Heat Index · What's Good Miami
Restaurants
Key —
Best of Best
On Fire
Classic
New
Tie
01
Boia De
Little Haiti · Italian
Still the #1 locally-earned table. Michelin-starred, no other location diluting the story. Perpetually booked 30 days out.
Best of
Best
Best
02
Sunny's Steakhouse
Miami · Steakhouse
Made the February 2026 local food editor's personal best-meals list. Chef-industry hangout during SBWFF.
Best of
Best
Best
03
Recoveco
South Miami · Chef-Driven
The kind of opening that reminds you why Miami's neighborhood restaurant scene is worth paying attention to.
On Fire
04
Cote
Design District · Korean Steakhouse
Michelin-starred. The Butcher's Feast remains one of the best value moves in Miami fine dining.
Best of
Best
Best
05
Walrus Rodeo
Little Haiti · American
Chef-industry hangout of SBWFF week. A spot that rewards locals over tourists — no hype machine, just quality.
On Fire
06
Yasu Omakase
Miami · Japanese Omakase
Opened Jan 14, 2026. 8-seat counter, $250 omakase. Purely Miami, nowhere else.
On Fire
07
Fooq's
Little River · Persian-French
Reopened Jan 23 after a four-year hiatus. The most emotionally resonant comeback in recent Miami dining memory.
On Fire
08
ViceVersa
Downtown Miami · Italian
Quietly becoming the industry insider's favorite Italian in Miami. No velvet ropes, no performance.
On Fire
09
Macchialina
South Beach · Italian
Brought back their pasta omakase at the bar on Wednesdays as of Feb 2026. Locally beloved for years.
Classic
10
Nami Nori & Pari Pari
Design District / Wynwood · Japanese Handroll — Tie
Two different expressions of the same idea. Argue about which is better. You're going to both.
Tie
11
Daniel's Miami
Coral Gables · Steakhouse
Arrived in 2025 and immediately felt like it had been there for years. Fine dining polish with genuine neighborhood soul.
On Fire
12
La Petite Maison
Brickell · French Mediterranean
Miami locals are coming back around to it. A consistency that most restaurants at this price point can't touch.
Classic
13
Thomas Keller at The Surf Club
Surfside · American Fine Dining
A benchmark meal for anyone who wants to understand technical precision at the highest level in South Florida.
Classic
14
The Joyce
South Beach · Speakeasy Bar
The burger won a local food editor's personal vote at SBWFF's Burger Bash. Still on the city's monthly Hit List.
On Fire
15
Marc's & Peppi's Pizza
North Beach / Design District · Pizza — Tie
Two different pizza conversations, both worth having. Argue about which is better. You should be going to both.
Tie
16
Ezio's
North Beach · Italian
The Roberta's team brings their ethos to North Beach. A serious opening building its reputation the right way.
New
17
Ophelia
Coconut Grove · Bakery
An RV in a Grove lot that sells out by 9am Thursday–Saturday. Selected for the Miami Open culinary roster.
On Fire
18
Yamashiro
Miami Worldcenter · Japanese
Landed with quiet confidence. The kind of opening that builds a following before the press catches up.
New
19
Felice
Brickell · Italian
The truest taste of Italy on the Brickell corridor. No oversaucing, no shortcuts, no need to announce itself.
On Fire
20
Sunshine Coffee
Miami Beach · Coffee
The iced coffee is the best in the state of Florida. A brand that earns everything through the cup.
On Fire
21
Papi Steak
South Beach · Steakhouse
The TikTok volume is enormous — but it's tourists filming the beef case. A spectacle worth experiencing once.
Classic
22
Karyu
Design District · Wagyu Kaiseki
U.S. debut of Tokyo's Michelin-starred Oniku Karyu. Twelve seats, total focus. Too new to rank higher but impossible to ignore.
New
23
Caracas
Miami · Venezuelan
Never needs to be on a list to stay full. Arepas that haven't changed because they don't need to.
On Fire
24
Pastis & Makoto
Wynwood / Bal Harbour · Tie
Both consistently packed, both great rooms. National names that locals still go to — just not to discover something.
Classic
25
Vecinos
Mid-Beach · Neighborhood
The newest name on this list. Neighborhood-first energy. Locals find it first. Watch this one.
