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Top Tasting Menus In Miami

Most people go to a new restaurant and order one of their favorite foods for a new experience. That's not good enough for true foodies and adventure seekers. Miami offers a variety of prix fixe menus, allowing you to sample several course of dishes you would have normally never tried for one set price. The standard prix fixe menu or tasting menu offers an appetizer, multiple entrees and a dessert. The added benefit is that some establishments are chef's choice, meaning that you are surprised with every course. So check out the restaurants below and navigate your taste buds toward an adventure they've never experienced.

See our latest Best Tasting Menus in Miami article here.

michys
Photo Credit: Michy's

Michy's
6927 Biscayne Blvd
Miami, FL 33138
(305) 759-2001
www.michysmiami.com

Price: $70 for three-course tasting menu; $90 for four-course tasting menu

Michy's is the brainchild of famed Miami Chef Michelle Bernstein and her husband David Martinez. It's a down-home American joint with new-age Food Network flair set against an eclectic blue and orange decor that is highlighted by flower-patterned chairs and personal chandeliers at every table. Here, you can sample anything from its famous short ribs to butternut squash risotto and finish it off with the legendary bread pudding. The tasting menu is chef's choice, but these experts take into account dietary restrictions to make sure that you have the best experience possible. If you plan on visiting this Miami hotspot, reserve your table a month in advance as this 60-seat establishment is always packed (a testament its food).

Related: Best Cuban Food In South Florida

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Area 31
270 Biscayne Blvd Way
Miami, FL 33131
(305) 424-5234
www.area31restaurant.com

Price: $60 for five-course tasting menu ($95 with wine pairings)

The best part of Miami is the ocean and what comes from its waters. Area 31, a South Florida seafood restaurant located on the 16th floor of the exquisite Epic Hotel in downtown Miami, has the best offerings from the area's deep blue. Its chef's choice tasting menu includes two appetizers, two entrees and one dessert to finish off the night. Indulge in such dishes as jumbo lump crab salad, butter-poached Blue Point oysters, barley risotto and yellowfin tuna. As an added bonus, a portion of the proceeds from the tasting menu benefits Roots to the City, a non-profit organization concentrating on creating organic gardens in Miami, and Common Threads, an organization that teaches children the importance of nutrition and physical activity. Reserve online or walk in and try your chances.

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Scarpetta
4441 Collins Ave
Miami Beach, FL 33140
(305) 538-2000
www.fontainebleau.com

Price: $85 for five-course tasting menu; $115 for 10-course tasting menu

Scarpetta is how Miami does Italian. Located on the south end inside the famed Fontainebleau Hotel, it offers a seasonal prix fixe menu that includes complimentary bread cleverly stuffed with salami, appetizers, entrees and a dessert. The smaller five-portion menu is recommended because it's cheaper and the entrees are large, family-style portions that encompass two to three different tastes within one course. The 10-course dinner includes six appetizers, two entrees, one cheese course and one dessert course. Enjoy such plates like steak tartare, braised short ribs, Mediterranean octopus, Long Island duck and 21-day aged sirloin of beef. Call ahead for menu availability.

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Asia de Cuba
1100 W Ave
Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 514-1940

Price: $85 to $100 for three-course tasting menu

Asia de Cuba has a secret. It offers a daily prix fixe menu but only if you speak to the catering department first. The food, as referenced by its name, is Asian-Cuban fusion so it's sure to please and surprise everyone involved. The tasting menu offers a salad and an appetizer for the first course, an entree and side for the second course and a dessert to finish. Prices vary due to menu options. China Grill, Asia de Cuba's sister restaurant and a long-time South Beach staple, is coming to the Brickell neighborhood and will open its doors in the winter of 2012. It also offers a great daily prix fixe menu.

SRA Martinez
Photo Credit: SRA Martinez

SRA. Martinez
4000 NE 2nd Ave
Miami Beach, FL 33137
(305) 573-5474
www.sramartinez.com

Price: $75 for tasting menu ($90 with wine pairings)

Miami is lucky enough to have Chef Michelle Bernstein cooking up intricate dishes in another restaurant kitchen in the area. Enjoy her talents at SRA. Martinez with dishes like crispy eggplant, cauliflower steak, braised oxtail and squid ink risotto. Other offerings might include lamb ribs, garbanzo stew and seared octopus. Sit back in this bistro-like setting and enjoy your feast street-side with the outdoor seating. If you'd rather see the chefs at work, ask for a spot at the food bar to witness these dishes coming to life.

Related: Best Italian Restaurants In South Florida

Niema Hulin was born in Newark, NJ but raised in Lexington, South Carolina for the bulk of her formative years. In 2002, she moved to Miami after graduating from the University of Florida. Since then, Niema has worked in film, television and commercials as a Production Assistant and Production Coordinator. Some of her films have included Bad Boys II and I Am Number IV. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.

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