The Heat Index
What's Good Miami X The Leftovers
Restaurants
Key —
Best of Best
On Fire
Classic
New
Tie
01
Buccan
Coral Gables · American Small Plates
Chef Clay Conley's Palm Beach landmark arrives on Miracle Mile — 15 years of earned reputation landing in a city that rewards exactly this. The exhibition kitchen, the chef's table, the bold small plates. Miami's most anticipated opening earns the top spot.
Best of
Best
Best
02
Sunny's
Coconut Grove · Steakhouse
The industry table. Chefs eat here on their nights off. That's still the only review that matters.
Best of
Best
Best
03
Cote
Design District · Korean Steakhouse
Michelin-starred. The Butcher's Feast remains one of the best value moves in Miami fine dining. The room is always right.
Best of
Best
Best
04
Mutra
North Miami · Israeli / Middle Eastern
Michelin-starred and the only kosher restaurant on the Resy 100. Chef Raz Shabtai is doing something no one else in Miami is doing.
Best of
Best
Best
05
Gaia
South of Fifth · Greek Mediterranean
Dubai's most globally celebrated dining room just made its U.S. debut. The ice market alone is worth the reservation.
On Fire
06
Walrus Rodeo
Little Haiti · American
Rewards locals over tourists. No hype machine, no social strategy — just quality that keeps the right people coming back.
On Fire
07
Daniel's
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
08
LPM
Brickell · French Mediterranean
Miami locals keep coming back. A consistency that most restaurants at this price point cannot touch.
Classic
09
Slim's
Bal Harbour · Steakhouse
Stephen Starr's Hollywood golden age steakhouse at Bal Harbour Shops. The room is the statement. The food delivers the follow-through.
On Fire
10
Yasu
Miami · Japanese Omakase
8-seat counter. $250 omakase. Purely Miami, nowhere else. The intimacy is the point.
On Fire
11
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
12
China Grill
Bal Harbour · Asian Fusion
Reopened June 9 after more than a decade away. The restaurant that helped build South of Fifth is back — and Bal Harbour is the right stage for the sequel.
New
13
Pari Pari
Wynwood · Japanese Handroll
The handroll argument is still alive. Pari Pari holds its own and its regulars will tell you it wins.
On Fire
14
Nami Nori
Design District · Japanese Handroll
The handroll argument continues. Two different expressions of the same obsession. You already know you're going to both.
On Fire
15
Aoko
Edgewater · Japanese Sushi
No sign on the building, no PR machine. High-end quality in a casual register. The kind of place Miami's best food people keep quiet about.
On Fire
16
Tam Tam
Downtown Miami · Vietnamese
Named one of Bon Appétit's best new restaurants. Vietnamese food treated with the same seriousness as any fine dining room in the city.
Classic
17
La Specialità
Coconut Grove · Italian Café
Cipriani's all-day Italian café at Mr. C. Morning espresso through Bellini-filled afternoons. A Grove addition that understands the neighborhood.
New
18
Yamashiro
Miami Worldcenter · Japanese
Still building its following the right way — before the press catches up. That's a good sign.
On Fire
19
Kojin
Coral Gables · Contemporary
Chefs Pedro and Katherine Mederos back with a Michelin-recognized room and bolder cooking. Foie toast over rye. Bone marrow panna cotta. This is the kind of risk-taking Miami needs more of.
On Fire
20
Shingo
Coral Gables · Japanese Omakase
Michelin-starred. 14-seat hinoki counter. Fish from Japan, rice mixed to order. Chef Akikuni doesn't miss.
Best of
Best
Best
21
Cotoa
North Miami · Ecuadorian
The first Ecuadorian restaurant in the U.S. in the Michelin Guide. Chef Alejandra Espinoza is the real thing — and it only keeps getting better with attention rather than worse.
Best of
Best
Best
22
La Traila BBQ
South Miami · Texas-Tejano BBQ
Pitmaster Mel Rodriguez is back with the most serious version yet. Two M&M smokers. 160 seats. Texas raised, Mexico seasoned, South Miami served.
