Paya Miami

This is what every restaurant should aspire to be. The ambiance was beautiful and well thought out, the service was attentive and top-notch, and the food was mind-blowing. Every single dish had so much flavor and was interesting. Some of my favorites were the fish, grilled cheese in mango sauce, endive salad, and the rum cake. Every course was absolutely delicious. The chefs are creating magic back there. Paya is one of the best restaurants I’ve been to, and I go to many. HIGHLY recommend to anyone when in Miami.

This is a new top restaurant for me. Absolutely loved everything about it from the friendly staff, to the ambiance, and the out-of-this-world flavorful food. Truly can’t speak highly enough about it.

Dined on the Paya Patio at 5:30 on a Saturday as a party of 3, and absolutely loved our experience! Everything was on point from the atmosphere, to the flavors in the food, great vibes, chill music, and excellent service by Manny. We enjoyed green papaya salad, oysters, mussels, ceviche, lamb chops, and fried chicken. Each was truly wonderful, we couldn’t decide the winner. Happy hour everyday is awesome. I feel strongly that this is a new neighborhood gem! Will be back again soon.

Paya is one of my favorite restaurants in Miami! I've been a few times now, and each visit has been consistently impressive. The dishes are thoughtfully curated, made fresh, and feature top-quality ingredients. The papaya salad is delicious. The cocktails are also amazing - I love the Mo-garita. Also, a must try is their take on jello shots! Such a fun presentation with real fruit. One of my favorite touches is the music playlist, with everything from Anderson .Paak to ‘80s throwbacks, it sets such a fun, upbeat tone that perfectly complements the dining experience. The GM, Remyl, is incredible: welcoming, hospitable, and genuinely attentive to every guest. The restaurant itself is stunning and always buzzing with great energy and ambiance. 10/10 recommend. I can't wait to visit next for happy hour!

10/10 best restaurant in miami. Let me tell you, this is such a rear gem, difficult to find a restaurant like this in all of Miami, the food, the staff, the ambience is so special that is difficult to describe unless you come here and experience it yourself. Kelly the bartender and abdel the waiter made us live such an amazing night. We are local and this is my new favorite spot in the area. All the food is absolutely delicious and don’t miss out their tasting menu

Sister restaurant to Ghee, my favorite Indian restaurant in Miami. Good high end treatment of Caribbean food. Good service in a nice setting.

Ashish Aggarwal

Go. Here. Immediately. Paya is a South Beach hidden treasure.. fusion spot combining Caribbean-Indian-Spanish islands vibes that hit like a sunny day The Miami Spice dinner menu (~$60 pp) is a flat-out steal, one of the best in the city, delivering bold flavors and serious value. Would pay full price for everything we ate. Legit, so so good! The hamachi crudo is a stunner—silky fish sliced thin, kissed with red plums, finger lime, and leche de tigre for a tart, sweet zing that wakes up your palate.. all sauces made in-house.. with a slightest hint of tamarind too The daily catch, a perfectly seared golden tilefish (depends on the catch of the day/week), comes glazed with lemongrass, tender and flaky with a subtle citrus hum.. all swimming in a coconut curry and rich pool.. with caramelized veggies.. help! Lamb chops, glazed with tamarind and paired with roasted plantains and jerk-spiced yogurt, are juicy, smoky, and just the right kind of spicy… the lamb is imported from somewhere far away and pretty much falls off the bone The key lime pie dessert is a creamy, tangy dream, topped with lime zest and Marcona almonds for a nutty crunch that seals the deal. The Chantilly cream is not too sweet and literally feels like youre scooping in a cloud into your mouth Our server, India, was a rockstar—knew every dish inside out, kept our table humming, and made us feel like VIPs

Angie

This is what every restaurant should aspire to be. The ambiance was beautiful and well thought out, the service was attentive and top-notch, and the food was mind-blowing. Every single dish had so much flavor and was interesting. Some of my favorites were the fish, grilled cheese in mango sauce, endive salad, and the rum cake. Every course was absolutely delicious. The chefs are creating magic back there. Paya is one of the best restaurants I’ve been to, and I go to many. HIGHLY recommend to anyone when in Miami.

