Central Fare
Brightline relaunched the food hall Central Fare inside MiamiCentral last summer with ten local vendors featuring plenty of tacos, sushi, cheesesteaks, Ecuadorian empanadas, and Neapolitan pies. You can find Miami favorites like Stanzione 87, Wolf of Tacos features half off select tacos every Tuesday after 5 p.m., Josh’s Corner Diner covers the burger-and-breakfast end of things, and Cotoita’s cheese empanadas hold up fine if you’re eating on board.
Pro Tip: Brightline Rewards members get 10 percent off at select vendors. Just show your digital card at checkout.@centralfare // 550 NW First Ave., Suite 240, Miami
Mangrove
Kingston-born chef Wayne Sharpe and the Jrk! crew run Mangrove, a Jamaican restaurant and lounge hidden near Government Center (next door to Tam Tam), and the menu offers twists on Jamaican classics like curry oxtail, whole fried snapper, jerk mac and cheese, and a guava bread pudding with Scotch bonnet cream. I’m a fan of sliding up to the bar and trying whatever crazy new rum they got in from the Caribbean, then letting that pick my order for me.
Pro Tip: Go a little later at night when Mangrove’s dining room transforms into a cool Jamaican party, sometimes with live music, after the dinner crowd dies down. @mangrove.miami // 103 NW First Ave., Miami
Mr. Omakase
Pick between 10, 14, and 18 courses ($89, $109, and $149) and let the chefs at Mr. Omakase handle the rest with courses of sashimi, nigiri, a hand roll, miso soup, and a dessert from Superbon Bakehouse to close things out. A5 wagyu and shrimp topped with uni sit on the add-on list if you’re feeling decadent. With about ten seats, it is one of the calmer, more affordable ways to do omakase in this city.
Pro Tip: The 14-course menu hits the sweet spot. Long enough to feel special, short enough to keep you standing upright. @mromakase // 163 SE First St., Miami
Niu Kitchen
Niu Kitchen fits a handful of tables, and chef Deme Lomas uses them to serve what I still think is the most interesting Spanish cooking in Miami. The Catalan menu includes branzino tartare with cold garlic soup, an octopus carpaccio with garbanzo spread, and a rabbit-and-escargot paella, plus a rotating list of natural wines. If it’s full, Niu Wine, their wine bar down the block with no printed list, is a fine place to wait it out.
Pro Tip: Order the clams, made from Deme’s mom’s recipe with jamón ibérico and tomato sofrito.@niukitchen // 104 NE Second Ave., Miami
Over Under
Over Under bills itself as a subtropical honky tonk, and the food certainly reflects that crispy gator, fish and grits made with Florida catfish, shrimp skewers with warm roti, and a sour orange pie in a saltine crust. The cheeseburger is what everyone orders anyway, a smashed patty with American cheese, shredded lettuce, griddled onions, pickles, and housemade thousand island. For your drink, ask for your bartender to make a bartender’s choice – where they will make a bespoke drink made on flavor profiles you enjoy – or if that decision is too much, a frozen drink is always a good choice.
Pro Tip: Happy hour runs every day from 5 to 7 p.m., with $2 Florida oysters and two-for-one frozen drinks. @overundermiami // 151 E. Flagler St., Miami
Tam Tam
Saigon-born chef Tam Pham and husband Harrison Ramhofer grew their Phamily Kitchen supper club into Tam Tam, set in a former Cuban diner downtown and built around quán nhậu, Vietnam’s culture of eating while you drink. He cooks fish sauce caramel wings, scallops with pomelo, betel-wrapped lamb, and a steak tartare finished with fire ant salt, while Ramhofer handles the wine. This restaurant is perfect for taking someone you want to impress but also want to have a fun night out.
Pro Tip: Pick your karaoke song before you excuse yourself. Yes, there’s a working machine in the bathroom. @tam.tam.mia // 99 NW First St., Miami
ViceVersa
Bartender Valentino Longo opened ViceVersa inside the Elser Hotel with the team behind Sunny’s Steakhouse and the dearly departed Jaguar Sun shutter, and the Negroni list the star, starting with the house Mi-To blend. Chef Justin Flit leads the kitchen with a raw bar, house charcuterie, and neo-Neapolitan pizzas like clam with lemon, mortadella with ricotta and pistachio, and spicy pepperoni with hot honey.
Pro Tip: The ViceVersa Burger only exists on Mondays from 5 p.m. until it sells out. Go early. @viceversamiami // 398 NE Fifth St., Miami