New
23
Tin Tin
Little Havana · Cuban-Italian
The Tinta y Café team's big sister on Calle Ocho. Cuban food run through French and Italian technique. A genuine attempt to define what Miami cuisine actually is.
New
24
Altamura Trattoria
Doral · Italian
Husband-and-wife chefs Massimo and Elisabetta Tundo cooking from their grandmothers' kitchens. Handmade pasta, brick-oven pizza, and the kind of Italian soul that doesn't announce itself.
On Fire
25
Edan Bistro
North Miami · Spanish Basque
Chef Aitor Garate Berasaluze bringing Basque country to North Miami. The cheesecake alone earns a visit. The 8-course tasting menu earns a return.
On Fire
What's Good Miami X Leftovers
Off This
Month's List
Month's List
These restaurants were on the February index. They haven't closed. They haven't failed. They just didn't make the cut this month. The Heat Index moves. So does Miami.
—
Boia De
Little Haiti · Italian
Michelin-starred and still one of the hardest tables in the city. Off this month's list — not off our radar. The room earns its own cycle.
Watch
—
Fooq's
Little River · Persian-French
The comeback story was real. Whether it sustains is the question every returning restaurant faces in month four.
Watch
—
ViceVersa
Downtown Miami · Italian
Still the industry insider's Italian. Still no velvet ropes. Still good. Didn't generate enough new heat this cycle.
Watch
—
Macchialina
South Beach · Italian
Locally beloved for years and that hasn't changed. The pasta omakase is still worth knowing about.
Watch
—
Thomas Keller at The Surf Club
Surfside · American Fine Dining
The benchmark meal in South Florida. Dropped not because it slipped — because the list moved toward what's generating heat right now.
Watch
—
The Joyce
South Beach · Bar & Grill
Still a good room. Still a great burger. Off the list until it gives us a reason to put it back.
Watch
—
Marc's & Peppi's Pizza
North Beach / Design District · Pizza
The pizza conversation in Miami keeps evolving. Both deserve their regulars. Neither generated new momentum this cycle.
Watch
—
Ezio's
North Beach · Italian
The Roberta's pedigree is real. Still building. Come back to the index when the reputation catches the ambition.
Watch
—
Felice
Brickell · Italian
Honest Italian on the Brickell corridor. Dropped to make room for what's generating more noise in June.
Watch
—
Papi Steak
South Beach · Steakhouse
The TikTok machine keeps running. A spectacle worth experiencing once. The Heat Index is a locals' list.
Watch
—
Karyu
Design District · Wagyu Kaiseki
The Tokyo pedigree is serious. Still too new to rank with confidence. Watch this space.
Watch
—
Pastis & Makoto
Wynwood / Bal Harbour · Tie
Both consistently packed, both great rooms. National names with loyal locals. Nothing wrong — just not what June is about.
Watch
—
Vecinos
Mid-Beach · Neighborhood
Still neighborhood-first. Still worth watching. Needs one more cycle to prove it's not just a promising opening.
Watch
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
Hall of Fame
What's Good Miami X The Leftovers
Legendary
Locals
Locals
These aren't ranked by heat — they're beyond it. The homegrown institutions that built Miami's taste before there was a scene to speak of, and are still standing after every trend that tried to replace them.
01
Joe's Stone Crab
South of Fifth · Seafood · Est. 1913
Miami's original institution — a century-old stone crab shack that turned a seasonal claw into the city's most famous meal.
02
Michael's Genuine
Design District · American
Chef Michael Schwartz proved Miami could do honest, ingredient-first cooking, and the Design District grew up around it.
03
Sunny's
Coconut Grove · Steakhouse
The industry's own table — chefs eat here on their night off, and that's still the only review that matters.
04
Ghee
Miami · Indian
The room that gave Indian food in Miami a fine-dining home and a following that never wavered.
05
Blue Collar
MiMo District · American Comfort
Elevated diner food that helped put the MiMo District on the map and never lost its neighborhood soul.
06
Ortanique
Coral Gables · Caribbean-Latin
Chef Cindy Hutson's Caribbean fine dining made Miracle Mile a destination long before it was fashionable again.
