Al Carbón (Sheraton Bal Harbour) 9701 Collins Ave. (305) 868-2587 Global-Contemporary The menu spans the globe from Pan-Asian sushi-sashimi with wakame, and tamarind-glazed salmon with Japanese eggplant and lo mein, to seared foie gras and dry aged sirloin with cabernet butter. Light items, pizzas and salads complete the menu. $$$ Bal Harbour Bistro 9700 Collins Ave, (305) 861-4544 Bistro Fare Cosmopolitan, contemporary bistro with a European feel inside or a garden patio offers breakfast, lunch or dinner. Crab claws, lobster, sandwiches vie for attention with rack of lamb and filet mignon in an ample and varied menu to please every taste. Great also for just coffee, lush desserts, and people watching. $$ Baraboo 7300 Ocean Ter, (305) 867-4242 Mediterranean The theme is magic (waiters play with fire and juggle when not serving). The tasteful dining room unfurls onto a romantic terrace overlooking the ocean. The menu features exquisite risotto and pasta for starters—saffron risotto is superb! There’s salmon scaloppini, potato-crusted catch of the day, and the house specialty is duck Muscovy and an unforgettable osso buco. $$ Bay Harbor Fine Food Market 1077 95 St, Bal Harbor Island, (305) 865-0331 Gourmet Market A full-service, well appointed gourmet store delivers to your home caviar and seafood, imported meats and cheeses, fine wines and champagnes, impressive produce and prepared foods. Benihana Japanese Steakhouse 1665 NE 79th St. Cswy. (305) 866-2768 Japanese A Miami institution. Japanese-style cuisine prepared tableside. Part meal, part performance art. (Kids especially enjoy “the show.”) Tasty teriyaki steaks and chicken; sushi bar. $$ Bistro Zinc 17901 Biscayne Blvd, (305) 935-2202 Contemporary The feng-shui arranged bistro serves oven-roasted maple leaf duck with vanilla-flavored sweet potato purée, sautéed snapper in garlic butter and white wine, and pan roasted Chilean sea bass with portobello mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes. For desserts profiterolles with Cointreau cream bathed in dark chocolate ganache are a must. $$ Bleau View (Fontainebleau Hilton) 4441 Collins Ave. (305) 538-2000 Mediterranean Bleau View, with fabulous views of the tropical outdoors, is the result of a recent major renovation at the hotel. Try any one of several entrees like Filetto Marcantonio, a broiled tenderloin of beef with eggplant, tomatoes and pancetta, or a grilled salmon fillet and saffron risotto. $$$ Cafe Avanti 732 41 St, (305) 538-4400 Italian This welcoming trattoria offers delicious carpaccio di manzo, bruscetta, and calamari fritti, as well as a nice selection of salads, soups, pasta and specialty rice dishes. Try the broiled red snapper, grilled baby chicken in lemon sauce or veal and beef tenderly prepared. $$ Cafe Prima Pasta 414 71 St (305) 867-0106 Italian Don’t be deterred by the lines outside this lively trattoria. They make some of the finest Italian dishes in town. For starters try carpaccio di manzo or the pepperoni arrostiti. Wonderful selection of homemade pastas to complement petto di pollo limone with white wine and lemon butter sauce or vitello Milanese. Desserts are succulent. $$ Café Ragazzi 9500 Harding Ave. (305) 866-4495 Italian Located one block from the Bal Harbour Shops, Café Ragazzi offers a perfect respite. Wonderful Italian fare, homemade breads, imaginative salads and pastas. $$ Caffé Da Vinci 1009 Kane Concourse (96th Street). (305) 861-8166 Italian Wonderful homemade pastas; don’t miss the black seafood linguine or the crab ravioli, fish and meats in a charming atmosphere. The staff pampers you all the way. $$ The Crab House 1559 79th St. Cswy. (305) 868-7085 3599 NE 207th St. (305) 933-8191 Seafood You’ll love this huge, informal waterfront eatery with some of the best, freshest Florida fish and crabs. Also features prime ribs, pastas and a seafood salad bar. Kids love the wooden hammers. $$

