UPDATE: Check out our new 2023 Best Cities to Live in the U.S. list.
#1. Coral Gables
Coral Gables, Fla., tastes as good as it looks. Tree-lined boulevards, mansions covered in ivy, Mediterranean Revival-style architecture and a large freshwater Venetian Pool make Coral Gables one of the most delicious looking cities on our foodie cities list. Strict zoning regulations and building standards ensure the city doesn’t lose its visual appeal. Chefs in Coral Gables are held to the same high standards, often being judged by their counterparts in Miami. A writer for the Miami New Times wrote, “Coral Gables heralds a cool era of dining. There are cocktails, funky foods and young chefs.” The city’s range of outstanding restaurants, discerning diners and availability of healthy foods makes Coral Gables our top pick out of the Best Foodie Cities 2015.
Find out where Coral Gables ranks on our list of the Top 100 Best Places to Live.
Coral Gables restaurants and chefs have long been noticed by the cooking elite. Among the most recent attention getters is Eating House Miami chef Giorgio Rapicavoli, who was named a semifinalist for James Beard Foundation’s “Rising Star Chef of the Year” award in 2013. A brunch menu that has included Cap’n Crunch pancakes and eggs Benedict carbonara keeps a steady stream of customers coming to Eating House on Sundays. The Miracle Mile, considered the focal point of Coral Gables’ downtown district, contains many of the city’s most popular restaurants, including the highly rated Italian restaurant Fratellino Ristorante, Uvaggio Wine Bar & Restaurant, and Janette & Co., which sells fresh macarons and French pastries.
The more than 140 restaurants in Coral Gables give residents a variety of menus to consider, and a high percentage of them frequent locally owned eateries over national chains. The farmers market, open from late January through the end of March, allows residents to pick up fresh produce and baked goods, as well as gourmet specialty foods ranging from conch fritters and cheesecake bites to sushi and guava granola bars.
Don’t Miss: Palme D’Or, Pascal’s on Ponce and Swine Southern Table & Bar, Ortanique on the Mile