15 Best Miami Rooftop Restaurants For Dining With A View

Perched atop the dynamic Miami cityscape is a whole world of restaurants and nightlife that can't be seen from the ground, but which constitute a force unto itself. On the tops of buildings, you can sample some of the best gastronomic experiments the city has to offer, while looking out over the skyline, the sea, and the horizon. Dining at a rooftop restaurant in Miami is an opportunity to experience a whole new city, just by taking an elevator (or a lot of stairs).

Miami's skyline, characterized by sleek skyscrapers and art deco architecture, serves as an awe-inspiring backdrop to these elevated eateries. As the sun dips below the horizon, casting hues of pink and orange across the skyline, rooftop diners are treated to a spectacle that transforms an ordinary meal into a memorable occasion. From the trendy streets of South Beach to the chic neighborhoods of Brickell and Wynwood, rooftop venues dot the city — but you wouldn't necessarily know they were there just by looking at the buildings that host them.

And that's where we come in. Drawing on personal experience of dining in Miami, experiencing its views, and taking in its cuisine, we give you a list of the best rooftop restaurants for dining with a view. Our list is based first and foremost on whether the establishment serves an interesting menu made with good-quality ingredients, and second on the caliber of the view.

In a city with such beautiful views, many Miami establishments rely too much on their surroundings and don't bother with the food. This is not the case with MILA in Miami Beach, which serves the best of both Mediterranean and Asian cuisines. Our favorite fusions include the "MediterrAsian" black cod with pickled hajikami and the wagyu skirt steak with basil crisp. Or you can go for the tasting menu and let yourself be blown away by the chef's selections.

You can enjoy these dishes while looking out over stunning views of the city and the water, but you'd be forgiven if you were too distracted to peer out the window or look over the balcony. The interior decor takes up a lot of attention with its lush plant life, wood-carved artwork, and blown-glass chandeliers. The whole setting feels like you've just stumbled into a restaurant in the middle of a jungle — looking out at the view might break the spell.

mila-miami.com
(786) 706-0744
1636 Meridian Avenue Rooftop, Miami Beach, FL 33139

For one of the top views in Miami, it makes sense to head to one of the tallest buildings in the Brickell district. Located on the 22nd floor of the AC & Element Hotel, the Rosa Sky Rooftop provides sweeping views of the city and ocean and is a prime spot to watch the sunset. Get into the mood of this rose-hued atmosphere by ordering a Rosa Sky cocktail while you await your food, made with strawberry-lemongrass vodka, lemon juice, and sparkling rosé. 

Speaking of the food, the menu consists mainly of small bites and bar selections, but all of it is good, and we'll go for quality over quantity any day. Try the lux grilled cheese sandwich, made up of braised short ribs, Mahon cheese, caramelized onions, and pineapple-sambal jam on a brioche bun. Or skip straight to dessert with the five-spice churros, topped with a chili sugar rub and toasted coconut creme anglaise.

rosaskyrooftop.com
(786) 628-1515
115 SW 8th St, 22nd Floor, Miami, FL 33130

Giselle would be a destination whether it happened to be on a rooftop or not. Everything about the place has been carefully planned and brilliantly executed, from the decor to the menu. As soon as you get off the elevator, it's a feast for the eyes on a beautiful marble bar top embellished with sparkling golden features and mirror tiles. The retractable roof leads you straight out onto the terrace, where you can enjoy the best views available.

The menu is almost as stunning, with various caviar options and other elevated fare like lobster fra diavolo that's with Calabrian chili and wagyu beef dumplings with Japanese sweet potatoes. All this fancy food may seem suspiciously trendy, but the quality of the offerings suggests it could be a place that stands stronger with time.

gisellemiami.com
(305) 358-9848
15 NE 11th St, Miami, FL 33132

Although the rooftop of this building (which used to be a firehouse) is not that high up — the open-air dining room is only on the second floor — it makes up for the lack of elevation in charm and good food, and you can still enjoy a close-up view of Brickell as you dine. The space is decked out with plenty of foliage, which keeps away any prying eyes without blocking the scenery.

Appetizers like traditional cornbread and a simple gazpacho show that the food is also approachable. You can head here for brunch, lunch, or dinner, and you'll always be sure to find something noshable. And don't forget happy hour, where you can get 50% off cocktails and beers between 4 and 7 p.m.

doloreslolita.com
(305) 403-3103
1000 South Miami Ave, Miami, FL 33130

Swimming at night in the actual ocean might be a bit of a gamble on Miami Beach. Sharks are a thing, after all. Luckily, there's Night Swim, a rooftop bar with a pool where you can take a dip while enjoying a view of the ocean from a safe distance. Located on the 11th floor of the citizenM Worldcenter hotel, this spot offers fun beachy decor, stunning views of the city, and a relatively laid-back vibe.

