Forbes Award-Winning Restaurants in Miami

Acclaimed chefs. High design. Stellar service. Food that makes an impact. If you’re looking for the best dining in Miami, Forbes Travel Guide has revealed its 2026 Star Awards, and seven Greater Miami and Miami Beach restaurants earned ratings ranging from Five and Four Stars to Recommended status. These are the best restaurants in Miami to book right now, according to Forbes.

Forbes Five-Star Miami Restaurants

NAOE

Small Japanese jewel box NAOE continues to woo Forbes’ critics, once again garnering the guide’s coveted Five-Star status. Tucked away on Brickell Key, a bridge away from the soaring high rises of Brickell, NAOE only seats 5 guests at a time at the authentic Japanese cypress bar, adding to the restaurant’s allure. Forbes praised NAOE’s top-notch service, noting that diners are greeted by name and receive uninterrupted attention from Chef Kevin Cory as he crafts each dish.

The omakase (chef’s choice) menu changes almost nightly, but the experience always begins with a bento box containing mostly cooked items and soup, followed by rounds of nigiri meant to be eaten by hand. Forbes homed in on the house-made egg tofu with uni, and the miso-butternut squash soup as highlights.

Forbes Four-Star Miami Restaurants

Il Mulino New York

Longtime locals will agree with the Forbes’ Four-star accolade for Il Mulino New York in Sunny Isles Beach, an outpost of the famed New York City restaurant. Located inside Acqualina Resort & Residences on the Beach, a Forbes Five-Star hotel, it offers the same sophisticated service and theatrical table-side presentations as New York, with only-in-Miami beach views. 

The menu centers around Southern Italy, featuring transportive dishes made with authentic, imported ingredients. Forbes pointed out the generous number of pre-appetizers that are free for every table, and inspectors pointed diners to standout dishes like veal osso buco with porcini mushrooms and ravioli with a Champagne truffle cream sauce.

Lido Restaurant at the Surf Club

The Forbes Five-Star Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club in Surfside is home to Lido Restaurant at The Surf Club, which Forbes compared to an elegant seaside eatery in Italy. The cathedral-ceiling dining room is part of the hotel’s long, glamorous history, dating back to the 1930s, when it was a ballroom where elaborate social events took place. Now, diners can sit at white-cloth tables by the arched windows or dine on the ocean-facing terrace.

Forbes gushed over dishes like the Cotoletta Alla Milanese, a breaded veal cutlet, and the Tagliatelle All’astice, a decadent egg pasta served with Maine lobster and a Sicilian pesto variation. Locals will tell you to end the meal with the pistachio profiteroles drizzled with orange Grand Marnier, and then have a glass of bubbly at the adjacent Champagne Bar.

Los Fuegos by Francis Mallmann

Miami is no stranger to restaurants with famous chefs, and Forbes granted Four Stars to Los Fuegos by Francis Mallmann, run by the renowned Argentinian chef known for his live fire cooking. The restaurant reigns at the 2026 Forbes Five-Star Faena Hotel Miami Beach in Mid Beach, and has two distinct dining areas: the indoor dining room dripping in red details, and the courtyard surrounding the Tree of Life with an outdoor barbecue.

Of course, you’re coming here for the grilled and roasted meats. But Forbes also stressed the wood-oven empanadas, skirt steak, handmade potato gnocchi and plenty of seafood and veggies touched by the fire. Don’t miss the Sunday Parrillada, a meat-heavy outdoor barbecue with ribeye, lamb, chorizo and more, meant to be shared with family and friends.

Pao by Paul Qui

Forbes bestowed a Four-Star ranking to another Faena Hotel restaurant, Pao by Paul Qui, helmed by the eponymous James Beard Award-winning chef. Known for bold flavor combinations that bring together Spanish, Japanese and French influences, the modern Asian restaurant offers a “one-of-a-kind culinary experience,” Forbes said. 

The famous Unicorn dish made with “uni” (sea urchin) and a grilled sweet “corn” pudding reigns supreme on the menu. Forbes also suggested starting with the hearts of palm kinilaw with high-quality local fish and moving on to the short rib adobo. Plus, you can’t help but be impressed by Damien Hirst’s massive unicorn sculpture planted in the middle of the restaurant.

Forbes Recommended Miami Restaurants

Hakkasan

Forbes recommends the cool kid of Cantonese, Hakkasan, which is an outpost of the trendy London original. The sultry restaurant with a dark and moody vibe is located inside the iconic Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel, and critics noted that it’s the place to break out of your go-to “chicken with orange sauce” comfort zone.

They highlight the Peking duck with caviar, but other menu favorites include the crispy duck salad, black truffle spring rolls and the grilled honey sea bass. Hakkasan also has a killer dim sum brunch on the weekend.

Matador Room

With a famous chef like Jean-Georges Vongerichten attached, Matador Room continues to win favor with Forbes for its glam yet relaxed atmosphere and Latin fusion cuisine. The Forbes Recommended restaurant, nestled inside The Miami Beach EDITION in Mid Beach, is praised for its impeccable melding of Spanish, Caribbean and South American flavors with Miami flair. 

Forbes stands firm on the restaurant’s longtime staples, like the sweet pea guacamole served with crunchy tortillas, pan-seared Florida cobia paired with glazed artichokes and the dry-aged ribeye for two. Critics also gave props to the creative pizzas.

Explore Forbes’ choices for the best hotels in Miami.