 786.536.9388

Chef Sucre Café

“A French restaurant bistro with a Latin Twist,” this inexpensive café serves breakfast all day – including great croque madams and croque monsieurs. Good sandwiches, lovely croissants, and a flourless chocolate cake to die for. $

475 Biltmore Way. 305.444.2025

Chocolate Fashion

This restaurant and bakery is a breakfast and lunch hotspot. Lunch

Dining Guide

is a steal with most sandwiches priced around $11 with a side salad and cornichons – those mini pickles the French are famous for. Don’t forget the French pastries and desserts, ready to go. $-$$

248 Andalusia Ave. 305.461.3200

Frenchie’s Diner

It looks like an all-American diner (which it once was), but this is pure French cooking in a small but comfy setting. Frenchie himself is usually there. Some items on the menu can get pricey (filet mignon, $34) but the onion soup ($9) and escargots ($11) are great values, and the croque monsieur ($14) for lunch is a meal unto itself. $$$

2618 Galiano St. 305.442.4554

Gustave

Launched by a couple of friends with a track record in Paris, Gustave’s a light-filled, lovely addition to the local French cuisine scene. With a good selection of baked goods, this is a Paris-style café with good coffee and solid fare. Good to know where you can get a croque monsieur for lunch and boeuf bourguignon for dinner. $$-$$$

366 Miracle Mile. 305.640.5675

Pascal’s on Ponce

Elegant, quaint, and delicious, the home and culinary canvas of owner-chef Pascal Oudin, who brings authentic French cuisine to the heart of the city. Oudin excels in seafood, soufflés, and foie gras. Try the diver sea scallops and tomato tartin. $$$-$$$$ 2611 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.444.2024

Italian

Amore

Small Italian spot with a half dozen tables and umbrellas outside. A wide selection of pastas, including pumpkin and lobster ravioli, and fagottini de pera – pasta stuffed with mascarpone and pears. Great homemade gnocchi. Nice service, reasonably priced, good house wines. $$ 94 Miracle Mile. 305.200.3216

Bugatti

Bugatti prides itself on its pasta –and for good reason, since the restaurant started as a pasta factory. The décor is simple and contemporary with lots of booths, and the service is crisp and superb. The dinner menu is straightforward, with pasta dishes mostly under $20 and entrees mostly under $30. And as many dessert listings (12) as pasta choices. $$ 2504 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.441.2545

Caffe Abbracci

A Gables icon, the late Nino Pernetti’s Italian restaurant is both a power lunch favorite for the business elite and a cozy evening gathering place for families and couples. Abbracci is quiet and elegant, and the food is so consistently good that Pernetti had to publish his own cookbook. $$$ 318 Aragon Ave. 305.441.0700

Caffe Vialetto

Not a huge menu, but when it comes to risotto, pappardelle, fettuccini, and ravioli, they do it right. And we love their Wednesday and Thursday “family” dinners for $100 that serve four or five diners. Reservations required, always full. $$$ 4019 Le Jeune Rd. 305.446.5659

Fiola

Brought to you by Washington, D.C. chef Fabio Trabocchi, this is fine dining at its finest. From the place settings to the artwork to the innovative cuisine, Fiola offers an exquisite dining experience. Among their must-try dishes are the porcini mushroom soup, sea scallops ceviche, and the signature lobster ravioli. Beautiful presentations. $$$$

1500 San Ignacio Ave. 305.912.2639

Fontana

The ambiance is as elegant as it comes: the Biltmore’s famed fountain courtyard. You can sit under the stars, in a covered archway, or inside to enjoy classic Italian dishes. Fresh ingredients, from the salads to the pasta that is made daily. Excellent seafood, pastas cooked perfectly. One of the most romantic restaurants in the Gables. $$$

1200 Anastasia Ave. (Biltmore Hotel) 305.913.3200

Fugato

They will tell you they serve “continental” fusion cuisine, and yes, there is a touch of French and Spanish cooking here. But the chicken florentine, ravioli aragosta, ravioli zucca, golden calamari, and veal ossobuco say otherwise. Well prepared dishes in an intimate setting make this a romantic choice. $$$-$$$$ 325 Alcazar Ave. 786.420.2910

Fratellino

Small, family run, with a fanatically loyal fan base, brilliant Italian comfort food. The long narrow set up with tile floors, wooden chairs, and tablecloths makes it feel like New York’s Little Italy. Their calamari, in any variation, is superb, as is the fettuccine with prosciutto, mushrooms, and green peas. $$$