Embracing the Miami Beach spirit, this bar also provides excellent cocktails. Despite its on-the-nose name, the High Dive, made with tequila, passion fruit, fresh ginger, and lime, is refreshing and bright; the Jack Knife makes excellent use of perennial summer champion — watermelon. After the cocktails, and the pool, the next best thing is the food, including tasty bites like tuna tartare tacos and a truffle grilled cheese.

nightswimrooftop.com
700 NE 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33132

Upscale restaurant Mamey has a new addition: a rooftop, where you can enjoy beautiful views over Coral Gables and live music daily. The menu packs together global flavors spanning Latin America to Asia through Europe. 

Menu items that showcase this culinary breadth include the Croq Mamey, made with Chihuahua cheese, guava jam, ham, and sourdough bread, as well as the guava-topped plantains with feta cheese. Whatever you choose, know that some of the ingredients are likely to have come straight from the personal garden of chef Niven Patel, a renowned farm-to-table enthusiast. The rooftop has a limited food menu compared to dining on the ground floor, but it can be more fun. A shorter menu means less time deciding what to eat and more time enjoying the view and music.

mameymiami.com
(305) 266-2639
1350 S Dixie Highway, Coral Gables, FL 33146

Fiola, an Italian restaurant in Coral Gables headed up by Chef Fabio Trabocchi, is not a rooftop restaurant. Instead, the al fresco terrace operates as La Terrazza, a private-to-book restaurant with a bird's eye of Coral Gables and South Miami. Coral Gables was a planned community, so the views might lack some of the charm you'd get from the Art Deco district of Miami Beach or the stark drama of Brickell, but they are pleasant nonetheless.

The menu is dominated by seafood, including a comprehensive raw bar with ceviche from right off the coast. The lamb chops and New York strip are imported from Australia, which says something about the level of luxury up here.

fiolamiami.com
(305) 912-2639
1500 San Ignacio Ave, Coral Gables, FL 33146

Casa Faena, a boutique hotel in Miami Beach, is a classy joint, and the associated restaurant is equally sophisticated. For instance, the tacos ordered from this Mexican menu are known to be made from organic chicken and pepita lime butter or roasted pork in achiote. But those who come for the food tend to stay for the atmosphere, which is created first and foremost by the jungle-like decor on the rooftop terrace.

Along with a number of tropical plants, you'll find the space filled with a generous dancing floor (complete with disco ball) and dynamic music that will call you out and up, especially after a few cocktails. Don't forget to take a break from all the activity to admire the view of the crystalline waters.

gitano.com/miami
(786) 655-5600
3500 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33140

Private chefs are not usually accessible, especially not good ones like Chef Isaac Perlman. Luckily, that has changed, at least in Miami, thanks to Chef Perlman's newish venture, Perl. It opened in December 2020. As he told CBS in an interview, "I wanted to do a restaurant because it was like, 'How do we get the people who can't afford private service at their house to try our food?'"

Enter Perl by Chef IP, which — on top of great food — also happens to have a rooftop dining area with gorgeous views. You can sample a unique menu of Mediterranean and Japanese cuisine. Perlman serves a chicken katsu sandwich with Swiss cheese and a spicy green cabbage slaw, and sea bream with yuzu, soy, miso, and Japanese white sweet potatoes.

perlrestaurant.com
(786) 654-2854
2420 NE 186th St, Suite 100, North Miami Beach, FL 33180

Watr is an aptly named restaurant, given it's a stone's throw from the ocean, creating dazzling views from the rooftop and a 30,000-square-foot infinity pool. If you're looking for something stronger than water to drink, there is a yuzu spritz (Prosecco, yuzu, cucumber, ginger, and soda) or the signature Redland Revival (tequila reposado, mango, guanabana, Peychaud's, and Fever-Tree lime).

The beach club vibe with party overtones extends to the food; light bites like edamame and truffle fries are on the sunset menu, and sushi, sashimi, and other Japanese-inspired fare for dinner. Watr restaurant lists the local farmers it sources ingredients from for dishes that are equally fresh and sustainable. The restaurant also leans towards a wellness philosophy, so don't be surprised to find organic items on the menu.

1hotels.com/south-beach/taste/watr-at-the-rooftop
(305) 604-1000
2341 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139

There are rooftop restaurants, and then there are really high-up rooftop restaurants, the kind that might leave you feeling a bit dizzy if you tend to suffer from vertigo. Area 31, which is located on the 16th floor of the Kimpton EPIC Hotel in Brickell, is in the latter category. But that height makes the views extensive. From so high up, it's impossible not to get a good look at the Miami River and Biscayne Bay.

