MIAGuide
The Best Brunch Restaurants In Miami Beach
photo credit: Tasty Planet
South Beach is a neighborhood that knows a thing or two about hangovers. So if you went a bit too hard at one of the best bars in South Beach last night (or if you're just hungry and it's 11am), one of these brunch spots can help. They include excellent bakeries, bottomless drag extravaganzas, and places to get something healthy with a slightly too expensive juice.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: Patrick Michael Chin
Even though Miami is about as south as you can get in this country, good Southern American food is tragically hard to find. That’s why we really like South Beach’s Joliet. The brunch menu includes raw bar selections, sweet cornbread, baked french toast, and an andouille egg benedict. The crisp dining room is covered in art and plants, and the poolside outdoor seating is lovely if it's nice out. Come here for a slightly more sophisticated South Beach option that’ll still deliver something good and fried.
photo credit: Rami Sabban
The Sunday brunch at Sweet Liberty is a blast, especially if you're trying to drink. This is one of the best bars in Miami at night. During the Sunday brunch, expect a fun atmosphere, bottomless rosé, and crowd-pleasing brunch classics like chicken and waffles. This place is everything we love about South Beach: sexy and colorful and not afraid of a hot pink neon sign, without any of the nasty overpriced stuff you’ll eat and drink on Ocean Drive.
photo credit: Rami Sabban
True Loaf is a South Beach bakery that’s a reliable place for some great pastries, including one of the best almond croissants in town. They also sell sandwiches, which are good, but we come here for their sweet pastries. This place can get crowded on the weekends, and it's pretty much a takeout-only spot. But there’s also a lovely little waterfront park (Maurice Gibb Memorial Park) just a block away where you can have a picnic.
Abba Telavivian Kitchen is an Israeli restaurant in South of Fifth that’s an excellent choice for a weekend brunch or lazy lunch—especially if it's a nice day and you want to eat outside. The brunch menu includes a great shakshuka or Jerusalem bagel. The lunch menu has more good dishes, like crispy falafel and roasted local fish.
photo credit: Rami Sabban
Bettant is a solid French bakery on Washington Ave., which can be a slightly touristy area without a lot of good food options. But that’s all the more reason to have Bettant on your radar. There’s nothing touristy about this place. They have good croissants, tarts, and incredibly large baguettes, which they turn into tasty sandwiches. And you can buy more than enough to fill you up for under $15 too, which is nice considering the pricey restaurants around the area.
Fried chicken is the main attraction at this Southern American spot, so be sure to order a dish that involves it. This place is probably going to be filled with tourists, but it's a lot better than the options available at the nearby Lincoln Road. So eat here and then take a stroll down Lincoln Road to recover, where people will be too busy fighting their way through the Apple Store to judge your “I ate too many biscuits” face.
Maison Valentine is a French bakery that works for a casual, chill brunch where you won't need a reservation. This place makes more sense if you're in the mood for dessert. They make choux pastries with creative fillings, viennoiserie, and some great baguettes made with imported French wheat. But you don't have to have dessert for breakfast. You can get one of their sandwiches, or just order one of those baguettes with a side of butter and jam.
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Though drag brunch has now spread far and wide across the country, very few places have been doing it for as long as the Palace has. This place is still a blast, and though they do drag shows at night, you want to be here while the sun is out. It’s $55 per person, which includes food and bottomless mimosas. The food is food, and not the reason you come here. You come to sip as many mimosas as you want for two hours while witnessing the best sidewalk drag show of your life. Come armed with singles to tip the performers.
Bebito’s is a cafe just off Alton Road with lots of seating, some good coffee, and a small menu of mostly Cuban breakfast items. This place is on a residential side street, so it's not quite as chaotic as Alton or Washington. It’s walk-in friendly too, which makes it an ideal spot to work. Just order something from the all-day breakfast menu, which includes short rib croquetas, croissant sandwiches, overnight oats, and more.
Under The Mango Tree makes very good versions of all the current juice cafe hits: acai bowls, juices, smoothies, and meatless sandwiches like their spicy kale melt. The store is small, with a lot of plants, indoor seating, and the personality of a yoga studio. There might not be anywhere to sit if you're here with a big group, but it's a solid takeout spot.
