13 Most Romantic Restaurants in Miami | Miami New Times
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13 Best Romantic Restaurants in Miami

The most romantic restaurants in Miami share the same winning recipe: a stellar menu, delicious cocktails, a dimly lit and intimate ambiance, and exceptional service.
Amara at Paraiso is home to countless wedding proposals.
Amara at Paraiso is home to countless wedding proposals. The Genuine Hospitality Group photo
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The most romantic restaurants in Miami share the same romantic recipe: a stellar menu, delicious cocktails, a dimly lit and intimate ambiance, and exceptional service that makes you forget others are even dining around you.

From Bouchon Bistro, the dimly lit French bistro from Michelin-starred chef Thomas Keller in Coral Gables to the glamorous Klaw restaurant in Edgewater overlooking Biscayne Bay, the Magic City is the perfect place to fall in love.

Whether you want to wow your Hinge date with a romantic spot, celebrate Valentine's Day with your new partner, or try a new restaurant with your spouse, let the sparks fly at any of these 13 romantic dining restaurants across Miami.
Amara's outdoor dining area
The Genuine Hospitality Group photo

Amara at Paraiso

3101 NE Seventh Ave., Miami
305-702-5528
amaraatparaiso.com
Michael Schwartz's Amara at Paraiso is beautifully set on Biscayne Bay with lush indoor and outdoor seating, all with a waterfront view. The James Beard Award-winning chef, best known for his Michael's Genuine Food & Drink, calls Amara at Paraiso a "love letter to Miami." The menu includes Latin American-influenced dishes cooked using a wood grill and a Josper charcoal oven. This restaurant is so romantic that it features a special marriage proposal package that includes the best seats in the house, a photographer, and a special menu.
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Thomas Keller's moules au safran will be served at Bouchon in Coral Gables.
Photo by Deborah Jones

Bouchon Bistro

2101 Galiano St., Coral Gables
305-990-1360
thomaskeller.com
Bouchon Bistro, the dimly lit and romantic French bistro from Michelin-starred chef Thomas Keller, opened in the historic La Palma building. The structure is a perfect example of the city's Mediterranean Revival style and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (talk about romantic). The dimly lit restaurant is intimate, classic, and features Bouchon's classic bistro fare like the soupe à l'oignon (onion soup), caramelized sweet onions in beef jus served with country bread and Comté cheese — what Keller describes as a meal in itself. There's also the poulet rôtir, roasted chicken plated with hen-of-the-woods mushrooms and bacon lardons in a Dijon chicken jus, and Bouchon's best-selling dish, the steak frites, a pan-seared flat iron steak paired with caramelized shallots and maître d'hôtel butter served with French fries. One dinner here and Bouchon Bistro made it on our most romantic list.
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Casa Tua's charming outdoor patio
Casa Tua photo

Casa Tua

1700 James Ave., Miami Beach
305-673-1010
casatualife.com
Set in an inviting and intimate Mediterranean villa surrounded by a serene garden, Casa Tua feels exactly like its name: your home. The Tuscan theme extends to a menu that evokes a weekend getaway to Southern Europe: spaghetti, beef tenderloin, and branzino. Leave room for dessert — the signature dessert platter for two is not to be missed. And if you don't plan to drive, explore the exhaustive collection of wines to pair with your fairytale dining experience in this hideaway on James Avenue.
The glittering patio at Cecconi's
Cecconi's Miami Beach photo

Cecconi's Miami Beach

4385 Collins Ave., Miami Beach
786-507-7902
cecconismiamibeach.com
Italian and Mediterranean dishes are served on a foliage-filled patio at this restaurant tucked inside the Soho Beach House. Begin your evening at the 14-seat bar before sitting down to dinner. Look up to find the night sky competing with thousands of tiny white lights twinkling in the many trees dotting the property. The menu is classic, and appetites are made hearty by the soft hint of salt air. The ocean provides the music of pounding waves just a stone's throw away. Because the goal of a romantic meal is to sate, not stuff, start with a classic tuna tartare and share an order of handmade spaghetti with Maine lobster, chilies, and basil before moving on to Dover sole with lemon and capers or the grilled seafood for two. Indulge in a final toast with the restaurant's house-made limoncello.
click to enlarge Chandelier and dining room
The main dining room of Contessa will transport you to a classic Italian restaurant in New York.
Photo by Nicole Lopez-Alvar

Contessa

111 NE 41st St., Miami
305-990-8707
contessaristorante.com
If classic, New York-style Italian cuisine is your idea of the perfect date night, then Contessa will surely hit the spot with its moody, glamorous, and dimly lit atmosphere. Open for brunch, lunch, and dinner, the menu offers the old-world sophistication of Northern Italy's iconic resorts and estates, making for an equally glamorous dining destination. Indulge in a carpaccio of Chianina beef, the most coveted Italian prosciutto, or tuck into a bowl of handmade tortellini en brodo. After a few glasses of wine from Contessa's vast list, you'll surely fall even more in love.
click to enlarge Blue seats in a dining room
Klaw's stunning dining room overlooks the bay.
Klaw photo

Klaw

1737 N. Bayshore Dr., Miami
305-239-2523
klawrestaurant.com
Klaw might sound more like the name of a cartoon villain than a romantic restaurant, but we can assure you that it's the latter. Take the golden elevator inside the historic Miami Women's Club building in Edgewater, and you'll encounter an elegant dining room with blue leather chairs and warm lighting. If you're here to gaze into your lover's eyes, opt for the candlelit rooftop with sweeping views of Biscayne Bay. Order succulent oysters, Norwegian king crab legs with melted butter, and dry-aged steaks. If you want to get even more intimate, Klaw has two private dining rooms perfect for planning the remainder of the evening or the rest of your lives together.
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L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon photo

