Israeli cuisine is becoming increasingly popular in Miami with the emergence of restaurants such as Abbalé, Motek, Jaffa, Neya, and Aba.

Branja, located in Upper Buena Vista, is an indoor-outdoor eatery that features mostly small plates by MasterChef Israel winner and renowned rebel chef Tom Aviv. Aviv uses humor and fusion to create dishes such as falafish, fishwarma, and Brooklyn Heights sashimi.

Branja is not kosher but is kosher-style, offering certified Glatt kosher proteins and not serving shellfish and pork. The restaurant evokes Tel Aviv’s acid-washed ’70s with upcycled tortoiseshell and Bakelite-style cutlery, reclaimed synagogue bench seating, and a stunning stained-glass ceiling.

The interior of Branja is a 12-seat chef’s table, which is the Lenny Kravitz-designed bar from the Florida Room at the Delano Hotel.
Photo by Ruth Kim“> click to enlarge

Branja’s "Brooklyn Heights sashimi" is beet-cured salmon that looks simultaneously like lox, tiradito, and pastrami.
Photo by Ruth Kim“> click to enlarge