At the southern tip of the Sunshine State, these Restaurant Award winners boast serious wine programs
Updated May 9, 2019
On May 10, wine lovers will gather in Miami Beach’s Fontainebleau hotel to taste 244 top-rated wines at Wine Spectator’s Grand Tour. While that’s hard to beat, restaurants throughout the Magic City offer world-class wine experiences year-round. From fine-dining fusion to a casual pizza and pasta concept, these Wine Spectator Restaurant Award–winning eateries showcase stellar wine lists in sunny settings.
These are just some of Miami’s standout wine programs; for more options, see the full list of Magic City winners.
To check out more wine-and-food destinations around the world, see Wine Spectator’s more than 3,700 Restaurant Award–winning picks, including the 91 Grand Award recipients worldwide that hold our highest honor.
Do you have a favorite you’d like to see on this list? Send your recommendations to restaurantawards@mshanken.com. We want to hear from you!
Boulud Sud Miami
JW Marriott Marquis Miami, 255 Biscayne Blvd. Way, Miami, Fla.
Telephone (305) 421-8800
Website www.bouludsud.com/miami
Open Lunch and dinner, daily
Best of Award of Excellence
Boulud Sud Miami
With warm tones and decorative greenery, Boulud Sud Miami evokes a Mediterranean vibe that reflects the menu focus.
Chef Daniel Boulud is known for his French cuisine, but Boulud Sud Miami showcases a more inclusive Mediterranean theme through its wine list and menu. Executed by chef Clark Bowen, the dishes range from fresh starters like gazpacho and classic Greek salad to pastas, grains and entrées like seared branzino and slow-baked salmon. The 530-label wine list covers a broad range of international regions with a focus on France (especially Burgundy), Italy, California and Spain. Wine director Daniel Johnnes hopes to encourage the local bottle culture by keeping a majority of the selections under $100. Still, there’s plenty to splurge on here, like 1990s labels from Château Lafite Rothschild and Pétrus. The restaurant’s second outpost in New York City also holds a Best of Award of Excellence.
Casa Juancho
2436 S.W. Eighth St., Miami, Fla.
Telephone (305) 642-2452
Website www.casajuancho.com
Open Lunch and dinner, daily
Best of Award of Excellence
Casa Juancho has been serving Spanish cuisine, including tapas and paella, for more than 30 years, and has held its Best of Award of Excellence since 1996. Its charm comes in part from a cozy, welcoming atmosphere, and there’s nightly live music; it’s a popular destination for celebrating special occasions. Managed by owner José Rodriguez, the restaurant’s wine list has 450 selections, with strengths in Spain and California. Chef Alfonso Perez’s paellas are the stars of the menu and come in a variety of seafood, meat and vegetarian options.
Casa Tua
1700 James Ave., Miami Beach, Fla.
Telephone (305) 673-1010
Website www.casatualifestyle.com
Open Dinner, daily
Best of Award of Excellence
Chris Carter
Casa Tua recreates the experience of dining in an Italian home.
Amidst the bustle of Miami Beach is an enchanting Mediterranean oasis known as Casa Tua, a hotel and membership club with a Best of Award of Excellence–winning restaurant. Whether you stop in for dinner or spend a weekend at the villa, a trip to Casa Tua is meant to feel like vacationing in a friend’s home on the coast of Italy. The restaurant’s authentic menu changes with the seasons, but chefs Michele Esposito and Giovanni Gargiulo maintain classics like branzino with cherry tomatoes and olives, and fettuccine with wild mushrooms and black truffle. Wine director Mattia Magnoni manages the 550 selections that show strength in Italy (especially Tuscany and Piedmont), France and California. A few pages of cellar selections offer verticals from top Italian producers such as Emidio Pepe and Tenuta San Guido. For the full Casa Tua experience, ask for a seat in the garden, which is surrounded by trees adorned with glowing lanterns.
Scarpetta
Fontainebleau Miami Beach, 4441 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, Fla.
Telephone (305) 674-4660
Website www.fontainebleau.com/web/dining/scarpetta/
Open Dinner, daily
Best of Award of Excellence
Graciela Cattarossi
Scarpetta is a Best of Award of Excellence–winning Italian eatery by celebrity chef Scott Conant.
Miami Beach’s Fontainebleau hotel is home to three Best of Award of Excellence–winning restaurants: Stripsteak, Hakkasan Miami and Scarpetta. Owned by celebrity chef Scott Conant, Scarpetta serves fresh Italian appetizers like yellowtail crudo and tuna tartare, hearty entrées like honey-glazed duck and veal chop, plus house-made pastas. The wine program is managed by wine director John Riccardo and offers 775 selections with more than three dozen available by the glass. Highlights include Piedmont, Tuscany and California, plus two pages of large-format bottles, and verticals from producers such as Château Mouton-Rothschild and Château Latour.
Upland
49 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, Fla.
Telephone (305) 602-9998
Website www.uplandmiami.com
Open Lunch and dinner, daily
Best of Award of Excellence
Upland
Upland brings fresh, California-inspired Italian cuisine to Miami Beach.
