Located right on Higgs Beach, Salute! (1000 Atlantic Blvd., 305/292-1117, lunch 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Mon.–Sat., dinner 5–10 p.m. daily, main courses from $14) has both indoor and outdoor seating available. On the menu are homemade pasta dishes, paninis, salads, and traditional Italian fare, but the real attraction here is the exceptional view and relaxed atmosphere.
Mangia Mangia (900 Southard St., 305/294-2469, 5:30–10 p.m. daily, main courses from $15) may not have a view of the Straits of Florida, but the ground-floor bistro is located in a pleasant residential neighborhood, and locals come to enjoy freshly made pasta worked into dishes like New Zealand mussels with spaghettini or a picadillo pasta that features black-bean pasta shells in a Cuban-spiced red sauce.