And the food is not at all outdone by the views. Each course is impeccably presented and flavored. The octopus a la plancha with caramelized onions and kalamata olive powder is a nice way to start the evening, while the fisherman's catch, served with grilled lemon and a house salad, is simple yet satisfying, especially since it comes from waterways you can see from your seat.

area31restaurant.com
(305) 424-5234
270 Biscayne Blvd Way, Miami, FL 33131

The Citadel, in the Little River neighborhood, might not have swanky views of the ocean or a prime waterfront location, but the sky is free for everyone, so you can still enjoy a beautiful sunset unobstructed by nearby buildings. In fact, as far as rooftop bars go, this one is decidedly laid back, with a greater focus on cultivating a charming atmosphere than on launching the latest trend or hosting the hottest party.

At the Citadel, which happens to sit atop a popular food hall that serves up some of Miami's best street food, you can order casual but good-quality nosh. Various food hall options are available to consume on the rooftop, from an award-winning burger from USBS to a wood-fired pizza from Ash! Pizza Parlor. This makes this spot an excellent place to gather with a large group of friends who may have conflicting tastes.

thecitadelmiami.com
(305) 908-3849
8300 NE 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33138

This Coconut Grove restaurant sits on the rooftop of the Mr. C hotel, which happens to be the hotel chain started by the same Cipriani family that owned the famous Harry's Bar in Venice — also the birthplace of the bellini cocktail, the mixture of prosecco and peach puree we all love to sip at brunch. Incidentally, Bellini is the name of the hotel restaurant, where you can be sure to find a fabulous bellini the way it was always intended to be made (especially if you're there for brunch).

But that's not the only draw. The restaurant also has a prime view of the ocean and marina, and the food is not too shabby either. This is a good place to get fresh, simple Italian fare made with good ingredients, like a burrata with heirloom tomatoes or a big plate of bucatini cacio e pepe. For an extra long look at the views, head to the pool area, where you can order some of the same items available on the regular dinner menu.

mrccoconutgrove.com/dine-and-drink/
(305) 800-6672
2988 McFarlane Rd, Miami, FL 33133

Little Havana has some of the best restaurants and bars in all of Miami. But until recently, it did not have a rooftop bar to speak of, at least not until Terras opened in 2020. Now anyone venturing that way can climb up to Terras and enjoy a view of the Miami skyline as they dine on Latin American street food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Beyond having a nice view, the restaurant makes full use of its rooftop location by cultivating a garden from which it sources ingredients for cocktails and dishes. For instance, you might find hyper-local mint in your sandia fresca, along with vodka and fresh watermelon juice. Indeed, the name of this restaurant comes from the Latin "terra," meaning earth and evoking a sense of nurturing. Still, much of the vegetation on the Terras rooftop is for show, not for consumption, setting a relaxed and calming tone for this urban oasis.

www.lifehousehotels.com/hotels/miami/little-havana/restaurant/terras
(305) 204-1793
528 SW 9th Ave, Miami, FL 33130

If you're unfamiliar with Japanese fusion, Salvaje, a rooftop restaurant in Wynwood, is a good place to start your research. Fusion happens at every level of the menu here, from the teriyaki-glazed lamb shank with Brussels sprouts in kimchi sauce, to the duck fried rice with truffle oil. You might even find some dishes that go beyond Japanese fusion and incorporate elements from other cuisines entirely. As Chef Fermin Azkue told the New Times, "Salvaje has an international menu to which we are adding and experimenting with products and gastronomy of each location and culture."

The unique menu can be sampled either indoors or on the retractable roof, surrounded by bamboo daybeds and oversized palm trees. The view is fairly modest, over lower commercial buildings and some residential neighborhoods, but there's always something nice about being on high ground, no matter what you're looking out on.

miami.salvaje.world
(786) 622-9911
101 NE 34th St, Miami, FL 33137

There are plenty of rooftop restaurants in Miami that offer great views of the city or water, but not all of them can also provide good food made with high-quality ingredients. So, using my first-hand knowledge of the Miami food scene and the world of Miami rooftop restaurants in particular, I set out to provide a list of spots where you can get the best of both worlds: good food and good views.

While most people can agree on what constitutes a decent view, the food part is a little trickier, which is why I wanted to detail my process for selecting the best restaurants with rooftop dining. A top criterion, for instance, was whether a restaurant used locally sourced ingredients or generally showed an interest in using good quality prime materials in its food and cocktails. Another consideration was whether the restaurant had been written up in any local or national media publications like Miami's New Times or Conde Nast Traveler. Lastly, since I don't live under a rock, I checked social media and selected only restaurants that had relatively high review scores on platforms like Google or Yelp.