Mediterranean Wave
In the past year, restaurants and cafes have sprouted up specializing in fare from Israel, Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, Yemen, Morocco, Syria with some Spanish, French and Italian influences. These lighter dishes are ideal for our balmy weather and perfect for a group. Like tapas and antipasti, meze (or mezze) are appetizer dishes meant to be shared. And with so many vegetarian and vegan options on many menus, these restaurants are easy go-tos for friends and family gatherings.
Aba Miami, Bal Harbour
The first South Florida location for a restaurant from the Chicago-based Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants group, Aba showcases the lighter Mediterranean cuisine from chef partner CJ Jacobson, with dishes influenced by Israel, Lebanon, Turkey and Greece. They’re in the former Makoto space in the Bal Harbour Shops.
TRY THIS: Avocado hummus that incorporates tomatillos, tahini, a bit of jalapeño and lobster; and housemade stracciatella in panzanella tomato salad with Meyer lemon. All dips are served with pita topped with clarified butter, sea salt and za’atar. The bar program highlights Mediterranean-inspired wines and spirits.
GOOD TO KNOW: Enjoy brunch on their patio on weekends. Lots of gluten-free choices, too.
MORE INFO: Aba Restaurants
Abbalé Telavivian Kitchen, South Beach
From executive chef Sam Gorenstein of My Ceviche and entrepreneur Omer Horev, founder of Pura Vida Miami, this chic restaurant features a modern menu that draws on Syrian, Latin and Moroccan flavors, creating a melting pot of foods typical of a Tel Aviv café..
TRY THIS: At lunch, order shakshuka – eggs in a tomato, pepper and onion braise with Moroccan spices and a fire-baked Jerusalem bagel. For dinner, roasted branzino comes with pistachio tahini and preserved lemon tapenade. Finish with a warm medjool date sticky cake.
GOOD TO KNOW: Every Friday at 6pm and 8:30pm, they host Shabbat Under the Stars with a family-style dinner menu paired with Israeli wines.
MORE INFO: Abbalé Telavivian Kitchen
Amal Miami, Coconut Grove
One of the Grove’s newest restaurants, Amal – “hope” – is an elegant oasis that transports you to Lebanon via chef Wissam Baki’s food. Choose from dips, salads, hot mezze, skewer platters, wraps, coastal-inspired entrees and a handful of sides.
TRY THIS: Sample Lebanese favorites, like kefta kebab of minced beef and lamb, parsley and onions; dips that include muhummara, garlic labneh and baba ghanoush; and crispy eggplant and zucchini with labneh, cucumber and golden raisins. Their brunch menu features traditional breakfast with ballila and fatteh and flatbreads.
GOOD TO KNOW: Don’t leave without trying Lebanese wines from the Bekaa valley.
MORE INFO: Amal Miami
Branja Miami, Upper Buena Vista
From MasterChef Israel 2016 winner Tom Aviv and chef Jimmy Chill is a playful take on the flavors of Tel Aviv. Watch your dishes prepared in their open kitchen stacked high with pans and spices.
TRY THIS: Fishwarma, fish prepared with Jerusalem market spices, pine nuts, paprika oil, labneh tahina, mango amba syrup and cilantro; and Brooklyn Heights sashimi, beet-cured salmon with sour cream, horseradish and dill. Finish your meal with halva crack pie made with pistachio and tahini.
GOOD TO KNOW: The outdoor space called The Cathedral features a multitude of multi-colored stained glass that resembles its namesake.
MORE INFO: Branja Miami
DOYA Wynwood
The kitchen at this Aegean Meze and Bar restaurant is run by chef Erhan Kostepen, formerly of the beloved Mandolin Aegean Bistro, and got a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand for its good food and value. The flavorful fare is inspired by his childhood in Turkey.
TRY THIS: Cold meze highlights include haydari, a garlic yogurt dip and vegan red lentil kofte. Fisherman’s seafood stew for two, sucuk – grilled Turkish beef sausage and cherry tomatoes – and Turkish pastrami hummus are among the standouts.
GOOD TO KNOW: Their cocktail menu reflects their Aegean roots. Look for raki, a sweet Turkish liquor flavored with anise and fresh herbs, in some of their creations.
MORE INFO: Doya
The Drexel, South Beach
Co-founded by Ahmet Erkaya and Anastasia Koutsioukis of the well-regarded Mandolin restaurants, The Drexel focuses on coastal Mediterranean fare and ingredients like Greek honey and yogurt, Italian charcuterie, fresh seafood and lamb.
TRY THIS: Lots of eggs on their brunch menu, like shakshuka – wood-oven baked eggs with homemade sourdough, or their lavish Mediterranean breakfast with aged feta, mortadella, pickles, olives, housemade simit, savory sesame breads.
