Doral's Best Restaurants For Globetrotters

Doral’s dining scene promises a mix of local and international cuisine.

Miami is not just sun and beaches. There’s more to this multifaceted city than what you see in travel brochures, and visitors who venture inland are keen to find the true heart of Miami and its people: its food. The neighborhood of Doral, in the western part of Miami not far from the Miami International Airport, is a blend of multicultural family neighborhood and high-end resort attractions. Whether you’re looking for a quick bite, a tapas style meal in a Bossa Nova Lounge, a burger and a beer or international cuisine, you won’t leave Doral hungry. Spend a day in Miami’s Doral and you won’t be disappointed when you savor a few of its tastiest dining destinations.

Venture into the bustling Downtown Doral area with its abundance of shopping and dining choices and you will find Dragonfly Izakaya and Fish Market, a true Izakaya-style Japanese restaurant. It boasts its own in-house fish market with various meat rubs, whole local fish, soy sauces, and rice available for purchase, as well as an award-winning Japanese whiskey and sake list. Inspired by traditional “izakayas,” or Japanese gastropubs, this restaurant has a menu of Japanese comfort foods in central Miami including a changing Chef’s Select menu you won’t want to miss. 5241 NW 87th Avenue, Doral, FL 33178

No trip to Doral is complete without a visit to El Arepazo, named after the Venezuelan corn cake. This spot will expose Miami’s visitors to all the local flavors of Venezuela. This unassuming gas station-attached eatery is a place of intrigue and rumor, where locals go to discuss the latest news from Caracas. Locals and tourists keep coming back for the arepas and the cachapas - both traditional Venezuelan dishes made from corn and typically sold in roadside stands. This local draw offers authentic and tasty arepas like the Queso Amarillo and Rallado Arepa with Gouda cheese and white shredded cheese or the Queso Guayanes and Reina Pepiada Arepa. Buy extra to take with you, they’re perfect late night snacks to soak up last night’s cocktail tasting. 10191 NW 58th St, Doral, FL 33178

City Works serves classic American food with a twist. Here you will find an upbeat sports bar with with 90 craft beers and eight wines on draft. This CityPlace Doral hangout boasts a huge dining area and a spacious outdoor patio. They’re open late and not only have a welcomed happy hour, but also 16 indoor flat screen HDTVs where you can watch the game after hitting up Kings for some bowling. Enjoy bar bites like Cheese Curds made of white cheddar, cornmeal battered and smoked tomato coulis while playing Giant Jenga or a dive into a shareable dish such as their Smoked Wings made of chili rubbed jumbo wings and drummies, BBQ sauce, mustard BBQ sauce to cap off happy hour with coworkers or friends. 3450 NW 83rd Ave., Doral, FL 33122

With its refined approach to gastronomy, Il Forno Ristorante serves up a menu of locally sourced, classic Italian fare like pappardelle pasta with wild and porcini mushrooms, grilled veal chop with rosemary, veal ossobuco alla Milanesa and more. The atmosphere is marked by the locale’s rustic, open kitchen and wood-burning oven. Its warm, intimate feel creates the perfect backdrop for guests to grab a cocktail at the bar, dine al fresco on the terrace, or eat to the sounds of live music in the dining room. 9350 NW 25th Street, Doral, FL 33172

This family-owned Japanese spot actually comes to Doral from Venezuela, where that same family set the standard for Japanese cuisine in their native country. As the first outpost of the franchise in the U.S., Kokai Sushi and Lounge takes a cutting-edge approach to fine dining. The menu fuses Japanese cuisine with exotic Latin flavors, and features signature sushi rolls like the Alejandro with shrimp and salmon tempuras, cream cheese, avocado, and sweet potato sauce; the Crazy Sake with salmon, avocado, cream cheese, and masago; and the Lady Eel with eel and crabstick tempura, masago, and avocado. If word association never made you think Japanese and Venezuela logically fit in the same sentence, Kokai makes you think again. 9036 NW 25th Street, Doral, FL 33172

Smack in the middle of a region in the country filled with Cuban restaurants, La Esquina del Lechón stands out from the pack. A neighborhood favorite, locals and visitors alike flock to this restaurant for its unconventional bread basket made of up rolls, chicharones, and miniature arepas and keep its patrons coming back for classics like pan con lechón with shredded pork shoulder and skin, whole roasted pig, and Colombian-style Bandeja Paisa with grilled steak, white rice, black beans, pork rinds, avocado, fried egg, and a corn flour arepa. Out-of-towners looking for one spot to hit up all the varied Latin cuisine staples need to look no further than La Esquina del Lechón. 8601 NW 58th Street #101, Miami, FL 33166

Los Parrilleros is an authentic upscale but casual Argentinian steakhouse that landed in Doral more than 16 years ago. Steeped in the traditions of Buenos Aires, this steakhouse boasts a menu of mouthwatering meats cooked to perfection like filet mignon, boned rib eye, churrasco and more. Los Parrilleros has an extensive wine list and live music on Saturdays. 10775 NW 41st Street, Miami, FL 33178