My Favorite South Beach Eateries

I'm finally back from a week in South Beach! I can't believe that only a few days ago I was swimming in the ocean and drinking mojitos under the sun. But it feels good to be back home, that's for sure.

And what did I do? Well,  I spent my days swimming, sun bathing and eating. Well, I did more eating than anything else, really.  I want to share my favorite South Beach eateries, so here they are:

The Chalan on the Beach: a modest, but delicious and inexpensive Peruvian restaurant. When I lived in South Beach this was my place to go for a quick and affordable bite. Every time I go I have the same: any soup of the day and a mango shake. While they're preparing your meal, they give you bread and spicy green sauce, it's to die for!

Mango Shake and bread at the Chalan.

Pizza Rustica: my favorite pizzeria in the world. They serve gourmet pizzas with the freshest ingredients and homemade dough prepared daily. The prosciutto and hard boiled egg pizza is seriously outstanding. Also good here: the salads!

Prosciutto & Egg Pizza in Pizza Rustica.

Quattro Restaurant: an upscale Italian restaurant on Lincoln Road. Pasta Carbonara and Pasta alle Vongole (with clams) are beyond delicious. Also, you must try the tiramisu. Like any other restaurant on Lincoln Road, you can sit outside for people-watching, but for a real treat, sit inside. It's quiet and intimate and the mirrored bar is spectacular.

The  mirrored bar in Quattro.

Rosa Mexicano:  This is not your typical Mexican restaurant, it's modern and upscale, with a very chic atmosphere. A great place to go for drinks and appetizers. I had the crab empanadas and the pomegranate margarita, amazing!

Puerto Sagua: This is the best Cuban restaurant I've ever been to. I went crazy for the fried yuca, the ropa vieja (shredded flank steak on a tomato sauce) and the cortadito (espresso with steamed milk). I love this place so much that I went 2 days in a row. ( I had Spanish codfish the second day, also excellent).

Ropa Vieja, Rice & Black Beans.

Enjoying the best coffee in the world.

Joe's Stone Crab: This place is a legend and a must if you visit South Beach. They've been on the same location since 1913. I had crab cakes and it was the best meal of my entire life. For dessert I had key lime pie, which was pretty amazing, too.


Also, I spent a wonderful day in Key West, but I will tell you about it tomorrow!*

*Read about my day trip to Key West!

Images: Monica Aguiñaga for Hola!Design, except Quattro's mirrored bar picture from Quattro.