LoveHorses

We will be going to Miami Beach January 6th weekend with family and grandparents. Can any one recommend some really great restaurants. Seafood, Asian, Spanish.

Thank you

AaronM

Joe's Stone Crabs (don't visit Miami Beach without going), Pacific Time, Talula (my favorite), A Fish Called Avalon, Escopazzo (great Italian), Mark's South Beach (New-World cuisine). Too many to list but you can't go wrong with any of these (From a Miami native).

Dreamer2

I can't recommend Mosaico enough! Especially the chef's tasting menu!

LoveHorses

Thank you for your responses. But we are really looking for some good old local food "NOT JOES STONE CRAB STYLE" I cannot see my family waiting for anything for 2 hrs. We love really good food. Can anyone recommend Italian, Seafood and Chinese. Please help time is a wasting only a few more days.

bookhall

Have you tried chowhound.com?

Dreamer2

You can go over to the Mandarin Oriental for some top-notch Asian food. Of course, Azul is amazing, but if you don't want to spend that much for your large party, Cafe Sambal is an excellent option. If the weather cooperates, it's really nice to eat outside.

I'd rather spend the big bucks at Mosaico. The chefs tasting menu is amazing, and the whole evening was a fantastic dining experpience. Each course (5, I think) was paired with a Spanish wine, service was excellent, and we ate on the roof top of a beautifully converted fire station under little lights with live music playing. They also have a tapas bar (lighter menu) on the first floor.

Both of these places are a pretty expensive ($25?) taxi ride from South Beach, but are easy to find if you have a car. One is on Brickell Key, and the other in the business district on the edge of Little Havana.

At South Beach, we also ate at Nemo (fish) and Prime One Twelve (steaks), which are owned by the same management. Prime One Twelve was hopping, a very noisy, happening place. But we could make a reservation, and were seated within 15 minutes of that. Food, service, atmosphere all excellent. Nemo was just okay, although the atmosphere very nice. I wish we'd gone to Fish Called Wanda, and sat on the deck. The location is much better.

Although we did not go, I think Aaron has some excellent suggestions with Pacific Time and Mark's South Beach. As the person above says, check chowhound, and also tripadvisor.com

GoTravel

I'm a big fan of David's II on the corner of Meridian and Lincoln Road Mall for authentic and reasonable Cuban food.

Mark's is very good but pricey.

What are the ages of your family (young kids, etc) and do you have budget restrictions?

So many restaurants in South Beach are stupid expensive; think $100 per person.

LoveHorses

Thank you all for your great advice and speedy turnaround. We will be a total of 8 people. 3 grandparents, and 3 adults approx ages in our 40's and 2 kids 12 and 17. Price is not that much of an issue. Up to $30 or $40 a plate if very good restaurant but $100 per person is too much. This is a special weekend for for the grandparents and the kids both have their birthdays this week. Hope that information helps to narrow down.

Again, thank you soooo much. Looking forward to some more suggestions. Other areas are also appreciated...coral gables, bal harbor?

GoTravel

My two favorite Miami restaurants are The Forge(steaks, continental best wine cellar in the southeast) in Mid Beach and Wolfie Cohen's Rascal House (Kosher style family diner, authentic) in Sunny Isles.

amcc

In Coral Gables, Ortanique on Miracle Mile is very good. There is a restaurant row there (Girlada Ave.) that has a number of excellent choices that are more casual, among them Miss Saigon (Vietnamese), La Gastronomia (Italian), and Randazzo's (Italian). As for Spanish, or Cuban, Versailles on SW 8th Street is a local institution, although mojitos are done best (imo) at Larios South Beach.

Big Pink on South Beach is a good, casual place. Mark's South Beach is very good for a nice dinner.

Near Mosaico that Dreamer recommended there is a nice Italian place called Perricone's that has a very pretty setting with outdoor seating.