Pastel-colored sunsets, a backdrop of glistening city lights, the swaying ocean, millionaire yacht parties, and dolphins gleefully playing in the water… When it comes to killer views – Miami Beach reigns supreme. The only thing left to decide is which restaurant serves the best fare with captivating views. We’ve got you covered with our list of the best restaurants with a view in Miami Beach.
CJ’s Crab Shack
CJ’s Crab Shack may not offer stunning 360 views of the city or a marine-front patio, but if you’re looking for a prime Ocean Drive location, you’ve come to the right place. The family-run seafood shack comes through with stellar beach views and some classic people-watching.
The best part, however, is CJ’s menu. Here you’ll be getting no-frills seafood classics with flavor bombs that you’ll be dreaming of for days to come. The family team takes its provisions seriously and makes sure to upkeep age-old family traditions.
Starting from the famous Grandaddy GUS crab cake, baked in shell and utterly scrumptious. We urge you not to leave without trying one of the shack’s infamous seafood platters, like the CJ’s Cajun Combo, which comes with 2 clusters of old bay seasoned snow crab, baked oysters, Cajun shrimp, and more crab cake, with an essential side of pasta Alfredo. Trust us, after one visit, you’re bound to become a seasoned customer.
Lido Bayside
Nestled on an island on the Venetian Causeway, floating in between Miami and Miami Beach, one will find a true 305 classic—Lido Bayside inside the Miami Beach Standard Hotel. The building was once the Lido Spa Hotel, which opened in the 1960s, and the restaurant preserved both the name and that old-timey charm.
Make your way through the hotel and into the garden, where you will be seated at the enchanting restaurant with iconic Biscayne Bay views. As you enjoy your dinner, soak in the sunset, the dolphins splashing around in the water, and the occasional millionaire party yachts. We are in Miami Beach, after all.
The coastal cuisine menu offers epicureans a taste of locally sourced ingredients and exclusively line-caught seafood just off the bay. The white fish passionfruit ceviche is an absolute crowd-pleaser, offering a taste of the freshest local fish and tangy tropical flavors. While for substantial bites there’s an irresistible fried whole snapper in paprika adobo. Lido Bayside also comes through with incredible signature cocktails like the “happiness-inducing” Tropical Vibes, which will make your entire sunset dinner a 5-star experience yet to be topped.
The Lido Bayside is located at 40 Island Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139. For more information, visit their official website.
Shuckers
Waterfront dining and scrumptious seafood go hand in hand. Especially if you’re dining out in Miami Beach, the spot for some of the freshest seafood in the country. Shuckers is one of the more nonchalant restaurants on this list. No unnecessary glam, just mighty good food and million-dollar views of Biscayne Bay. There are cold beers, boozy cocktails, pool tables, and a dock to tie up your boat if that’s how you row.
The menu is straightforward American fare with a heavy accent on fresh seafood done right. As the restaurant’s name suggests, you’ll be hard-pressed not to start off with the fresh-shucked oysters—exquisite. Then, make your way to some of the restaurant’s other showstoppers, like irresistible coconut fried shrimp, white wine steamed clams, or the blackened mahi mahi sandwich. P.S. Come on a Wednesday for half of all bottles of wine and champagne. Cheers!
Shuckers is located at 1819 79th Street Causeway, North Bay Village, FL 33141. For more information, visit their official website.
Smith & Wollensky
Smith & Wollensky, the award-winning steakhouse with locations worldwide, has surely earned its space topping many best-of lists. However, if you find yourself dining at the Miami Beach branch, just know you’re in for a treat unlike no other.
Whether you choose to dine inside or on the patio, the restaurant offers simply breathtaking views of the ocean, the port of Miami, Downtown, Fisher Island, and stunning sunsets, all in an exceptionally classy setting, making you feel like you’re in a swanky 50s movie.
On the menu, you’ll find the finest offerings of the land and sea. Sumptuous crabcakes served with cognac mustard, crispy battered shrimp in a spicy lobster butter sauce, gochujang-spiced tuna tartare… Are you drooling yet? Because those were only the appetizers. If you want to go all out, don’t think twice about getting the surf & turf for two or the shellfish tower soaring with all the marine goodness you can fathom. Smith & Wollensky has earned special praise for their private reserve wine offerings, and for such a fine experience, a glass of vino is imperative.
Smith & Wollensky is located at 1 Washington Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139. For more information, visit their official website.
Watr at the 1 Rooftop
On the 18th story of the chic 1 Hotel lies Watr, a bright and breezy restaurant with astonishing 360 views stretching from Miami Beach to the ocean. The Peruvian x Japanese restaurant uses exclusively locally sourced ingredients to give 305 foodies a taste of the Beach.
Snatch a seat in one of the restaurant’s open white cabanas for a sublime sunset view and prepare to indulge in underwater bounty like never before. Watr offers an utmost heavenly omakase platter featuring all of the restaurant’s finest overtures — expect scallop ceviche, otoro tuna crudo, king salmon nigiri, and truffled wagyu beef rolls, to name a few of the provisions. To sip, try one of the restaurant’s marvelous “Ode to Japan” cocktails, like the tropical Okinawan Colada made with coconut-washed Tottori Japanese whiskey. We’re sure it won’t be our first or last time seeing you there.
Watr at the 1 Rooftop is located at 2341 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139. For more information, visit their official website.
