The Best New Restaurants in Miami [January 2026]

Miami doesn’t do quiet Januaries. While everyone else is “resetting,” the city is rolling out new restaurants, bars, and late-night spots worth breaking resolutions for. From open-air aperitivo hangs and polished Italian dining to smash burgers, soul food, and after-dark cocktail dens, this is how 2026 is supposed to start.

Al Bàcaro

Tucked just behind Da Angelino Cucina Italiana at CocoWalk, Al Bàcaro is the restaurant’s new open-air tavern inspired by Venice’s beloved bàcari—those casual neighborhood spots where wine flows, small plates disappear quickly, and nobody’s in a rush to leave.

The vibe is relaxed and distinctly European. Mostly alfresco, with a handful of seats at the bar, Al Bàcaro is built for stopping by rather than settling in. Order a gottino of Italian wine, linger over cicchetti, and let the evening unfold naturally. Warm, stuffed focaccia arrives sliced and ready to share, alongside charcuterie boards stacked with Italian salumi and cheeses. Smaller bites like meatballs, arancini, crocchette, and fried seafood keep things snackable and social.

Wine is the heartbeat here, poured by the glass or in petite Venetian-style pours, with spritzes setting the aperitivo tone. It’s less about a full meal and more about mood—easy, convivial, and quietly transportive.

Al Bàcaro is located directly behind Da Angelino Cucina Italiana at 3015 Grand Ave., Coconut Grove, FL 33133. For more information, visit their official website.

Ezio’s

Ezio’s is bringing serious New York fire to North Beach, opening inside the newly completed 72 Park tower. From Brandon Hoy and chef Carlo Mirarchi—the minds behind Roberta’s and Foul Witch—this Italian-inspired steak and seafood restaurant is named after Mirarchi’s father and rooted in old-school hospitality with a polished Miami edge. Think white tablecloths, confident service, and a room that’s designed for long, indulgent nights.

The menu leans into luxury without losing warmth: a pristine raw bar spotlighting locally sourced seafood, house-made pastas, and a custom dry-aging program. We’re talking three-tiered marine towers, conch ceviche, Wagyu filet mignon, and 30-day aged double-cut saddle of lamb with mint jelly. Need we say more?

Ezio’s is located at 580 72nd St., Miami Beach, FL 33141. For more information, visit their official website.

Fooq’s

After a four-year hiatus, Fooq’s is finally making its return to Miami—this time landing in Little River with a bigger footprint and a sharper point of view. Originally founded downtown in 2015, the beloved Mediterranean-leaning spot is back with a new chapter that feels more fully realized, without losing the soul that made it a local favorite in the first place.

The new space is massive: a 14,000-square-foot, two-story destination built for dining, lounging, and lingering. In the kitchen, executive chef Andrew Bazzini—whose résumé includes Brooklyn’s Olmsted and Laurent Tourondel’s LT Bar and Grill—brings a sharper, more intentional edge to the menu. Expect Mediterranean flavors woven with Foulquier’s Persian roots, all centered around wood-fire cooking that leans smoky and deeply satisfying.

Upstairs, things get darker and louder. Lion’s Den, a vinyl-driven lounge inspired by early-2000s New York club culture, adds a nightlife pulse to the property, with music programmed by Foulquier alongside local DJ Manuel Mate and Mariana Pinto of Alchemy Music. Dinner downstairs and all the right vibes upstairs—the way it should be.

Fooq’s is opening at 150 NW 73rd St., Miami, FL 33127. For more information, visit their official website.

JaJaJa Plantas Mexicana

JaJaJa Plantas Mexicana, the New York-born spot with quite the devoted following, has officially opened its first Miami location. Equal parts taqueria, agave playground, and social hangout, JaJaJa is here to prove that plant-based doesn’t mean playing it safe.

The menu is built for sharing and serious cravings. Fan favorites like the birria tacos with chunk “steak” and grande nachos with jalapeño “queso” arrive fully loaded and indulgent, while the quesabirria for two—served with coco queso, sweet pineapple caviar, and a rich consommé for dipping—calls for just the right amount of commotion. Miami-exclusive dishes round things out, reinterpreting Mexican classics with subtle nods to the city’s Cuban and Caribbean influences.

The bar is a major moment. JaJaJa’s largest bar to date features over 100 agave spirits alongside a playful, mixology-driven cocktail and mocktail program. Designed for gathering, late-night dining, and spontaneous hangs, the bright, tropical space stays buzzing with DJs and service running until 1 a.m.—plant-based dining, but make it Wynwood.

