Makoto

Makoto is chef Makoto Okuwa’s polished contemporary Japanese restaurant at Bal Harbour Shops, created in partnership with restaurateur Stephen Starr. A veteran of Morimoto, Okuwa opened Makoto in 2011 and, in 2022, moved it upstairs into a glamorous new space designed by India Mahdavi, all warm colour, pattern and playful sophistication. It is the perfect reward at the end of a day among the boutiques.

The menu spans pristine Edomae-style sushi, sashimi and a charcoal robata grill turning out smoky skewers of premium Japanese and American beef, seafood and vegetables. The signature spicy tuna on crispy rice is a must, and the sixteen-seat sushi counter is the place to sit for the full omakase. Lunch is lighter and lively, dinner more indulgent, and both draw a chic, well-heeled crowd.

The setting is part of the appeal: a bright, design-led room and a breezy terrace overlooking the open-air mall, stylish but never stiff. It is equally suited to a celebratory dinner, a refined lunch or a glamorous pause between shops. Prices sit at the higher end, in keeping with the address and the quality of the fish.

Makoto is ideal for couples and groups, and a natural pairing with a Bal Harbour shopping afternoon. Reserve ahead, and ask for the sushi counter if you want the omakase. It sits in Bal Harbour, about an eighteen-minute drive up the coast from the residence, an easy trip from South Beach for refined Japanese in one of Miami’s most luxurious settings.