Super 7: The Best Restaurants in Brickell
All those twitch streamers gotta eat somewhere
A general rule for finding the best restaurants in Brickell: If someone is filming “content” outside, that probably ain’t it. But navigate the staged street interviews and rented sports cars and you can find some truly fantastic places to eat. Here’s our picks for the best restaurants in Brickell.
Gangnam
The odds of finding a local, neighborhood restaurant in Brickell are about as good as finding a girl without plastic surgery or a guy without a podcast. But we found one a few doors down from Better Days at Gangnam, an independently-owned spot putting out the best authentic Korean food in Miami. It looks ripped from a Pembroke Pines strip mall, with actual Korean people eating inside and only a handful of small tables. The bibimbap is close to what you’d find in Seoul, and beyond the bowls you’ll find Korean beef ribs and kimchi pancakes that beg for leftovers. It’s also the odd outdoor dinning space in Brickell that doesn’t come with a big side of revving engines.
@gangnamkfood // 35 SE 6th St.
LPM Restaurant and Bar
European purists might turn up their noses at LPM’s modern take on French food. Of course, European purists turn up their nose at the wrong brand of toothpaste, so you’ve gotta take it with a grain of Mediterranean sea salt. Those who appreciate adaptation will tell you there’s not a bad dish on LPM’s menu, where options range from rigatoni with morel mushrooms and cream to grilled tiger prawns with green chili and coriander. As of this week, it’s closed for a “seasonal refresh,” but watch out for a new look coming in June.
Pro tip: The martinis are the stuff of Miami after-work legends, and at $12 each are one of the better happy hour bargains in Brickell.
@lpmmiami // 1300 Brickell Bay Dr., Brickell
The Mexican
What The Mexican lacks in creative naming, it more than makes up for in free chips and salsa, which won me over instantly. It also takes the mantle from La Mar for the best view on Brickell Key, as the southwest-modern dining room looks back across the bay at the Brickell skyline. The menu is rich – both in terms of who it targets and the meats on the menu – highlighted by filet and bone marrow tacos that come with an extra piece of marrow. Six different wagyu steaks dot the menu, as well as a flank steak barbacoa served in a cast iron skillet. And there’s a lobster elote, too – in case the usual cheese-and-mayo dish was too light for you.
Pro tip: Share everything, and order less than you think you’ll eat. This food is delicious, but it’s not light. And finishing a whole order of anything might weigh you down.
@themexican.miami // 601 Brickell Key Dr. Suite 100
Motek
Is there anything better than enjoying an end-of-the-day glass of wine over fresh baked pita and mushroom hummus? No there is not, and that’s a huge part of why Motek is a hit everywhere it opens. Its Brickell outpost is an indoor-outdoor number on the top of Brickell City Centre, where you can enjoy the balmy breezes from the front patio, kebab in hand.
Pro tip: If you’re not up for a full meal, post up at the bar and down a week’s worth of carbs while scooping up Motek’s dips, like muhammara and babaganoush.
@motekcafe // 702 S. Miami Ave. #412A
Moxie’s
Is it basic? Sure. Is it always crowded? Also yes. Is it a chain? Look, pal, this ain’t Little River, this is Brickell where our longest-running restaurant is P.F. Chang’s. And in a city where restaurant competition is fierce, having all your tables filled every night definitely says something. There’s literally something for everyone on the menu at Moxie’s, from fresh guac to prime steaks to curry. My go-to is the chipotle mango chicken with lemon quinoa.
Pro tip: Get a seat at the bar. On busy nights, it’s almost impossible to drop in for a spontaneous dinner. But bar seats are often in large supply.
@moxiesusa // 900 S. Miami Ave. Suite 161.
NAOE
Years before omakase counters popped up in Miami faster than 7-11s, there was NAOE. The five-seat omakase counter on Brickell Key is hard to find, highly exclusive, and once-in-a-lifetime expensive. But not one person who’s dined there has ever complained about the price. Chef Kevin Cory has held it down since 2012, notching a AAA Five-Diamond rating, five stars from Forbes, and an almost-perfect rating from Zagat.
Pro Tip: Pack your wallet. NAOE is expensive even by omakase standards, and the experience is no fun is you’re stressed about the price. Only go if it’s in your budget.
@naoemiami // 661 Brickell Key Drive
Courtesy of Osaka Nikkei
Osaka
Try and follow along here: Osaka is a Peruvian restaurant in Miami that got its start in Lima. Confusing geography aside, Osaka is Brickell’s shining example of Nikkei cuisine – the flavorful mix of Peruvian and Japanese that brings us stuff like tuna yuzu ceviche and aji Amarillo nigiris.
Pro tip: Its cocktail bar is a hidden gem at night, a dim, sexy space slinging the best Asian-inspired drinks in the city.
@osakanikkei.miami // 1300 Brickell Bay Dr.