264 Miracle Mile 786.452.0068

Fontana | Cascade | 19th Hole Bar & Grille | The Culinary Academy

Whether you are seeking the warmth of a traditional restaurant interior, the bliss of dining al fresco, either formal or casual, or an educational challenge, the Biltmore Hotel takes you on an exceptional culinary journey in a stunning historic setting offering a myriad of award-winning options

Luca Osteria

Local celebrity chef Giorgio Rapicavoli (Eating House) made Luca Osteria an overnight, reservations-only hit for dinner on Giralda Plaza. His inventive take on classic Italian food is fresh and new; the Pasta al Limone and mortadella toast with fig balsamic are just the beginning. Great Italian cocktails. $$-$$$$ 116 Giralda Ave. 305.381.5097

Opera

Chef Consiglio, along with partner-chef Gianluca Canna, makes a point of offering an array of dishes that include veal ossobuco, 10 varieties of pizza, fresh “al dente” pastas, and starters, including a wickedly delicious plate of truffle oil-laced prosciutto with baby artichokes ($16). But for us, the trip is worth it just for the branzino. $$ 130 Miracle Mile. 786.391.1276

Portosole

When they bring the pecorino cheese wheel to toss your pasta, you’re in heaven. Short of that, they do a fine job with the fritto misto, a mixture of calamari, shrimp, filet of sole, tiny artichokes, and zucchini, all lightly fried. Equally appetizing is the fresh burrata with heirloom tomatoes, a deceptively simple salad of tomato and burrata cheese. $$$ 2530 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 786.359.4275.

Salumeria 104

Tratorria-style Salumeria is now two years old with a loyal clientele, especially at lunchtime. Partly because the food and ambience is authentically Northern Italian and rustic. It may also be thanks to their inventive pastas and sandwiches of artisan cured meats, always fresh and flavorful. Those sliced salumi meats are buono! $$ 117 Miracle Mile. 305.640.5547

Tullio

This elegant new Italian restaurant focuses on northern Italian seafood, especially from the area around Venice, the hometown of owner and maitre d’ Lucio Zanon. Inventive dishes along with comfort food favorites create an elevated and satifying dining experience. $$$$ 160 Andalusia Ave. 305.926.4208

Villagio Ristorante

Surprisingly good prices in this cavernous restaurant in the Shops at Merrick Park, with lots of outdoor seating. Even the dinner menu serves pasta entrees for less than $15, and the amazingly extensive selection of meat and fish mostly runs in the mid to low twenties. Also – randomly enough – the best apple pie anywhere. $$

358 San Lorenzo Ave. (Shops at Merrick Park) 305.447.8144

Zucca

Located at the elegant Hotel St. Michel, this is a star in the galaxy of Italian eateries in the Gables. Distinctly northern Italian, with recipes that chef Manuel Garcia developed in a career that included the legendary Casa Tua on Miami Beach. Modern Italian design, sophisticated, with great service. $$$-$$$$

162 Alcazar Ave. 786.580.3731

LATIN AMERICAN

Agasago

The food here is authentically Colombian. Try their pescado camaronero, a seafood showstopper of grilled white fish filet topped with garlic cream and large shrimp, served with coconut rice and fried plantains. Also good: the sancocho de costilla, a beef rib stew with corn on the cobb, yucca, potatoes, bananas, onions, and beef broth – a meal in itself. $$

205 Aragon Ave. 786.401.7189

Aromas del Peru

Yes, they serve ceviche here. But it’s the breadth of the menu that impresses, with traditional soups, grilled meats, wok stir fries, and signature dishes such as aji de gallina (shredded chicken in yellow pepper sauce) and seco de res (beef stewed in beer and cilantro). $$

1930 Ponce de León Blvd. 305.476.5886

Divino Ceviche

Divino Ceviche is known, of course, for its ceviche. From the Ceviche Tradicional to Ceviche de Mercado to Ceviche Nikkei, there’s no shortage of the stuff. The restaurant also has non-ceviche dishes like octopus croquetas and three different causas (layered potatoes with tuna, boiled eggs, onion). $$

160 Giralda Ave. 786.360.3775

Ecléctico

Brought to you by the folks at nearby Sawa, Ecléctico is an open, airy, Latin-fusion restaurant that serves “light” and inventive variations on Latin small plates with a Mexican overlay – and a truly awesome selection of mezcal and tequila. A fun place for dinner. $$

320 San Lorenzo Ave. (Shops at Merrick Park) 786.615.5735

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