Dining Alone in Miami

Sometimes we all need a little me time. We've picked Miami's best places to eat when you're a party of one.

You and your lunch make such a nice couple.

Member rating: 2

By Dinkinish O'Connor9/16/2009

Sometimes dining alone can make one feel like there's an invisible "L" (for loser) beaming from one's forehead. But dining solo has some perks - you're free to read, to think and, best of all, you never, ever have to share your fries.

Here are some of Miami's best places to reserve that table for one:

Big Squeeze Juice Bar in Northeast Miami-Dade is like a West Indian cabana-shack. Voluptuous women in tight tanks that read "Squeeze Me" sashay from picnic table to counter space while sounds ranging from Buju Banton to Avril Lavigne cascade amid the scent of fresh fruits and veggies.

Diners can enjoy ice-cold pitchers of water spiked with roughly cut orange slices and giant sprigs of mint, and take in a menu of falafels ($3.95), tuna burger wraps ($8.45), and the spicy red snapper special, $8.95, served with organic brown rice and garden salad (tip: dab spicy curry ginger sauce for a more exotic taste experience).

The Lemonade Delight, made with freshly squeezed lemon juice, orange juice and strawberries, is a true heat-wave tonic and is one of a few lemonade options, all $4.25.

The topper: a porch swing in the Big Squeeze Garden, so one looks that much cooler riding solo.

Big Squeeze Juice Bar, 18315 West Dixie Hwy., North Miami; 305-935-9544.

Right around the bend of the second floor at the Bal Harbour Shops sits Lea's Tea Room, a little Parisian café that offers much more than tea.

After gallivanting with Prada and Lacoste, have a glass of Lea's Champagne Bellini ($11.50), which offers a candy-sweet bite of peach right at the end bottom of the glass. The wicker chairs are cozy enough to lose oneself in a favorite gossip column while dining on Ille Flottante -- poached caramelized egg whites with crème anglaise and slices of roasted almonds ($7.50) -- or Warm French Brie Salad served with mixed greens and toasted sour dough ($11.95).

The best part: Solo diners can savor Le Wine du Jour (which may be a glass of a Grand Cru Bordeaux for $10.50 a glass). Now who wants to share that?

Lea's Tea Room, Bal Harbour Shops, second level, 9700 Collins Ave.; 305-868-0901.

Squeezed between Southeast First and Second streets in downtown Miami sits a small portal of restaurants, cafés (and orphaned cafés).

The scene captures the colorful romance of old San Juan, and Habibi Mediterranean Grill sits at the portal's tail end, offering a most beautiful view from underneath a bamboo-like roof.

From there, one can ogle nearby plant-draped buildings painted in coral and Mediterranean blue while savoring Moutabal, a Lebanese dish of grilled eggplant made with sesame puree and lemon juice ($4.25) or lamb kabobs ($8.95 for lunch, $13.95 for dinner).

Owner Abdul Reda also prepares a lovely Lebanese spicy fish dish ($11.95 for lunch, $13.95 for dinner), with whatever seafare is available at Casablanca Fish Market. Using fish such as tilapia, salmon, grouper or dolphin, Abdul seasons the fish with Lebanese lemon pepper, garlic, his special tahini blend, a touch of Lebanese oregano and sumac powder (a syrup-colored spice that comes from a berry cluster common in parts of the Middle East). The dish is served with angel hair rice and a simple salad. Note: Habibi shuts down at 6 p.m. on Saturday, so bring the sketch book for brunch.

Habibi Mediterranean Grill, 93 SE Second St., Miami; 786-425-2699.

The Café at Books & Books on Lincoln Road in Miami Beach offers solo diners the ultimate ménage a trois: Curried Chicken Salad, a cool glass of Chardonnay and some Joan Didion or John Steinbeck.

This café is an excellent place to browse a smorgasbord of titles (or pretend to do so). The menu boasts sandwiches and salads including Tuna Nicoise ($14.95), and Pan-Asian Chicken, $10.95.

Black bean hummus, served with bagel chips ($4.95), sounded good for starters, but seemed bland after a few minutes.

Tastier was the Curried Chicken Salad ($9.95), prepared with golden raisins, walnuts and a yellow curry, and served with couscous and mixed greens.

Portions are substantial, so there's enough to take home for 3 a.m. munchies.

The super cool glass of Rock River Chardonnay ($7.50) is a nice pairing with the curry flavor, but there's also a decent selection of reds and whites ranging between $5 and $9.50 by the glass, $18 and $38 by the bottle. Beers are all $4.95.

On Saturdays, the café closes at midnight, so there's plenty of time to nibble on The Grapes of Wrath.

The Café at Books & Books, 933 Lincoln Rd., South Beach; 305-695-8898.

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