Your date might initially be a little skeptical when you take them to dinner under a sign that reads “Pump House.” But there’s no innuendo here—the phrase refers to the coral rock house’s one-time role as a water pump station during Miami’s early days. This left the space with a large quarry pond in the middle of its lush outdoor garden that creates a captivating waterside dining experience tucked along a busy street. Amid dim lights and soft colors, you can listen to the bubbling water features while sharing Middle Eastern spreads like shakshuka and pastrami hummus, then delving into one of ZOI’s shareable steaks or branzinos.
Staring down a live Norwegian King Crab isn’t necessarily the obvious way to start a romantic evening. But if you can get past the king-sized crustaceans near the host station, Klaw provides one of the most spectacular date settings in the city. The high ceilings and well-spaced tables inside what was once the Miami Women’s Club offers an air of luxury and special-occasion intimacy. The menu is long on entertainingly sharable items, too, whether you bond over cracking crab legs or indulging into one of its specially-sourced steaks. Start the evening out with cocktails on Klaw’s breezy rooftop, where your drink comes with a front-row view of Biscayne Bay and the changing colors of sunset.
How to book: Reserve via SevenRooms.
Major Food Group does restaurant design on another level, and while the chaos of Carbone can be fun it doesn’t always lend itself to an intimate meal. Opt instead for Contessa, an art-deco masterpiece of a restaurant that feels like eating in a 1930s mob movie. Long, plush benches allow you and your date to sit side-by-side, joining what looks like gangsters and their goomahs in dim light and joyful noise. The attentive staff and sommeliers help you along by suggesting interesting wines and guiding you through the northern-Italian menu.
Lorena Garcia’s MiMo darling in the old News Café space is like eating in a tropical forest, but not in the hokey way you remember from Rainforest Café. Calming plants alternate with sexy low-lit décor, making it a perfect place for a romantic dinner or suggestive end-of-the-night-drinks. The Latin-inspired menu gets the job done, with a creative collection of arepas like braised short rib asado and beet making for fun shareable appetizers. But the real excitement starts when you begin exploring the cocktail menu under Chica’s golden-hued lights, where a few sips of the pineapple-lime Chica-Rita has you contemplating some seriously naughty endeavors.
Miami’s lone two Michelin star recipient isn’t just a great date idea because a tire maker said so. It’s a low-lit, intimate experience where you and your date can sample some of the finest food in the world while watching a kitchen that moves like a silent precision drill team. Every dish here is an adventure, and so long as you both keep open minds you’ll find the seasonal creations challenging yet rewarding, much like your relationship. Be advised though, eating here is never cheap. And while we’d say it’s absolutely worth the price, maybe save it for an occasion with someone you know is worth it.
It wasn’t so long ago that taking your Southwest Dade sweetie out for dinner meant chain restaurant-hopping along Kendall Drive to find who had the shortest wait for a table. Those days are long gone, thanks to the arrival of Chef Adrianne’s outpost at Town & Country. Waterside dining doesn’t get any more romantic inland, as you kick off dinner with the best charbroiled oysters south of Biloxi set to the soothing soundtrack of the T&C fountain. Couples can loosen up by exploring one of South Florida’s most impressive wine lists, then splurge on something from the burrata bar and a pristine order of Mishima Reserve Wagyu Osso Bucco.
How to book: Reserve via SevenRooms.
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