Friends coming to town, staying in Coral Gables, Design District, Miami Beach, Coconut Grove, Brickell or Wynwood and wondering where to eat? Or find yourself looking for a restaurant specifically in one of those areas of Miami? I thought it’d be helpful to have a list of picks in each of these “cities within a city” (Miami) with their standout feature highlighted. You can store it and refer to it in a pinch. So here’s the first in a series of six, the best restaurants in Coral Gables. For links to reviews of restaurants in other parts of Miami, go to the end. Note that places I’ve written up in a review are noted with an asterisk.
Zucca Miami, located on the ground floor of the historic Hotel St. Michel in Coral Gables, offers a classy, service-centric, and attractive dining experience with very good Italian food spanning from Sardinia to Tuscany. Founded by Venezuelan entrepreneur Erasmo Da Silva and led by Executive Chef Manuel Garcia, the restaurant exudes an elegant ambiance with white tablecloths, perfect lighting, and soft background music. Renowned for its extensive wine cellar boasting over 2,000 varietals and a five-time Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, Zucca provides an exciting Italian menu with diverse options from salumeria and signature fried zucchini flowers to a wide array of pastas, fish, and meat dishes, ensuring a delightful and refined culinary journey. It often has prix fixe lunch specials which are a good deal, featuring its wonderful veal milanesa.
by Myrthia Moore
My husband and I invited my friend Karen to have a late lunch on Sunday at Portosole in Coral Gables two weeks ago. She loved the restaurant. When I explained to Ms. Foodie the many reasons we dine there almost every week, Karen suggested that I should write the review. There are many good restaurants in the Miami area that come and go. This one has been around for years and continues to serve consistently good food accompanied with great service.
I love walking into Portosole and being transported to a restaurant in Northern Italy. It is elegant with white tablecloths, but has a relaxed atmosphere. No matter what time of day you go, there are always people there. The staff has been with the restaurant for a long time and they remember your name and make you feel at home.
Portosole serves very fresh northern Italian specialties. They have a set menu and a long list of daily specials, including several fish and meat dishes, as well as daily risottos and pastas. They import many of their ingredients in order to create authentic Italian dishes that are always consistent in taste and quality. Many of the dishes are prepared or served table side, such as the Cacio y Pepe or the Branzino for two. The fish is always impeccably fresh and simply prepared. My husband loves the Cacio y Pepe which is made with pecorino cheese and he always raves about the daily soups.
Other top dishes are the eggplant parmigiana, rich and creamy and one of the best I have ever eaten; the vitello tonnato alla Piemontese; and the thinly pounded and cooked veal milanese with arugula, cherry tomatoes and roasted potatoes; and the tiramisu. Portions are good size.
Valet parking is available during the day and at night.
Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille, a well-regarded part of the Coral Gables’ dining scene at the Village of Merrick Park, offers a high-quality experience with handsome decor, excellent service, and an outdoor dining area, making it a popular choice even for discerning diners. Originating as a Houston meat market 40 years ago, Perry’s specializes in wet-aged prime beef prepared on an infrared broiler, though their seafood is equally impressive. The comfortable steakhouse ambiance features starched white tablecloths, low lighting, a notable wine wall, and a visible contemporary kitchen. Beyond its signature dishes, Perry’s provides appealing happy hour specials and offers a popular “Pork Chop Friday” lunch and a three-course “Pork Chop Sunday” dinner.
Best Restaurants in Coral Gables
Bouchon Bistro Miami, part of Miami’s burgeoning French culinary scene, boasts an impressive pedigree with Michelin-starred Chef/Owner Thomas Keller, aiming for an authentic Parisian bistro experience from its decor and menu to food presentation. Located in the historic La Palma building, the restaurant features traditional French bistro aesthetics like a zinc bar and mosaic floor, along with outdoor seating. The menu offers classic French fare, including a raw bar, hors d’oeuvres, and entrees, with a focus on seasonal ingredients and daily specials, served alongside house-made baguettes. Highlights from my visit included a delicious Salade Lyonnaise, perfectly cooked gigot d’agneau, and an exceptional creamy potato puree, with the restaurant also offering a value-priced “vin de carafe” program and classic cocktails using French spirits.