07
Makoto
Bal Harbour · Japanese
Bal Harbour Shops' anchor restaurant — a sushi room that's stayed impossibly consistent for over a decade.
08
Motek
South Beach · Israeli Cafe
The all-day Israeli cafe that turned shakshuka into a South Beach breakfast staple.
09
Wolfie's
South Beach · Jewish Deli
A South Beach deli institution that fed generations of locals long before the neon and velvet ropes arrived.
10
Macchialina
South Beach · Italian
The pasta omakase that's been a locals' secret for years and somehow still feels like one.
11
Azul
Brickell · Fine Dining
The Mandarin Oriental's flagship — bay views and tasting menus that set the bar for Brickell fine dining.
12
KYU
Wynwood · Asian Barbecue
The wood-fired Asian barbecue spot that helped turn Wynwood into a genuine dining neighborhood.
13
Carpaccio
Bal Harbour · Italian
The Bal Harbour Shops power-lunch spot where the shopping crowd has held court for decades.
14
Komodo
Brickell · Southeast Asian
A jungle-themed Brickell spectacle that proved Miami would show up for scene as much as for food.
15
Prime 112
South of Fifth · Steakhouse
The steakhouse that made South of Fifth a reservation you had to fight for, night after night.
16
BED
South Beach · Global
The literal bed-service restaurant that defined South Beach excess at its most theatrical.
17
Mandolin
Miami Design District · Greek-Turkish
A garden courtyard that made Aegean cooking feel like the most natural thing in Miami.
18
Norman's
Coral Gables · New World Cuisine
Chef Norman Van Aken effectively invented New World Cuisine here, and Miami dining hasn't been the same since.
19
Red the Steakhouse
Design District · Steakhouse
A Design District steakhouse mainstay that's held its own against every glossier newcomer.
20
Blue Door
South Beach · French-Asian
The Delano's dining room in its prime was the closest thing Miami had to a see-and-be-seen institution.
21
Michy's
Upper East Side · Eclectic American
Chef Michelle Bernstein's neighborhood spot that made the Upper East Side a dining destination on its own terms.
22
Chrysanthemum
South Beach · Asian
A South Beach late-night Asian institution that's outlasted most of the scene it opened alongside.
23
News Cafe
South Beach · Cafe
The 24-hour Ocean Drive cafe that's been Miami's living room since before Miami knew it needed one.
24
Yardbird
South Beach · Southern
The Southern comfort food spot that turned into a national brand without ever losing its South Beach line out the door.
25
Il Gabbiano
Downtown Miami · Italian
A Biscayne Bay waterfront Italian room that's been the quiet choice for power dinners for years.
26
Macaluso's
South Beach · Italian
A tiny, no-reservations South Beach red-sauce joint that locals have protected like a secret for two decades.
What's Good Miami · Hall of Fame
Legendary
Imports
Imports
Not born here — but Miami claimed them anyway. Global names that opened an outpost in this city and became part of its permanent fabric.
01
China Grill
Miami Beach · Asian Fusion
The restaurant that helped invent South of Fifth the first time around, now back for a second act.
02
Nobu
South Beach · Japanese
The global sushi brand that made a Miami outpost feel like a hometown fixture instead of a chain.
03
Sushi Samba
South Beach · Japanese-Brazilian-Peruvian
A Japanese-Brazilian-Peruvian concept that fits Miami's cultural blend so well it feels like it started here.
04
The Palm
Bal Harbour · Steakhouse
The New York steakhouse import that became a Miami power-lunch fixture in its own right.
05
Joe Allen
South Beach · American
The Broadway theater-district staple that quietly became one of South Beach's most dependable neighborhood tables.
06
LPM
Brickell · French Mediterranean
The London-via-Riviera import that Miami locals adopted as their own and never let go of.
07
Cote
Design District · Korean Steakhouse
The New York Michelin-starred Korean steakhouse whose Miami location is now just as hard to book.
08
Carbone
Miami Beach · Italian-American
Major Food Group's New York red-sauce legend, translated to Miami without losing an ounce of its cachet.
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.