Best New Summer Spots In Miami 2014 | Tasting Table MIA

The city's best places to hang this summer

There's a full roster of new openings to get hot and bothered about in Miami this summer, including an ambitious Cuban-Korean-Peruvian fusion project from the team behind the CubanCube food truck and Alchemy & Science's highly anticipated craft brewery. Here's everything we're excited about.

Advertisement

Oolite Restaurant and Bar ($$) in Miami Beach
Kris Wessel's love of all things Florida is back with hurricane-like force. He's converting the old Cooper Ave. spot into a warm dining space with citrus accents to match the lush vegetable and seafood-heavy menu. A neighboring cocktail lounge opens soon as well.

NIU Kitchen ($$) in Downtown
Unlike the Spanish National team, this hip Catalan-inspired tapas and wine date-night joint is scoring high marks in the Downtown dining scene. The menu promises innovative renditions of the country's traditional small dishes.

Traymore Restaurant and Bar ($$$) in South Beach
Expect carefully composed dishes with an emphasis on fresh seafood in small, precise portions at this relaxed newcomer to the South Beach high-end hotel restaurant scene. Save room for desserts from pastry chef Emmanual Alves.

Advertisement

Drunken Dragon ($$) in Miami Beach
If you ever succumbed to the late-night lure of Chow Down Grill after an evening of debauchery, you'll love DD, which traffics in DIY Korean barbecue and tiki drinks in a space decorated with bondage-themed photos.

Benchwarmers ($) in Design District
Caesar Morales—the ever-smiling owner of Wood Tavern—has converted the space below the old Soho club (which he'll be reopening as well) into a vintage locker room-themed sports bar, fitted with plenty of HD screens right in time for the World Cup. Grab a craft brew and nosh on a selection of fancified frites with toppings.

FINKA Table & Tap ($$) in Tamiami
The brother-sister duo behind the popular CubanCube food truck go west with their ambitious Cuban-Korean-Peruvian fusion restaurant, which will include a cocktail program by Barlab Cocktails and local brews on tap and bottle. Well worth the field trip.

L'Echon Brasserie ($$$) in North Beach
The highly anticipated Pubbelly Group French restaurant is finally open to the public today. Expect an array of Chef Jose Mendin's signature swine dishes in a vibrant atmosphere with cocktails to match. Bookmark this one for your next brunch.

1930 Social Club ($$) in Sunset Harbor
The Lucali family has stealthily opened up a lounge in Sunset Harbor, and we've got the feeling that once word spreads about their honey-peanut Old Fashioned, it'll be the next go-to for gussied-up craft cocktails.

Advertisement

Concrete Beach Brewery ($$) in Wynwood
The Alchemy & Science project is close to opening their brewery's doors, after finishing up the final touches to their high tech fermentation facility. Expect the tap room to begin pouring high-quality craft beer toward the end of the summer.

Loba ($$) in MiMo District
This Latin gastropub from 28 year-old Jessica Sanchez is prowling steady toward its opening at the end of the month. The menu promises clever small plates like the Slim Ursula, charred octopus with crispy hominy and cilantro, and the Ode to Wilbur, an 18-hour sous vide pork belly with calabaza squash puree and pickled chilies.

Shikany ($$$$) in Wynwood
Already the talk of the town, the space was originally intended for Michael Shikany's event and catering company, but he's turned into his own personal dining utopia. Jungle-like gardens and dim lighting set the mood, while guests settle in for multi-course degustation menus with luxe ingredients like lobster claw and wild boar cheek.

Recommended

Advertisement