Cocktails, wine bars and dives: drinking in Miami for grown-ups.
Cocktail bars, wine bars, dive bars and gastropubs: drinking in Miami for grown-ups.
Sweet Liberty in Miami Beach is John Lermayer's 2015 cocktail bar at 237 20th Street, Collins Park, with a 10-year run as a James Beard semifinalist and Best American Bar.
Signature drink: Pina colada
Food: Snacks, oysters, late-night
Tip: Daily 4pm to 6am happy hour is the long pour; pina colada is the order even at midnight.
Broken Shaker in Miami Beach is the Freehand Hotel garden bar at 2727 Indian Creek Drive, a James Beard semifinalist running seasonal cocktails from a tiny back-of-house bar.
Signature drink: Garden-driven seasonal cocktails
Food: Snacks and small plates
Tip: The patio is the room; arrive at sunset. Cocktails change weekly with the back garden's herbs.
Cafe La Trova in Miami's Little Havana is Julio Cabrera and Michelle Bernstein's Cuban bar at 971 SW 8th Street, a regular on the World's 50 Best Bars list.
Signature drink: Cabrera-style daiquiri
Food: Cuban classics by Michelle Bernstein
Tip: Live music nightly; the bar pours classic Havana daiquiris with the Cabrera technique. The kitchen plates Michelle Bernstein's croquetas.
Mac's Club Deuce in Miami Beach is the 1926 South Beach dive bar at 222 14th Street, the oldest bar in the city and an Anthony Bourdain pilgrimage stop.
Signature drink: Cheap beer, strong pour
Food: None
Tip: Cash only. Happy hour 8am to 5pm runs two-for-one drinks all day. Open until 5am every day.
Bodega in Miami Beach is the South Beach taqueria at 1220 16th Street, with a hidden speakeasy behind a porta-potty door pouring cocktails until 5am nightly.
Signature drink: Smoked Margarita
Food: Tacos late-night
Tip: Order tacos at the front counter; ask staff about the secret door for the cocktail bar. Open till 5am daily.
Peak food season in Miami is year-round.
Local dining hours: lunch around 12:30, dinner from 19:30.
service is typically included; small extra is welcome but not expected.
Ask the next local you meet what they would order. Miami rewards trust.