GOOD TO KNOW: Their daily Happy Hour (until 7:30pm) features $10 wood and charcoal appetizers. like fried cauliflower with tahini yogurt and preserved lemon.
MORE INFO: The Drexel
Fabel Miami, Wynwood
One of Wynwood’s newest stars, the open-air rooftop restaurant and lounge is atop the Wynwood Jungle in an enchanting space by Matthew Rosenberg’s award-winning M-Rad Architecture. Executive chef Ian Fleischmann is in the kitchen and master sommelier Christopher Miller heads up the extensive wine portfolio.
TRY THIS: Aroa labneh with spicy Aleppo chili crisp and Zak’s challah; Gratitude Garden’s oyster mushroom with tandoori spice and olive oil soubise; and coriander salt-crusted dorade with kaffir lime, lemongrass and ouzo.
GOOD TO KNOW: More than just a restaurant, Fabel is a high-end “clubstaurant” with a DJ and full bar. Come for a late dinner and stay to dance the night away.
MORE INFO: Fabel Miami
Jaffa Miami, Design District
Yaniv Cohen, aka the Spice Detective, first opened his Israeli/Mediterranean space in the Design District’s Mia Market food hall, offering a Kosher-style, Glatt kosher meat and dairy-free menu, along with vegan dishes and an authentic Mediterranean and Israeli wine selection.
TRY THIS: Dishes that highlight Cohen's native roots and in-depth spice knowledge such as turmeric roasted cauliflower, deconstructed baba ganoush, a hummus bar, and other staples of meze.
GOOD TO KNOW: Hungry for more? Pick up Cohen's cookbook, My Spiced Kitchen: A Middle Eastern Cookbook.
MORE INFO: Jaffa Miami
Meraki Gyro & Bakery, Miami Beach
This casual outpost on Alton Road is the latest from Alex Karavias of Meraki Greek Bistro in downtown Miami and Coconut Grove. Karavias opened the grab-and-go spot to meet the needs of South Beach residents, There are a few seats indoors and outdoors.
TRY THIS: Gyro pitas and a la carte skewers. Their signature lamb kebab platter comes with tomato and lemon yogurt sauce made in house. Traditional Greek baked items, like spanakopita, tyropita and bougatsa, plus a variety of homemade desserts from chef Yani, particularly his specialty orange cake. “It’s out of this world,” says Karavias.
GOOD TO KNOW: Shop for imported Greek grocery items in the market section, including olive oil, pasta, honey, vinegar, salt, herbs, Greek beer and natural wines.
MORE INFO: Meraki
Neya, Surfside
Upscale Israeli food in a chic space a few blocks from the Bal Harbour shops, with dishes meant to share, like mezze platters, kebabs and flatbreads. A Josper charcoal grill in the open kitchen takes care of proteins. There’s a buzzy bar scene, too.
TRY THIS: Shishbarak with wild herbs. Their crudos are created with a Mediterranean filter: tuna sashimi with sesame pistachio and yellowfin tuna tartare comes with spiced eggplant. Seafood paella gets a Telavivian treatment with bottarga and fennel.
GOOD TO KNOW: Get friends together for their Sunday bunch and order dishes from their mezze menu like sigara borek, white fish crispy rolls, and roasted cauliflower with wild herb tahini.
MORE INFO: Neya Surfside
Tur Kitchen, Coral Gables
Chef Christian Chirino melds Northern African, Middle Eastern, Southern European and Turkish flavors throughout an extensive menu that sources locally where possible, including mushrooms from Gratitude Garden and beef from Boyd Farm.
TRY THIS: Manti – Turkish dumplings stuffed with lamb with labneh, tahini, sumac and pistachios – are a treat. Don’t miss pides, Turkish breads filled with braised lamb, eggplant, mushrooms or shrimp.
GOOD TO KNOW: Their three-course, fixed-price ($39) Mediterranean Spice Menu is available year-round on weekdays from noon-3pm.
MORE INFO: Tur Kitchen
Yalla Motek and Motek, Aventura, Brickell, Coral Gables, Downtown Miami, Miami Beach
What started as a hidden gem in downtown Miami’s jewelry exchange building has branched out into multiple locations and a walk-up spot in Aventura Mall’s Treats Food Hall. The restaurants are convivial hotspots with a full menu; the food hall location includes sandwiches and wraps, bowls, salads, sides and sweets. Shaul’s wife Tessa says her husband traveled to Turkey to study how to make the perfect shawarma.
TRY THIS: The lamb shawarma sandwich, a pita stuffed with tender thin-cut lamb and crunchy red cabbage. Fresh bowls include hummus, greens, red cabbage and choice of protein including salmon or schnitzel.
GOOD TO KNOW: Keep an eye for future expansion.
MORE INFO: Motek
