We’ll take the spicy tuna rice crackers, chicken with truffle butter and snickerdoodle cookies, please. Why indulge in one entrée when you can sample the entire menu? Though typical chef’s tasting menus cost upwards of $300, we found five restaurants that’ll let you dine like a millionaire, all for less than $100.
5 Insanely Delicious Miami Tasting Menus (That Don’t Cost a Fortune)
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Published May 24, 2019
Photo courtesy of Monkitail
Monkitail ($65 Per Person)
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more affordable tasting menu than Monkitail’s. The contemporary Japanese restaurant by Philly’s Michael Schulson offers a do-it-yourself chef’s tasting menu of ten courses plus dessert, which lets you mix and match dishes to your liking. Look out for the pastrami bao buns, spicy tuna rice crackers, edamame dumplings with truffle, and black cod fried rice with miso caramel.
3555 S. Ocean Dr., Hollywood; 954-602-8755 or monkitail.com
Photo by Evan Sung
Boulud Sud ($34 Per Person)
Want to sample the best of the best by James Beard Award–winning chef Daniel Boulud? Now’s your chance. His downtown Miami restaurant is worth a visit anytime—but especially during lunch for three courses of Mediterranean goodness. Start with his spiced baba ghanoush, followed by Moroccan shakshouka or seared branzino with artichoke and apricot. There’s dessert too, but it’s kept a surprise until the day of. Did we mention the meal is less than $45, including tax and tip? (We’re considering making this a weekly occurrence.)
255 Biscayne Blvd. Way; 305-421-8800 or bouludsud.com/miami
courtesy of Macchialina
Macchialina ($59 Per Person)
We take pasta seriously, so we’re thankful for this Italian gem in the middle of Miami Beach. We’re even more thankful to owner Mike Pirolo, who offers a five-course chef’s tasting menu every night of the week. While he won’t disclose exactly what’s on it, you can expect the bestpasta you’ve ever had in your life (this side of Italy, at least).
820 Alton Rd., Miami Beach; 305-534-2124 or macchialina.com
courtesy of Stubborn Seed
Stubborn Seed ($95 Per Person)
Indulge in a meal cooked up by one of Miami’s best: Top Chef winner Jeremy Ford. His award-winning South Beach restaurant serves a five-course tasting menu. Though offerings change daily, previous dishes have included house-made bread with garbanzo chili dip, warm celery root with crackling maitake mushroom and creamy mustard, and chicken with truffle butter and gnocchi. Even better, every meal ends with pastry chef Dallas Wynne’s crowd-pleasing snickerdoodles, served warm and oozing with a rich chocolate filling.
101 Washington Ave., Miami Beach; 786-322-5211 or stubbornseed.com
courtesy of Azabu Miami
Azabu Miami ($50 Per Person)
This Michelin-starred concept from NYC is split into an elegant dining room, a chic cocktail bar and an 11-seat secluded sushi den inspired by a Tokyo izakaya. We suggest defaulting to Azabu’s moderately priced tasting menu, which serves as an excellent introduction to the restaurant. You’ll begin with a single bite-sized amuse-bouche, followed by salmon or beef tataki and a robata entrée. We’re fans of the beef skirt steak with kobu sauce and the branzino with umami butter. No meal here would be complete without Chef Masa’s legendary chocolate lava cake, so make sure to save room for dessert.
161 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach; 786-276-0520 or miami.azabuglobal.com
