Earlier this evening, LoanDepot Stadium in downtown Miami was rowdy and had nothing to do with baseball. While the stands are usually packed with fans feasting on all-American fare, tonight’s menu included house-selection performances by MICHELIN Guide Florida. Last year proved the strength and breadth of gastronomic acumen in the Sunshine State, and tonight has raised the bar. Over a dozen freshman Florida draft picks, eight new Bib Gourmands, and four new One Stars. From vibrant French cuisine with hints of Asian flavors to scintillating Mediterranean cuisine with highly local ingredients, here is the full list of MICHELIN Guide Florida highlights.
Miami
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Miami – 2 stars
Cuisine: French
The menu offers both tasting portions and large dishes. But go with the fixed seasonal prize run. The bread basket is a great opener, arriving in advance for such exciting meals as roasted sea scallops with toasted spices. Tuna sashimi in a warm vinaigrette of brown butter, mustard and makrut lime shines, while artichokes nestle under a glass dome and float in a chickpea-turmeric cappuccino. Finally, the aptly named le chocolat sensation is a thrill with a balance of textures and tastes.
Katie John Burton / L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon Miami
Tambourine Chamber by Tristan Brant – 1 star
Cuisine: contemporary
Inside the Carillon Miami Wellness Resort on a fairly quiet stretch of Collins Street, find this ambitious dining restaurant led by Chef Tristan Brandt and his trusted assistant Timo Steubing. The duo offers a colorful, multi-course tasting based on French cuisine with notable Asian inspirations.
Michael Bissari / The Tambourine Room by Tristan Brandt
I see you – 1 star
Cuisine: contemporary
Beginners should aim for the tasting menu, as it is the surest way to experience the chef’s talent for creative combinations and excellent sauce work. This lush, verdant restaurant instantly welcomes a menu that weaves French-American and neoclassical influences to stunning effect.
Antonella Rey/Ariet
Puea de – 1 star
Cuisine: contemporary
Located between a laundromat and medical center in the Buena Vista Shopping Center, it’s impossible to miss the neon pink exclamation mark that lights up above the front door. Surprise is certainly an apt descriptor for the destination of chefs Luciana Giangrande and Alex Meyer. The servers say the food is Italian, but is it really?
David Bly / Boya D
Cote Miami – 1 star
Cuisine: Korean
Owner Simon Kim and his team know what they’re doing at this Korean steakhouse, which looks like a temple of beautiful, aged marbled beef, much of it on display in a nearby room. Just as you’ll find at the original New York City location, the high-quality ingredients, artfully prepared dishes, and engaging servers make for a seamless experience.
Courtesy of COTE/Cote Miami
Le Jardinaire Miami – 1 star
Cuisine: French
The menu is a study of vibrant tastes and clever combinations that pack big flavor minus the heaviness.
Highlights include a wonderful summer gazpacho with avocado. tortellini with chanterelles and hazelnuts; As well as Hudson Valley foie gras with cherries.
Katie John Burton / Le Jardinaire Miami
Elcielo Miami – 1 star
Cuisine: Colombian
The menu offers diners a taste of traditional Colombian cuisine with a modern twist. The presentations are sensational, from the table-side ‘chocolate treat’ to the ‘tree of life’ bread service. Tasting favorites included a silky corn purée poured over garam masala popcorn and queso-based curds; Plus roasted to crisp local grouper coated with criolla sauce.
Pedro Mendoza tightens / kilo Miami
Hiden – 1 star
Cuisine: Japanese
Away from the hustle and bustle, Chef Seijun Okano serves ripe, finely tuned omakase to the lucky few sitting at his desk. The fish flown in several times a week from Japan is meticulously handled, carefully sliced and juiced into a rich, vinegary rice that it makes to start with.
Salsa Digital / Hidden
Los Felix – 1 star
Cuisine: Mexican
This is deeply creative Mexican cooking that sends guests on a taste voyage—at the hands of servers armed with ample information about the provenance of each ingredient. The finishing touches included the delicious pork carnitas with countless salsas. snapper crudo topped with jicama crust and avocado aoli; and grilled octopus with beetroot.
Vanessa Diaz / Los Felix
Stubborn Seed – 1 star
Cuisine: contemporary
Chef Jeremy Ford brings the warmth, and his ambitious and creative cooking is best enjoyed through the tasting menu.
Dylan Rives / Stubborn Seeds
The Den at Azabu Miami Beach – 1 star
Cuisine: Japanese
Airlifted fish are handled several times a week and minimally fixed, often with a single brush of nickiri. Recent highlights included thinly sliced octopus with sunny orange miso as well as the soy-marinated wakame nigiri.
Deep Sleep Studio / The Den at Studio Azabu Miami
The Surf Club Restaurant – One Star
Cuisine: American
The sauces are what this team does best, starting with the scallop crudo with yogurt-basil dressing; Followed by a masterfully reconfigured Maine Lobster Thermidor with American Sauce. And finished with a coconut chiffon cake with lemon infused Anglais.
Adrian Gott / The Surf Club Restaurant
Orlando
kappa – 1 star
Cuisine: Steakhouse
Expect a signature experience defined by grilled steaks and exquisite appetizers. Start with pan con tomate or pork belly with apple butter before indulging in a main dish, like rib-eye with tamarind chutney. Patatas bravas, that Spanish ode to potatoes, is a worthy side, while skilful plating, like the swipe of piquillo sauce accompanying tender filets, is a calling card.
Don Riddle/Cappa
Cadence – 1 star
Cuisine: Japanese
Accessed from the bar via a sliding door, this sushi haven hosts just eight people per seat and feels like a sage in a cool secret. Cheerful and light-hearted, the chef gets serious when focusing on the food. Omakase opens with hot dishes and cold sashimi. This is food that’s lively, yet manages to pay homage to classic styles with a pace that’s on point.
Michael Mitra / Cadence
Knife and spoon – 1 star
Cuisine: Steakhouse
Care and skill are the hallmarks of this team headed by Head Chef Gerald Sombright, as they craft contemporary steakhouse fare woven with seafood. There is an element of excess in cooking, but no one is complaining.
Don Riddell / Knife and Spoon
Soseki – 1 star
Cuisine: Fusion
This small operation with Chef Mike Colantis at the helm is the perfect example of a contemporary meal expressed through omakase. A laser-like focus on local Florida results in a menu that changes monthly.
Fernando Delgado / Soseki
Tampa
Arugula – 1 star
Cuisine: Italian
Chef Bryce Bonsack blends his New York experience with Italian training to great effect at this contemporary restaurant. And, of course, there is a variety of pastas, skillfully made in-house and showcasing classic flavors and subtle techniques, as in the lemon spaghetti, with handles of blue and lemon crab, shredded garlic and zucchini.
Jordan Wise / Watercress
koya – 1 star
Cuisine: Japanese
There’s a savory take on the experience at this intimate eight-seat counter, where the contemporary multi-course tasting menu shares a unique interpretation of Japanese cuisine. The dishes are often unexpected but always thoughtful.
Ker Majolas / Koya
purple – 1 star
Cuisine: Mediterranean cuisine
Check out the contemporary four-course prix-fixe with Mediterranean influences, Florida-focused ingredients, and French technologies. A meal might include sumptuous bites such as diver scallops slathered with rosemary smoke and served grandly under a garnish to delicious, well-executed lobster.
Nitzan Keinan / Lilac
Hero Image: Nicholas Koenig / Lilac
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