New Plates, Please

New Plates,
Please

By Jenny Starr Perez

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE LATEST RESTAURANT OPENINGS DEFINING THE CITY’S DINING MOMENT.

FRENCH SPIRIT, River Setting

After a month of late nights, champagne toasts and salty air, Bagatelle Miami River marks a bold new chapter for the globally recognized French hospitality brand. Set directly along the Miami River, the expansive indoor-outdoor restaurant pairs refined French Mediterranean cuisine with a setting designed for lingering. Executive Chef Rocco Seminara, alongside U.S. corporate chef Jimmy De Almeida and pastry chef Manon Santini, delivers a menu built around seasonal ingredients, shareable plates, and polished desserts that feel celebratory without excess.

Design plays an equally prominent role. Created by House of Kirschner with French designer Sam Baron, the space unfolds through layered lounges, a waterfront terrace, and a private dock that allows guests to arrive by boat. The atmosphere shifts naturally from day to night, supported by inventive cocktails and a social energy that feels effortless rather than forced. Bagatelle Miami River succeeds by balancing glamour with ease, offering a riverfront destination that feels distinctly of the moment.

ISLAND ENERGY, Miami Attitude

Las’ Lap brings Chef Kwame Onwuachi’s Afro-Caribbean vision to Miami with confidence and personality. The James Beard Award-winning chef’s first Miami restaurant channels heritage, memory, and bold flavor through a menu that feels both expressive and grounded. Signature dishes such as the Oxtail Cuban and Sticky Wings reinterpret familiar forms through an Afro-Caribbean lens, while the cocktail program leans into tropical elements with polish.

The room hums with an energetic rhythm that mirrors the food. Las’ Lap is designed as a place where culture, music, and hospitality intersect, creating an experience that feels social and intentional. Onwuachi’s cooking here is about honoring tradition while allowing it to evolve. The result is a restaurant that feels personal, rooted, and unmistakably Miami.

laslapmia.com

airmiami.com

ABOVE THE RIVER

Perched above Seaspice with sweeping views of the Miami River, AIR introduces a refined French-Asian tasting menu experience led by Executive Chef Vinh Nguyen. Designed to evoke the interior of a luxury yacht, the intimate space blends nautical detailing with contemporary restraint, setting the tone for a carefully choreographed evening. The nine-course tasting menu reflects Nguyen’s grounding in French technique and Asian culinary traditions, with a focus on balance, precision, and seasonal progression.

A thoughtful beverage program supports the experience, offering curated wine selections, tiered pairings, and cocktails crafted with the same discipline as the food. Service is polished and deeply attentive, unfolding at a measured pace that allows each course its moment. AIR feels like a deliberate pause from the city below, offering a dining experience defined by focus, clarity, and restraint.

EIGHT SEATS, Total Focus

Perched above Seaspice with sweeping views of the Miami River, YASU Omakase distills the art of sushi into one of Miami’s most intimate dining experiences. With just eight seats, Michelin-recognized Chef Yasu Tanaka presents a deeply personal expression of his craft, shaped by his Yamanashi roots and years of refinement. Guests are seated at a rare 600-year-old hinoki counter, where the experience unfolds through a progression of otsumami, pristine nigiri, a signature hand roll, and seasonal dessert.

Seafood arrives primarily from Toyosu Market in Tokyo, complemented by select Florida coastal fish. House-seasoned soy sauces and carefully calibrated rice underscore Tanaka’s meticulous approach. A curated sake program anchors the beverage offerings, enhancing the rhythm of the meal. YASU Omakase is quiet, focused, and reverent, offering a dining experience where intention is felt in every detail.

yasu-miami.com

tornosubitomia.com

BOTTURA COMES BACK

Torno Subito finds a new home at The Moore in the Miami Design District, bringing Massimo Bottura’s playful Italian sensibility into one of the city’s most design-forward settings. Guided locally by Chef Bernardo Paladini, the restaurant blends Italian Riviera references with Miami’s creative energy, delivering a menu that balances nostalgia, imagination, and technical finesse.

The refreshed interiors draw from 1960s Italian style, layered with bold color and whimsy that echo Bottura’s culinary philosophy. Lunch, dinner, and brunch menus invite diners to engage with Italian cuisine through a lens of curiosity and storytelling. Positioned within The Moore’s art-driven environment, Torno Subito feels like a natural extension of Miami’s cultural conversation.

ITALIAN HOSPITALITY

Ezio’s brings the team behind New York’s Roberta’s to Miami’s North Beach with an Italian-inspired steak and seafood restaurant rooted in warmth and generosity. Named for Carlo Mirarchi’s father, the restaurant emphasizes house-made pastas, a thoughtful raw bar, and a robust dry-aging program featuring premium beef and lamb.

The dining room channels the energy of a lively dinner party, with dark woods, plush banquettes, and subtle nods to Miami’s Art Deco heritage. A martini program served tableside adds a touch of theater, while the expansive wine list spans Italy, France, and beyond. Ezio’s succeeds by marrying classic hospitality with contemporary confidence.

zoimiami.com

karyu-mia.com

WAGYU, Perfected

KARYU marks the U.S. debut of Tokyo’s Michelin-starred Oniku Karyu, introducing wagyu kaiseki to Miami with remarkable precision. Led by Chef Haruka Katayanagi’s team, the intimate 12-seat experience centers on Tajimaguro wagyu sourced exclusively from a family-run ranch in Japan’s Hyōgo Prefecture.

The tasting menu progresses through carefully composed courses that highlight technique, seasonality, and respect for ingredient. Designed by Rockwell Group, the space blends Japanese craftsmanship with contemporary restraint, creating an atmosphere of quiet ceremony. KARYU offers a dining experience that feels transportive, focused, and deeply disciplined.

A WELCOME RETURN

Fooq’s returns to Miami in Little River with a new space that expands its role as both restaurant and cultural gathering place. Founder David Foulquier reimagines the concept as a two-story destination anchored by warm hospitality, globally influenced cuisine, and a strong sense of community. Executive Chef Andrew Bazzini leads a menu shaped by European technique and Persian influence, designed for sharing and connection.

Above the dining room, Lion’s Den introduces a vinyl-focused music lounge that extends the experience late into the night. The design feels personal and lived-in, filled with books, art, and objects that reflect Foulquier’s history. Fooq’s feels less like a reopening and more like a homecoming.

fooqsmiami.com

avamediterraegean.com

BRUNCH, But Better

AVA MediterrAegean expands its offering with a weekend brunch inspired by the Cyclades and the broader Mediterranean. Served Saturdays and Sundays, the menu balances familiar brunch staples with refined mains, mezze, raw bar selections, and seafood-forward dishes.

Standouts include Eggs Shakshuka, a Maine lobster Mykonaki roll, Greek branzino filet, and a generous seafood tower designed for sharing. The atmosphere is polished yet relaxed, encouraging long, unhurried afternoons. AVA’s brunch feels thoughtfully composed, offering a Mediterranean escape shaped by flavor, light, and ease.

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