Renowned for its extravagant beaches and luxurious lifestyle, Miami offers the best fine-dining restaurants with picturesque views of the ocean. From casual brunch to lavish private events by the sea, Miami, with its artistic architecture and panoramic view of the ocean provides the perfect backdrop for the ambiance of luxury.
Take a look at these thirteen best waterfront restaurants in Miami that have the richness of culinary from across the globe and spectacular views of the ocean that you will never forget.
Amara at Paraiso
With remarkable views of the coastline, artfully made drinks, dazzling decor, and top-notch hospitality, Rusty Pelican promises fresh, sizzling energy in Miami. Beautiful and diversified seafood-forward cuisine made with the freshest local ingredients, Rusty Pelican is famous for charming the locals, celebrities, and tourists alike with the taste of the sea. The mix of seductive elegance and glamorous nightlife is what this place is all about.
The menu is jam-packed with global delicacies from caviar frites to filet mignon scorched tableside and doused in black truffle butter. Foodie faves include the butter-poached lobster and shrimp risotto, crispy whole local snapper served with a creamy coconut orzo, and a Chilean seabass served atop a smoked sweet plantain mash. This is Miami waterfront dining at its finest, folks.
Rusty Pelican is located at 3201 Rickenbacker Cwy, Key Biscayne, FL 33149. For more information, visit their official website.
Seaspice
Seaspice isn’t just a place to dine, it’s an experience in itself. Located at the banks of the Miami River, Seaspice is in a league of its own when it comes to waterfront dining. The restaurant is helmed by Executive Chef Angel Leon, who marries global culinary influences with Mediterranean flavors, offering a sincere devotion to excellence in each dish. Seaspice invites locals and tourists alike to indulge themselves in the freshest selection of seafood and an open-air waterfront dining room serving signature crafted cocktails.
On the expansive menu, find everything from barbacoa-grilled oysters with garlic butter, fire-roasted Florida lobster, sea salt-crusted market fish with a black truffle risotto, and then some. Dock your yacht, order a Don Julio and Absinthe-spiked craft cocktail like the Invite Only, and settle in—we have a feeling you’ll be staying for a while.
Seaspice is located at 422 Northwest North River Drive, Miami, FL 33128. For more information, visit their official website.
Smith & Wollensky
Smith & Wollensky is Miami Beach’s classic destination for steak lovers with a view. Perched at the tip of the island, the restaurant serves USDA Prime dry-aged steaks alongside premium seafood, all paired with an award-winning wine list. Two dining floors plus an overlook deck with a full bar and lounge let you soak in uninterrupted vistas of the Miami skyline and the sparkling waters of Government Cut.
Whether you’re settling in for a romantic dinner, a celebratory feast, or cocktails at sunset, the combination of impeccable food and sweeping waterfront views makes every visit feel like an occasion. We recommend completing it with the roasted bone marrow tableside steak tartare, crab cakes with cognac mustard, and for the grand finale, a 26-oz wet-aged, peppercorn-crusted bone-in rib eye au poivre. With the truffled mac and cheese, but of course. Smith & Wollensky isn’t just about the steak, though—it’s about the experience: Miami’s skyline glinting off the water, a perfectly seared steak on your plate, and a glass of something special in hand.
Smith & Wollensky is located at 1 Washington Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139. For more information, visit their official website.
Verde
Verde is where art, culture, and cuisine meet the water’s edge. Perched inside the Pérez Art Museum Miami, the restaurant spills out onto a breezy terrace that delivers front-row views of Biscayne Bay. It’s the kind of backdrop that makes a simple lunch feel like a mini-vacation. It’s the panorama that steals the show: an airy, sunlit space where Miami’s bay sparkles at every angle. There are a few indoor seats, but trust, the terrace is where it’s really at.
The menu, locally inspired and ever-changing, keeps things fresh with a concise lineup of pizzas, salads, and sandwiches. Provisions are as vibrant as the Museum art itself, think of a bright orange carrot and clementine soup with hot red chili oil, al pastor mahi mahi tacos with bursts of roasted pineapple chutney and cilantro aioli, and brick chicken served alongside bright green guasacaca—a zesty avocado and cilantro sauce. Dishes change with exhibitions too, and often include ephemeral options like the El Monte, a chocolate, coffee, and dulce de leche alfajor served with pistachio gelato and palo santo smoke. Oof.
Verde is located inside Pérez Art Museum Miami at 1103 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33132. For more information, visit their official website.
YAYA Coastal Cuisine
YAYA Coastal Cuisine channels those creamy, sun-washed tones of a seaside trattoria, complete with patio seating that opens onto sweeping views of Biscayne Bay and the city skyline. A private membership club for boaters is available, with a number of dockage spots and private dining room access. Anchor your yacht and dig into the seafood-heavy menu with Mediterranean delicacies taking center stage.
Crowd favorites include char-grilled oysters with scampi butter, charred Spanish octopus with creamy labneh, a Maine lobster Cobb salad you simply don’t want to miss, and a lobster risotto with caviar butter that’s utterly irresistible. The cocktail program rounds off the waterfront evening just right, with tangy libations like the watermelon margarita with a spicy agave kick.
Yaya Miami is located at 7999 NE Bayshore Ct, Miami, FL 33138. For more information, visit their official website.
Zuma
Zuma Miami brings the vibrant energy of modern Japanese dining to Downtown, perched right on the waterfront with stunning views of the Miami River. Founded by internationally renowned Chef Rainer Becker, this U.S. outpost delivers the same celebrated izakaya-style experience Zuma is known for worldwide—robata grill, raw bar, and artfully crafted Japanese-inspired dishes.
Inside, sleek contemporary design meets riverside elegance—warm wood accents, dramatic lighting, and an airy layout that lets the Miami River steal the show. The outdoor terrace is made for cocktails at sunset or leisurely alfresco dinners. Don’t miss the prawn and black cod gyoza, crispy fried calamari with serrano peppers, and king crab glazed with ponzu-lime butter straight from the robata grill. Wash it all down with cocktails crafted around Japanese gin and whiskey, each sip a perfect note to cap off the evening.
Zuma is located at 270 Biscayne Blvd Way, Miami, FL 33131. For more information, visit their official website.