Miami Spice Northside Guide: 6 Restaurants from North Beach to North Miami

Six restaurants, one northside Miami Spice route

For current program details, see the official Miami Spice guide and participating-restaurant directory.

Miami Spice Restaurant Months is celebrating its 25th year with specially priced three-course meals from August 1 through October 31, 2026. The official program starts at $40 for brunch or lunch, offers $50 and $65 dinner tiers, and adds Miami Spice Reserve experiences beginning at $95. For diners looking north of South Beach, one of the most varied lineups is hiding inside the official Miami Beach: North Beach participant group.

The label is convenient, but the six addresses tell a more interesting story. Cafe Prima Pasta, Sumak Turkish Cuisine, The Strand at Carillon Miami and Sushi Bichi sit in North Beach proper. Benihana Miami Beach is west across the causeway in North Bay Village, while Bocatto Trattoria carries the route farther toward Biscayne Boulevard and North Miami. Together they create a practical east-to-west dining guide rather than a list of interchangeable prix-fixe menus.

Cafe Prima Pasta: begin with a North Beach institution

Cafe Prima Pasta is the natural anchor for this guide because it represents the neighborhood before Miami Spice enters the conversation. The family-run restaurant has spent more than two decades serving traditional Italian appetizers and entrees at 414 71st Street, building the kind of name recognition that reaches well beyond its immediate blocks. Its official profile highlights fresh, authentic cooking, outdoor dining and a private room, while reservations are recommended.

Choose Cafe Prima Pasta when the goal is a classic evening with a strong sense of place. It is less about chasing novelty than using Miami Spice to revisit—or finally try—a restaurant woven into North Beach dining history. That familiarity also makes it an easy starting point before comparing the newer and more globally influenced choices nearby.

The Strand and Sushi Bichi: two ways to dine by the ocean

Move east and the route divides into two very different waterfront moods. The Strand at Carillon Miami pairs contemporary Mediterranean cooking with an indoor-outdoor setting at the ocean's edge. Its ingredient-led approach emphasizes local farms and Florida's organic community, while the patio, cocktail bar and warm, natural dining room make the view part of the occasion. This is the choice for diners who want Miami Spice to feel like an unhurried resort meal.

Sushi Bichi is the more tropical and eclectic alternative. Near the ocean on Ocean Terrace, the restaurant combines meticulous sushi and raw-bar preparations with fire-cooked street skewers, ceviches, tiraditos and influences spanning Japan, the Philippines, Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Israel and the West Indies. A ceremonial torii gate, lush outdoor setting and 360-degree bar give it the strongest escape-from-the-everyday atmosphere in the group. Because reservations can depend on weather, confirm conditions when booking.

Sumak: make the table about sharing

Back on 71st Street, Sumak Turkish Cuisine changes the rhythm from individual courses to a table that invites comparison. The 120-seat indoor-outdoor restaurant centers an authentic Turkish menu, shareable plates, creative cocktails and Mediterranean wines, all framed by the hospitality that defines the concept.

Sumak is the strongest fit for friends who want conversation to continue across the food rather than treating the prix-fixe format as three isolated decisions. It also adds an important Mediterranean counterpoint to The Strand: one is coastal and ingredient-driven, while the other leans into the warmth and abundance of a Turkish gathering.

Benihana: turn dinner into the entertainment

Continue west to North Bay Village for the most theatrical stop. Benihana Miami Beach builds the meal around hibachi chefs cooking at the table, supplemented by sushi specialties and formats suited to celebrations. The location promotes private hibachi tables, semi-private arrangements and reception-style events, making it the clearest option for families, birthdays or a group that wants an experience everyone can share.

This is the practical choice when atmosphere matters as much as the menu. Rather than asking the group to agree on a quiet dining room, Benihana gives the evening a built-in focal point and lets the cooking provide the energy.

Bocatto Trattoria: finish on Biscayne Boulevard

Bocatto Trattoria closes the route at 12000 Biscayne Boulevard with a second Italian option that feels distinct from Cafe Prima Pasta. The restaurant describes nearly everything as prepared in-house, from specialty pastas and risottos to oven-finished dishes, using traditional Italian flavors with a modern, polished touch. Free parking and a setting designed for intimate dinners or celebrations add useful convenience at the western end of the guide.

Choose Bocatto when the appeal is careful, house-made Italian cooking without returning to the beach. Paired with Cafe Prima Pasta, it also creates an easy bookend: begin with a long-standing North Beach favorite or finish with a contemporary trattoria closer to North Miami.

How to pick your Miami Spice table

Start with Cafe Prima Pasta for neighborhood history, The Strand for an oceanfront occasion, or Sushi Bichi for the widest culinary range. Pick Sumak when sharing is the priority, Benihana when the group wants dinner and entertainment together, and Bocatto for a polished Italian finish on Biscayne Boulevard.

Miami Spice menus, prices and participating meal periods can change, and beverages, supplements, tax and gratuity may not be included. Check the current offer and available days directly before reserving. With that final step, the official North Beach group becomes something better than a category: a six-restaurant route through the many dining personalities of Miami's northside.