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The Best Seafood in Miami
Where to eat stone crab claws, raw-bar crudo, and whole fish in Miami — from the South Beach claw institution to Greek, Peruvian, and Japanese fish counters.
By Dim Hour · Updated 2026-06-24 · 6 verified picks
Miami seafood runs on two clocks — the Florida stone-crab season that opens in October and closes in May, and the daily catch coming off the docks year-round. The city pulls in whole fish from the Greek islands and the Mediterranean, raw-bar oysters and crudo, and the citrus-cured ceviche and tiradito that arrived with Miami's Peruvian and broader Latin kitchens. The result is a seafood scene that swings from a century-old claw house to twelve-seat omakase counters. Every spot below is scored and verified by Dim Hour.
Ordering stone crab is its own ritual: claws are sold by size — medium, large, jumbo, and colossal — already cracked and chilled, served cold with the traditional mustard sauce. Beyond the claws, look for raw-bar oysters, whole fish priced by the pound and filleted tableside, and ceviche or crudo to open. Stone-crab season runs roughly mid-October through early May, so plan a claw run for those months; the rest of the year, the raw bar and whole fish carry the table.
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The Picks
1
Joe's Stone Crab
Seafood / Stone Crab · South Beach · $$$$ · Dim Hour 97
🏆 James Beard America's Classics, Historic Miami landmark
The South Beach stone-crab institution, open since 1913 and only during stone-crab season, October through May. Order the claws by size with mustard sauce, the crisp hash browns, and key lime pie to finish. It is walk-in only, and two-hour waits are part of the experience.
Order: Stone Crab Claws · Hash Brown Potatoes · Key Lime Pie · Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes · Hash Browns
2
Estiatorio Milos
Greek / Seafood · South of Fifth · $$$$ · Dim Hour 93
🏆 Michelin Recommended
A Greek seafood room in South of Fifth built around whole fish displayed on ice and priced by the pound, flown in daily from the Greek islands and the Aegean. Order a whole lavraki, the grilled octopus, and the Greek salad. The intervention is minimal — olive oil and lemon do most of the work.
Order: Whole Fish · Greek Salad · Grilled Octopus · Lavraki
3
La Mar by Gastón Acurio
Peruvian / Nikkei · Brickell Key · $$$$ · Dim Hour 91
🏆 Forbes Travel Guide, Wine Spectator Award of Excellence
Gastón Acurio's Peruvian-Nikkei kitchen inside the Mandarin Oriental on Brickell Key, with a bayside terrace. The raw side carries the room: order the ceviche clásico and the tiradito Nikkei, where soy and citrus meet, then a pisco sour. A strong choice when the table wants ceviche over claws.
Order: Ceviche Clásico · Tiradito Nikkei · Anticuchos · Lomo Saltado · Pisco Sour
4
Amara at Paraiso
Latin American / Seafood · Edgewater · $$$$ · Dim Hour 89
Michael Schwartz's waterfront restaurant on Biscayne Bay in Edgewater, with one of the city's best sunset patios. The wood hearth anchors the menu — order the wood-grilled whole fish and the ceviche, both rooted in Latin American technique. Time a reservation for sundown over the water.
Order: Wood-Grilled Whole Fish · Ceviche · Churrasco · Plantain Tostones
5
Shingo
Japanese Omakase · Coral Gables · $$$$ · Dim Hour 94
🏆 Michelin 1 Star
A twelve-seat Edo-mae omakase counter in a Coral Gables residential building, away from the South Beach flash. The menu leans on seasonal fish flown in from Tokyo's Tsukiji market alongside local Florida catch, built across a nigiri course and a tuna flight. Book through Tock; the chef works directly in front of every seat.
Order: Edo-Mae Omakase · Nigiri Course · Tuna Flight · Seasonal Soup
6
Boia De
Italian · Buena Vista · $$$ · Dim Hour 93
🏆 Michelin 1 Star (Miami Guide)
Chefs Luciana Giangrandi and Alex Meyer's 36-seat Italian in a Buena Vista strip mall, with seafood threaded through the menu. Order the seasonal crudo, the wood-grilled whole fish, and the tagliolini nero with king crab. Reserve well ahead through Resy — the room is small.
Order: Ragù Lasagna · Grilled Whole Fish · Seasonal Crudo · Tagliolini Nero with King Crab · Gnocchi alla Norcina
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best seafood in Miami?
The top seafood and stone crab picks in Miami include Joe's Stone Crab, Estiatorio Milos, La Mar by Gastón Acurio. Each is scored and verified by Dim Hour; see the full ranked list with signature dishes above.
When is stone crab season in Florida?
Stone crab season runs roughly mid-October through early May. Florida stone crab is harvested by removing one claw and returning the crab to the water to regrow it, so the season is regulated and the supply is seasonal. Outside those months, stone-crab houses close or pivot, and the rest of Miami's seafood tables lean on the raw bar and whole fish instead.
Where can I get stone crab in Miami?
Joe's Stone Crab is the definitive stone-crab house in Miami — open only during stone-crab season, October through May, and walk-in only. Order the claws by size, from medium up to colossal, served chilled with mustard sauce.
How do you order stone crab claws?
Claws are sold by size — medium, large, jumbo, and colossal — already cracked and served cold with the traditional mustard sauce. At Joe's Stone Crab, round the order out with the hash browns and key lime pie. Larger claws cost more per pound, so a mix of sizes spreads the spend.
Where is the best raw bar and ceviche in Miami?
For ceviche and crudo, La Mar by Gastón Acurio on Brickell Key leads with its ceviche clásico and Nikkei tiradito, while Amara at Paraiso pairs ceviche with wood-grilled whole fish on the water. Boia De runs a seasonal crudo as part of its Italian menu.
Where can I get whole fish in Miami?
Estiatorio Milos displays whole fish on ice and prices it by the pound, flown in daily from the Greek islands, then fillets it tableside. Amara at Paraiso grills whole fish over a wood hearth, and Boia De runs a wood-grilled whole fish on its Italian menu.
What is the best seafood omakase in Miami?
Shingo is a twelve-seat Edo-mae omakase counter in Coral Gables, leaning on seasonal fish flown in from Tokyo's Tsukiji market alongside local Florida catch. Expect a nigiri course and a tuna flight, with the chef working in front of every seat.
Which Miami seafood spots take reservations?
These picks take reservations: Estiatorio Milos (OpenTable), La Mar by Gastón Acurio (OpenTable), Amara at Paraiso (OpenTable), Shingo (Tock), Boia De (Resy). Joe's Stone Crab is walk-in only, so plan for a wait there.
Where can I eat seafood on the water in Miami?
Amara at Paraiso sits on Biscayne Bay in Edgewater with one of the city's best sunset patios, and La Mar by Gastón Acurio has a bayside terrace on Brickell Key at the Mandarin Oriental. Both are built for a meal timed to the water and the light.
Is the seafood good outside stone crab season?
Yes. Stone crab runs October through May, but the rest of Miami's seafood is year-round — Estiatorio Milos flies in whole fish daily, La Mar by Gastón Acurio and Amara at Paraiso carry ceviche and crudo, and Shingo runs omakase regardless of season.
How many seafood spots does Dim Hour cover in Miami?
This guide highlights 6 of the best seafood and stone crab spots in Miami, drawn from a Dim Hour catalog of 562 scored and verified venues across the city.
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