The Best Free Stuff At Miami Restaurants, Ranked – Miami

Unless it’s sink water or extra napkins, hardly anything in a restaurant is free. That’s why complimentary items—even the smallest ones—tend to feel like momentous occasions. And they should be celebrated (especially in this era of $25 cheeseburgers). In this guide, we’ve compiled a list of bread, candy, bacon, and more of our favorite freebies from restaurants and bars that remind us the tastiest things in life are, in fact, free.

THE FREEBIES

The Freebies: Bread basket, pickled cauliflower, cured meats, parmesan cheese, and rainbow cake.

Dinner at Carbone peaks early. Before you’ve even placed your order, the sceney Italian restaurant drops a series of items on the table that are, to everyone’s astonishment, free. There’s a large bread basket with warm and bouncy tomato bread, pickled cauliflower, cured meat, and parmesan chunks cut from a giant cheese wheel. Usually, we’d warn you not to spoil your appetite. But Carbone is expensive and the entrees are hit-or-miss, so eat up and you’ll probably save a few bucks. The meal also ends with another freebie: small bites of rainbow cake that come with the (very large) bill.  

The Freebie: Butter candle.

The butter candle at Erba is a beautiful sight that makes you wonder if butter was used to make candles before Benjamin Franklin flew his kite under a thunderstorm and discovered electricity. The butter drips down the candle and creates a salty puddle for you to soak up with crisp focaccia. They also tend to reveal that the candle is made of butter after they’ve already lit it and walked away, which adds a layer of theatrical drama that we just kind of spoiled. Sorry. 

The Freebie: A glass of sparkling wine.

We always assumed being handed a complimentary glass of sparkling wine upon entry was something that only happened to Coco Chanel or The Great Gatsby. But this still happens at Le Bouchon du Grove. The adorable French restaurant hands you a generous pour of chilled sparkling wine that makes up for the fact that the restaurant’s only source of ventilation are wooden ceiling fans. The effect of the free wine coupled with the absence of central AC feels like you’re vacationing at a rustic villa in Provence. Fortunately, it doesn’t take an $800 flight (with minimal legroom) to get here.

The Freebie: Assortment of sweets. 

Pascal’s is a classic French restaurant that’ll please grumpy abuelos who talk about fine dining as a “dying art” in this city. Even though dinner feels like it’s coming to a close when the magnificent chocolate soufflé appears at the table, it’s really only part one of dessert. The second (and final) phase takes place when the check arrives along with a complimentary assortment of sweets like tuiles, chocolate truffles, and merengues.

The Freebie: Complimentary salads and pickled things.

You will be confused the first time you come to this Israeli classic in Aventura. You will wonder why they are bringing you half a dozen small plates of various salads and pickled things before you’ve even ordered. But they don’t have the wrong table—that’s just what they do for everyone. It makes even a casual lunch feel like a royal feast. Unfortunately, their excellent hummus with falafel isn’t free, but you should still order it anyway.

The Freebie: Rotating shot.

Don’t think of Kaiju as just a bar that makes drinks. Think of it as a beverage laboratory that’s concocting the most impressive cocktails in Miami. Every Kaiju experience begins with a complimentary shot of some sort of milk punch or seasonal clarified something or other. It’s an exciting warm-up for a cocktail menu that demands to be sipped mindfully—not like a dehydrated marathoner getting their first cup of water.

The Freebie: Bar bacon.

Yes, you should always approach complimentary “bar bacon” with caution. But when it comes from a fancy steakhouse like Prime 112, gobble it up without a second thought. The free bacon comes in a glass goblet, and it’s only available at the bar. So pair it with a martini, listen to your intrusive thoughts, and dip the bacon into your martini.

The Freebie: Bread and pommes purée.

A meal here starts with a delicious free bowl of cheese buns and pointy mini-baguettes you’ll want to stuff into your purse to take home. But there’s a second sneaky complimentary item that comes with all entrees: L’Atelier’s pommes purée, which has been described by people with concerningly large cookbook collections as “iconic.” They’re kind of right. These aren’t just whipped, buttery mashed potatoes. They’re the best you’ll ever have. It’s probably included in the price, but it’s still a lovely shock to get a surprise mashed potato.

The Freebie: Popcorn.

Getting full is never an issue at MiMo’s Blue Collar, a comfort food paradise with humongous portions. And yet, we love that they now plop a bowl of popcorn on the table at the start of your meal. Blue Collar didn’t always do this. Maybe it’s a way of celebrating their new space (which is directly across the street from the old restaurant). Either way, we won’t overthink it. We love popcorn.

The Freebie: Mint digestif (a.k.a. the saltamonte).

More than half of La Pata Gorda’s menu is seafood. The Ecuadorian restaurant on Miracle Mile makes ceviches and grilled conchas that are tasty, but may result in smelly breath. The good news is a meal here is finished off with a complimentary digestif (called saltamonte) made with rum, mint, and condensed milk. The mint flavor from this shot is an ideal palette cleanser that makes your breath smell more like a Colgate sponsorship and less like a Seaworld internship.

The Freebie: Candy.

The best restaurant in Miami hands you the bill with a free piece of HongYuan candy for each person at the table. The hard candy leaves a sweet taste in your mouth—not only because it’s guava flavored, but because it’s just plain nice. The thoughtfulness of this place goes beyond the candy. They hand you little wet napkins after you’re done eating their saucy ribs and wings, which makes you look like a busy mechanic.