New
Heat Index · The Standard
The 9 Rules
01
Local Roots, Global Range
The best things are deeply local & universally covetable.
02
Built to Last, Not to Trend
Trends flame out. Heat holds.
03
The People Behind It
Miami can smell the difference between someone who moved here to cash in and someone who belongs.
04
Craft Over Concept
The concept earns the first visit. The craft earns the return.
05
Miami Made It
There's a difference between something that came here and something that came from here.
06
Price Earns Its Keep
If the math doesn't add up, the heat doesn't either.
07
The Press Release Isn't the Story
Buzz is easy. Reputation is earned. We care about what survives the hype cycle.
08
It Makes the City Better
True heat is generative — it lifts the whole city, not just itself.
09
You'd Tell a Friend
Would you text someone about this unprompted? That's the realest measure of all.
Heat Index · What's Good Miami
Hotels
Key —
Best of Best
On Fire
Classic
New
Heat Index · On the Horizon
New Hotel
Developments
Developments
Status —
Opening Soon
Under Construction
Announced
Heat Index · What's Good Miami
Real Estate
Developments
Developments
Coming
Q2 2026
Q2 2026
Dropping this summer
Miami is being built faster than most people can follow. Not all of it deserves your attention. The Heat Index will tell you which developments are worth the conversation.
Heat Index · What's Good Miami
Brokers
Key —
Elite Tier
Power Broker
Institution Builder
Specialist
Networker
01
The Jills Zeder Group
Coldwell Banker · Jill Eber, Jill Hertzberg & Judy Zeder
The undisputed #1 team in Miami-Dade, closing nearly $1.4 billion in sales. A dynasty. Danny Hertzberg is building the next generation — with a particularly sharp command of digital that is extending the team's reach into a new era.
Elite
Tier
Tier
02
Chad Carroll
Carroll Group / Compass
$1.1 billion in sales, second overall. One of the most visible faces in Miami luxury real estate — a vocal market commentator, a serious closer, and a brand as much as a broker.
Elite
Tier
Tier
03
Dina Goldentayer
Douglas Elliman
$600 million in sales, third overall. One of the most respected names in Miami luxury — known for discretion, deep access, and a client list that rarely makes the papers for the right reasons.
Elite
Tier
Tier
04
Dora Puig
Luxe Living Realty
$362.4 million in sales. Broker-owner of her own boutique luxury firm and the leading force behind ultra-luxury development sales — most notably a $1 billion sellout at Fisher Island. In a market of independent operators, she may be the most truly independent.
Elite
Tier
Tier
05
Nelson Gonzalez
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices EWM
$347.8 million in sales, back in the top 5 after a year off the ranking. The longest-standing ultra-luxury name on Miami Beach — a presence that has outlasted multiple market cycles and still commands the room.
Elite
Tier
Tier
06
Ruthie & Ethan Assouline
Douglas Elliman
The dominant duo in Bal Harbour, where they have set multiple price records and moved hundreds of millions in luxury inventory. The only true Miami-New York team in the market — managing the migration of capital from New York to Miami at a level no other brokerage can match. No team controls a single market in Miami more thoroughly.
Power
Broker
Broker
07
Julian Johnston
Corcoran
Corcoran's top producer in Miami Beach and one of the market's most trusted operators for off-market ultra-luxury transactions. The kind of broker clients call before a deal is ever listed.
Power
Broker
Broker
08
Nancy Batchelor
Compass
A veteran operator with a commanding presence in Miami Beach and Morningside. One of the most quoted voices in Miami real estate — and a marketing force who has helped define how luxury is sold in this city.
Power
Broker
Broker
09
Lourdes Alatriste
Douglas Elliman · Coconut Grove & Coral Gables
The go-to broker for international buyers entering Miami, with a commanding presence in Coconut Grove and Coral Gables and deep pipelines into Latin American capital. Few people in this market move as much foreign money as she does.
Power
Broker
Broker
10
Brett Harris
Bespoke Realty
Over $2 billion in closed sales and a national ranking in the top 0.01% of agents by volume. A founding Portfolio Manager at Bespoke Miami and a driving force behind the firm's emergence as a serious player in South Florida's ultra-luxury market.
Power
Broker
Broker
11
Jay Parker
Douglas Elliman — Florida CEO
The man running Elliman's entire Florida operation. One of the most institutionally important figures in Miami real estate — steady through every cycle, trusted at every level of the market.
