Though I'd be hard pressed to nominate one restaurant as my favorite in Miami, The River Oyster Bar could certainly make it to the short list. It's the kind of place that can quickly end a dispute on where to eat since it has got something for true foodophiles as well as the less adventurous. The vibe is predictably upbeat, the prices mild and the servers manage to walk that line between friendly and professional with great aplomb.

Its menu offers contemporary riffs on favorites but goes way beyond the basic crab cakes and calamari -- though it has them, too. Preparations range from the rugged grilled octopus to a refined foie gras on calabaza pancakes with vanilla-bean chutney.

The menu changes with the season and with the mood of owner and executive chef David Bracha, a Brooklyn native who has worked at the site since 1995, when it was Fishbone Grille. After taking it over and revamping it in 2003, the quality of the food kept pace with the much-improved decor. The execution -- whether Asian, Caribbean, Latin, European or good old American-inspired -- is usually right on the money.

The wine list, created by GM Juan Rochaix, is geographically diverse, intelligent, fun, and for the most part marked up only about double retail. Many staffers actually know something about flavor profiles and pairing. Plus, it's one of the few restaurants where reds are served appropriately chilled in a town where cabs and syrahs generally taste as though they've been stored on a tarmac.

The sexy wood- and stone-filled space, anchored by a voluptuous mahogany bar and accented by lots of recessed lighting, is low-key but classy, with a definite buzz that never seems to turn frat party. It's great for a business lunch and equally super for a night out.

But it is the daily happy hour (even Saturdays) that draws diehard raw bar fans who sidle up to the bar to slurp what has to be hands-down the finest selection of oysters and the freshest in town. You can sample the classy little kumamotos from California or the delightfully briny canoe lagoons from Alaska. Flat and metallic, farm-raised Belons from British Columbia or creamy umami from Puget Sound are outstanding and need nothing more than a squirt of lemon to bring out the sea flavor.

While in months past all oysters were offered at half price, with such rarefied breeds coming in these days only the more mundane selections are discounted. A selection of premium wines and cocktails are offered for $5.

For those who prefer less slime in their mollusks, the delicately fried oysters with a passive-aggressive chili-spiced aioli is divine. But it is not just the raw stuff that wins my heart here. It is also all the local seafood, like mahi encrusted with nutty pumpkin seeds, yellowtail snapper with pigeon-pea rice and coconut spinach as well as a squeaky fresh and smooth conch ceviche with scotch bonnets and sour orange.

A sink-sized bowl of petite black Mediterranean mussels are coaxed open by steaming hot coconut broth and given even more flavor from tiny diced juicy tomatoes and still green leaves of basil.

A tiradito of plump bay scallops are delivered dry-packed from the Northeast so that they are not spongy. The spicy amber-colored broth spiked with an almost creamy purée of garlic, tomatoes, cilantro and lime with a hit of chiles and spice could turn someone who doesn't love scallops into a fan.

Meat is excellent, too. A churrasco, an expertly grilled skirt steak cooked medium, was tender and tasty, with a meaty, minerally char offset by yucca fries seasoned by a tangy sour orange mojo. They might have been a little crisper but still had great, earthy flavor.

Better are the truffle-drenched, thick-cut fries that come with the succulent grilled lamb chops.

Barbecued baby back ribs, a tender arc of pork meat, which was unfortunately dry when I tasted it, had a delectable crust and a gentle Thai fish sauce of garlic, chiles and a lovely slaw of cucumbers, radish and carrots.

Desserts are not this spot's strongest point, though a perfectly competent passion-fruit crme brlée might please those who like a shot of tart in their creamy sweets.

Cheese lovers will thrill to the flavors of sheep, goat and cow milk curds from Spain, France, Australia, Italy, the U.K. and our own back yard. A platter of three for just $16 comes with fresh apple slices, fig jam and walnuts in lemon honey with a side of warm pecan bread.