It ’s a phenomenon that will happen over and again in sempiternity : some out - of - townsman are in South Florida for the Nox , and when you require them where they require to go to dinner party , they will – without fail – say to you , " How about somewhere on the water ? " As you rack your brain , you ’ll start to realize that for a metropolis that ’s pretty much circumvent by the blue clobber , we have an alarming shortage of waterfront eateries . Yeah , there are the standbys likeGarcia’s , Smith & Wollensky , Monty ’s , andLe bathing tub . But you ’re a local , dammit . And your guests expect better inside cognition than that . So here are a dozen hidden , obscure , and typically overlooked waterside eating house set quietly around South Florida .
Juniper On The Water
Driving through the condominium canyons that tick the beachside county line between Aventura and Hallandale , you ’d never carry to find a advanced Mediterranean restaurant decked out to look like a Hamptons summer beach sign . But it ’s there . In Juniper you ’ll enjoy bracing seafood paella , whole fish a la plancha , filet mignon , and burrata flatbread . Gaze out at the Intracoastal as you sip on specialty European wine-colored and forget you ’re , like , 20 yard from the condo swimming pool .
Boater’s Grill
The only manner you ’d know about this tiny restaurant nestled under the lighthouse at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park is if you had to park really far away from the snap area and swan by its tiny cove on your path to the beach . But this former pirate ’s hideout is now one of the well - kept waterfront secrets in Miami , a spot right on the bay serving up refreshed seafood at the end of the park for sane prices . It ’s also the thoroughgoing place to still grab lunch when all the barbecue shelters are taken .
Red Fish Grill
Want to impress your date with a spot that ’s altogether off the beaten route AND one ofMiami ’s most amatory restaurants ? Head to this spot on the edge of Matheson Hammock Park , a overbold seafood joint housed in an honest-to-goodness , historic Harlan Stone edifice that was once the Matheson Hammock Pavilion . The views are salient , but be warned : if you retrieve yourself out with that rarest of breeds – a Miami Native – they wo n’t be virtually as impressed , since they absolutely went here already for a quince or graduation dinner .
Black Point Ocean Grill
Anyone from South Dade knows there ’s nothing salutary after a long solar day on the boat than a big dinner party at Black Point Ocean Grill . Of naturally , if you ’re not from South Dade , there ’s no reasonableness you would have ever heard of this place , as it ’s situated right on the water in the expanse ’s busy gravy holder incline , far from public flock . Do yourself a favor and make the tripper down , if for no other reason than to attempt the tuna ponzu , which – without exaggeration – is often made from fish caught that very morning .
Portico
One of thebest newfangled bar of 2016is hidden in Diplomat Landing , long see the tourer dining offshoot of the mega - resort across the street . Therefore , it ’s often overtop by locals looking for a bite by the piddle . But the nutrient here pair perfectly with the extensive selections of wines , and pull in this billet a little slice of the Mediterranean on the Intracoastal . Dishes like roquette and stuff prosciutto flatbreads , or kale , grapefruit , and avocado salad , are a perfect , easy accent to the warm , watery duck soup … and pair astonishingly well with a waterside game of cornhole .
LOL on the Bay
When condos get work up powerful up to ( and middling before long , under ) the coastline , waterfront dining is strong to add up by … unless you enjoy looking at piddle from 27 news report in the line . And sure , the Mandarin Oriental has a couple of great waterside spots . But if you ’re in Brickell and want to eat up by the water , arrive at this place between the two pools at the fabulous Four Ambassadors . A meal here is like a head trip back to the 1980s , where the eery , crystal - adorned lobby extend out to the retro pocket billiards deck of cards . you could absolutely eat at LOL ’s Tiki bar in the centre , but for a leisurely waterside experience , take a seat at the white tablecloth - shroud tables and rank up some Argentinian specialties like empanadas or palomilla steak . Then wash it down with vino and beer that ’s often under $ 5 a pop .
Cantina Beach
Finding secure food at the Ritz - Carlton is about as surprising as bump good herb at a Phish show . But the fact that one of Miami ’s best Mexican restaurants is far behind a grand hotel set way off Crandon Blvd is precisely why it ’s such a hidden gem . One would n’t think to head all the way back to this withdraw property for the best slow - braised enchiladas in salsa verde in the city , but that ’s assuredly what you ’ll retrieve . Along with an encompassing card of Mexican favorite that are just as right , the meals are served oceanside , with the expectant selection of agave - only tequila in Miami .
Rustic Inn Crabhouse
“ Rustic ” is a term often used as a skillful euphemism for “ one overleap payoff from being condemned . ” But this is n’t a place one lead for fancy fixtures and white tablecloths . This one - clip divey roadhouse is now one of the top spots in Broward for fresh mollusc , served out on the dock with little more than a piece of Citrus limon or some pasta . The seafood here is so fresh , it does n’t need much more . But the highlight of the computer menu is the garlic crab , a bag many a South Floridian has spend a Sunday devouring canalside .
Palmeiras Beach Club
Do n’t let that big , intimidate logic gate arm fool you . Anyone with an appetency can drive mighty onto Grove Isle , lapse the clay tennis courts , and enjoy a meal that ’s as close to theAmalfi Coastas you ’re beat without a TSA patdown . Dinner here is plenty romantic , as the small undulation from Biscayne Bay softly doss down onto the rocks whilst you enjoy your pollo limone . But this obscure gem is best experienced under the cheerfulness , when you may get a secluded table atop those sway and await out across Biscayne Bay , sipping on rose and nosh on swordfish crudo .
The Rusty Hook Tavern
Though the wide beach at Pompano might be so inviting that you just speed mightily past this space on your style over the Intracoastal , make a immediate left-hand after you cross the last bridge on Atlantic Blvd and stop over into Rusty Hook , tucked into the Sands Harbor Hotel . Here you ’ll discover far and aside the most inventive intellectual nourishment in North Broward , with stuff like Cheetos - crust pinch of the mean solar day ( just trust us ) , graham cracker calamari , and the RH Burger , topped with brusque rib , brie , and steak sauce .
Southport Raw Bar
They say always go where the chefs go , and when a local chef known for serving up some of the best oysters in town tells us there ’s a hidden jewel by the H2O in Lauderdale , we have to go check it out . Southport does n’t disappoint . It would be easy to miss this petite shack bury among canalside condominium and gravy holder storage core . But a stumble here is one of those slack up Florida experiences where you munch on shellfish , wash off it down with a stale beer , and bask the fact that you live in paradise . An sum up incentive : it ’s open crack - late , and is a slightly healthier option to other stuff you might eat after a long Nox of … meld .
Cap’s Place Island Restaurant
There are some pretty remote , hidden spot on this list . But do any of them require a private boat ride to a pine and pecky cypress island ? perfectly not . Which is why historical Cap ’s Place , while known jolly well by longtime locals , is still a hidden masterpiece . The spot was once a rum - runners ’ repair , a desperado ’s island in the middle of the Intracoastal where villainous characters gathered to drink , gamble , and eat fresh seafood . you could still do two of those today , as Broward County ’s sure-enough eating house serves up fish caught that day with salient views of the water … and even adept sentiment into South Florida ’s chequer past .
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Courtesy of Diplomat
Juniper on the Water
Red Fish Grill
Portico Beer & Wine Garden
Thrillist/Matt Meltzer
The Rustic Inn Crabhouse
Rusty Hook Tavern
Southport Raw Bar
