Lagniappe House on NE 2nd Avenue is the New Orleans-styled wine and live-jazz bar with a back garden, a 200-bottle list weighted to natural and biodynamic producers and a stage that runs every night.
Tip: Live music every night with no cover; tip the band. The back garden is the seat; the bar takes walk-ins for shorter waits.
Address: 3425 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami, FL 33137
1-800-Lucky on NW 23rd Street is the 10,000 square foot Asian food hall with an on-site vinyl record shop and a small DJ stage where house, Latin and hip-hop selectors run open-format sets.
Tip: Open from morning into late night with free entry. House and techno bookings land Mondays and Sundays; weekend nights run open format.
Mac's Club Deuce on 14th Street is Miami Beach's oldest bar, opened in 1926 and registered post-Prohibition in 1933, the South Beach dive where Anthony Bourdain held court and the cash register still rings 21 hours a day.
Tip: Cash only. Happy hour 08:00 to 17:00 runs two-for-one drinks; the pool table and jukebox keep going until 05:00.
Lost Weekend on Española Way is the South Beach dive-and-sports-bar hybrid since 1996, the kind of room with pool tables, vintage arcade cabinets, strong drinks and no pretense whatsoever.
Tip: Open until 04:00 every night with happy hour 16:00 to 20:00. Pool table free until 21:00 weekdays; the back arcade keeps quarters going.
Abbey Brewing on 16th Street is the longest-running craft brewpub in Miami Beach, an unpretentious dive of a room with the brewery's own Trappist-influenced beers on draught and a regular South Beach service-industry crowd.
Tip: Cash and card both work; the back patio is small and the indoor bar is dark but air-conditioned. Service-industry discount before 20:00.
Sweet Caroline on SW 1st Avenue in Brickell is the late-night karaoke bar with private rooms and a main-stage open mic that runs until 04:00 most nights, a service-industry favorite after the kitchens close.
Tip: Happy hour 18:00 to 20:00 daily. Private karaoke rooms book ahead via Toast; the main floor takes walk-ins on a queue.
LIV at Fontainebleau is the 18,000 square foot megaclub on the bottom level of the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, the room David Grutman built and the one that still books the biggest hip-hop headliners in Miami.
Tip: Open Wednesday to Sunday from 23:00 to 05:00. Reserve a table by 22:30 or expect a long door line on weekends.