Your guide to scenic dining in Miami, Miami Beach and South Florida

Dining with a view

Miami's beaches and bays are spectacular, so why not grab a bite with a waterfront view? The restaurants included in this special section have some of the best views for watching boats on the water or just relaxing with a drink while the waves crash nearby.

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

Outdoor dining. The menu features shrimp just about any way you want it, mahi-mahi, steak, Dixie-style baby back ribs, salads, sandwiches and more. Kids menu available. Open daily for lunch and dinner.

Chart House

Waterfront, fine dining in a relaxed atmosphere. Choose from an array of fresh fish and seafood like Dynamite Mahi-Mahi or Snapper Hemingway. The menu also includes turf delights such as Prime Rib, Tenderloin Medallions and the Chart House signature Caesar Salad. There is a salad bar and an extensive collection of fine wines and whiskies.

Chef Vincent

With a beautiful beachside location, in the Marseilles Hotel on Miami Beach, Chef Vincent offers views as wonderful as the food! Fresh seafood from Key West, including lobster, grouper, mahi mahi and more, as well as a variety of BBQ dishes, compliments the relaxing Caribbean atmosphere. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Clevelander

Enjoy the classic café-style menu while mingling with friends or people watching at the sidewalk or poolside tables. The menu features consistently fresh dishes, products and quality ingredients with breakfast, lunch and dinner options. The menu also introduces an ever-popular “shared dishes” concept starring tuna, beef and chicken sliders, hearty portioned salads and a variety of tacos that can be mixed and matched to satisfy everyone’s taste buds! Open Monday-Sunday, 8am-12am.

Council Oak Steaks & Seafood

The Semionle Hard Rock Hotel & Casino’s signature restaurant offers intimate indoor seating or patio dining. Council Oak Steaks & Seafood Restaurant, presided over by Executive Chef Peter Mavraides, offers genuine, 100% U.S.D.A. prime dry-aged stockyard beef from a butcher shop located in the front of the restaurant, in addition to a raw bar, innovative dessert menu and an extensive wine list. Open for dinner daily: Sunday-Thursday, 5pm-11pm; Friday-Saturday, 5pm-midnight; Sunday brunch, 10am-2pm.

Hard Rock Cafe-Miami

More than 70,000 guitars, drums, pianos, harmonicas, microphones, shirts, pants, scarves, shoes, handwritten lyrics, cars, bikes, a bus and assorted rock memorabilia (the largest, most valuable collection in the world) grace the walls of more than 138 Hard Rock Cafés, Hotels and Casinos around the globe. The menu features an array of appetizers, salads, entrees and sandwiches that include meat, fish, chicken and desserts.

Latin American Cuban Cuisine

Indoor/outdoor café overlooking picturesque Biscayne Bay. The restaurant specializes in traditional Cuban fare, especially the Cuban sandwiches. Featuring a full bar and offering the traditional Cuban Mojito. Open daily, 8am-midnight, for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Monty's Raw Bar

Fresh seafood, full menu, live entertainment. Dine while overlooking Biscayne Bay. Happy Hour 4pm-8pm with live music or a DJ (Monday-Friday). Stone crabs all year. Open Sunday-Thursday, 11:30am-10pm; Friday-Saturday, 11:30am-1am.

Smith & Wollensky

USDA Prime steaks, dry-aged and hand cut on premises, Maine lobsters, wild salmon and a host of other steak and seafood dishes are paired with Wollensky's famous sides for two for an unforgettable dinner. The fantastic view from South Pointe Park includes Government Cut and the Miami skyline. Open Sunday-Thursday, 11:30am-midnight; Friday-Saturday, noon-2am.

Taverna Opa

Authentic Greek cuisine, drinks, meze, belly dancing and diners dancing on the tables! Featured on Rachael Ray's $40 a Day on FoodTV; Best Greek Cuisine, 3 years in a row; Best of Boca Magazine; featured on Deco Drive and A Bite with Belkys, Channel 7. Happy hour from 4pm-7pm.

The Crab House

Fresh seafood served in a casual and lively atmosphere. Choose from live Maine lobsters, a wide variety of fresh fish, shrimp dishes, and several types of crabs, and an all-you-can-eat fresh seafood and salad bar. For landlubbers, the menu also includes steaks and combination dinners. Overlooking Biscayne Bay. Happy hour specials and menu from 2:30pm-7pm, Tuesday-Sunday, and 2:30pm-10pm on Monday. Specials include $3 well drinks, $5 martinis, $2.50 domestic draft beers, and appetizers ranging from $3-$5. Open Sunday-Thursday, 11:30am-10pm; Friday-Saturday, 11:30am-11pm.

Tradewinds Waterfront Bar & Grill

Covered, outdoor dining with a waterfront view. The island-themed, seafood heavy new menu includes breakfast, salads, appetizers, pizzettas, sandwiches, pastas, fresh catch of the day and much more. Eight kinds of fish, Maine lobster and king crab legs guarantee a seafood fest! Six 42" plasma TVs, full liquor bar and live music.

Van Dyke Café

The historic Van Dyke Café serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and features free Wi-Fi. The cafe'’ jazz bar, located on the second floor and aptly named Upstairs, resembles a classy speakeasy in which local jazz performers play to an intimate, enthusiastic crowd of mostly adults and sophisticated younger folk, who often huddle at the small tables until the wee hours of the morning. Enjoy sophisticated cocktails and conversation while listening to a variety of live bands and entertainment.

Zuma Japanese Restaurant

Accessible by boat and offering spectacular views from its outdoor patio, Zuma features an internationally-acclaimed style of nontraditional, modern Japanese cuisine. Famous in London, this is the first Zuma in the U.S. Check out the Robata Grill, a Japanese open barbeque inspired by the age-old cooking style of northern Japanese fishermen.