Gianna Nebbia

This is a new top restaurant for me. Absolutely loved everything about it from the friendly staff, to the ambiance, and the out-of-this-world flavorful food. Truly can’t speak highly enough about it.

Allegra Intignano

10/10 best restaurant in miami. Let me tell you, this is such a rear gem, difficult to find a restaurant like this in all of Miami, the food, the staff, the ambience is so special that is difficult to describe unless you come here and experience it yourself. Kelly the bartender and abdel the waiter made us live such an amazing night. We are local and this is my new favorite spot in the area. All the food is absolutely delicious and don’t miss out their tasting menu

Alan YDR

Really enjoyed our dinning experience at this gem of a restaurant. Great service by our server, Ariel. The menu is delicious with a variety of Caribbean inspired dishes. The setting is beautiful and quite romantic. Try the lamb chop appetizer and the papaya salad. We also really liked the skirt steak and the Piri Piri chicken. Hope to come back again soon!

Michelle Leclercq

I had an incredible time dining at Paya! The food was absolutely amazing — every dish we tried was bursting with flavor and beautifully presented. But what really made the night unforgettable was our server, Ariel. He was kind, attentive, and genuinely funny — he kept us laughing the whole evening! He knew the menu inside and out, gave us great recommendations, and made sure we had the best experience possible. If you’re looking for delicious food and top-tier service, Paya is the place. Ask for Ariel — he’s the best!

Toni Mclaughlin

What an INCREDIBLE experience! We went for happy hour and everything we got was delicious. The grilled cheese, cucumbers, and hakka noodles were on another level. Kelly at the bar was also so helpful, considerate, and cool. Great experience, will be back.

Bari Friedlander

From start to finish, every dish was a work of art. We began with the scallop crudo — delicately layered with passionfruit that added the perfect touch of brightness — and the hamachi crudo, which melted in your mouth. The ceviche was unbelievably fresh and vibrant, bursting with citrus and just the right amount of heat, while the papaya salad added a refreshing, tropical balance to the meal. For the main course, the local fish of the day was recommended, and it did not disappoint — perfectly cooked, incredibly fresh, and beautifully presented. Each bite reminded me why Miami’s coastal flavors are unmatched. To finish, the sorbet topped with caviar was pure perfection — a creative, elegant finale that tied the entire meal together in the most unexpected and luxurious way. Everything from the presentation to the service was impeccable. Paya Miami is truly a gem — sophisticated yet warm, and easily one of my favorite dining experiences in the city

Sarah Leinbach

Easily one of the best restaurants in Miami and perfect for our anniversary dinner! From the moment you walk through the door, the vibes are immaculate from the gorgeous decor to the friendly hostess. For appetizers, we ordered the smashed cucumbers and truffle brie grilled cheese. Both were fantastic and unique, but I have literally never had anything that tasted quite like the smashed cucumbers. For our entrées, we ordered the prime skirt steak and peri peri chicken. The chicken was delicious, so juicy and lemony. The potatoes it came with were literally the best mashed potatoes I have ever had in my life! The steak was good, but the presentation was lacking. For dessert we had the rum cake and it was truly magical. You seriously cannot go wrong with anything on this menu! The only problem we encountered during our dining experience was that our food was accidentally delivered to the wrong table, so we had to wait quite a while to get our entrées. Thankfully, the staff were very transparent and provided us with updates, while remaining friendly and professional (they also even offered to provide us an additional appetizer while we waited). The restaurant has such amazing ambience that honestly we did not even mind waiting. Anyway, top tier dining experience, and we cannot wait to come back!

