Boia De
Boia De has officially become a reservation that's a little on the impossible side to score. But unlike so many Miami places that are booked for months, the frenzy to dine here is well-founded. Boia De is exceptional, exhilarating, and always fun. It's worth dedicating an entire year of your life to a night of wine, pasta, and the world's best chopped salad to snag a table here.
How to Get In: Reservations for Boia De drop on Resy at noon, 30 days in advance. That's when you need to be in front of your computer, refreshing the page like your life depends on it. It's best to use a desktop computer, not a mobile device. It'll allow you to refresh and click faster. If that doesn't work, Resy notifications are your friends. Sign up and get ready to pounce with just a couple of hours' notice. You might get lucky with last-minute cancellation seats. Boia De also still has room for walk-ins. It's a gamble, but try to arrive 20 minutes before they open.
📍5205 NE 2ND AVE, MIAMI
Pastis Miami
Pastis isn't as consistent as the original in New York. We've been here, and there are days with great service and others not so great. But the food has always been pretty darn good, and it's a solid option for a fun night out in Wynwood. We've enjoyed most of the dishes we've tried, but especially the French fries.
How to Get In: Pastis is pretty cagey about when exactly their reservations go live. It's not specified on their Resy page, and when you ask a host in person, we got vague responses. However, there's a big bar (both inside and outside) where you can try your luck if you can't find a free table. Order yourself a martini, a cheeseburger, and people-watch.
📍380 NW 26 ST, MIAMI
Carbone
The food at Carbone, imported from New York, is okay, and it's a grand setting, but there's nothing about this place that justifies the effort it takes to dine here. This is a restaurant that exists solely on its reputation and not much more. If someone invites you to dinner here and you're curious, sure, go for it (and try to be in the bathroom when it's time to split the bill).
How to Get In: Reservations at Carbone have become a bit easier to find, mostly from Monday to Friday at 5 p.m. or 11 p.m. But as the tourist season ramps up, those reservations are likely to vanish. If you still want in, they open up on Resy 30 days in advance at 10 a.m.
📍49 COLLINS AVE, MIAMI BEACH
Mandolin Aegean Bistro
There might not be a Miami reservation that's been as hard to secure for as long as Mandolin. Everyone loves Mandolin. Not only is the Greek/Mediterranean food really good, but Mandolin also has one of the most beautiful outdoor spaces in Miami. That's why everyone wants to eat here. It's an impressive and unique patio that feels like a big house (because that's what it used to be). The better the weather, the tougher the reservations. Still, it's a table worth fighting for.
How to Get In: Lunch. Ever heard of it? It's that thing we sometimes do between breakfast and tea time. And at Mandolin, it's much easier to snag a reservation for lunch. It's not impossible to find a dinner reservation either. They're out there, mostly at 4:30 p.m. or 10:30 p.m. They also accept walk-ins, though walk-ins tend to be seated indoors, which is still a lovely little room to dine in. Luckily, all reserved folks are guaranteed an outdoor table.
📍4312 NE 2ND AVE, MIAMI
Sexy Fish
What a strange, strange restaurant. This place looks like it was designed by a mermaid on MDMA. The massive pink and blue dining room is covered in shiny sculptures of sea creatures that cost so much money it'll shock you. But as visually chaotic as this place is, the food is incredibly lackluster in comparison. It's also ridiculously expensive. We don't see any reason why you should dedicate a second of your life to trying to eat here.
How to Get In: It's fairly easy to snag a lunch reservation. A weekend dinner is less so. But this restaurant also makes less sense when the sun's out. To reserve a dinner, search on OpenTable very early in the morning or very late at night. It seems like that's when they release new dinner slots with about a month's notice. You can try to pop in for a drink at the bar, but they have a pretty imposing velvet rope outside, and we can't think of anything sadder than being turned away from the Sexy Fish bar.
📍1001 S MIAMI AVE, MIAMI
Cote Miami
Cote is cool. Not only does it give Miami another Korean option, which we desperately need, but it's great for a special occasion. Especially one where you'd like to include some meat. It's a must for steak (the $68 Butcher's Feast tasting menu is the way to go) and great cocktails in a futuristic dining room that looks like it's about to blast off into outer space.
How to Get In: Book through the link on Cote's website (other reservation platforms show it as full when it's not) and you'll find some dinner reservations, usually around 5:30 p.m. or 11 p.m. If you book a month ahead, you'll find more reasonable reservations for 8:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Lunch is also a thing here (and much easier to snag).
📍3900 NE 2ND AVE, MIAMI