Leave it to a comically tiny Japanese eatery served by a Colombian chef to grab this year's best restaurant in South Miami-Dade. Cafe Oriental serves premium Japanese classics with the friendliest service north of the equator. The mom (Selina Siu) and pop (Juan Gomez) spot doesn't serve sushi; instead, they offer ramen, katsu curry, onigiri (stuffed rice balls wrapped in seaweed), and karaage (succulent fried chicken bites). Gomez, who worked in Japanese restaurants as a chef for years, adds touches from Latin America, like a tangy, crunchy pineapple chayote salad. The star of the menu is arguably the ramen that includes a creamy tonkotsu broth cooked for 18 hours and poured into a bowl with the classic fixings, like pork and a runny egg. Forget a ten-course omakase menu for $300. Go slurp noodles and eat with wooden chopsticks on a plastic green park bench when Cafe Oriental gives you real bites from Japan.

Recognized by Wine Spectator and Gambero Rosso Awards, this fine-dining Italian restaurant certainly knows how to pair a wine with its delightful food program. Chef Angelo Elia takes a modern twist on traditional dishes, but not so modern your mother-in-law won't love it. With its indoor and outdoor seating and high-end design, the Aventura location (there's also Fort Lauderdale and Boca) oozes romance as any classic Italian restaurant should.

Pretty much everyone in Fort Lauderdale has enjoyed Anthony's Runway 84. The iconic Italian-American restaurant and supper club has been serving the classics like prime steaks, pasta, and seafood since 1982. But in 2023, the restaurant underwent a complete makeover. Now, it looks like Miami's upscale Carbone, except here, the atmosphere is like coming home on a holiday. The dimly lit dining room has a rustic, 1960s-inspired decor where you can hear live music and can order a variety of martinis. You truly can't go wrong at Anthony's for date night or to celebrate any of life's milestones. But just don't show up in shorts; the dress code won't allow it.

Opened in 1975, Le Tub is as "Old Florida" as it gets. This Hollyweird staple is an absolute must-visit for any self-respecting local. Converted from an old gas station, the roadside joint is notable for two things: massive, award-winning burgers and extraordinary views of the Intracoastal waterway — and yes, you can park your boat here. An afternoon at Le Tub spent watching the waves and sipping a beer after housing an enormous chunk of meat on a bun is a true beach-day pleasure.

The 11th Street Diner is housed inside a stainless-steel Paramount dining car built in New Jersey in 1948. It was formerly in business in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, the shipped from the foot of the Pocono Mountains and plunked down in South Beach in the early '90s. The art deco diner is now a Miami Beach mainstay with solid American offerings that please tourists and brave locals alike. There are more than 100 menu items — including breakfast at any time. The food is as eclectic as its retro surroundings: shrimp alfredo, waffle fried chicken sandwich, and the el Cubano. Guzzle down 11th Street's famous $16 spiked milkshakes to pre-party or to start the day with brunch. On Friday and Saturday, the diner is open 24 hours for late-night eats and (not actually) award-winning people-watching.

After an 18-year culinary career in New York, Just Spoons Café chef and owner Dwight Bernard Witherspoon Jr. moved back to his hometown in 2019 to open a brunch restaurant. The idea? "Comfort food with a twist." The son of the chef at the helm of Lauderdale Lakes mainstay Spoons Grill and Restaurant, Witherspoon reimagines classic Southern recipes. Try the curry shrimp and grits, a delicious Caribbean-meets-soul-food offering that includes the silkiest grits you'll ever taste (sorry, grandma). Or devour one of the most popular menu items, fried chicken and vanilla-bean French toast, a sweet-and-spicy, never-soggy play on chicken and waffles with a Cajun kick. Honorable mentions include the fried catfish, smothered pork chops, and chicken and biscuits. Come to Just Spoons for the sour bitch mimosa, and stay for the speakeasy-style ambiance. You'll be hooked from the first bite.

While this Westchester restaurant has a massive menu filled with legit Chinese dishes, it's the dim sum that keeps 'em returning for more. Bring the whole family — real and Cuban cousins, and definitely a few friends — because Tropical Chinese is the kind of place that serves up big. It has a selection of more than 50 dim sum items that servers roll by so diners can choose their own adventure. Try not to order with your eyes, but if you do, get the fluffy pork bun, perfectly steamed shrimp siu mai, egg custard tarts, or go for the unfamiliar with crisp chicken feet. Sure, there's a regular dinner menu served after 3:30 p.m., but the lunch or brunch experience with dim sum carts is the way to get the best out of Tropical Chinese.

You probably know that Hialeah had a glow-up. During that City of Progress makeover, the Yards at Amelia emerged as a central hub within the city's Amelia District. Located on Red Road, it delivers a new kind of outdoor dining experience. Sure, glistening lights hang above food trucks like Pia's Not Just Pizza, Los Tacos, Remaking Sushi, Boca Loca, and others, but what makes this place unique is that it's paired with an indoor pickleball court. We suggest eating after playing. They also host comedy nights, a Stomp the Yards dance battle, and even a Porsche meet-up — a very specifically Miami-type event. The space is expanding by taking over the former Valsan department store, so expect more yards and more room to park your Porsche.

From Japanese Wagyu to certified Angus beef strips, ribeyes, and filets, this underrated South of Fifth steakhouse serves up juicy cuts cooked exactly to your liking. Red South Beach is helmed by owner and chef Peter Vauthy and serves up dishes off a Cheesecake Factory-sized menu. There are nearly a dozen options when it comes to just steak cuts alone! They all pair phenomenally with the equally long list of sides. Everything, from sauces to garnishes, is prepared from scratch. Red also boasts a selection of more than 500 wines, and the restaurant's sommelier is always on hand to help you decide what will pair best with your hunk of personalized meat.

Got a match on the apps? Then, you need to score a reservation at the New Schnitzel House. The New Schnitzel House upgrades the flair and delightful German fare of the old Schnitzel House. It also features a creative cocktail program reminiscent of its sister bar, Gramps, in Wynwood to provide a tasty social lubricant for a best first date. You can actually hear the other person talk at New Schnitzel House, assuming that's a goal — you know, to see if they're empty between the ears. Sharable "appeteasers" like the housemade pickle plate or pretzel with beer cheese and mustard are guaranteed to spark convo. The schnitzel is obviously a solid choice, but so is the array of "snausages." While salads usually suck at restaurants, New Schnitzel House cracked that code with three great options. Just be sure to check your chompers in the mirrored bathroom after you indulge. Depending on what you want out of your date, the weekend brunch is a little more wholesome, the outdoor patio with its twinkling lights provides a When Harry Met Sally rom-com energy, but the dimly lit and thoughtfully decorated interior is the way to go to bring the Moonstruck-in-Miami vibe. The restaurant is taking a summer hiatus but will reopen in the fall. So start planning a rendezvous now.