Paya Miami

  4.8 – 183 reviews   • Restaurant

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Paya is a neighborhood restaurant and bar located on Miami’s South Beach founded by Mohamed “Mo” Alkassar and Chef Niven Patel, the duo behind FEAL Hospitality. It is a platform for Chef Niven Patel to pay homage to the insular cuisines of the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, and Spain’s islands, where he and Mo have either worked or visited extensively. Chef Niven’s dishes incorporate ingredients he grows at Rancho Patel, complemented by vibrant wines and tropical, farm to glass cocktails.

✔️Dinner ✔️Dine in Paya Miami 33139

Address and Contact Information

Address: 1209 17th St, Miami Beach, FL 33139

Phone: (305) 397-8080

Website: https://www.payamiami.com/

Menu Photos

Order and Reservations

Reservations: opentable.com

payamiami.com

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Try the menu at Paya in Miami Beach, Florida.

Reviews

Serg Mayer
Everything we tried was truly delicious, but the lamb chops were the absolute highlight — perfectly cooked, full of flavor, and beautifully presented. The crab cake and wagyu tartare were also excellent and well balanced.
We seated on the terrace. During our visit it was very calm and quiet, which gave the evening a more intimate, relaxed mood.
Inside, the interior didn’t fully match our personal taste, but that didn’t take away from the quality of the food and the overall experience.
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Bari Friedlander
From start to finish, every dish was a work of art. We began with the scallop crudo — delicately layered with passionfruit that added the perfect touch of brightness — and the hamachi crudo, which melted in your mouth. The ceviche was unbelievably fresh and vibrant, bursting with citrus and just the right amount of heat, while the papaya salad added a refreshing, tropical balance to the meal.

For the main course, the local fish of the day was recommended, and it did not disappoint — perfectly cooked, incredibly fresh, and beautifully presented. Each bite reminded me why Miami’s coastal flavors are unmatched.

To finish, the sorbet topped with caviar was pure perfection — a creative, elegant finale that tied the entire meal together in the most unexpected and luxurious way.

Everything from the presentation to the service was impeccable. Paya Miami is truly a gem — sophisticated yet warm, and easily one of my favorite dining experiences in the city
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Dannielle Cole
Came here for a date night, super cute little area! The bar was packed but had a lovely table outside. The service was quite slow, but so is everything on the beach right lol? We had the wahoo ceviche (honestly thought this was kinda meh, just wasn’t tasty), the shrimp and papaya salad was great as well as the lemongrass glazed fish… but the real winner of the night? The tamarind lamb chops! It was so tasty I wanted to eat the bones too lol. I wish they were just a little bigger but they are considered an appetizer. Just make sure you try them!!
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Sarah Leinbach
Easily one of the best restaurants in Miami and perfect for our anniversary dinner! From the moment you walk through the door, the vibes are immaculate from the gorgeous decor to the friendly hostess. For appetizers, we ordered the smashed cucumbers and truffle brie grilled cheese. Both were fantastic and unique, but I have literally never had anything that tasted quite like the smashed cucumbers. For our entrées, we ordered the prime skirt steak and peri peri chicken. The chicken was delicious, so juicy and lemony. The potatoes it came with were literally the best mashed potatoes I have ever had in my life! The steak was good, but the presentation was lacking. For dessert we had the rum cake and it was truly magical. You seriously cannot go wrong with anything on this menu! The only problem we encountered during our dining experience was that our food was accidentally delivered to the wrong table, so we had to wait quite a while to get our entrées. Thankfully, the staff were very transparent and provided us with updates, while remaining friendly and professional (they also even offered to provide us an additional appetizer while we waited). The restaurant has such amazing ambience that honestly we did not even mind waiting. Anyway, top tier dining experience, and we cannot wait to come back!
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Domina
I went on a Monday when they offer a special deal on the tasting menu — $50 per person instead of the usual $75. The food was good, with small sharing portions for two, and by dessert you feel full. Not stuffed, but enough, though it might not be sufficient for someone with a bigger appetite. The cocktails were disappointing — after trying three and none stood out, so the drink menu could use improvement.
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Rebecca Lynch
We went on the Christmas Eve and ordered the tasting menu and it was a great culinary experience. Everything was delicious and the ingredients were very fresh. The service was great too. The happy hour seemed very popular and the bar was packed. Highly recommended!
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Nicasia Solano-Reed
Made a last minute reservation after seeing Paya on the NYT list of best restaurants in Miami and I am so glad we did. Absolutely exquisite tasting menu (highlights were the chicken noodles and the tamarind pork chops) and warm, lovely service from Arielle. I hope Paya stays in Miami for decades to come so we can come back whenever we visit!
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Anna C
Below-average food and service in a nice atmosphere with a hip vibe.

