8 Great Places for a Weekday Lunch (in Every Miami Neighborhood)

From the minute it opens every morning, Miami’s largest food hall dedicated to all things Italian is bustling. Let’s just say it has something to do with the nine unique restaurants, the full-service European market and the upstairs wine bar. No matter what kind of lunch you’re in the mood for, La Centrale has you covered. If you’re not sure where to start, visit the first floor for focaccia, charcuterie and an espresso to fight that looming afternoon slump.

601 S. Miami Ave.; 305-720-2401 or lacentralemiami.com

Thanks to a 315,000-square-foot expansion, the Aventura Mall has added more than a dozen new restaurants. Dine at South Florida–based Tap 42, a full-service restaurant and craft beer house. (Be sure to order the crispy chicken melt smothered in cheese, avocado and truffle oil.) Or visit Michael Schwartz’s Genuine Pizza for a short-rib pie topped with Gruyère and caramelized onion. For something light and quick, head to Zuuk, replete with healthy Mediterranean bowls and gyros made with baked falafel, hummus, fire-baked pita and lots of tzatziki sauce.

19501 Biscayne Blvd., Aventura; aventuramall.com

St. Roch, the popular New Orleans food hall that opened a second location in Miami’s Design District, features 12 unique food concepts and a full-service bar. Rally a few coworkers so you can mix and match from a few of the stalls. We can’t get enough of the fried chicken and waffles at Coop and the house-made pasta at Dal Plin. And we’d be remiss not to mention the adorable vegan cupcakes and cookies at Chef Chloe.

140 NE 39th St., Miami; miami.strochmarket.com

140 NE 39th St., Miami; miami.strochmarket.com

Skip the swanky steakhouse and instead head to this Argentine restaurant and market. Along with favorites like grilled chorizo and house-made meatballs with ricotta and marinara, there’s a section dedicated to “big lunch salads” that are guaranteed to fill you up without putting you into a food coma. Not near Coral Gables? Find Graziano’s in Brickell, Hialeah and Doral too.

Various locations; grazianosgroup.com

Looking to satisfy your gluten-free client or vegan coworker? This place is a pro at plant-based dining. The meat-free burgers are made with black beans, mashed lentils and beetroot, and topped with a gooey vegan “cheese” made of carrot and potato. Plus, the restaurant is chock-full of other vegetarian and vegan plates, such as cauliflower “tater” tots, fruit and vegetable sushi, ceviche made with coconut instead of fish, and a creamy bucatini pasta with zucchini spirals.

850 Commerce St., Miami Beach; 305-397-8513 or plantarestaurants.com

Corn and chicken empanadas, paella croquettes and Cuban sandwiches—Café La Trova serves all the right things during lunch. With James Beard Award–winning chef Michelle Bernstein in charge of the food and acclaimed bartender Julio Cabrera slinging rum cocktails (if it’s that kind of lunch), this Little Havana spot is the midday tropical getaway you never knew you needed.

971 SW Eighth St., Miami; 786-615-4739 or cafelatrova.com

This is the place you’ll want to take your favorite clients and colleagues. A watermelon salad doused in cotija cheese and lime crema? Green-pea pesto and pistachio pasta? Yep, this quaint restaurant located within Peacock Park packs a big punch—which means you’re sure to impress. Its menu changes with the season, but the food is always handmade, local and delicious (i.e., everything you need to get through the rest of your day).

2820 McFarlane Rd., Coconut Grove; 305-200-5268 or glassandvine.com

Excellent news: One of our favorite new spots for Southern food and ’Gram-worthy vibes is now open for lunch. Clear your afternoon schedule, because you’re going to want to make time for chicken biscuits, sticky pork belly bacon bites and, of course, the fried chicken and waffle sandwich.

5958 S. Dixie Hwy., South Miami; 786-785-1001 or rootnbone.com