Miami Culinary Tours

Hi fellow food lovers! I'm here to tell you about a new food tour that's hit town. Tourists and locals alike will appreciate Miami Culinary Tours. The tour takes you through Miami's best neighborhoods, filled with that unique Miami flair, and allows you to sample food from several great restaurants along the way. A tour guide accompanies you to each location.

You have the choice of selecting one of the following burroughs: Wynwood, Little Havana, and South Beach. Three public tours a day are conducted with the option of getting a private tour if you gather a group of 12 or more.  Prices start at $45 per person, depending on the tour you choose.

To see a list of all available tour options, click here.

I opted for the South Beach tour although I wish I would have tried the Little Havana Tour because I never really eat there.

My mom and I met a group of foodies at the Bolivar, the first restaurant on our stop, where we ate traditional Colombian empanadas,with a yellow corn dough, and Peruvian ceviche. The empanadas were so good! They were filled with beef and potatoe and served with an ahi sauce that was spicy because of the added habanero. They also gave us a shot of agua ardiente mixed with anice! They helped us wash down our meal with something called "refajo" which is a mix of beer and Colombiana soda.

Next up was Gloria Estefan's restaurant, Larios, on Ocean Drive. This is a really touristy spot, but the food is spot-on. There used to be a South Miami location, and I would regularly eat there for great Cuban cuisine. Here, we had ropa vieja, a traditional Cuban dish which is shredded skirt steak that's slow-cooked in a tomato based sauce. A side of plaintain chips accompanied the dish, which had good flavor although served lukewarm. The photo below is deceiving because it makes it seem like the portion was small - it was not small by any means.

Empanada and ceviche at Bolivar, in Miami

Ropa Vieja at Larios

We had a few more stops along the way; a nearby hotel, where we ate a chicken curry dish, and then to Block's Pizza Deli for their Block's Pocket; a warm pita pocket stuffed with mozzarella, prosciutto, feta, fresh tomato and arugula. 

Last stop of the day was the Milani Gelateria off of Lincoln Road. This was the perfect way to end the day. The gelato serving was generous, and we had our choice of over 10 flavors like lemon, chocolate chip, cream caramel, nutella and coffee. Delicious, and light, not overly sweet.

Milani Gelateria

Pros:

• Bolivar was delicious.
• Hearty portions at each stop, not just small little bites.  
• Good variety of food along the way, ranging from Columbian, Cuban, Indian, Italian, etc.
• Alcohol :)

Cons:

• This is a walking tour, so wear your walking shoes, put on sunscreen and bring a hat. You will be walking from each location, and the restaurants are not close to one another. Miami can get hot, and as of this last year, it basically rains every day, so pack wisely. 
• Pro Tip: Leave your car close to where the tour ends, (Milani Gelateria) off of Lincoln Road. 
• A few of the restaurants were a no-go for me. As a local, I'd never visit them because they're very "touristy" I would instead opt for either the Little Havana tour or the Wynwood tour. The food in those locations seems to be better, more modern with a more creative cuisine.