Domina

I went on a Monday when they offer a special deal on the tasting menu — $50 per person instead of the usual $75. The food was good, with small sharing portions for two, and by dessert you feel full. Not stuffed, but enough, though it might not be sufficient for someone with a bigger appetite. The cocktails were disappointing — after trying three and none stood out, so the drink menu could use improvement.

Nicasia Solano-Reed

Made a last minute reservation after seeing Paya on the NYT list of best restaurants in Miami and I am so glad we did. Absolutely exquisite tasting menu (highlights were the chicken noodles and the tamarind pork chops) and warm, lovely service from Arielle. I hope Paya stays in Miami for decades to come so we can come back whenever we visit!

Rebecca Lynch

We went on the Christmas Eve and ordered the tasting menu and it was a great culinary experience. Everything was delicious and the ingredients were very fresh. The service was great too. The happy hour seemed very popular and the bar was packed. Highly recommended!

Anastasiia Lemeshko

We came as a group of seven and ended up trying almost every dish on the menu and truly, every single one was incredible. The flavors are so clean, fresh, and beautifully balanced. Dish after dish was a “wow” moment. The atmosphere is warm and elegant, the service is attentive, and the food… absolutely exceptional. This place is a total gem. Highly recommended.

Stephanie Castillo

I don't say this often, but this restaurant is a 10/10. The service is amazing, and the food is fantastic--it's truly a hidden gem! The grilled Brie cheese was incredibly good, and both the ceviche and lamb chops were bursting with flavor. What I loved most was how well-balanced and flavorful each dish was! The menu is simply perfect. And just when you think it couldn't get any better, the rum cake is out of this world! The steak was cooked to perfection, and the chicken masala was rich and flavorful. I don't understand why more people don't know about this place; it's definitely worth a visit!

Karen Redlich

This restaurant is a hidden gem! It is such a value in a place where so much is overpriced. The 10 course tasting menu has a little bit of everything. Spicy, sweet, savory. Standouts to our group were the papaya salad, the lamb chops, the skirt steak, the curried fish, and the rum cake. Also, we got the Jell-O shots, which were an elevated, foodie take and nothing like the ones we grew up with. They were so fun! We will definitely be back to this beautiful and delicious restaurant.

Grace Winkeljohn

This restaurant is amazing! We tried the Miami Spice menu and were very impressed. The dishes were excellent. The drinks were delicious and the atmosphere is great. We had beef tartare, ceviche, lamb shank, catch of the day, rum cake, and key lime tart. Everything was 10/10.

Everything we tried was truly delicious, but the lamb chops were the absolute highlight — perfectly cooked, full of flavor, and beautifully presented. The crab cake and wagyu tartare were also excellent and well balanced. We seated on the terrace. During our visit it was very calm and quiet, which gave the evening a more intimate, relaxed mood. Inside, the interior didn’t fully match our personal taste, but that didn’t take away from the quality of the food and the overall experience.

Came here for a date night, super cute little area! The bar was packed but had a lovely table outside. The service was quite slow, but so is everything on the beach right lol? We had the wahoo ceviche (honestly thought this was kinda meh, just wasn’t tasty), the shrimp and papaya salad was great as well as the lemongrass glazed fish… but the real winner of the night? The tamarind lamb chops! It was so tasty I wanted to eat the bones too lol. I wish they were just a little bigger but they are considered an appetizer. Just make sure you try them!!

Serg Mayer

Everything we tried was truly delicious, but the lamb chops were the absolute highlight — perfectly cooked, full of flavor, and beautifully presented. The crab cake and wagyu tartare were also excellent and well balanced. We seated on the terrace. During our visit it was very calm and quiet, which gave the evening a more intimate, relaxed mood. Inside, the interior didn’t fully match our personal taste, but that didn’t take away from the quality of the food and the overall experience.

