Palace Bar & Restaurant ★ 4.5
$$$South Beach{'monday': '11:00-02:00', 'tuesday': '11:00-02:00', 'wednesday': '11:00-02:00', 'thursday': '11:00-02:00', 'friday': '11:00-03:00', 'saturday': '10:00-03:00', 'sunday': '10:00-02:00'}
Palace on Ocean Drive is the South Beach drag institution that has run for more than three decades, a sidewalk patio and inside bar where the queens lip-sync at the curb to traffic and tourists.
Tip: Sunday drag brunch is the signature; weekday evening drag shows are easier walk-ins. Ocean Drive parking is murder, so Uber.
R House Wynwood ★ 4.5
$$$Wynwood{'monday': 'closed', 'tuesday': 'closed', 'wednesday': '16:00-22:00', 'thursday': '16:00-22:00', 'friday': '16:00-23:00', 'saturday': '11:30-00:00', 'sunday': '11:30-18:00'}
R House on NW 2nd Avenue is the Wynwood Latin-American kitchen that turned a decade of drag brunches into the most-booked queer Saturday and Sunday in Miami, with two seatings per weekend day.
Tip: Drag brunch at 11:30 and 14:30 Saturday and Sunday with bottomless drinks. Reserve weeks ahead for prime weekends.
Score Bar ★ 4.2
$$South Beach{'monday': '15:00-05:00', 'tuesday': '15:00-05:00', 'wednesday': '15:00-05:00', 'thursday': '15:00-05:00', 'friday': '15:00-05:00', 'saturday': '15:00-05:00', 'sunday': '15:00-05:00'}
Score on Washington Avenue is the South Beach video bar and dance club, formerly on Lincoln Road, now relocated to Washington with two floors, drag shows nightly and a Sunday tea dance.
Tip: Open every day from 15:00 to 05:00, happy hour weekdays until 21:00. Sunday tea dance from 17:00 is the locals afternoon.
Bar Gaythering ★ 4.2
$$South Beach{'monday': '17:00-03:00', 'tuesday': '17:00-03:00', 'wednesday': '17:00-03:00', 'thursday': '17:00-03:00', 'friday': '17:00-03:00', 'saturday': '17:00-03:00', 'sunday': '17:00-03:00'}
Bar Gaythering on Lincoln Road runs as the ground-floor bar of Hôtel Gaythering, the queer hotel bar with Karaoke Mondays, Trivia Wednesdays and a low-key crowd that skews local more than tourist.
Tip: Free entry every night; the karaoke Monday and bingo Thursday calendars are the easier walk-ins. Hotel guests get a separate lounge upstairs.
Dante's HiFi ★ 4.7
$$$Wynwood{'monday': 'closed', 'tuesday': '21:00-02:00', 'wednesday': '21:00-02:00', 'thursday': '21:00-03:00', 'friday': '21:00-03:00', 'saturday': '21:00-03:00', 'sunday': 'closed'}
Dante's HiFi on NW 26th in Wynwood is the city's first vinyl listening bar, an intimate analog room built by Walshy Fire with Rich Medina spinning his 8,000-record collection through a custom hi-fi system.
Tip: No reservations and capacity is tight; doors open Tuesday through Saturday from 21:00. Phones away inside and the back banquettes are the seat.
Kaori Listening Bar ★ 4.6
$$$Brickell{'monday': '17:00-23:00', 'tuesday': '17:00-23:00', 'wednesday': '17:00-23:00', 'thursday': '17:00-01:00', 'friday': '17:00-01:00', 'saturday': '17:00-01:00', 'sunday': 'closed'}
Kaori on South Miami Avenue is the Brickell pan-Asian dining room whose downstairs listening bar runs vinyl-only DJ sets Thursday through Saturday with a hi-fi rig and a 200-bottle natural wine list.
Tip: Listening bar opens at 17:00 Monday through Saturday. Ask the host for the pin program to queue your own record from the collection.