The two-story Fogo de Chao Coral Gables, serving as the brand’s flagship in Miami, specializes in delicious churrasco with 14 high-quality cuts of meat carved tableside by gaucho chefs. Beyond the all-you-can-eat meat, the restaurant offers an impressive market table and feijoada bar, available separately for a lighter meal, alongside new additions for the brand in Miami such as a raw bar with a seafood tower, and options for single beef cuts, seafood, or vegetarian dishes. To complement the meal, Fogo de Chao provides enticing desserts, well-priced South American beverages, and features like the “Next Level Lounge” for premium liquors and cigars, and “The Butchery” for purchasing fine cuts of meat and wine to-go, in addition to catering and private party options.
Bursting on the Gables restaurant scene, Bulla quickly became the go-to place for Coral Gables residents, professionals and lovers of “tapitas” of course. Their authentic Spanish style tapas are all the rage especially their serrano ham croquettes served with fig jelly, huevos Bulla eggs, homemade potato chips, serrano ham, potato foam and truffle oil. By all means, order their paella, patatas bravas (crispy potato cubes in spicy brava sauce and aioli) or their gambas al ajillo (sautéed shrimp with garlic and guindilla). Brunch is special here, especially their sangria, a perfect accompaniment to all these dishes. They also have a private party room on the second floor.
In the former site of Fiola, Daniel’s Miami distinguishes itself by heavily featuring Florida purveyors—from local olives in their standout martini to steaks from Florida ranches.
Service is professional and friendly. The menu highlights steaks with varying provenance, Beyond steaks, the menu includes caviar, innovative appetizers, pasta, and seafood. Choose from no fewer than eleven steaks and chops including Wagyu selections along with five enhancements, from foie gras and peppercorn sauce to bearnaise and more. Sides, ideal for sharing, include seasoned Crimini mushrooms, decadent Maine lobster four-cheese mac n’ cheese, and twice-baked potato. The triple-layer Valrhona chocolate cake was the perfect indulgent finish.
The cocktail selection is excellent, with martinis served with a side carafe, Florida olives, and olive juice. Valet parking is offered.
Daniel’s Steakhouse serves lunch, brunch and dinner.
When you mention restaurants in Coral Gables, it’s impossible not to mention this one, opened by Nino Pernetti in 1989. It’s almost like a club, with a group of “regulars” who have come for almost as many years as the restaurant has been open. At Abbracci, the ambiance is classic, much like the authentic Italian dishes they’ve been executing well for 30 years. The tuna carpaccio and crispy fried calamari and zucchini are ideal choices as starters. Make your way down the menu to a dozen pasta dishes including classic lasagna, pappardelle, tortellini, ravioli and rigatoni to name a few. Veal Scaloppine two ways, filet mignon and the fish of the day (always very fresh, one of my favorites) are just some of the favorite entrees. Caffé Abbracci is also a local favorite for celebrating a special occasion.
My latest addition to my list is newcomer Ro Steakhouse in Coral Gables. Not only does it do traditional steakhouse fare to a T and have a handsome decor and very good service, but the clincher – additional dishes that are inspired by its Mexican roots, honed after successful years at the company’s two restaurants in Merida, Mexico (130 Steakhouse and Cienfuegos). Plus, its Head Chef, Marcelo Palacios hails from Prime 112 and other leading steakhouses. Two of its dishes are on my list of the best dishes and best desserts of 2025. Plus, they offer a daily lunch special! They’re open for lunch and dinner daily.
Ro Steakhouse, 121 Alhambra Plaza, Coral Gables.
Other “bests” in the series:
Best Wynwood Restaurants
Best Design District Restaurants
Best Coconut Grove Restaurants