The Miami outpost of restaurateur Stephen Starr’s New York hot spot holds a Best of Award of Excellence for its 600 selections with strengths in California, France, Italy and Madeira. Wine director Natasha Patterer’s program at Upland complements chef Justin Smillie’s California-inspired Italian cuisine across a range of price points, from affordable to special splurges. Plenty of bottles cost under $100, and more than two dozen wines are available by the glass. Highlights include three vintages of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grands Echézeaux and four vintages of Bertani Amarone della Valpolicella Classico as old as 1964.
Alter
223 N.W. 23 St., Miami, Fla.
Telephone (305) 573-5996
Website www.altermiami.com
Open Dinner, Tuesday to Sunday.
Award of Excellence
Alter
Alter delivers adventurous plates and a 130-selection wine list.
Alter has earned plenty of buzz for chef Brad Kilgore’s eccentric American cuisine, and the Award of Excellence–winning wine list is one more reason to visit. Wine director Luis Martinez oversees the 130 selections, focused on France and California. There are also several bottles from regions like Australia, Chile and Spain. The by-the-glass list is brief but spans the globe, with 11 diverse wines that allow guests to mix and match pairings with Kilgore’s cutting-edge tasting menus that start at $79 for five courses, with beverage pairings starting at an additional $60.
The Bazaar by José Andrés
SLS Hotel South Beach, 1701 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, Fla.
Telephone (305) 455-2999
Website www.thebazaar.com
Open Dinner, daily
Award of Excellence
Graciela Cattarossi
Mediterranean flair meets Miami glamor at the Bazaar by José Andrés.
At the Bazaar, chef José Andrés celebrates his Spanish roots in the heart of Miami Beach. The menu unites traditional staples such patatas bravas and fish en papillote with innovative, playful plates like a “foie gras PB & J” and yucca churros. Wine director Andy Myers’ 290-selection list is similarly diverse with strengths in Spain, France and California. Myers manages the wine collections at all of Andrés’ 13 Restaurant Award winners, including a Best of Award of Excellence–winning location of the Bazaar in Los Angeles.
Cibo Wine Bar
45 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables, Fla.
Telephone (305) 442-4925
Website www.cibowinebar.com
Open Lunch and dinner, daily
Award of Excellence
Cibo Wine Bar
Cibo Wine Bar has five Restaurant Award–winning locations, including an outpost in Coral Gables, Fla.
In Miami’s Coral Gables suburb, Cibo Wine Bar serves approachable Italian cuisine and an Award of Excellence–winning wine list. The 235 selections are managed by sommelier Paulina Arango and strongest in Italy and California. Plenty of bottles are under $100, though there are some special labels such as Allegrini Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 1997 ($480). Pair your pick with authentic antipastos, risottos, pastas and pizzas, plus entrées like veal Milanese and Chianti-braised short ribs. The restaurant’s four other locations—one in Miami Beach and three in Toronto—also hold Restaurant Awards.
Council Oak Steaks & Seafood
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood, Fla.
Telephone (954) 327-7625
Website www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com
Open Dinner, daily
Award of Excellence
Council Oak Steaks & Seafood
The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla., is home to Award of Excellence winner Council Oak Steaks & Seafood.
Award of Excellence winner Council Oak Steaks & Seafood features a classic steak-house menu and a wine program of 440 selections in the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. To complement chef Robert Ciborowski’s dry-aged cuts, sommelier Juan Horta built a list of mostly reds that excels in California. The program includes several verticals from top international producers and plenty of Champagne options from Krug, Moët & Chandon, Perrier-Jouët and more. The property is undergoing a major expansion through 2019, but resort amenities and restaurants aren’t affected.
Komodo Miami
801 Brickell Ave., Miami, Fla.
Telephone (305) 534-2211
Website www.komodomiami.com
Open Lunch and dinner, daily
Award of Excellence
Komodo Miami
Owned by the head of a nightlife empire, Komodo Miami is a trendy hot spot with serious wines.
Local nightlife mogul David Grutman makes wine a priority at his various dining ventures, especially Komodo. The tony restaurant draws celebrities, tourists and locals alike for chef Freddy Vargas’ luxurious Asian menu and the 400-label wine list. A portion of the 6,500-bottle inventory is showcased in a glass-enclosed display cellar, a popular backdrop for guests snapping photos. Overseen by wine director Collin Bleess, the program excels in California, France and Italy.
Toro Toro
InterContinental Miami, 100 Chopin Plaza, Miami, Fla.
Telephone (305) 372-4710
Website www.torotoromiami.com
Open Lunch and dinner, daily
Award of Excellence
Aura Groupe
Toro Toro serves an Asian-Latin fusion menu and an Award of Excellence–winning wine list in Miami’s InterContinental Hotel.
Award of Excellence winner Toro Toro spices up the traditional steak-house experience with a Latin- and Asian-inspired menu that encourages sharing. Chef Richard Sandoval serves steaks and chops off a wood-burning grill, as well as creative small plates like arepas with charred pork belly and a ceviche with ahi tuna and sweet potato. The 200-selection wine list emphasizes California, Italy, Spain and France. While Toro Toro is housed in the upscale InterContinental Hotel, the moderately-priced list offers more than 30 wines by the glass and dozens of bottles under $100.
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