From Downtown and Brickell to Coral Gables and Sunny Isles, here are the best seafood restaurants in Miami. For the best in Miami Beach, click here for Part 1.

By Jan Engoren and Yours Truly

Seafood Restaurants in Downtown Miami

Klaw Miami

Make sure to bring your camera, as this will be a night to remember!

With menu items hitting the $400 mark, Klaw is not on everyone’s budget.  Specializing in dry aged steaks and Norwegian king crab, this elegant and opulent restaurant, located in the Former Miami Women’s Club in the historic 1925 Edgewater building surrounded by waterfront views is for special occasions and celebrations.  Rooms give a nod to history and are named The Tuttle Room and The Flagler Room, in honor of Julia Tuttle and Henry Flagler, the ‘Mother and Father of Miami.’

With appetizers like the shellfish platter starting at $120, you know you will spend some serious coin.  Bone-in Rib-Eye will set you back $315, while the Klaw Platter consisting of one dozen oysters, half Maine lobster, Australian prawns, grouper ceviche, bluefin tuna, sashimi, caviar and a chilled King Crab leg will come in at $265.

In addition to their centerpiece heritage menu and extensive wine list, Klaw’s beef is dry-aged in-house for at least 30 days, while the King Crabs are deshelled tableside and served with a garlic lemon butter sauce.  Talk about surf and turf!

Klaw Miami is located at 1737 N Bayshore Drive, Miami, Florida 33132.  Tel:  (305) 239-2523.

Seaspice Brasserie & Lounge

Arrive by land or by sea – just arrive!  Set in a post-industrial warehouse on the banks of the Miami River overlooking the Miami skyline, Seaspice Brasserie & Lounge exemplifies the essence of waterfront dining with a party atmosphere. The casual, yet elegant venue is outfitted with nautical touches offering globally inspired cuisine.

Known for both its seafood and pasta, the brasserie offers chef-driven plates and curated wine pairings in a luxurious Downtown Miami location.

Signature dishes include a Japanese Miyazaki A-5 Wagyu burger ($95) Australian rack of lamb ($58), Sea Salt Encrusted Market Fish ($80) and hand-made Blue Crab Ravioli ($42).  For non-seafood eaters, Seaspice offers a selection of meat, including Wagyu Steak Tartare, organic filet mignon and bone-in rib-eye as well as pizzettas ($18-28) and salad ($17 – 36 for the lobster salad).

Seaspice Brasserie & Lounge is located at 412 NW North River Dr, Miami, Florida 33128.  Tel:  (305) 440-4200.

Seafood Restaurants in Coral Gables

Descorche Restaurant and Wine Bar (note: they’re on vacation now until September 1)

Descorche Miami is a neighborhood gem that  attracts  everyone from business people and couples to groups of friends, coming for the solid traditional Spanish food, pleasant atmosphere and friendly service. The extensive menu has a very large selection of cold and hot tapas (29!) with all of the favorites, along with tablas (charcuterie), soups, 7 paellas, meats, fish, grilled platters and sides. Not surprising since the Spanish know their seafood – especially their seabass and shellfish, are a standout.  Also not found at most seafood restaurants, try their codfish and corvina.

The restaurant offers a large selection of beer, wines and sangria.

Start with their hot tapas – gambas al ajillo $14) the grilled scallops in garlic sauce ($22) or the calamares a la plancha ($22) or cold tapas such as the salpicon de mariscos – fresh seafood and vegetables marinated in olive oil ($20) or a selection of meat and cheese boards for the table ($16 – 38).

Offering a variety of paellas (serving two), prices start at $22 for the vegetarian paella and are listed as “Market Price,” for the seafood paellas, which include squid, fish, clams, mussels, prawn and even Maine Lobster.

Finish your meal with a dessert of Crème Brûlee, ($8), Almond Sponge Cake ($8), Torrijas Obradoiro, a custard brioche rolled in cinnamon sugar with Crème Anglaise ($8) or chocolate or vanilla ice-cream ($3).

Descorche Miami is located at 1673 SW 27th Avenue, Miami, Florida 33145.  Tel:  (305) 640-5658.

Seafood Restaurants in Sunny Isles

Avra Miami

The story of Avra begins in the coastal Greek village of Nafpaktos where cofounder Nick Tsoulos was born and raised. With fond memories of fishing for local seafood such as fagri, dorado, octopus and red mullet and enjoying the fresh grilled fish with homemade salads and other dishes, Tsoulos brought these memories with him when he emigrated to New York, opened a taverna and eventually opened Avra in midtown Manhattan offering simple Greek dishes made with the best ingredients and incredibly fresh seafood.

