Need a lunch break? Follow our guide below for the best lunch spots in the Magic City, broken down by neighborhood. Bon appétit!   
Edgewater/MiMo
Where to go: Soyka {5556 Northeast 4 Court, MiMo; 305.759.3117}
Why: Brought to us by Mark Soyka—the brains behind spots like News Café, Van Dyke Café, and Café Roval—Soyka is a stylish urban eatery where you can get everything from gourmet burgers and fancy sandwiches, to elaborate salads, wood-grilled pizzas, and haute entrées. In true Mark Soyka form, the building is as interesting as the food. (It’s housed in an old warehouse that once served as a garage for the restaurateur’s extensive car collection.) Go there on Friday and Saturday nights, and you’ll find live jazz; go for lunch any day of the week and you can indulge in plates like Wood-Fired Prosciutto Pizza with house pomodoro, mozzarella, goat cheese, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, and arugula.
Miami Beach
Where to go: Hosteria Romana {429 Española Way, Miami Beach; 305.532.4299}
Why: Operating under the guise of “where Italians go for Italian,” this legit Roman-style restaurant is run by an all-Italian staff, so you know its mantra rings true. While the staff sings, dances, and delights patrons with handmade pastas, wood-fired pizzas, grilled meats and fish, and homemade desserts, diners can revel in the comfort of real Roman home cooking. When you’re there for lunch, start with a cup of Pasta e Fascioli soup and move on to the homemade Spaghetti a’ Carbonara with grana cheese, egg, Italian bacon-pancetta, and black pepper sauce.
South of Fifth
Where to go: Bakehouse Brasserie {808 1 Street, Miami Beach; 305.434.8249}
Why: This sparkling, Parisian-style bistro serves brunch all day long. During lunch, order a burger or opt for your second breakfast of the day—the Avocado Toast with cherry tomatoes, poached egg, and gremolata on multigrain toast is good at any hour.
Coral Gables
Where to go: Cibo Wine Bar {45 MIracle Mile, Coral Gables; 305.442.4925}
Why: This chic-meets-delicious restaurant and wine bar is exactly the type of Italian restaurant you’d expect Coral Gables’ trendy business crowd to enjoy. The menu is huge, the food is delicious, and there are even friendly “wine angels” who throw on harnesses and scour the floor-to-ceiling wine wall to grab choice bottles. Go during lunch, and dine off the Lunch in Fretta menu. For just $18, you’ll get a salad, your choice of pasta or pizza, and a dessert of the chef’s choosing.  
Wynwood
Where to go: Wynwood Kitchen & Bar {2550 Northwest 2 Avenue, Wynwood; 305.722.8959}
Why: Head to this colorful, laid-back eatery and bar, and you’ll be just as electrified by the art as you are by the menu. If you’re there for lunch, grab a seat outside and feast on dishes inspired by Miami’s prominent Latin community. We love the WKB Hamburguesitas with chorizo and chicken patties, pickled jalapeño, baby arugula, and a side of cascabel aioli… and we’re pretty sure you will, too.
Brickell/Downtown Miami
Where to go: Zest {200 South Biscayne Boulevard, Downtown Miami; 305.374.9378}
Why: Take a break from your mundane workday and add some fire to the mix with Caribbean fare. Sitting in Downtown Miami, this part eatery, part market is the brainchild of Cindy Hutson, an esteemed chef and restaurateur known for both Ortanique on the Mile {278 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables; 305.446.7710} and her unique cooking style, “Cuisine of the Sun.” Grab a seat in its bright surroundings, buy and smoke a cigar onsite, and order the Cumin and Corriander Crusted Niman Ranch Pork Chop with yucca cakes, passionfruit chimichurri, and grilled asparagus. Can you think of a better lunch break?
Coconut Grove
Where to go: Glass & Vine {2820 McFarlane Road, Coconut Grove; 305.200.5268}
Why: When Grove Bay Hospitality Group tapped South Florida chef Giorgio Rapicavoli—champion of Food Network’s Chopped, a man listed on FORBES “30 Under 30,” and a James Beard Award semi-finalist—to helm its new park restaurant in Coconut Grove, we all knew it would be good. And we were right! An open indoor-outdoor spot in Peacock Park, Glass & Vine serves up whimsical, sharing-style plates inspired by its Floridian surroundings. For just $24, get one of the special “Pairs” from the lunch menu. We like the one that couples Heirloom Tomatoes and rocoto leche de tigre with Semolina Pasta topped with green pea pesto, pistachio, bread crumbs, and olive oil. And when you love the latter of the two, go home and make it for yourself. (We have the recipe here!)
Key Biscayne
Where to go: Costa Med Bistro + Wine {260 Crandon Boulevard, Suite #46, Key Biscayne; 305.361.7575}
Why: This quiet spot in Key Biscayne serves Italian cuisine that’s eye-popping good. If you want authentic pasta, this is where you’ll find it; but don’t for one second think that’s all they have. If you need a solid midday pick-me-up, get the Costa Med Burger with a house blend of Prime Allen Brothers certified Angus beef, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, and Applewood smoked bacon. It comes with your choice of sauce and a side—we recommend the House Spicy Sauce and Truffle Fries.
Happy dining!
By Jennifer Agress | Miami Editor