Dannielle Cole

Came here for a date night, super cute little area! The bar was packed but had a lovely table outside. The service was quite slow, but so is everything on the beach right lol? We had the wahoo ceviche (honestly thought this was kinda meh, just wasn’t tasty), the shrimp and papaya salad was great as well as the lemongrass glazed fish… but the real winner of the night? The tamarind lamb chops! It was so tasty I wanted to eat the bones too lol. I wish they were just a little bigger but they are considered an appetizer. Just make sure you try them!!

We arrived without a reservation and the place was very crowded. The atmosphere was super nice, and the hostess was very kind. It took them a long time to take our order — even the two sodas we ordered took longer than usual to arrive. We decided to leave, as I figured the main course would probably take even longer. Maybe I’ll come back another time.

Edwin Nemes-Ryan

We arrived without a reservation and the place was very crowded. The atmosphere was super nice, and the hostess was very kind. It took them a long time to take our order — even the two sodas we ordered took longer than usual to arrive. We decided to leave, as I figured the main course would probably take even longer. Maybe I’ll come back another time.

Below-average food and service in a nice atmosphere with a hip vibe. We ordered all the recommended dishes and yet this restaurant left me really disappointed. Even coming in starving after walking around Art Basel all day with minimal food couldn’t rescue the missteps. Rack of lamb appetizer came very charred and overcooked with a skimpy amount of yoghurt sauce. Too much Jalapeño on the scallop crudo overpowered the delicate sweetness of the scallop. Despite the somewhat unique addition of passion fruit juice it was just in general very forgettable. Mains really went downhill. The catch of the day in coconut curry was served over the rice which turned the rice mushy (and perhaps it was overcooked to begin with). I would definitely have served the rice on the side. There was no contrast in flavors or textures at all. Not even any garnish on top. I would have put a green onion curl on top and served with a lime wedge to cut the richness of the coconut sauce, plus work on the recipe for the curry a bit more. How can a wagyu burger not taste good? We weren’t asked how we wanted our burger cooked and it arrived well done (who serves prime meat well done?) with no other toppings or garnish of any kind except a white cheddar, plus they forgot to add the ketchup (see empty white cup). Fries were also not great. We were lingering and talking after our meal and our waiter asked if we wanted the check (likely because her shift was ending), so we felt rushed out even though the restaurant wasn’t full. All in all, the dishes were one dimensional, showed a lack of attention to detail, and poor execution for the price point. When you look at the pictures, notice that there’s no garnish on anything. Save yourself from disappointment and go elsewhere.

Anna C

Below-average food and service in a nice atmosphere with a hip vibe. We ordered all the recommended dishes and yet this restaurant left me really disappointed. Even coming in starving after walking around Art Basel all day with minimal food couldn’t rescue the missteps. Rack of lamb appetizer came very charred and overcooked with a skimpy amount of yoghurt sauce. Too much Jalapeño on the scallop crudo overpowered the delicate sweetness of the scallop. Despite the somewhat unique addition of passion fruit juice it was just in general very forgettable. Mains really went downhill. The catch of the day in coconut curry was served over the rice which turned the rice mushy (and perhaps it was overcooked to begin with). I would definitely have served the rice on the side. There was no contrast in flavors or textures at all. Not even any garnish on top. I would have put a green onion curl on top and served with a lime wedge to cut the richness of the coconut sauce, plus work on the recipe for the curry a bit more. How can a wagyu burger not taste good? We weren’t asked how we wanted our burger cooked and it arrived well done (who serves prime meat well done?) with no other toppings or garnish of any kind except a white cheddar, plus they forgot to add the ketchup (see empty white cup). Fries were also not great. We were lingering and talking after our meal and our waiter asked if we wanted the check (likely because her shift was ending), so we felt rushed out even though the restaurant wasn’t full. All in all, the dishes were one dimensional, showed a lack of attention to detail, and poor execution for the price point. When you look at the pictures, notice that there’s no garnish on anything. Save yourself from disappointment and go elsewhere.