Dining

Dining out in Miami is extremely popular and there are literally thousands of Miami restaurants, many with outdoor seating areas and outstanding views. Miami restaurants serve a wide selection of cuisines from all over the world. Eateries at Miami range from basic snack bars and coffee shops, to ritzy top-notch Miami restaurants and gourmet haunts. Miami is also renowned for its street food, which includes pizza and hot-dog stands. Several restaurants in Miami offer excellent value for money and most are open almost 24 hours a day. Breakfast restaurants and diners in Miami are usually open between 6am and 7am. Other restaurants open at around midday and stay open late into the night. Some may close between lunch and dinner timings. Almost all dining services in Miami have a ‘happy hour' usually between 5pm and 8pm hours, when food and drinks are offered at discounted rates.

Sunday brunch is extremely popular in Miami and usually served in the form of a buffet, laid out in stylish settings, accompanied by cheap drinks that include vintage wines and champagne.

Typical American diners offer scrumptious meals at affordable prices including juice steaks, hamburgers and delicious sandwiches.

The unique Floridian cooking style is evident in various delicacies cooked with a tasty combination of Caribbean ingredients, including fresh tropical fruit and seafood, with a nouvelle cuisine-style presentation. The city is extremely diverse to be identified with one distinct type of food, and the only common feature apparent at most eateries and diners in Miami, is seafood that includes regional specialties of fresh lobsters and crabs.

Cuban food is also popular in several Miami restaurants run by Cuban families and they serve large tasty lunch and dinners with drinks at inexpensive prices. There are also many upscale and stylish Cuban restaurants located in Little Havana and Coral Gables. North of Downtown Miami has several Haitian restaurants. Miami also has several restaurants serving Italian, Argentine, Jamaican, Peruvian, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish and French cuisines.

A. Top Restaurants

Wolfie Cohen's Rascal House

Address: 17190 Collins Ave.

Miami Beach, FL. 33160

TEL: 305-947-4581

FAX: 305-945-8126

The renowned Wolfie Cohen's Rascal House has been a Miami Beach institution since 1954. The restaurant offers some of the best American meals that include bagel, corned beef sandwich and a healthy sized piece of cheesecake. The diner is extremely popular with local residents and you will often see long queues of diners that stretch around the corner.

Porcao Steakhouse

Address: 801, Brickell Bay Drive,

Miami, FL 33131.

A unique and different experience, the Porcao Steakhouse offers some of the best steaks available in Miami. With an attentive staff and panoramic view of the Inter coastal waterway and pool, its relaxed ambience makes it one of the most popular restaurants in Miami.

Nobu

Address: 1901 CollinsAve,

Miami Beach, FL 33139

Tel: 305-695-3232

Considered to be one of the best sushi a restaurant in the world, Nobu is packed to its capacity most of the time. Nobu boasts several celebrity visits to the restaurant over the years. The main course costs between $10 to $30 and credit cards such as American Express, MasterCard and Visa are accepted. A chef's choice multi course meal is available at the restaurant and costs about $70 and upwards.

The restaurant is open on Sunday from 7pm to11pm and on Monday to Thursday from 7pm to midnight. On Friday and Saturday the restaurant stays open from 7pm to1am.

Escopazzo

Address: 1311 Washington Ave

Miami Beach, FL 33139.

Tel: 305-674-9450

This primo Northern Italian eatery can host up to 90 people at a time. The restaurant has its own wine cellar that holds up to 1,000 bottles of various vintages. Some delicacies at the restaurant are squid ink pasta and the Smithfield pork tenderloin. The menus change at least five to six times a year.

Main courses cost between $18 and $32. American Express, MasterCard and Visa are accepted at the restaurant. Escopazzo is open Monday to Friday from 6pm to midnight and Saturday from 6pm to 1am and on Sunday from 6pm to 11pm.