Celebrity-Owned Restaurants in Miami and Where to Stay Nearby

Miami’s dining scene runs on star power. Musicians, actors, and nightlife moguls have turned the city into one of the country’s densest concentrations of celebrity-owned restaurants, and a table at the right one is now part of the Miami experience. Here are the names worth knowing, who is behind them, and where to base yourself to reach them easily.

Miami’s best-known celebrity-owned restaurants include Gekko from Bad Bunny, Swan and Strawberry Moon from Pharrell Williams, and Komodo and Papi Steak from nightlife mogul David Grutman, alongside Nobu from Robert De Niro, clustered mostly in Brickell, the Design District, and South Beach. Here is the full picture.

Miami’s celebrity restaurant scene, explained

One name sits behind a striking share of it. Hospitality entrepreneur David Grutman, through his Groot Hospitality group, built much of Miami’s celebrity dining landscape, often in partnership with A-list stars. That model, a seasoned operator teamed with a globally famous name, is why so many of these rooms combine serious cooking with genuine star wattage. The rest of the scene is filled out by independent celebrity ventures and long-running Miami institutions, giving the city a spread that ranges from Michelin-level dining to homegrown Cuban icons.

The A-list tables worth booking

These are the marquee celebrity-owned rooms that define a night out in Miami.

Gekko brings together Latin music superstar Bad Bunny and David Grutman for a Japanese steakhouse in Brickell, known for its jewel-toned design, wagyu, and after-dark energy. Swan, in the Design District, pairs Pharrell Williams with Grutman and chef Jean Imbert for European-inspired cooking in an ultra-chic setting. Strawberry Moon, the pink Art Deco favorite inside Miami Beach’s Goodtime Hotel, is another Pharrell and Grutman project, Mediterranean in spirit and built for long, sunny lunches. Komodo, Grutman’s three-story Southeast Asian destination in Brickell, blends bold flavors with signature Miami nightlife. Papi Steak, in South Beach, is Groot Hospitality’s theatrical take on the modern steakhouse. And Casadonna, Grutman’s grand Italian arrival in Edgewater, has become one of the city’s most sought-after reservations, with waterfront tables on Biscayne Bay that book out well in advance. What ties these rooms together is that the food is meant to match the names above the door, so they reward booking ahead rather than walking in.

Beyond Groot: other celebrity tables

The scene runs well past one group. Nobu Miami, inside the Nobu Hotel at the Eden Roc on Miami Beach, is the local outpost of the world-famous brand co-founded by chef Nobu Matsuhisa and actor Robert De Niro. Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Miami’s unofficial first family of music, have long carried the flag for Cuban cooking through their Estefan Kitchen concept, one of several ventures the couple has lent their name to over the years. And celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen brings his fiery brand of dining to Downtown Miami, a reminder that the city draws famous chefs as readily as famous musicians. Between them, these rooms cover everything from a two-in-the-morning wagyu craving to a Cuban dinner worth crossing town for.

The clubs behind the restaurants

The same names shaping Miami’s dining also run its nightlife, and the two often share a block. David Grutman’s Groot Hospitality is behind LIV, long one of the most famous nightclubs in the country, inside the Fontainebleau on Miami Beach, along with other venues that draw international DJs and a celebrity crowd. For many visitors the ideal Miami night runs the two together, dinner at Komodo or Papi Steak and on to a club afterward, which is easy when both sit within the same nightlife world. If a big night out is part of the plan, staying nearby with transport arranged makes the whole evening effortless, and it keeps a late night from turning into a logistics problem at two in the morning.

Where to stay near Miami’s best tables

Because these restaurants cluster in a few neighborhoods, where you base yourself decides how easy they are to reach. The Design District puts Swan and the boutiques on your doorstep and sits close to Wynwood and Midtown. Brickell is the base for Gekko and Komodo, with downtown dining all around. South Beach keeps Papi Steak, Strawberry Moon, and the oceanfront within walking or a short ride. A private villa or an oceanfront residence gives you a proper home to return to after a late dinner, and our guide to Miami’s villa neighborhoods helps you pick the base that matches the tables you most want to reach.

