When you think of dining out on Miami Beach, what spots come to mind? Many people will gravitate toward more popular areas like Lincoln Road and Espanola Way, but those “in the know” stay away from the tourist traps and head to South of Fifth.
South of Fifth—aka SoFi—is a neighborhood that doesn’t get enough credit when it comes to dining out. It’s much more low-key than the rest of the beach, and parking isn’t too bad (emphasis on too). The next time you find yourself in SoBe, head a little more south and eat at one of these great concepts.
Abbalé Modern Mediterranean Kitchen
Abbalé brings Mediterranean-inspired cooking to South of Fifth from its breezy spot on Commerce Street. The concept comes from hospitality entrepreneur Omer Horev, founder of Pura Vida Miami, and executive chef Samuel Gorenstein, the Colombian-born chef of Syrian heritage behind My Ceviche and Zuuk.
The menu is built for sharing, with everything made from scratch in a seed-oil-free kitchen. Hummus with warm pita, whipped feta, and crunchy cauliflower are among the lighter plates, while chicken schnitzel and a range of grilled meats and vegetables round things out on the heartier side.
Much of Abbalé’s charm comes from its outdoor patio, surrounded by bougainvillea and greenery that give the restaurant a tucked-away feel in the middle of South Beach. Now with a second location in Aventura, the original South Beach post remains a go-to for everything from a leisurely brunch to dinner over a table of shared plates.
Abbalé Modern Mediterranean Kitchen is located at 864 Commerce St., Miami Beach, FL 33139. For more information, visit their official website.
Azabu Miami Beach
Miami has plenty of sushi spots, but Azabu offers a few different ways to experience Japanese dining under one roof. Inside the Marriott Stanton South Beach, the restaurant combines a full-service dining room and Bar Azabu with The Den, an 18-seat omakase counter hidden inside.
The main dining room offers a mix of sushi and sashimi, Japanese small plates, and dishes from the robata grill. Bar Azabu adds another layer to the experience, especially for whisky fans, with more than 40 imported whiskies alongside its sake list.
Then there’s The Den. The Michelin-recognized counter specializes in Edomae-style sushi, with seafood sourced from Tokyo’s Toyosu Market and prepared using traditional techniques. Guests take their seats around a hinoki wood counter as the chefs work through a progression of freshly grated wasabi, carefully prepared nigiri, and more. With limited seating available, The Den offers a more intimate way to experience Azabu and one that’s worth booking well in advance.
Azabu Miami Beach is located at 161 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach, FL 33139. For more information, visit their official website.
Call Me Gaby
Here’s a spot you’ll want to keep coming back to once you try it. Tucked along Washington Avenue, Call Me Gaby offers a quieter escape from the South Beach scene, with a lush garden patio that’s every bit as inviting as the menu.
Pinsa romana is one of the restaurant’s specialties, and there are more than a dozen options to choose from, from the classic Margherita to signatures like the Maria and Carla. The pasta selection is worth the hype as well, including a pappardelle bolognese, bucatini cacio e pepe, and fiocchetti alle pere e tartufo, to name a few.
Still, the garden is a large part of the draw. Removed from the hustle and bustle just beyond its doors, it gives Call Me Gaby the feel of an Italian neighborhood restaurant that’s meant to be enjoyed over a long lunch or dinner outdoors.
Call Me Gaby is located at 22 Washington Ave., Miami Beach, FL 33139. For more information, visit their official website.
Catch Miami Beach
Step into the vibrant and stylish atmosphere of Catch, a seafood restaurant that’s become a culinary destination for locals and celebrities. The menu is a celebration of expertly prepared seafood. Catch classics include filet skewers, crispy shrimp, grilled Spanish octopus, and crunchy rice cakes.
Feeling fancy? Consider the wagyu hot rock selections cooked tableside; the A5 Kobe beef is a must, and another splurge that’s worth it is the Cantonese lobster. Come prepared to spend a pretty penny because everything sounds so good.
And if you thought dinner was over the top, wait until Sunday brunch. The spread has a little bit of everything, from oysters, shrimp cocktail, sushi, and ceviche to carving stations serving grass-fed NY strip and miso-glazed salmon. There’s plenty of comfort food, too, including truffle mushroom spaghetti and roasted potatoes, plus brunch staples like Belgian waffles and smoked salmon with everything bagels. Grab a cocktail and a spot on Catch’s garden-like rooftop because chances are, you won’t be in much of a hurry to leave once you’re there.
Catch is located at 200 South Pointe Dr., Miami Beach, FL 33139. For more information, visit their official website.
Estiatorio Milos
If a Greek summer isn’t on the calendar, dinner at Milos is a pretty good substitute. Founded by chef Costas Spiliadis, Milos puts seafood front and center, quite literally. Its signature fish market displays the day’s hand-selected catch on ice, making the selection process part of the experience. The team walks diners through the whole fish and seafood on offer before sending their pick to the kitchen.
