There are plenty of places to eat in Miami with your kids. This is not that list. This is for the nights when you booked the sitter, put on real clothes, and want a meal that doesn’t involve crayons and chicken tenders. Book a table at any of these restaurants when dinner finally gets to be about you.
Barsecco
You’ve spent the week on someone else’s schedule. Barsecco is yours. Settle into a table, let the staff do their thing, and just be a person for a few hours. The drinks are strong, the energy is just right, and nobody’s going to ask you for anything (except what you want to eat). This is what a night off is supposed to feel like—and Miami delivers it well here. Highlights on the globally inspired menu include the golden fried calamari, the dragon sushi roll, the birria taquitos, and the secreto iberico pork steak.
CHO Funky Asian Bistro
The name tells you what you’re getting: something with a little personality. CHO Funky Asian Bistro backs it up with bold, inventive cooking that keeps things interesting from the first bite to the last—which is exactly what you want for a well-deserved parents night out. The room has energy without being exhausting and the menu rewards curiosity; you absolutely need to try the duck fried rice, Vietnamese shrimp rolls, khao soi lamb neck, and chicken satay. Heck, order everything and regret nothing.
CHO Funky Asian Bistro is located at 1209 17th St., Miami Beach, FL 33139. For more information, visit their official website.
Costa Med
After a week of eating over a sink or negotiating with someone who only accepts beige food, Costa Med hits different. Fresh Mediterranean flavors served at a pace that assumes you have time—because tonight, you do. The menu rewards ordering widely—there’s a little bit of everything here—and the whole experience has a warmth to it that’s hard to find in the city. Come here to remember what a real meal feels like; some of our favorites include the steak tartare, Creole tuna tataki, short ribs, and veal chop.
Ezio’s Steakhouse
Miami has no shortage of places trying to be a destination steakhouse. Ezio’s actually is one. The kind of spot where the room feels right the moment you walk in. The food and atmosphere are a match made in heaven, with great energy and standout dishes like braised veal garganelli, wagyu beef carpaccio, Spanish branzino, and—of course—their selection of dry-aged cuts (all of which are worth every penny). This is not a time for restraint; make sure to go all in.
Ezio’s Steakhouse is located at 580 72nd St., Miami Beach, FL 33141. For more information, visit their official website.
The Lobster Shack
The Lobster Shack is proof that a kid-free dinner doesn’t have to be fancy to feel like a treat. Sometimes all you need is a lobster roll, a cold drink, and the ability to eat near the beach without managing someone’s meltdown. It’s casual, easy, and perfect for when you want great seafood without making the night too serious. Pro tip: don’t sleep on the non-lobster options. Items like the steamed clams and seared tuna tacos are winners in their own right.
The Mexican
You earned a waterfront table. The Mexican on Brickell Key has one with your name on it—assuming you made a reservation, which you should, because this is not a walk-in situation and you are not in a walk-in phase of your life right now. Contemporary Mexican cooking in one of the most considered rooms in Miami, on the water, dressed like adults, with no one asking where the bathroom is every fifteen minutes. Everything on the menu sounds good, but we’re partial to the tortilla soup, lobster elote, Black Angus tacos, and the cowboy ribeye. Throw in some manchego-whipped potatoes with chorizo gravy for good measure.
The Mexican is located at 601 Brickell Key Dr., Suite 100, Miami, FL 33131. For more information, visit their official website.