When these tables are hardest to book

Timing shapes everything. Miami’s dining demand spikes during a handful of marquee weeks, when a global crowd descends and the best reservations vanish first. Art Basel in early December, Formula 1 race week in the spring, New Year’s Eve, Super Bowl weekends, and spring break all send the celebrity rooms to capacity, often booked weeks ahead. Even a regular weekend in high season, roughly December through April, fills the top tables fast. If your trip lands in one of these windows, plan your dining early, or lean on a concierge who holds the relationships to get you in. The upside of the busy weeks is the scene at its most electric, which for many visitors is worth the planning.

Getting the reservation

Here is the part most guides leave out. The best of these tables are genuinely hard to book, especially on weekends and during peak weeks like Art Basel and Formula 1, when demand from a global crowd overwhelms availability. This is where staying with a full-service host pays off. Our 24/7 concierge can secure the reservations that are otherwise out of reach, arrange transport to and from dinner, and even bring a private chef into your residence for the nights you would rather stay in. The dinner becomes something handled for you rather than a scramble weeks in advance.

Let LRMB put you in the middle of it

Great nights out are easier from the right home with the right team. LRMB has been hosting guests across Miami since 2007, founded by hoteliers Tony Rajeh and Kristine Hall and grown into a curated collection of more than 90 private residences, guided by a 24/7 concierge and guest relations team. Tell us the tables you want and the neighborhood you like, and we will match you to a home nearby and handle the reservations, the transport, and the details. Every residence is prepared to an exacting standard backed by a 200-point housekeeping inspection, part of why the company is recognized as Miami’s Most Trusted Vacation Rentals Company.

Frequently asked questions

What restaurants does David Grutman own in Miami?

Through Groot Hospitality, David Grutman is behind a large share of Miami’s celebrity dining, including Komodo, Papi Steak, and Casadonna, plus Swan and Strawberry Moon with Pharrell Williams and Gekko with Bad Bunny, along with nightlife venues like LIV.

Who owns Gekko in Miami?

Gekko, the Japanese steakhouse in Brickell, is a partnership between Latin music superstar Bad Bunny and hospitality entrepreneur David Grutman.

What celebrity-owned restaurants are in Miami Beach?

On Miami Beach, Strawberry Moon from Pharrell Williams and David Grutman sits inside the Goodtime Hotel, Papi Steak is in South Beach, and Nobu Miami, co-founded by Robert De Niro, is inside the Nobu Hotel at the Eden Roc.

Are these celebrity restaurants hard to get into?

The most popular ones are, particularly on weekends and during peak weeks such as Art Basel and Formula 1. A full-service concierge can secure reservations that are otherwise difficult to obtain.

Where should I stay to be near Miami’s celebrity restaurants?

The Design District suits Swan, Brickell suits Gekko and Komodo, and South Beach suits Papi Steak and Strawberry Moon. A villa or oceanfront residence in the matching neighborhood gives you a home to return to after dinner.

Who owns Casadonna in Miami?

Casadonna, the waterfront Italian restaurant in Edgewater, is a Groot Hospitality project led by David Grutman, and it has quickly become one of the city’s most in-demand reservations.

What is the most exclusive celebrity restaurant in Miami?

Several compete for the title, but the hardest reservations tend to be at David Grutman’s rooms, including Casadonna, Komodo, and Papi Steak, and at Gekko with Bad Bunny, especially on weekends and during peak weeks.

Can a concierge get me into a fully booked Miami restaurant?

Often, yes. An established local concierge holds relationships with the city’s top venues and can secure tables that show as unavailable online, along with arranging transport and private dining at your residence.

Dine like an insider, stay like one too

Miami’s celebrity restaurants are part of what makes the city feel like an occasion, and they are far easier to enjoy from the right home with a team handling the reservations. Explore our collection of villas and residences, or call us at 305.787.3747  to speak with a travel advisor. Tell us how you picture the trip, and consider it arranged.