The main event is fresh fish, not only the usual selections but more unusual Mediterranean favorites like fagri and lithrini, prepared any way you like it – grilled whole over charcoal, baked in salt, made into ceviche or carpaccio, you name it.

Their freshly caught seafood is flown in daily from the Mediterranean and they feature local and sustainable catches.

From caviar to a raw bar serving east and west coast oysters, jumbo shrimp and lobster to sashimi and ceviche and appetizers such as tuna tartare, Portuguese sardines, Chilean sea bass souvlaki, grilled octopus and mussels – seafood rules the day.  Sashimi and ceviche appetizer prices range from $28 – 36 and market prices where indicated.

But, no worries – for your dining companions who prefer land-based dinners, Avra offers a selection of both beef and chicken options.  Prices range from $37 for the grilled organic chicken to $225 for the 32-oz. American Waygu Côtes de Boeuf.

The high end, casually elegant restaurant features handsome décor, with an entryway framed by a bougainvillea intertwined pergola that adds a colorful and taverna-lik touch.  Picture yourself in the Greek islands on their spacious outdoor terrace with a view of the swimming pool and ocean beyond.  Apolamvano as they say in Greek – Enjoy!

Avra is located at 17945 Collins Avenue, Sunny Isles Beach, Florida 33160.  Tel:
(786) 807-7555.

Miami

La Camaronera Seafood Joint & Fish Market 

Here’s a casual classic seafood restaurant in Miami — Owned and operated by the Garcia Brothers of Little Havana since 1973, La Camaronera is a down-home seafood joint dishing up plenty of fresh and fried seafood such as  Camarones Fritos with yellow rice and green plantains (Breaded Shrimp), Cangrejo Moro (Stone Crab), fried snapper sandwiches as well as Bollitos de Caritas, a Cuban favorite.

The unpretentious décor – yellow chairs, aqua walls and corrugated metal, belie the caliber of the food.  Sandwiches range from $15.95 – $21.95.  House specialties include Camaronera’s Shrimp ($18.95), Corvina and Mahi Fillet ($18.95), shrimp or fish tacos ($17.55) and Arsenio’s Favorite Shrimp and Fish Burrito ($18.55).

They also have an on-site fish market selling hogfish, yellow tail snapper, stone crab (in season) and spiny lobster, all at market prices.

In 2020, the restaurant was featured on a segment of Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

La Camaronera Seafood Joint & Fish Market is located at 1952 West Flagler Street, Miami, Florida 33135.  Tel:  (305) 642-3322.

Seafood Restaurants in Brickell

River Oyster Bar

Finishing up the list of best seafood restaurants in Miami is this one in Brickell — Known for their high-quality oysters and seafood served in a comfortable setting, River Oyster Bar offers both indoor and outdoor seating.  Their oysters are flown in from all over the U.S. directly from the farm where they are raised in pristine waters, tagged with the harvest area and date to ensure the highest quality and safety.

For non-seafood lovers, River Oyster Bar is constantly sourcing local foods, from farms in Homestead to Central and North Florida.  From grass-fed Florida beef, organic chickens, heirloom tomatoes and honey from Homestead, to microgreens from Hollywood, local shrimp from Cape Canaveral and stone crabs from the Florida Keys, “local” is their middle name.

For dinner, decide between Clams Casino, Crab Toast or a Pot of Mussels for appetizers, before moving on to a variety of simply grilled fish entrées, including Mahi Mahi, King Salmon, Black Grouper, Yellowtail Snapper, Yellowfin Tuna or their Roasted Maine Lobster.  Prices range from $28 – $55 for the lobster.  Non-fish entrées include Sea Scallops a la Plancha ($30), the popular Linguine and Clams ($26) and Creamy Gnocchi and Jumbo Lump Blue Crab ($42), among others.

Besides the typical sides of French Fries, Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Asparagus, they offer Fried Blue Crab Brown Rice ($18), Parmesan Brussel Sprouts ($12) and Wood Oven Roasted Artichokes ($13).

No meal is complete without dessert, so try their five-layer coconut cake with English rum, the Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake with ice cream or the Pumpkin Cream Pie.

River Oyster Bar is located at 33 SE 7th Street Ste 100, Miami, Florida 33131.  Tel:  (305) 530-1915.