Institution
Builder
Builder
12
Duff Rubin
Coldwell Banker — SE Regional President
Southeast Regional President for Coldwell Banker and one of the sharpest public voices on where Miami's market is actually headed. His read on the luxury-vs-mass-market divide is consistently the most cited in the industry.
Institution
Builder
Builder
13
Daniel de la Vega
ONE Sotheby's International Realty — CEO
Newly named CEO of the firm he helped build from the ground up. Since co-founding ONE Sotheby's with his mother Mayi in 2008, the company has grown to 1,400 agents and nearly $10 billion in annual sales.
Institution
Builder
Builder
14
Pam Liebman
Corcoran Group — CEO
CEO of the Corcoran Group and one of the most powerful brokers in the country. Her growing footprint in Miami — and her sharp read on where luxury is heading nationally — makes her a market force even when she's not in the room.
Institution
Builder
Builder
15
George CancioBello
Lifestyle International Realty
Founder of Lifestyle International Realty and one of South Florida's most vocal independent brokerage owners. Has positioned himself at the center of the post-commission-ruling conversation about how independent firms survive — and win.
Institution
Builder
Builder
16
Ines Hegedus-Garcia
Avanti Way East Miami
Built the Miamism brand into one of the most recognized real estate voices in the country, all while scaling Avanti Way into one of Miami's fastest-growing independent brokerages. The rare operator who wins on both the brand side and the business side.
Institution
Builder
Builder
17
David Siddons
Douglas Elliman
Seventeen years deep in pre-construction and resale condos. Holds super-broker status with virtually every major Miami development — which means first access to inventory and the data to know what's worth buying before anyone else does.
Specialist
18
Liz Hogan
Compass
A 20-year veteran consistently ranked among South Florida's top producers. Known for full-market command — from luxury single-family to high-rise condos — and a repeat client base that speaks to her reputation.
Specialist
19
Alicia Cervera Lamadrid
Cervera Real Estate
Third-generation leader of one of the most storied names in Miami. Her pre-construction relationships run deeper than anyone's — built over decades and three generations of family in this market.
Specialist
20
Eddy Martinez & Roland Ortiz
The Worldwide Group · ONE Sotheby's International Realty
The top team at ONE Sotheby's — known for marquee celebrity deals including The Weeknd's Miami estate. Operating at the intersection of luxury real estate and pop culture, generating national headlines and closing at a level most teams never reach.
Specialist
21
Michael Martinez
ONE Sotheby's International Realty
The dominant operator in Pinecrest and South Miami, where deep community ties and years in the market give him an edge that is hard to replicate. A relationship-first producer who rarely needs to market listings — the business comes to him.
Specialist
22
Todd Lewin
Compass · Lewin Rubin Team
Co-founder of a rare bi-coastal operation with offices in Miami Beach, Manhattan, and Brooklyn. Over $215M in closed sales in 2026 and a client network that moves New York money directly into Miami real estate.
Networker
23
Jordan Karp
Jordan Karp LLC
Son of legendary Miami architect Kobi Karp and socialite Nancy Karp, Jordan has turned extraordinary access and deep Miami roots into one of the most talked-about young careers in the city. The network alone puts him in rooms most brokers never see.
Networker
24
Joel Lusky
The Brokerage South Florida Real Estate
Closed a record $20.7M waterfront mansion in North Miami and a $23M waterfront home in Bal Harbour. A relationship-first operator with the firepower to compete at the top tier — and the momentum to suggest he'll be there permanently.
Networker
25
Laura Pantano
Coldwell Banker Realty
Host of the Emmy-nominated "The American Dream: Selling Miami" and a Global Luxury specialist with 15+ years in the market. Fluent in four languages, rooted in Miami Beach, and one of the few brokers who can close local and international luxury with equal authority.
Networker
Heat Index · The Standard
About the
Index
Index
The Heat Index measures every entry across two axes — qualitative and quantitative. Good taste demands both. You can feel whether something is right. You can also prove it.
We account for craft and concept, for longevity and buzz, for local significance and global relevance, for the price on the menu and what that price actually buys.
This is not a kindness project. We are not here to celebrate everything Miami produces simply because Miami produced it. We love this city too much for that.