A Local’s Guide to Dining in Coconut Grove

In many ways, Coconut Grove is the calmer and more laid-back antipode to Miami's hustle and bustle — and that's especially true for its fine dining options. Along with stunning natural scenery, Coconut Grove is an incredibly comforting and inspiring locale, making it the perfect setting for a unique and fulfilling dining experience. For those simply seeking calm, casual dining or needing a major respite from the intensity of Magic City, read on to learn some of Coconut Grove's fine-dining highlights from one of the most passionate Coconut Grove real estate agents.

 

With a contemporary take on Italian, Bellini brings sophisticated, world-class offerings to the more direct but novelty-seeking sensibilities of American tastes. It’s also Jacqueline’s favorite restaurant in the Grove! Sited atop the luxurious Mr. C Miami Coconut Grove Hotel, the restaurant treats diners to overhead views of Coconut Grove below. Enjoying some of the most elegant and thoughtfully served cuisine that Coconut Grove real estate offers while taking in the splendor of Biscayne Bay is a treat that you'll never grow tired of.

Their five-page cocktail menu offers exotic concoctions alongside classic mainstays, and the same could be said of Bellini's breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus. Signature brunch staples, antipasti, fresh seafood, paninis, and delicious Italian options provide a dining experience worth experiencing.

 

Billing itself an ode to New York's “all-day dining” tradition, Sadelle's has won awards as an essential brunch diner with famous bagels, sticky buns, and an incredible combination of comfort food with options just as healthy as they are succulent. This spot is another one of Jacqueline’s personal favorites. You'll be right in your element whether looking for a late and lazy Sunday brunch or the classic, satisfying simplicity of a deli sandwich, soup, and salad. No matter how simple or extravagant your tastes may be on any given day, Sadelle's has something for you.

One can't help but debate with themselves whether the breakfast pastries or the actual dessert menu looks more tempting (Sadelle's sticky buns were voted one of the Best Dishes in 2015 by the New York Times). Their starters, specialties, and sides provide no shortage of unique options to try, and you can sate your appetite just as well with a collection of appetizers and choice of caviar as with anything from their main menu.

Sadelle's is an excellent choice for those seeking a refined yet down-to-earth dining experience, equally suited to a memorable brunch with friends or for semi-casual business meetings. They also have an impressive wine list and specialty drink menu, giving Sadelle's potential as date-night material. All told, it is the perfect place to start a new Sunday brunch tradition, especially if you just spent Saturday night living it up in Miami.

After a while, it can seem rare to find a Mexican restaurant continually serving up something truly unique. That makes it all the more impressive what the incredibly thoughtful chefs at Los Félix have in store for you. With memorable dishes such as grilled oysters on a sweet potato tetela or pork cheek carnitas with grilled heirloom vegetables served in fresh, home-ground and -made tortillas, you'll be amazed at how unique fine Mexican dining can become.

The work of Los Félix is a labor of love, honoring the indigenous tradition of Milpa farming that highlights the connectivity between the land and those it feeds, from farm to table. With ingredients grown using biodynamic methods, Los Félix proudly serves patrons in the ways that have the most beneficial impact on the health of the soil of the farms they rely on.

Their in-house Molino churns out fresh tortillas daily, creating the most inviting scents imaginable. Locally grown heirloom vegetables further leave your mouth watering and your mind searching for why you've never tasted such unique flavors from classic food staples. They also practice their local-over-global principles in their drink selections, offering only wines from the Americas and craft beers from nearby regional breweries.

In all ways, Los Félix strives to provide a blend of tradition and modernity — and those efforts extend to the atmosphere they set. You'll enjoy dining on their custom culinary masterpieces while being treated to the authentic sounds of vinyl during their live DJ sets, which attempt to convey what they call, a "grounded and transcendent" vibe. We couldn't agree more.

For more casual dining or something to get you through the lunch rush (and just be sure to order ahead), Daily Bread Marketplace serves incredible Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes. Doubling as a market, the family-owned business is the largest baker and supplier of pita bread in South Florida. They also cater to many local businesses, schools, churches, and clubs daily, meaning it's no stretch to describe the Daily Bread as a true local favorite.

Their menu includes all the platters, skewers, and gyro dishes you could hope for. Their dessert pastry menu is dangerously enticing whether you fancy yourself a sophisticated foodie or simply an unabashed sweet tooth. You'll be glad to include Daily Bread Marketplace in your Coconut Grove dining circuit for a quick lunch and exotic shopping in a marketplace atmosphere.

The beautifully decorated all-vegan restaurant has a unique niche, aiming to imitate a wide variety of Asian cuisine. At times, it mimics the taste of seafood quite remarkably, while at others, it creates fantastic new flavors. Either way, if you are a vegetarian or vegan — or simply looking for something unique — then PLANTA Queen is a must.

The restaurant is highly eco-friendly, having eliminated single-use materials and paper checks. Planta Queen also contributes to many volunteer programs, being a company intrinsically driven by principles of being socially and ecologically conscious. Furthermore, their food is incredibly satisfying. From a faux sushi menu to very flavorful dumplings and deeply satisfying wok-fried noodle dishes, PLANTA Queen provides a delicious dining experience, no matter your diet.

Humble by all appearances, Shore to Door boasts one of the boldest and most direct ocean-to-table services short of catching it yourself. It is so fresh they often sell out for the day and close before their posted hours. We genuinely mean it when we say it's off the beaten path. Being a veritable one-man-army operation, Shore to Door operates only on Saturdays and Sundays, and it's an experience best enjoyed with nothing to do for the day.

The menu depends on the most recent catch, and the dining experience is much more akin to eating at your eccentric friend or uncle figure's colorful backyard patio. Once you taste the freshest possible seafood, you'll agree it’s every bit as lavish as the local fine dining restaurants.

 

As essential as taste and freshness are to food, we won't blame you if you still feel the draw of an elegant, first-class restaurant space complete with white-glove service. Sitting atop the Hotel Arya, Panorama Restaurant & Sky Lounge offers waterfront views from their terraced balcony. The menu is Peruvian-inspired, and several selections are genuinely remarkable (try the lomo saltado or the arroz chaufa de pollo for more filling options).

Their take on wine pairing is equally exotic and sophisticated, being based almost entirely on the grape selection over most other factors. If you enjoy entrusting your culinary experience to the wisdom of fine-dining professionals, Panorama may be one place where you'd be well served to follow their recommendations. It might be the latest breakthrough wine-pairing experience you've been waiting for.

These are just several dining options that make Coconut Grove one of the most upscale and comfortable South Florida communities to unwind, dine, and truly live. It's at the heart of why we love serving the highly varied but always luxurious real estate market in the greater Palm Beach region. That goes especially for Coconut Grove, with its tucked-away, more subtle touch of magic. If you’re interested in Coconut Grove houses for sale, you’re in the right place.

If you're seeking Coconut Grove houses for sale, you need an agent with the experience and knowledge to find and acquire the most coveted properties available. With an emphasis on trust and service, Jaqueline Marks puts her clients' needs entirely at the forefront of her work.

Don't hesitate to reach out to entrust your most important investments to the most dedicated Coconut Grove real estate agent. She looks forward to learning and serving your needs in full. Contact Jacqueline today as the next step in your real estate journey.