Stubborn Seed is a chic, chef-driven gem in South Beach serving inventive seasonal American dishes and unforgettable craft cocktails in a vibrant setting.
"A restaurant opened by Top Chef winner Jeremy Ford, known for its contemporary American cuisine." - Michael He
"At least ordering is easy at Stubborn Seed. Your only option is an eight-course tasting menu for $175. The meal revolves around ingredients from local farms (including their own), which we appreciate. But Stubborn Seed is too concerned with where the kumquats are from and less so with the finished product on the plate. Their tasting menu is filled with the usual fancy suspects: foams, gels, shaved truffle, and emulsions. But the foams are distracting, and what’s beneath them is a mess. Sometimes you pull up spoonfuls of leafy greens. Other times you get lucky with a piece of gnudi. A tartlet threatens to crack a crown. The tomato pâte de fruit is too stiff and slightly grainy. video credit: Virginia Otazo Service is professional, and the menu leaves you full. But it’s easy to forget that this is a restaurant specializing in a $175 tasting menu. 2010s alternative hits ricochet off the cement walls as you watch cooks tweezer microgreens through the kitchen window. The dining room looks like a parking garage with its metal pipes. The entire experience feels as unfinished as the interior. Stubborn Seed takes a step in a very admirable direction—a restaurant doing its best to support and highlight local farms and produce. But that’s usually the second step. The first is getting the basics right. Food Rundown photo credit: Ryan Pfeffer Tasting Menu Dishes change often and with what’s in season. But the $175 per person tasting menu always underscores local ingredients. A meal here generally starts with a good crudo, ends with two very good main dishes, and dessert is great. But every single course between has big issues—whether it's balance, taste, texture, or all of the above. It loses its wings in the middle, when too many dishes look far prettier than they taste. Ultimately, it falls too far to fully recover." - Virginia Otazo
"Miami's multicultural food scene celebrates evolving culinary traditions, blending diverse ingredients and cooking styles, with a focus on fresh seafood. The city features a fusion of Latin American, Caribbean, and Southern flavors." - Rooksana Hossenally
"This one-Michelin-starred restaurant from Miami’s Top Chef winner, Jeremy Ford, is turning out an eight-course seasonal tasting menu that mixes creative New American flavors with French techniques. Dishes like potato-crusted swordfish, spiced honey lacquered dry-aged duck, and Szechuan-cured yellowtail show Ford’s knack for creative combinations. The rustic-meets-modern space, complete with exposed brick, adds to the intimate vibe. Not ready to commit to the full tasting menu? Grab a seat at the bar, where you’ll find a few a la carte bites, an interesting cocktail lineup, and a well-curated wine list." - Olee Fowler
"This one-Michelin star restaurant from Miami’s own Top Chef winner Jeremy Ford, Stubborn Seed is a cozy-yet-hip South of Fifth restaurant turning out some of the city’s most elevated cuisine. The tasting-menu restaurant serves up an eight-course meal with a bevy of rotating seasonal dishes like confited duck schnitzel, spiced honey lacquered Japanese wagyu striploin, and scallop aguachile. For those who want a la carte, there are a handful of options at the bar." - Amber Love Bond, Olee Fowler