L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon

151 NE 41st St., Ste. 235, Miami
305-402-9070
latelier-miami.com
Much like great fashion houses, the great chefs of the world create restaurants that keep their legacies alive. Although Joël Robuchon died in 2018, his name lives on at this Design District gem that marries the interactive ambiance of Japanese sushi counters with the casual spirit of Spain's tapas bars and Robuchon's take on modern French cuisine. Today, the chef's protégés stay true to his legacy with a menu of iconic Robouchon creations alongside dishes highlighting South Florida's regional bounty. Grab a seat at the communal bar facing the kitchen and order the "Evolution" tasting menu, or go à la carte with "Le Burger," a patty that blends foie gras and beef. Either way, you'll appreciate why L'Atelier is the only restaurant in Florida to earn two Michelin stars.
click to enlarge Dishes on the waterfront of Miami
Skyline and waterfront views from La Mar by Gastón Acurio on Brickell Key in Miami.
Photo by Nicole Lopez-Alvar

La Mar by Gastón Acurio

500 Brickell Key Dr., Miami
305-913-8358
mandarinoriental.com
The waterfront restaurant is the epitome of romance as it overlooks Brickell's skyline from Brickell Key. Peruvian culinary ambassador Gastón Acurio's Miami outpost of La Mar at the Mandarin Oriental on Brickell Key merges the humble cevicherías of Lima with the elegance of fine dining and the bold flavors of Nikkei cuisine. Orchestrated by Acurio protégé chef Diego Oka, who has honed his career at restaurants around the globe, the menu elevates Peruvian classics — such as the cold casseroles known as causas and the grilled, skewered meats (anticuchos) — to heights of refinement that make even the most squeamish first-timers swoon (or fall in love).
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Leku's outdoor patio
Photo by Brigitte Schambon

Leku

1100 NW 23rd St., Miami
786-464-0615
lekumiami.com
Most restaurants offer a place to dine, but the Rubell Museum has created a romantic masterpiece with its restaurant, Leku. Savor Basque cuisine in a lush tropical setting with dishes and cocktails inspired by the art showcased at the Rubell collection. For example, the Allison isnamed after the painting by Allison Zuckerman, which hangs over the bar. Dine a la carte, or indulge in the ten- or 15-course tasting menus (with optional wine pairings for each).
click to enlarge A closeup of pasta in a white bowl
Macchialina in Miami Beach is a wonderful Italian restaurant that's perfect for date night.
Photo by Nicole Lopez-Alvar

Macchialina

820 Alton Rd, Miami Beach
305-534-2124
macchialina.com
Tucked away in a tiny plaza along Alton Road, this local favorite has been Miami Beach's best-kept romantic secret for over a decade. The dimly lit restaurant full of candlelit tables and wine bottles will surely make you fall in love. Helmed by chef Michael Pirolo, he spent years traveling and cooking at Michelin-starred temples in Piedmont, Lombardy, Bologna, and Campagne before returning to the United States. Here, he debuted his own Italian restaurant, Macchialina. Pirolo's skills are many and precise; his menu is focused and beautifully simple: a handful apiece of starters, rustic pasta, and entrées. The flavors are forward, thanks to the expert deployment of fresh and fine ingredients, whether in the form of a salumi plate, a salad of heirloom tomatoes and locally made burrata cheese, a tagliatelle ai funghi, or a whole braised fish. The wine list is similarly concise (and Italian).
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Rustic charm at Mandolin Aegean Bistro
Mandolin Aegean Bistro photo

Mandolin Aegean Bistro

4312 NE Second Ave., Miami
305-749-9140
mandolinmiami.com
Take a stroll along NE Second Avenue in the Design District and stop at the blue-framed door of Mandolin Aegean Bistro, one of Miami's most loved restaurants. Enter the 1940s home, and you will feel like you're in a Greek village, complete with blue and white accents and white tables filled with mingling faces. Head to the cozy back patio for a complete Grecian experience, and enjoy a seat at a lantern-lit table beneath the trees and bistro lights. Share the Greek sampler, which comes with warm house-made bread and a trio of dips — tzatziki, olives, and tirokafteri — and then feast on Mediterranean delicacies such as whole grilled sea bass and chicken kebabs — hearty chunks of grilled chicken served with orzo pilaf and maroulosalata, the classic Greek green salad.
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Noma Beach at Redish in Coral Gables is a local hidden gem.
Noma Beach photo

Noma Beach at Redfish

9610 Old Cutler Rd., Coral Gables
305-668-8788
noma-beach.com
If romance to you looks like driving away from the city and dining by the water, Noma Beach will be your new favorite date night spot. Chef Donatella Arpaia gives one of Miami's most stunning dining venues a culinary facelift at Noma Beach at Redfish. The property — a gorgeous coral rock structure — is tucked into Matheson Hammock Park and is directly on the water, so your dinner soundtrack is accompanied by the gentle sound of the rushing waves and the hint of salt in the air. Start with a dozen oysters before decadent fire-grilled meats and Italian specialties, including a spaghetti alla Chitarra perfect for a re-creation of the famous Lady and the Tramp scene.

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Lobster thermidor at the Surf Club Restaurant
Photo by Deborah Jones

The Surf Club Restaurant

9011 Collins Ave., Surfside
305-768-9440
surfclubrestaurant.com
If your idea of optimal romance lies in a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movie, then Thomas Keller's the Surf Club Restaurant is the only setting that will do. This exquisite restaurant is all "champagne wishes and caviar dreams," as they say. Thomas Keller's menu is a hit list of every decadent classic white tablecloth dish: Caesar salad served tableside, lobster thermidor, Dover sole, and beef Wellington — however, the precision, care, and passion that comes from the kitchen make each item feel like it was just invented.
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