Full disclosure, though I love vegetables, going to a vegetarian restaurant never appealed to me. At least not until I went to Diya, an Indian vegetarian restaurant with a modern take in South Beach. Seriously picky foodie friends and I enjoyed the food, and we’re now converts. The food is arguably the best Indian food in Miami, an explosion of exciting, unique flavors and instagramable presentations. Plus, the prices are surprisingly reasonable for Miami Beach. The owner, Manni Maharaj, has big plans to make this the trend setter in its category nationally, and that could very well happen.

Located at the corner of 18th Street and Bay Road, this 5,625 square foot venue offers both a restaurant with indoor and outdoor patio seating and a large bar,  and the BackRoom bar that’s a combo play room and venue for live music.

This best Indian food in Miami is representative of all regions of India with a bonus of some Caribbean flavors, and an emphasis on street food. It’s the work of the East Indian chef from Trinidad, Chef Vidya Maharaj. The menu is all small plates. They call them tapas plates, but they can easily feed two people. Two of us ordered four dishes, we ate well, and had leftovers. There are also sections for dosas –  the Indian version of pizzas, rice pot, sides and naans, the Indian flat bread.

Do start with not your usual beverage. Find an exciting menu of craft lemonade, house made flavors like lavender, masala and rose. If you like alcoholic cocktails and don’t mind a little spicy, do not miss the Oaxaca Sunset, made with 400 Conejos mezcal, lime, beets, ginger, kashmiri chili and black pepper . With just the right kick, it was the best cocktail I’ve had in awhile. Another signature drink is the “Vaccine’ made with single malt,organic raw turmeric concentrate, lime and Kashmiri chili. A “wellness” drink perhaps?

We started with the eggplant barta a dish hailing from Northern India. It’s a large half of eggplant stuffed with a smokey roasted eggplant mash and seasoned with Indian spices making a curry. The addition of grilled tomatoes give it a char taste.The garnish is delicious super crispy, spiced, thin onion rings.  My friend’s comment summed it up, “this chef really knows how to handle spices”. Next up was the paleek paneer, a traditional dish, here especially flavorful and creamy. The freshly made paneer cheese was marinated with numerous Indian spices and had the perfect consistency.

Two favorites of the evening were the gobi Manchurian, crispy chunks of cauliflower tossed in the chef’s secret sauce using Caribbean and Indian herbs and spices. We were encouraged to order their version of a pizza, a dosa. A thin, slightly crispy wrap enclosed melted cheese and vegetables with a touch of a red sauce for extra flavor.  For dessert they said we had to try their Ras Malai Tres Leches pudding cake. It’s made with a mixture of a traditional tres leches soak and a Ras Malai sauce of cottage cheese and condensed milk blended with cardamom and nutmeg. It was beautifully served,  with a side of ripe berries.

After dinner go to the BackRoom and, try the whiskey with coconut water ice cubes. The idea of the coconut water is that it hydrates you as you drink the whiskey. With a stage, pool table and multiple TVs, BackRoom is made for an afternoon game day with friends, or a night out. Friday night brings Rock and Roll with a live band plus there are weekly drink specials, like $5 beer and well drinks on Tuesdays.

Prices are reasonable. Most menu items are in the low to high teens, topping off at $20; sides are $4-$8; cocktails are $14 and a glass of wine starts at $12 and bottles at $45.

Diya and BackRoom are located at 1766 Bay Rd. Diya is open Tuesday – Friday from 4 – 11 p.m. and Saturday – Sunday from 12 – 11 p.m. BackRoom is open Tuesday – Sunday from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. For more information visit https://diyamiami.com or follow @diyamiami on Instagram.