We ordered all the recommended dishes and yet this restaurant left me really disappointed. Even coming in starving after walking around Art Basel all day with minimal food couldn’t rescue the missteps.

Rack of lamb appetizer came very charred and overcooked with a skimpy amount of yoghurt sauce. Too much Jalapeño on the scallop crudo overpowered the delicate sweetness of the scallop. Despite the somewhat unique addition of passion fruit juice it was just in general very forgettable.

Mains really went downhill. The catch of the day in coconut curry was served over the rice which turned the rice mushy (and perhaps it was overcooked to begin with). I would definitely have served the rice on the side. There was no contrast in flavors or textures at all. Not even any garnish on top. I would have put a green onion curl on top and served with a lime wedge to cut the richness of the coconut sauce, plus work on the recipe for the curry a bit more.

How can a wagyu burger not taste good? We weren’t asked how we wanted our burger cooked and it arrived well done (who serves prime meat well done?) with no other toppings or garnish of any kind except a white cheddar, plus they forgot to add the ketchup (see empty white cup). Fries were also not great.

We were lingering and talking after our meal and our waiter asked if we wanted the check (likely because her shift was ending), so we felt rushed out even though the restaurant wasn’t full.

All in all, the dishes were one dimensional, showed a lack of attention to detail, and poor execution for the price point. When you look at the pictures, notice that there’s no garnish on anything. Save yourself from disappointment and go elsewhere.
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Ashish Aggarwal
Go. Here. Immediately.

Paya is a South Beach hidden treasure.. fusion spot combining Caribbean-Indian-Spanish islands vibes that hit like a sunny day

The Miami Spice dinner menu (~$60 pp) is a flat-out steal, one of the best in the city, delivering bold flavors and serious value. Would pay full price for everything we ate. Legit, so so good!

The hamachi crudo is a stunner—silky fish sliced thin, kissed with red plums, finger lime, and leche de tigre for a tart, sweet zing that wakes up your palate.. all sauces made in-house.. with a slightest hint of tamarind too

The daily catch, a perfectly seared golden tilefish (depends on the catch of the day/week), comes glazed with lemongrass, tender and flaky with a subtle citrus hum.. all swimming in a coconut curry and rich pool.. with caramelized veggies.. help!

Lamb chops, glazed with tamarind and paired with roasted plantains and jerk-spiced yogurt, are juicy, smoky, and just the right kind of spicy… the lamb is imported from somewhere far away and pretty much falls off the bone

The key lime pie dessert is a creamy, tangy dream, topped with lime zest and Marcona almonds for a nutty crunch that seals the deal. The Chantilly cream is not too sweet and literally feels like youre scooping in a cloud into your mouth

Our server, India, was a rockstar—knew every dish inside out, kept our table humming, and made us feel like VIPs
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Anastasiia Lemeshko
We came as a group of seven and ended up
trying almost every dish on the menu and truly, every single one was incredible. The flavors are so clean, fresh, and beautifully balanced. Dish after dish was a “wow” moment.

The atmosphere is warm and elegant, the service is attentive, and the food… absolutely exceptional. This place is a total gem. Highly recommended.
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