JaJaJa Plantas Mexicana is located at 2775 NW 3rd Ave., Miami, FL 33127. For more information, visit their official website.

Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley

Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley officially lands in Miami on January 17, bringing its high-energy take on soul food and hospitality to the city after successful runs in Dallas, Chicago, D.C., Atlanta, Philly, and beyond. This is Southern cooking with the right amount of swag and zero intention of staying quiet.

The menu is deep, indulgent, and built to satisfy. Think shrimp and grits with a side of lobster tail (but of course), fried chicken and waffles, southern fried catfish, jerk lamb chops, butter pecan waffles, mac and cheese, collards, and candied yams—the kind of dishes that give you dear-diary moments seconds after, in all the best ways. Drinks hold their own too, with handcrafted kocktails like the fiery, tableside True Flame, Peach D’Ussé Frosé, and fruit-forward margaritas made for celebrating something or nothing at all. It’s all game here.

Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley will open at 2838 NW 2nd Ave., Bldg 2, Miami, FL 33127. For more information, visit their official website.

Lala’s Burgers

What started as a cult-favorite smash burger pop-up at Apocalypse BBQ has officially grown up. Lala’s Burgers now has its own brick-and-mortar home in Kendall, giving locals exactly what they’ve been craving—without the eastbound traffic spiral. It’s the next chapter for Jeff and Laura “Lala” Bud and their steadily expanding Day One Hospitality universe, and it feels right where it landed.

The menu stays true to what made Lala’s go viral in the first place. Expect the lala with their iconic sauce, the bacon with bacon jam, double-fried seasoned fries, and the now-infamous what the fudge brownie, now joined by chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, and onion rings. Buns are baked in-house daily, the burgers still hit hard, and the additions round things out without messing with the formula. Beer, wine, and soft drinks keep it casual and easy.

The space is designed to feel like a neighborhood hang, not a hype trap (thank goodness)—full service, laid-back, and a clear commitment to the Kendall community that’s supported the Buds since their backyard BBQ days. Familiar, unfussy, and deeply satisfying, Lala’s Burgers finally has a permanent home.

Lala’s Burgers is located at 13750 SW 88th St., Kendall, FL 33186. For more information, visit their Instagram page.

Rishtedar 305

Rishtedar has expanded its Wynwood footprint with Rishtedar 305, a standalone bar that shifts the brand firmly into after-dark territory. Located next door to the original restaurant, the new space isn’t an extension of the dining room—it’s a mood-driven cocktail bar built around sound, spice, and late-night energy, where Indian flavors mingle with Miami nightlife without feeling gimmicky or themed.

The cocktail program leans bold and expressive, pulling from Indian spices, house infusions, and layered aromatics. Drinks like a spicy mango margarita, masala mule, and huerto hindú will have you coming back weekly, while zero-proof options keep the experience inclusive. Food skews snackable and indulgent: crispy butter chicken bites, spiced sandwiches filled with tikka chicken, paneer, or lamb seekh kebab, and a Mumbai-style hot dog dressed with tamarind chutney, spiced onions, and crispy potatoes. Oof.

Rishtedar 305 is located at 232 NW 24th St., Miami, FL 33127. For more information, visit their official website.

Romeo Room

Tucked upstairs above Babette, Romeo Room is the restaurant’s new speakeasy-style lounge—and it feels like a secret worth staying for. Reached by a winding spiral staircase, the intimate space leans romantic and slightly theatrical, blending old-world charm with modern mischief. Velvet textures, low light, and a sense that the night might go somewhere unexpected set the tone.

The experience is built around cocktails, live music, and refined small plates meant for sharing (or not). Think croquetas topped with golden osetra caviar, Ibérico Cinco Jotas carved to order, and truffled mac and cheese—elevated, indulgent bites that match the room’s mood. Behind the bar, Japanese whiskies take center stage alongside Nordés gin and Estrella Damm, a subtle nod to chef Dani Chavez-Bello’s culinary roots.

Music is part of the DNA here. Saké and DJ Wednesdays ease you into the week, while live music Thursdays bring high energy and late-night magic. Romeo Room isn’t loud or flashy—it’s intimate, transportive, and unapologetically romantic. Exactly the kind of place Coral Gables didn’t know it was missing.

Romeo Room is located upstairs from Babette at 303 Alcazar Ave., Coral Gables, FL 33134. For more information, visit their official website.