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 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 flavors you’ll be dreaming of for days. The family team takes its provisions seriously and keeps age-old family traditions alive.
Start with the famous Grandaddy GUS crab cake, baked in shell. Don’t leave without trying one of the shack’s signature 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. After one visit, you’re bound to become a regular.
Lido Bayside
Set on an island on the Venetian Causeway, floating in between Miami and Miami Beach, you’ll 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’ll 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 a taste of locally sourced ingredients and exclusively line-caught seafood just off the bay. The white fish passionfruit ceviche is a crowd-pleaser, offering the freshest local fish and tangy tropical flavors. For substantial bites, there’s an irresistible fried whole snapper in paprika adobo. Lido Bayside also has standout signature cocktails like the Tropical Vibes, which can make your entire sunset dinner a five-star experience.
Lido Bayside is located at 40 Island Ave., Miami Beach, FL 33139. For more information, visit their official website.
MILA
MILA is South Beach indulgence turned all the way up—and somehow still impossibly refined. Perched above Lincoln Road, this sprawling rooftop sanctuary feels like a glamorous throwback to Miami’s golden era, when dining was theatrical, transportive, and all about the scene. From the moment you step in, you’re wrapped in warm amber light, reclaimed woods, and flowing linens. It’s luxe, zen, and undeniably seductive.
The menu reads like a passport stamped by the Mediterranean and Japan. Expect pristine sushi, MediterrAsian maki, and showstopping dishes like wagyu beef tartare with bone marrow, hamachi crudo with avocado coulis, truffle cream spaghetti, and perfectly fired tenderloin with creamy ponzu. Everything is designed to be shared, admired, and remembered—often prepared right in front of you, adding a touch of drama to the table. Cocktails are equally expressive, reimagining classics with tropical, herbal, and citrus-forward twists that feel tailor-made for Miami nights.
MILA is located at 1636 Meridian Ave. Rooftop, Miami Beach, FL 33139. For more information, visit their official website.
Pamplemousse on the Bay
Pamplemousse on the Bay is one of Miami Beach’s quieter flexes. It’s elegant, scenic, and effortlessly seductive. Set along the calm stretch of Biscayne Bay inside Southgate Towers, this waterfront beauty trades flash for atmosphere, letting golden sunsets, rippling water, and a steady bay breeze do most of the talking. Whether you’re seated indoors or out on the terrace with the sky melting into pinks and blues, the setting alone feels transportive.
The menu leans Mediterranean with Latin soul, spotlighting seafood and prime cuts. The scallops crudo bathed in coconut milk are a standout—tender and perfectly paired with crispy plantain chips—while the duck magret arrives rich and indulgent, sous-vide for 33 hours then pan-sautéed to perfection. Golden hour is where Pamplemousse truly shines. Order the signature Pamplemousse sangria, settle into the view, and let the evening unfold slowly. It’s romantic, refined, and just the right amount of under-the-radar.
Pamplemousse on the Bay is located at Southgate Towers, 910 West Ave., Miami Beach, FL 33139. For more information, visit their official website.
Smith & Wollensky
Smith & Wollensky, the award-winning steakhouse with locations worldwide, has earned its space topping many best-of lists. If you find yourself dining at the Miami Beach branch, you’re in for a treat.
Whether you dine inside or on the patio, the restaurant offers breathtaking views of the ocean, the Port of Miami, Downtown, Fisher Island, and stunning sunsets, all in a classy setting that makes you feel like you’re in a 1950s movie.
On the menu, you’ll find the finest offerings of land and sea. Crab cakes served with cognac mustard, crispy battered shrimp in a spicy lobster butter sauce, gochujang-spiced tuna tartare—and those are just the appetizers. If you want to go all out, get the surf and turf for two or the shellfish tower stacked with marine goodness. Smith & Wollensky has earned special praise for its 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 floor of the chic 1 Hotel sits Watr, a bright and breezy restaurant with 360 views stretching from Miami Beach to the ocean. The Peruvian-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. Watr offers a heavenly omakase platter featuring all of the restaurant’s finest dishes—expect scallop ceviche, otoro tuna crudo, king salmon nigiri, and truffled wagyu beef rolls, to name a few. To sip, try one of the restaurant’s “Ode to Japan” cocktails, like the tropical Okinawan Colada made with coconut-washed Tottori Japanese whiskey.
Watr at the 1 Rooftop is located at 2341 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, FL 33139. For more information, visit their official website.