This small restaurant is making waves in the Little Havana neighborhood. Owners Bond Trisranri, flamboyant in his vertical hairdo, and brother James have come up with a winning idea. Bamboo, artwork from local galleries and clean lines decorate the trendy eatery. The food is not as spicy as other Thai fare, but it is tasty and well prepared. Though the space is cozy and the music can be too loud, the fresh cuisine makes it worth a visit. Try the light wontons filled with shrimp and mushrooms, the wahoo carpaccio with garlic ponzu, the crisp duck served in bite-sized morsels with fresh jalapeno and cilantro, and the simple yet excellent curries. Japanese dishes are on offer as well, but Thai is what they do best. The wine list is acceptable with Spanish and California selections. Try the freshly cooked donuts with condensed milk and peanut sauce for an interesting dessert. Lunch specials are a bargain, and the service is excellent. This small bistro is going places! -Mercedes de Marchena

This small family-owned restaurant is located in a strip mall along Calle Ocho. It is cozy and friendly with yellow and dark red walls, small tables and great food. The cuisine is Madrid-style and robust, served in good-sized portions. The owner, Ros, and her daughter take care of the cooking and minggling with customers. Try the Spanish tortilla with chorizo, fried chickpeas with sausage. the octopus with paprika, and the callos (tripe) a la Madrilena. There are daily specials like paella, fabada and oxtail. As far as desserts go, the Torrija (a baguette prepared as French toast with a sugary syrup made of lemon and brandy!) is especially worth a try. Spanish products for sale include everything from olives to honey to espadrilles from Spain. Worth the visit! -Mercedes de Marchena

This addition to the Mary Brickell Village is fast becoming a neighborhood favorite. The restaurant uses organic soy flour, wines that are made with organic grapes, and all take-out containers, cups, and flatware are biodegradable. Blu Pizza & Cucina offers wood-oven pizzas that are crispy and delicious, as well as perfectly fried calamari and Italian dishes such as Rigatoni a la Bolognese and Spaghetti with Shrimp. They also have an extensive wine list, featuring selections only from Italy. Typical Italian desserts complete the menu. Service is excellent. - Mercedes de Marchena

Located just off one of the most up-and-coming areas of the city, this restaurant & lounge offers good, innovative food. The décor is a bit nightclub, but it's cozy. The menu sticks to simple dishes: snapper, shrimp and grouper ceviches with chopped tomatoes, baby black clams in a red wine sauce, pan-fried calamari with Moroccan spices, and a seared burger served in a brioche bun. The desserts are original, with selections like the Pineapple Dream, a creme brulée served with a thin slice of pineapple and vanilla malt. The service is a bit slow, though. Overall, it's a nice addition to the neighborhood. - Mercedes de Marchena

Charcuterie Restaurant is not an easy place to find, but it's worth the extra effort to discover. A favorite lunch spot in downtown Miami's Design District, it's a great place for a quick meal while checking out the shops frequented by interior decorators. There are two floors of comfortable and private dining space. The menu features a number of French staple items (such as pate and salad Nioise), as well as Florida specialties (mainly fresh seafood). Be sure to ask about the daily specials.

Soyka is one of the major feats of local restauranteur extraordinaire Mark Soyka (of the Cardozo Cafe and Van Dyke Cafe), and it shows every sign of achieving the same level of success. Soyka's downtown location is a little seedy, compared to sophisticated South Beach. The crowd is diverse; families and scenesters alike crowd into the packed dining area and cozy courtyard. The menu features primarily American favorites (roast chicken, burgers) with a few more exotic dishes such as sesame seared salmon.

Everything about this restaurant is authentically Colombian, from the lively atmosphere to the fabulous food. It brings a touch of home to natives of Colombia and is a welcome experience for all others. A variety of traditional dishes can be found here. Menu items include arepas which are white corn pancakes, empanadas that is stuffed with ground meat and grilled steak pounded thin and marinated in lemon and garlic.

This restaurant chain has branches appearing in high-powered business capitals around the country and offers a dark, imposing, pointedly sophisticated atmosphere in which to enjoy upscale American favorites. The menu features enormous, sumptuous steaks, lobsters and the like for reasonable prices. Miami's version of the Grille is allegedly a USD4-million-plus architectural feat. Surfaces are polished to a gleam, the wine list is impressive and premium liquor flows freely.

Ride 'em, urban cowpokes, over to this unusual spot where the decor is Nicaraguan with an emphasis on cowboy memorabilia! Both a cultural and a culinary adventure, Yambo will introduce you to the flavors of the Central American homeland. To sample a variety of tastes, try the appetizer platter called Antojoitos or stick to the Nicaraguan version of a corn dog, a Nacatamale, Tamale uniting cornmeal and pork. Red Beans and Rice is a mainstay and a whole snapper is an outstanding choice here where prices are low and spirits high.

Tucked away in an artsy neighborhood on the north end of downtown Miami, Piccadilly Garden is a cozy spot. By day, you can dine on a patio where a fountain tinkles. By night, head inside to the brick interior to feast on steaks, fish fresh from the Keys, salads, sandwiches, and pastas. Local diners love this spot for lunch and throng here for such creative sandwiches as smoked turkey united with pepper-cured ozark mountain bacon, tomatoes and cheese.