Fine Dining in Miami

For budget travelers, there is a seemingly endless array of hole-in-the-wall ethnic food spots. If you've come to Miami on business or to celebrate a special occasion, you'll want to upgrade to a more refined dining experience. Luckily for you, fine dining in Miami is top notch, and you'll find restaurants of varied types and styles, each one offering you a unique dining experience. Here are the must-visit locations for fine dining in Miami.

Acqua

Acqua, like all fine dining in Miami, is difficult to peg into one category. It is a seafood restaurant that combines Mediterranean, Asian, and classic Miami elements to make it a culinary tradition all its own. It is located on the seventh floor of the Four Seasons Hotel Miami, and its floor to ceiling windows offer diners exquisite views during their meal.

Try the seafood and chorizo gumbo as a hearty starter, or for something lighter, go with the ahi tuna and avocado tartare. The menu is large, and highlights include the lamb chops, seared grouper, and salt and pepper tuna. You may also try the Brickell Dinner, which is a prix fixe meal of the chef's creation. As you would expect from the Four Seasons, Acqua is an excellently executed restaurant, and it is a great example of the fine dining in Miami.

Barton G

A Miami Beach hotspot, Barton G is as famous for its fantastic contemporary food itself as for its amazing presentation. Head Chef Barton G is as famous for cooking as he is for being an event planner, and this dual expertise is readily on display in every dish and drink he serves. For starters, there's the sashimi sno cones, which as the name suggests, are sashimi accompanied by an appropriately flavored (wasabi, ginger, blood orange) sorbet in an ice cream cone-shaped dish.

You would also be wise to try the lobster pop-tart, which features a flaky crust filled with lobster and gruyere (P.S. Your lobster pop-tart will arrive at your table in a toaster). The real show kicks off with the arrival of your entrée. Swordfish is served on a gentleman's sword with grilled local vegetables. The curiously named 'Chinese Duck Decoy' is a duck confit and duck egg roll served, appropriately, in a duck hunting decoy. The pan seared Florida grouper ('Lured by Grouper' on the menu) comes with a 2-ft. tall towering statue of fish tackle. You may opt to have the server remove it or not, depending on how you feel about your company. Chef Barton's incredible presentation doesn't end there. Try the Big Top Cotton Candy or Carnival Fun Cakes. It's up to you to find out what their presentations are like. If you're dining with a large group, the Ultimate BG Sundae and Chocolate Overload will comfortably push everyone over the edge.

Barton G is an incredible experience, and a hallmark of fine dining in Miami. To cap off your meal, try one of the restaurant's infamous $30 cocktails, which are served from its nitrogen bar. Why not end your meal with a 'smoking' drink after you've accumulated swords, toasters, and other absurd accoutrement at your table?

Il Gabbiano

Il Gabbiano offers the best in refined Italian food that the city has to offer. This restaurant takes its fine dining in Miami seriously, and its menu is meticulously prepared to reflect the season's freshest ingredients. Sit outside if you can, and bask in the glow of the complimentary starters that are whisked your way as soon as you are seated. All of the dishes are excellent, as you would hope to find in your quest for fine dining in Miami. The veal is especially good, and the risottos are top notch. Simply put, you can't go wrong. And that's how it should be in fine dining in Miami.

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