Many dishes are portioned for the table, and few things capture the Milos experience better than a whole grilled fish arriving as the centerpiece. Other menu highlights include the chargrilled octopus with Santorini fava, Greek spreads with warm pita, the lobster pasta, and of course, the Milos Special, a combination of lightly fried zucchini and eggplant served with cheese and tzatziki.
It all comes back to the Greek tradition at the heart of Milos: choose great ingredients, prepare them with care, and enjoy them together. And for a few hours, South of Fifth might just feel a little closer to the Aegean coast.
Estiatorio Milos is located at 730 1st St., Miami Beach, FL 33139. For more information, visit their official website.
Forte dei Marmi
For an elegant Italian dinner at the southern end of Ocean Drive, Forte dei Marmi has been a Miami Beach staple for years. This is the kind of setting that calls for a good bottle of wine and nowhere else to be, whether it’s date night, a celebration, or simply an evening when dinner is the destination.
There’s plenty of history here before you even get to the food. The restaurant sits inside a 1938 Mediterranean Revival building at 150 Ocean Drive, where a salon-style dining room adds to the old-world feel, and two-Michelin-starred chef Antonio Mellino brings the simplicity of coastal Italian cooking together with the precision of fine dining.
The menu stays close to its Italian roots, with seafood and handmade pastas at the center. There’s plenty of indulgence in the mix, too, including a cacio e pepe that comes with tableside theater: the pasta is finished in a cheese wheel, served straight onto the plate, and topped with fresh truffle.
Dessert has its own signature: the pistachio gelato, which has become a fixture at Forte dei Marmi and a fitting finale to the meal.
Forte dei Marmi is located at 150 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach, FL 33139. For more information, visit their official website.
The Lobster Shack
For fresh seafood in South of Fifth, look no further than The Lobster Shack. While South Beach has no shortage of seafood, The Lobster Shack goes above and beyond by providing something that other places fail to: tremendous value.
That’s not to say The Lobster Shack is inexpensive—your check can add up fast—but you get your money’s worth and then some.
This South of Fifth spot provides guests with seafood in all forms: raw bar, tacos, rolls, and platters. With such a varied menu, restaurants can sometimes risk doing too much. But at The Lobster Shack, that’s not the case.
Whether you opt for a monstrous lobster cocktail with house sauce, a multi-cluster snow crab dinner, or a naked lobster roll (warm with butter), the quality is consistent across the board.
Fun fact: The place is family-friendly. If your child isn’t in the mood for king crab or lobster tacos, there’s a short-and-sweet kids section with approachable fare like a PB+J sandwich and cheese quesadilla.
And if there’s that one random person in your party who doesn’t want seafood, burgers and hot dogs are also available (but honestly, that person is at the wrong place).
San Marco
One of South of Fifth’s newer restaurants, San Marco debuted in May 2026 as a reinvention of Cotoletta, the Milanese-style restaurant that previously occupied the space. The new concept expands beyond its predecessor’s more focused menu, bringing an all-day Italian trattoria to 1st Street with everything from morning coffee and croissants to pastas, lasagna, and a full dinner menu.
Expect plenty of Italian classics, including spaghetti al pomodoro or Bolognese ragù, and house-made potato gnocchi with a Parmigiano-Reggiano cream sauce, while larger plates include a branzino, roasted chicken, and filet mignon. There’s enough variety to order a few dishes for the table, especially if you want the full experience. For something sweet, there are plenty of options to choose from, including the house-made gelato, tiramisu, or the lemon caprese for something a little lighter.
San Marco is located at 840 1st St., Miami Beach, FL 33139. For more information, visit their official website.
Stubborn Seed
Led by Top Chef winner Jeremy Ford, Stubborn Seed has become one of Miami Beach’s standout dining destinations. The Michelin-starred restaurant takes a seasonal approach to modern American cooking, pairing familiar ingredients with more unexpected flavors and techniques. And the farm-to-table connection here is about as direct as it gets. Many of the ingredients come from the team’s organic farm in the Redland, where what’s growing helps shape what ultimately lands on the menu.
The tasting menu is the main event, available in six or nine courses and evolving throughout the year as ingredients come in and out of season. Expect vegetables to get just as much attention as proteins, alongside house-made pastas, bright sauces, and dishes that aren’t always quite what they seem at first glance.
It’s a meal designed to let Ford and his team take the lead, but there’s another option for anyone who doesn’t want to commit to the full experience. An à la carte menu offers dishes such as the charred poblano agnolotti, crunchy truffle bravas, and popular Stubborn truffle chicken, a more casual way to experience the kitchen.