Christine Lee's Miami Beach 17082 Collins Ave. (305) 947-1717 Chinese and continental For 35 years, lovers of Chinese cuisine have enjoyed their lobster rolls and fresh stone crabs as well as seafood dishes like Neptune’s delight with shrimp, scallops and red snapper marinated in dry sherry and Christine’s special with chunks of boneless chicken and lobster sauteed with shrimp, BBQ pork and Chinese veggies. There’s also chicken Française and sirloin steak. $$ The Forge 432 41St. (305) 538-8533 American Bistro One of the best. This first-rate steakhouse is regularly studded with celebrities who come for ambiance, an extensive wine cellar and perfect humidor. High-quality, high-priced food, with specialty dishes like American grilled chicken, and for dessert, the greatest, most sinful chocolate soufflé. $$$$ Harry's Grille (Eden Roc Resort) 4524 Collins Ave. (305) 531-0000 Steakhouse A gorgeous room overlooking the legendary pool is a perfect setting for good food and good service. Filet mignon and black angus porterhouse are not all you can have at this steakhouse. Fish is big on the menu as well as the angelhair tropical with jumbo shrimp. $$$ Moroccan Nights 9551 Harding Ave, Surfside (305) 865-5333 Moroccan Cuisine Waiters dressed in traditional Moroccan garb greet you with orange blossom water before dining Tagines—stews of salmon, beef or lamb, kabobs, or Mechoui of slow-roasted lamb and couscous. Nightly belly dancing completes the exotic atmosphere. Reservations recommended. $$ Oasis Café 976 41st St. (305) 674-7676 Continental This very popular informal eatery specializes in healthful fare with a Mediterranean flair: Falafel, hummus and grilled fish. Fresh-squeezed juices, too. $$ Oggi Caffé 1740 79th St. Cswy. (305) 866-1238 Italian A tiny jewel in the endless sea of trattorias, this popular spot offers huge portions of imaginative dishes, including extraordinary homemade pastas and desserts. $$ Palm Restaurant 9650 E Bay Harbor Dr. (305) 868-7256 Steak The venerable Palm is synonymous with gargantuan lobsters and prime beef. The finest quality and preparation. Very expensive. Very special. $$$ Philippe 9415 Harding Ave., Surfside (305) 861-2211 Basque Seafood is the centerpiece here, served in elegant dishes. Appetizers are outstanding. Not to be missed: clams in green garlic sauce, sizzling shrimp and roasted piquillo peppers stuffed with bacalao. Beef, lamb and chicken dishes are authentically prepared. Homemade desserts are wonderful and change regularly. $$ The Rascal House 17190 Collins Ave. (305) 947-4581 Jewish A must for Miamians and visitors alike. But be forewarned: People flock here to consume mass quantities of Jewish soul food. (Avoid early-bird hours.) No ambiance; minimal service; just a mind-boggling selection of some of the highest-quality and tastiest food around at bargain-to-modest prices.$$ Shula’s Steak House (Alexander Hotel) 5225 Collins Ave. (305) 341-6565 Steak The beautifully appointed rooms are a virtual museum of the 1972 Miami Dolphins’ 17-0 Perfect Season. The menu is big on certified Angus beef in generous portions, and offers a good choice of fish and chicken dishes. Open for lunch and dinner with nightly entertainment. $$$ Zur (The Claridge Hotel) 3500 Collins Ave. (305) 604-8181 American The newly renovated Claridge Hotel is now home to the charming indoor/outdoor restaurant Zur. The eclectic menu features new American cuisine with Mediterranean and Latin influences, like butternut squash and biscoti orechiette, carrot and yukon potato gnocchi in a tomato cream sauce, and candy-shaped ravioli with cheese and wild mushrooms in a proscuitto cream sauce. Affordable.