Lido at The Surf Club Miami

Lido is tucked inside The Surf Club on Collins Avenue. It holds four stars from the Forbes Travel Guide and an Excellence Award from Wine Spectator. The dining room runs smart, leaning into the room's history rather than the typical beach-resort aesthetic.

Most beachfront dining in this area settles for casual crowds or plastic chairs, but Lido remains formal. It is a five-minute walk from Surfside Beach, yet it feels entirely removed from the sand-dusted humidity of the nearby public stretches. Choosing this over the other Italian spots in the vicinity means trading the frantic pace of the nearby shops for a quieter, more deliberate pace. It works best if you want a meal that feels like an occasion, rather than a quick stop after a day in the sun.