Amara at Paraiso
A waterfront room in the Paraiso development on Biscayne Bay, from James Beard Award winner Michael Schwartz of Michael's Genuine. Gaston Yelicich runs the kitchen. The Latin American menu leans on open fire, a wood grill and a Josper charcoal oven, with ceviches and cocktails on a terrace over the water. Daily happy hour and a Sunday jazz brunch.
Only you see this. What you ordered, what you'd order again, the table to ask for.
The Story
Amara at Paraiso opened in 2018 in Edgewater, the waterfront restaurant from James Beard Award winning chef Michael Schwartz and his Genuine Hospitality Group. The two-story, 12,316-square-foot building on Biscayne Bay was designed by Meyer Davis Studio, pairing floor-to-ceiling water views with an indoor-outdoor layout built specifically for the site.
Known for
The menu leans into bold Latin American and coastal flavors built around South Florida's produce and seafood, in dishes like grilled Atlantic shrimp and banana leaf-wrapped cobia. Amara's wine program has also been recognized, winning Florida's Best Medium-Sized List at the 2025 Star Wine List of the Year awards.
Recognition
Chef Michael Schwartz won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: South in 2010, and Amara's wine list won Florida's Best Medium-Sized List at the 2025 Star Wine List of the Year competition.
Worth knowing
The restaurant seats about 150 indoors plus 70 more on its waterfront deck, so the outdoor terrace is the draw for sunset dinners, book ahead for those seats. Note that the restaurant's real estate changed hands in a $19.8 million sale in September 2025, though Amara has continued operating in the space.
Deals
7 deals at Amara at Paraiso
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The Vibe
One of Miami's premier bayfront terraces — a sweeping open-air dining room over Biscayne Bay where the sunset reliably steals the show. The Latin American menu punches above tourist-trap expectations: order the seafood tower and one of the wood-fired proteins, and bring someone worth impressing.
What to Order
- Tuna Crudo — raw bar centerpiece, lime and ají amarilloAmara menu
- Whole Branzino (wood-fired) — wood-fired fish, one of the standout mainsAmara menu
- Yuca Cheese Puffs — pillowy fried yuca balls, house signature openerThe Infatuation (2024)
- Paraiso Seafood Tower — showpiece shared platter for the tableThe Infatuation (2024)
- Short Rib Empanadas — crispy, rich, crowd favorite from the starters sectionThe Infatuation (2024)
- Setting
- Patio garden
- View
- Bay
- Formality
- Smart casual
- Music
- Live Music
Entertainment
Live jazz and Latin acoustic sets on weekends, especially during Sunday brunch.
Live Music on the Terrace
Jazz
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MiamiNav is a Miami dining and entertainment guide organized around vibe, experience, and value, not just cuisine. It tracks deals, happy hours, and events across 19 Miami neighborhoods.