When you think fine-dining by the beach, what destinations do you imagine? Personally, I recall restaurants at luxury resorts in the Caribbean, and fine-dining experiences overlooking the ocean in California. However, there’s no need to jet off to Santa Monica or Saint Lucia to enjoy a truly decadent meal near the shore. If you’re based on the East Coast like me, you can find world-class restaurants in coastal cities a little closer to home — like in the Sunshine State.
As of 2025, Florida boasts a total of 31 Michelin-starred restaurants. Of course, not all of these are on the coast, as travel hot-spot Orlando lays claim to its own share of Michelin stars, but quite a few can be found in (predictably) Miami, as well as in Tampa and Fort Lauderdale. Additionally, Florida has even more Michelin-recognized restaurants — aka restaurants that haven’t received a star, but still get a nod for their great food and great value.
So, which are the best of the best? These are the Michelin-recognized restaurants in Florida’s coastal towns that both the foodie professionals at Michelin and traveling foodies like you claim are worth your attention.
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon — Miami
We can’t start this list without recognizing L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon. L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon and Sorekara are the only restaurants in Florida with not one, but two Michelin stars. L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, though, has held its second star for longer than Sorekara (which just gained its second star this year). Additionally, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon is located in Miami, while Sorekara is in Orlando.
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon is everything you’d expect from a highly acclaimed restaurant with French roots and seasonal prix fixe menus that incorporate ingredients such as “parmesan foam” and “carrot-brown butter emulsions.” This isn’t food, it’s gastronomy.
No plans to be in Miami soon? You can find L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon outposts in not just France and Miami, but also Las Vegas, Dubai, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Taipei, Tokyo, Cyprus and Macau, with eight of the currently open 12 locations boasting Michelin stars.
Address: 151 NE 41st St, Miami, FL 33137
The Surf Club Restaurant — Surfside
If French haute cuisine isn’t quite your speed, you can find upscale Continental and American dining at this restaurant situated within the Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club, in Surfside, Florida. The Surf Club Restaurant earns high marks from average reviewers on Google, who describe the food, drinks, service and atmosphere using descriptors such as “divine,” “otherworldly” and “impeccable.” The atmosphere is certainly worth talking about, with its Art Deco, vintage vibes and the Michelin guide especially recommends the menu’s “brilliantly reimagined” Maine lobster thermidor.
Plus, whereas some Michelin-recognized restaurants may put off pickier diners who shy away from the unfamiliar or particularly inventive, The Surf Club Restaurant feels simultaneously familiar and exciting, thanks to recognizable menu items like a New York strip steak and roasted chicken.
Address: 9011 Collins Ave, Surfside, FL 33154
Hiden — Miami
For the utmost in exclusivity, there’s Hiden. The reservations-only restaurant offers two seating times per opening day, and only serves eight guests at a time. Guests access the space via a time-sensitive code that’s required to enter a door hidden behind a taco restaurant. Once inside, the lucky few enjoy a chef’s choice menu that includes eight to 10 courses, encompassing both cold and hot dishes, sushi and dessert, all updated seasonally. Reservations are $300 per person — but reviewers say it’s worth it.
Address: 313 NW 25th St, Miami, FL 33127
The Chef’s Counter at MAASS — Fort Lauderdale
Another Four Seasons-set, Michelin-starred option, the Chef’s Counter at MAASS is located within the Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale. Be careful, though, not to confuse snagging a reservation at the MAASS dining room overall with a reservation at the Chef’s Counter. Another exclusive experience, the Chef’s Counter allows diners to settle right up next to the restaurant’s open kitchen, where they can watch the chefs work, while enjoying one of two carefully crafted tasting menus. The experience lasts up to three hours and guests can expect to spend up to $375 per person, if they manage to grab one of the 14 seats available.
Ebbe – Tampa
In Tampa, Ebbe, named for Chef Ebbe Vollmer, offers two tasting menus with a Scandinavian slant. Reviewers report that Ebbe is a full-on experience, not just a meal, with plenty of opportunity to interact with the staff, including Chef Ebbe and learn more about each dish and its pairings.
The best part? Multiple reviewers comment that this restaurant is a hidden gem or remark that they’re not sure why it’s not overly crowded every night — meaning you should be able to get a reservation all the more easily.
