YAYA's waterfront terrace under an open white pergola, with a long communal table, woven wood chairs, palm trees and a bridge over the bay

YAYA Coastal Cuisine: Mezze, Seafood and Views Right on the Bay

Some dinners are about the food. Some are about the view. YAYA Coastal Cuisine gives you both, a short walk east of Shoe Gallery at 7999 NE Bayshore Court, right on the water. Think Mediterranean seafood, mezze for the table and a terrace built for golden hour.

First Impressions & Vibe

YAYA opened on the bay in 2024, with water and skyline views from its terraces and floor-to-ceiling windows. Miami's own Saladino Design Studios designed the space to feel light and airy, with a neutral palette, a bamboo canopy and statement walls covered in dimensional murals that look carved out of stone. Outside there's terrace seating and a lounge. In its 2025 review, Time Out Miami gave YAYA 4 out of 5 stars and described a dining room that stays busy with locals, and that crowd is a big part of the energy.

What to Order

Start with mezze and share everything. The cold side runs from hummus, tzatziki and mouhammara to eggplant carpaccio, and the hot side has charred Spanish octopus, house-made croquetas and Flaming Saganaki. Time Out called the chargrilled oysters with scampi butter "an immediate winner" and said the flaming saganaki tastes as good as its tableside show.

For mains, the menu leans into the water: pan-seared branzino, Faroe Island salmon, grilled head-on prawns, lobster risotto with caviar butter and a whole Spanish dorade with watercress and fennel. The swordfish "Milanesa" comes with beurre blanc and a sunny-side farm egg, another Time Out pick. Not a seafood person? There's rack of lamb, filet mignon and a 30-ounce ribeye for two.

Overhead view of a breaded fish cutlet topped with a fried egg, broccoli and lemon next to a halved lobster on crushed ice

The brunch menu adds shakshuka, eggs Benedict, a lobster roll and a Sunday paella experience. And don't skip the bar. Zeus' Thunderbolt pairs vodka with kalamata olive, the Calypso is built on yellow bell pepper-infused mezcal, and there are mocktails like a blood orange mule. Time Out was a big fan of the cocktail program, too.

The People Behind It

YAYA comes from Angel Febres, a Miami hospitality veteran of more than a decade who helped found Racket, Foxhole, Casa Tiki and Drunken Dragon. Here he put his love of hospitality together with his love of boating. Todd Zimmer, formerly the executive chef of Prime 112, led the kitchen when YAYA opened. Out front there are 14 boat slips, and the YAYA Club is a private members club for Miami's boating community, while the restaurant itself is open to everyone.

YAYA's dining room with rattan chairs, wood tables, a carved stone-look feature wall, arched doorways and a backlit bar

Know Before You Go

Book the table, catch the view, and make a day of it with a stop at Shoe Gallery on 79th Street first.

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