The best authentic Cuban food in Miami - not fancy, but clean, and (unlike Versailles) you go there for the food, not the atmosphere. [Disclaimer: one tripadvisor review says they've gone upscale?]
Ignore "Cajun/Creole" - it is Haitian, with atmosphere best described as offbeat. Definitely unlike anything you'll ever see outside of Miami.
Go for drinks and soak in the view - 360 degrees - and the neighborhood - Lincoln Road, one of the more fun places to people watch in South Beach. Reservations a must for food.
Solid food, but really you're going for the view - out over the water. As relaxed as a meal can be.
I haven't been, but the exec chef, Norman Van Aken, is the world's leading (only?) specialist in literally world-class Carribean-inflected fusion - something you can do only in Miami.
This is the quintessentially Cuban exile restaurant - cheap, tasty, huge pictures of Cuba on the walls, and where Miami's cops go for late-night coffee. But La Casita down the street has better food.
Terrific food in a classic Miami hotel. Just a few blocks from where I grew up, but far off the beaten path for most tourists (which is why the hotel was out of business from the '30s to the 80s).
If you're looking to check of Daniel Boulud from the celebrity chef life list while in Miami, you can.
If you actually want to go to a beach for the sand and beach (and not to people watch) this is the best beach in the city, with the bonus of a historic lighthouse. For people watching, do South Beach.
Take the tram ride out to the observation tower to get a good background on the Everglades and a sense of the vast scope of the place. Take mosquito spray if they are in season (most of the year).
Make sure to go to the new butterfly building, which is great for kids (and adults). The in-garden Cafe is tasty, with nice outdoor seating.
A sense of how the first European settlers in Miami (in the 1880s!) lived. Make sure to check if a tour is available- may not be worth going otherwise.
Good for a relaxed, low-key waterfront lunch if you go to the Barnacle or are otherwise in Coconut Grove, but otherwise not worth going out of your tourist-y way for.
Many sources recommend Vizcaya. It's interesting, and beautiful, but there are late-gilded age mansions all over the country. So I recommend The Barnacle as a more 'only in Miami' experience.
Tasty ceviche if you're in Coconut Grove for some reason (like the Barnacle). Not worth going out of your way to the Grove just for this.
Haven't been, but the view is supposed to be terrific. As frequently happens with places with a view, you're paying for the view, not the food, so only go if you're in the Grove for another reason.
