Miami's Best Greek Restaurant Is On...Ocean Drive?

It's just like a beach club on the Med, but in a good way

Photo Courtesy Santorini by Georgios/Facebook

Miami’s Best Greek Restaurant Feels Like An Island Beach Club – In The Good Way

Plate breaking is getting a little played out. Not only because our landfills are becoming dangerously overrun with broken Greek restaurant plates. But also because it feels a little forced when a teenager from Weston who’s clearly never been north of Athens, Georgia stands up on a stool, clumsily drops a plate on the ground, and mumbles “Opa?”

The only place it’s still cool is Santorini by Georgios, the family-run Greek spot tucked behind the Bentley Hotel in South Beach. Its mix of warm, Greek Island hospitality and oversized portions of fantastic food make it the kind of place where you can’t help but be happy. And maybe break a few plates in the process.

Why is Santorini the best Greek restaurant in Miami? You’d be forgiven for not believing anything on Ocean Drive is “best” at anything, except maybe diabetic comas. But Georgios and his family have effectively recreated the Mediterranean Beach Club restaurant experience, minus the Mediterranean or a beach. While some scenier Miami “hotspots” attempt to accomplish this with authentically French condescension and outrageously overpriced rose, Santorini does it with authentic Greek hospitality and generous portions of smoky, garlicky Greek food. Beyond what’s on the menu, Santorini feels like a welcoming embrace– sometimes literally – every time you go in.

What to Eat/Drink: The menu at Santorini by Georgios is the stuff you find at every seaside taverna in the Greek Isles. What’s that? You haven’t been to a seaside taverna in the Greek Isles? That’s ok, neither have I, but this is exactly what I imagine the food there is like. Every dish is about three times the size you expect, making Santorini a fantastic value, since you can stretch most entrees into two meals.

The Greek Salad is an obvious choice - the veggies are fresh and when topped with gyro meat it’s two meals. The Daily Fish Market Showcase is typically the biggest fish they could find on a boat, grilled, and served on a plate to make the whole place jealous. And, of course, the chicken and beef kebabs never fail.

Photo courtesy Santorini by Georgios/Facebook

Don’t miss: Anything Greek. Because it’s Ocean Drive, they’re required to have a “Latin” menu and mozzarella sticks, which is decidedly not what you’d find at a seaside Greek taverna. Skip it and stick with the kebabs.

Perfect for: Eating dinner on Ocean Drive. Also great for big groups because the portions are monumental.

Expect to pay: $100-$150 for two people. Portions are huge, and two people can easily split an entrée and an appetizer.

How’s the parking: Excellent. They’ll validate your valet parking at the Bentley so you won’t have to pay.

@santorinibygeorgios // 101 Ocean Drive, SoFi