Chef Jeremy Ford's Stubborn Seed is the only Miami-area restaurant named among the world's best in 50 Best Discovery's 2026 global list, released Thursday, July 24. Four local hotels and four bars in Miami Beach and Surfside also made the cut.

The recognition from the international guide, an extension of the World's 50 Best brand, places 14 Miami-area hospitality venues on the list, nine of them in Miami Beach and Surfside. The guide highlights more than 3,500 restaurants, bars, hotels and vineyards worldwide, voted on by more than 3,000 experts selected by the organization.

Ford's Restaurant Built on Sustainability and Fusion Cuisine

Ford opened Stubborn Seed at 101 Washington Ave. in 2017 with Grove Bay Hospitality Group. The restaurant earned a Michelin star in June 2022, when the guide announced its first Florida stars, and has retained it every year since.

The 50 Best Discovery guide praised the restaurant's sustainability practices, noting its partnership with Compost for Life and produce sourced from Ford's 7-acre farm in Homestead. The guide called the cocktail program "stellar" and described the menu as fusing Asian and Latin influences across an à la carte menu and three-tier tasting experience, with dishes rotating every few weeks.

Ford, a Season 13 "Top Chef" winner, also runs Salt + Ash in the Florida Keys and Terra in Aruba. He opened a second Stubborn Seed at Resorts World Las Vegas in 2025.

Four Local Bars and Four Hotels Also Make the List

Sweet Liberty, Swizzle Rum Bar & Drinkery and Broken Shaker in Miami Beach joined Champagne Bar at The Surf Club in Surfside on the bars list. Five additional Miami-area bars outside the Beach made the guide: Bar Kaiju at The Citadel, Café La Trova in Little Havana, Dante's HiFi in Wynwood, Sexy Fish in Brickell, and ViceVersa.

Champagne Bar picked up its second international nod of 2026. Forbes Travel Guide named it one of its Best Hotel Bars on Monday, June 9, citing Miami's largest champagne selection.

All four hotels on the list sit within the Miami Beach and Surfside corridor: 1 Hotel South Beach, Faena Miami Beach, Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club in Surfside, and The Setai Miami Beach.

Guide Describes Itself as a List, Not a Ranking

50 Best Discovery describes itself as a global guide rather than a ranking, as reported by the Miami Herald's Connie Ogle on July 24.

The full list of Miami-area selections is available at theworlds50best.com/discovery.