Valentine’s Day is around the corner. Where will you be celebrating with your sweetheart? Here are some of the best restaurants open for the holiday this year.
Casa Isola
Italian food and romance go hand in hand, so make your way to Casa Isola this Valentine’s Day if you’re both craving pasta. The Sunset Harbor eatery is intimate and delicious, making it the ideal holiday destination. On the menu are plenty of highlights including tuna crudo, burrata Panzanella, raviolini al funghi, branzino and—of course—the restaurant’s rigatoni alla vodka.
Casa Isola is located at 1418 20th Street, Miami Beach, FL 33139. For more information, visit their official website.
CJ’s Crab Shack
A more casual Valentine’s Day experience can be found at CJ’s Crab Shack, the Ocean Drive gem known for its tasty seafood. You’ll have a front row seat to SoBe’s lively characters as you dine on bites like crab cake, snow crab, fried shrimp po boy, fish and chips and more. Don’t worry: There are non-seafood options, too, like buffalo wings, rib eye, burgers, and sandwiches. Make sure to wash everything down with a rum punch or mango daiquiri.
CJ’s Crab Shack is located at 600 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33139. For more information, visit their official website.
Costa Med
For fine bistro dining, Costa Med is hard to beat. The Key Biscayne establishment is a cozy neighborhood spot that delivers quality cuisine and service. The Mediterranean-inspired menu features a little bit of everything, from salads and crudos to pasta options, seafood, and meats. Some standout dishes include the seared scallops, the filet mignon medallions, the lobster ravioli, and the Creole tuna tataki. But honestly, you can’t go wrong with anything here.
Costa Med is located at 260 Crandon Boulevard, #46, Key Biscayne, FL 33149. For more information, visit their official website.
Jia
At Jia in South of Fifth, guests will find a mouthwatering menu of delectable Chinese-inspired cuisine. Because the menu is so vast, we recommend sharing everything—that way, you can also try most of the menu. Among the crowd favorites: the fish buns, ding ding noodles, mushroom dumplings, and roasted Mongolian cumin lamb rack. Cocktails are a must here as well, as they taste as great as they look. Case in point: The Pandan Colada. Just get it—trust us.
Jia is located at 808 1st Street, Miami Beach, FL 33139. For more information, visit their official website.
Lobster Shack
Just like its sibling CJ’s Crab Shack, Lobster Shack is a great spot for a casual Valentine’s Day. The two South Beach locations—Lincoln Road and South Pointe—are home to some of the tastiest lobster rolls in town. It doesn’t matter if you order it chilled or warmed: It’s going to be awesome. Besides lobster rolls, the restaurant also features bites like fish tacos, seared tuna salad, fish in a bag and so much more. And yes, there are a ton of cocktails to be enjoyed.
Lobster Shack has multiple locations on Miami Beach. For more information, visit their official website.
Miami Diner
Want to take a trip back in time? At Miami Diner, you’ll both relive your childhood with nostalgic menu items like milkshakes, sundaes, and burgers. Expect to find diner classics like Juicy Lucys, mozzarella sticks, Philly cheesesteaks, and brownie a la mode on this extensive menu. If you want an early start to your Valentine’s Day, stop by for breakfast—both outposts are open early every day.
Miami Diner has multiple locations across Miami. For more information, visit their official website.
RED South Beach
Steak is another dish that’s often associated with a romantic night out. So why not visit the best steakhouse in Miami Beach? The offerings at this South of Fifth institution are to die for, and we love the expansive menu. Seriously: There are dozens and dozens of dishes available.
In addition to the restaurant’s beloved steaks, RED South Beach offers raw bar specialties, pastas, seafood, chops… The list goes on. It’s hard to offer recommendations since everything is so good, so just go with your gut. You won’t be disappointed.
RED South Beach is located at 801 South Pointe Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33139. For more information, visit their official website.
Riviera Focacceria
If there’s one dish you need to try at Riviera Focacceria in Midtown, it’s the focaccia con formaggio. These layers of homemade dough stuffed with Italian stracchino cheese will make you fall in love all over again—mainly with this dish, though. Once your meal starts off on this high note, Riviera Focacceria doesn’t let up. You’ll find yourself impressed with just about everything at this Italian eatery, especially the pasta dishes. The lasagna classica is a standout selection, as is the red snapper filet; be on lookout for weekly specials while you’re at it. Order some wine to round out the meal, and you’re set.
Riviera Focacceria is located at 3252 Buena Vista Boulevard, #110, Miami, FL 33137. For more information, visit their official website.
Toscana Divino
You’ll be hard pressed to find a larger wine selection in Miami than the one at Brickell’s Toscana Divino. The popular Italian eatery is known for having over 2,000 bottles in its cellar. Needless to say, you won’t go thirsty here.
Accompanying that wine selection is an equally impressive food menu full of flavor and creativity. The menu changes seasonally to keep guests on their toes, but some tasty dishes on the current iteration include the black truffle burrata and prosciutto, veal ossobuco, and truffle chicken. Be on the lookout for prix fixe menus, too, as Toscana Divino always has something special up its sleeves.
Toscana Divino is located at 900 South Miami Avenue, #185, Miami, FL 33130. For more information, visit their official website.
The Wagyu Bar
If your date is feeling adventurous, then a meal at The Wagyu Bar is in order. The casual steakhouse on Coral Way is home to classic cuts like New York strip and ribeye but it’s the rarer stuff that will really catch your eye.
Have you had a Denver steak before? What about a cowboy steak? There’s no shortage of hard-to-find meats at The Wagyu Bar, and if you really like your steak, you can buy it at their retail spot—Meat N’Bone—a few doors down to cook at home. Our suggestion: Get one steak to split and then load up other highlights like the provoleta cheese, Miyazaki-Gyu A5 tartare, and smoked salmon nigiri.
The Wagyu Bar is located at 2257 Coral Way, Miami, FL 33145. For more information, visit their official website.
