Miami’s calling, and we’ve got the scoop! Each week, we dish out the coolest events, yummiest eats, and the hottest hangouts where the city’s party never stops.
Looking for more? Discover the latest restaurants in Miami, along with their food and drink specials for this month.
Wednesday, December 31: New Year’s Eve at Paperfish Sushi
This New Year’s Eve, the izakaya that nails the balance between effortless cool and serious flavor hosts Midnight Over the Marbled Sea, a Nikkei-forward celebration that feels equal parts indulgent and unrushed. From 7 p.m. until midnight, guests can settle into a five-course $120 tasting menu or graze freely from the full à la carte lineup while the room pulses with music, movement, and anticipation.
Slip past the crimson torii gates and let the night unfold the Paperfish way: pristine fish, Peruvian-accented finesse, plates designed to be shared without thinking twice. Expect glossy bites like crispy rice with tuna, paper tuna wrapped just so, and that 48-hour marinated black cod that quietly steals the show. Cocktails flow, the countdown hits, and 2026 arrives right on cue. Reservations required.
Friday, January 2: 9-Course Tasting Menu at Stubborn Seed
If you’re passing on Stubborn Seed’s $300 New Year’s Eve menu, the smartest move is starting the year with the nine-course tasting instead. This is where Jeremy Ford’s cooking reads clearest—seasonal, restless, and confident enough to let ingredients speak without overworking them.
The opening course sets the tone with ginger- and citrus-cured Japanese yellowtail, clean and precise, lifted by tomato consommé and sharpened with kombu citrus granita. It’s cold, bright, and deliberately restrained. From there, the menu pivots into comfort with intention: the truffled jalapeño cheddar fritter, crisp on the outside, molten within, finished with winter black truffles that add depth without stealing focus. The menu deepens—wagyu tartare balanced by fruit and fermentation, foie gras grounded with just enough sweetness and crunch to keep it honest. A filled pasta arrives spiced and smoky, rich without weight, followed by a palate-cleansing intermezzo that snaps everything back into place. By the final courses, you’re not counting plates anymore; you’re paying attention. Priced at $175 per person, it’s the ideal start to 2026.
Saturday, January 3: New Brunch at AVA MediterrAegean
Saturday feels like the right entry point for AVA MediterrAegean’s new weekend brunch—unhurried, sunlit, and built for lingering. Beginning in January, Riviera Dining Group’s newest Coconut Grove destination opens its doors from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., inviting a slower kind of indulgence inspired by the Cyclades and the wider Mediterranean.
Brunch here isn’t boxed into breakfast tropes. You can start with eggs shakshuka or French toast, then pivot seamlessly into plates like the Maine lobster Mykonaki roll, Santorini wild shrimp arrabbiata, or a perfectly grilled Greek branzino filet. Mezze encourages sharing, the raw bar keeps things fresh and briny, and the seafood tower exists for those who prefer excess without apology. Set across an open-air terrace and a sculpted dining room, AVA is breezy, melodic, and showcases that easy Riviera rhythm. Come hungry. Stay longer than planned.
AVA MediterrAegean Coconut Grove is located at 2889 McFarlane Rd., Miami, FL 33133. For more information, visit their official website.
Sunday, January 4: National Spaghetti Day at Ironside Pizza
National Spaghetti Day lands on Sunday, January 4, and Ironside Pizza is exactly where it should be celebrated—no gimmicks, no red-sauce nostalgia cosplay, just properly executed Italian comfort in Miami’s Upper Eastside. A swell way to start off the new year, if you ask us.
This is Neapolitan cooking with its sleeves rolled up. Pastas are clean, confident, and built on fundamentals that actually matter: good wheat and patient sauces. Think of a classic pomodoro pasta executed flawlessly with San Marzano tomatoes, garden-fresh basil, and Parmesan; or the butter Parmesano pasta—simple perfection, if there ever was such a thing.
To mark the occasion, lean into Ironside’s new pasta night—$32 per person for two pastas, two starters, and seasonal vegetables. It’s generous without being sloppy, and ideal for sharing without overthinking. Add a glass of red, let the wood-fired kitchen do its thing, and call it a proper Sunday. Spaghetti Day done right.