While we were staying in South Beach before our cruise, we spent an afternoon taking the Miami Culinary Tour. Rob and I love to eat and try local cuisine while traveling, so this guided walking tour was the perfect way to sample a bit of everything Miami has to offer. I liked that a lot of the eateries were hidden hotspots, rather than tourist traps. Plus there were a few architectural stops along the way, so we got to learn about the history of the buildings, landmarks and Art Deco design.
Our first stop was Manolos where we had melt-in-your-mouth churros stuffed with dulce de leche. The sweet treat had a nice crispy, crunchy exterior, but was perfectly fluffy inside. Next up was ceviche and empanadas at Taverna Bolivar, which has been named “Best Colombian Restaurant in Miami Beach.” I was unsure about the ceviche since it’s raw fish, but it turned out to be one of my favorite dishes from the day! It was so fresh and marinated in flavorful lime and passion fruit juices. They served this dish with a refreshing beer cocktail, which was a great pairing since the ahi sauce served with the empanada is quite spicy!
Another delicious stop was celebrity chef Ralph Pagano’s Naked Taco inside The Tudor House where we had empanadas. We loved it so much that we tried their sister restaurant, Naked Tiki, for dinner the next night.
One of my favorite items was a veggie sandwich from Blocks Deli. It was a delicious flat bread stuffed with sun dried tomato, spinach, feta and basil pesto. Even Rob, who insists everything needs meat, enjoyed it.
We also stopped at a beautiful restaurant called Larios On The Beach, which is a legendary establishment of Gloria Estefan. They served beef rope vieja and sweet plantain marquis with homemade mojo. It was an amazing combination! Plus Rob ordered a mojito since they are supposedly the best in Miami (although we weren’t that impressed).
Our final stop was Milani Gelateria, where I got a scoop of the Nutella gelato. This little gem is along Española Way, which is an area I liked even more than the main Ocean Drive. It’s a couple blocks of streets lined with pink buildings, string lights and various eateries. We walked back to this area at night, too, and had some crepes from A La Folie Cafe. I wish we’d had more time because there are so many more restaurants I would love to try! What are some of your favorite Miami eateries?!
{H&M T-shirt, Madewell chambray shirt, white jeans, Steve Madden lace-up sandals, Lo & Sons camera bag}