Address: 1202 N Franklin St, Tampa, FL 33602
Rocca — Tampa
Also in Tampa, Rocca delights with its Italian cuisine, lauded cocktails and below-average pricing (at least if we’re comparing Michelin-starred restaurants). Expect handmade pasta and mozzarella pulled table-side in a bright and airy space (and vibrant, colorful plating to match).
If you skip ordering the mozzarella cart to your table, or perhaps the caviar service, you might start dinner instead with the dry aged steak carpaccio, or the chicken liver and foie gras pate, before following it up with the veal-filled ravioli or gnocchi topped with trout roe. If you’re dining with a few others, also consider the shareable dry-aged duck; you’ll need to allow an extra half-hour cooking time, but use that time wisely by settling in for one of Rocca’s expertly mixed cocktails.
Address: 323 W Palm Ave, Tampa, FL 33602
Psomi — Tampa
However, as we mentioned, not every restaurant worth visiting on Florida’s coasts can claim a Michelin star (in fact, far from it!). Some restaurants, though, have received a Michelin Bib Gourmand distinction, which means the guide’s inspectors still thought that these restaurants were worth recognizing, even if they might not be as high-end as the typical Michelin-starred restaurant. Psomi is one of these.
Having received the Bib Gourmand distinction, as well as a Young Chef Award in 2023, Psomi, in Tampa, is a Greek restaurant with a bakery, brunch and bar (and, really, what else do you need?). Reviewers love Psomi, too, praising its service, homemade breads and value. The extensive menu offers plenty of vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free and gluten-free options, too.
Address: 701 N Howard Ave, Tampa, FL 33606
Heritage — Fort Lauderdale
A pizza restaurant? With Michelin recognition? You bet. At Heritage in Fort Lauderdale, pizza is the overwhelming focus within this trendy lunch-and-dinner spot.
While, yes, you can get your typical New York-style cheese and pepperoni pies, as well as a Margherita, consider branching out a bit to try other options, like the Patate pizza, which comes topped with whipped mascarpone potatoes, cheddar cheese, provolone, smoked pancetta and fresh mozz. Or, consider the squash blossom and cold pulled burrata pizza, or the short rib marsala pizza. Just make sure that you’re saving room for the restaurant’s tantalizing desserts, like the Oreo bread pudding.
Zitz Sum — Coral Gables
The small, intimate, 30-seat Zitz Sum in Coral Gables earned its Bib Gourmand with a seasonal a la carte menu and weekly seven-course tasting menu. However, not only has the restaurant earned a Bib Gourmand for four years running, but it also was a 2022 James Beard Foundation Semifinalist for Best New Restaurant and a New York Times 2022 Best 50 Restaurants in America.
So what can you expect? Reviewers love the warm, inviting, moody and elegant atmosphere and décor, as well as the diverse, fresh and ever-changing contemporary Asian cuisine. The tasting menu is by and large the crowd favorite. Menu items might include options such as steak tartare with miso mustard, buttered leeks and pickled daikon; potato dumplings with black truffle and potato furikake; roasted striped bass with Feijoada-style blacked peas and smoked pork belly; or Hong Kong-style French toast made with the restaurant’s own milk bread.
Rooster and the Till — Tampa
In Tampa, Rooster and the Till earns high marks from reviewers for its elevated yet accessible menu. Michelin reviewers love it, too, and have awarded the restaurant the Bib Gourmand distinction every year since 2022.
Choose from either an a la carte or prix fixe menu. On the former, you might spot options like roasted golden beets, ricotta and pickled gooseberries served with grilled sourdough as a starter; followed by fried chicken and waffles that incorporate miso, yuzu maple and caviar; and then vindaloo pappardelle with lamb neck and a pistachio pistou. On the latter, enjoy four courses of smoked fish dip, soft shell crab, Wagyu hanger steak and a banana and guava granita dessert.
Address: 6500 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33604
Chug’s Diner — Miami
Even a Cuban diner has earned the attention of Michelin inspectors in Miami. This four-year holder of a Bib Gourmand is everything you want in a diner, plus the Miami food scene’s characteristic Cuban flair. Think all-day breakfast and milkshakes.
Having a difficult time deciding what you’d most like to try off Chug’s Diner’s tempting menu? The Michelin guide recommends the oxtail ajiaco, one of the sandwiches served on Cuban bread and a guava and cream cheese pastelito.
