The best bars in South Beach, from grand hotel lobbies to neighborhood classics

What is it? The most exciting lobby bar to open in South Beach in years. Now run by Proper Hotels, the The Shelborne By Proper made this the focal point of the property with expansive floor-to-ceiling windows, a luxurious stone bar, and various clusters of plush pastel couches and marble coffee tables that invite you to kick back and stay a while. 

Why we love it: It’s chic without being rigid, cozy while still evoking a special occasion, restoring something Miami lost—the grand hotel bar as a social equalizer. You’ll see fashion types, design enthusiasts, out-of-town artists and the types of people who probably frequented Soho Beach House back when it was an aspirational place to be. The drink menu is tightly curated with a coconut-washed tequila Negroni and plum-infused Manhattan, but it’s the martini service that takes the grand prize. The Shelborne Martini is a velvety vesper, with avocado-washed Grey Goose, fennel and a few dots of tangerine EVOO. Is this the best martini in Miami? This writer bets on it.  

Time Out tip: Fridays and Saturdays offer no shortage of live music, from the bands that fill the lobby bar with sound to the local DJs that take over Little Torch, the cozy Scarface-esque lounge tucked between that and Pauline, the Selborne's newly opened restaurant. 

Address: 1801 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139

Opening hours: Mon–Fri 7–11am, noon–4pm, 5–10pm; Sat, Sun 7am–4pm, 5–10pm

What is it? A low-lit cocktail bar on Alton Road that seamlessly blends a dive-bar ambiance with top-notch cocktails and inventive bites. The establishment exudes a moody, dark, and friendly atmosphere, enhanced by neon tube lighting, a 25-foot saltwater aquarium behind the bar, and nostalgic '80s rock tunes. And like any classic dive, there’s a pool table in the back. 

Why we love it: It manages to be relaxed without being lazy about the drinks. The Bread Service Martini comes with a warm croissant on the side—a detail that could feel gimmicky elsewhere but works here. Plus, the food hits. Their version of nachos is a heaping plate of tuna poke over crispy wontons with chunks of grilled pineapple. Their take on wings is slathered in sweet kimchi honey.  You can post up for one round and leave satisfied, or settle in and let the night stretch out.

Time Out tip: Go on Sunday for the $29 steak frites, which comes with a glass of red wine—a legitimately good deal in this part of town.

Address: 1766 Bay Rd, Miami Beach, FL 33139

Opening hours: Daily 5pm–late

What is it? A compact, wood-paneled bar in Sunset Harbour, steps from Lucali. The Bay Club feels deliberately small—you can cross the room in seconds—which makes it read more clubhouse than cocktail destination.

Why we love it: It doesn’t posture. The drinks are straightforward, the room fills quickly and the programming leans scrappy in the best way: karaoke that spills onto the sidewalk, comedy nights that feel loosely organized but well attended, live music that turns the space into a singalong. It’s one of the rare places in South Beach that operates like a true neighborhood bar, with regulars who know each other and bartenders who clock repeat faces.

Time Out tip: If there’s a karaoke night, go late. The early rounds are tentative; by 10:30pm, the room loosens up and the performances get better (or at least louder). You can order from Lucali next door, which solves dinner without sacrificing your seat.

Address: 1900 Bay Rd, Miami Beach, FL 33139

Opening hours: Tue–Sun 6pm–1am

What is it? A nationally recognized, award-winning cocktail bar near Collins Park that’s been slinging out Miami’s best drinks for over a decade, which is a lifetime in South Beach speak. Opened by nightlife veterans Dan Binkowitz and the late John Lehmeyer, Sweet Liberty Drinks & Supply Company, Sweet Liberty offers amazing programming, from live music at night to plenty of activations by liquor brands both familiar and under-the-radar.

Why we love it: It’s an everyman’s bar in the most literal sense: industry lifers, first dates, fashion week strays, hospitality crews clocking out at midnight—no one feels out of place. The drink list ranges from tight classics to cult frozen pours; the piña colada, built with serious rum and properly aerated, avoids the syrupy resort trap and stays cold to the last sip. “Snackuiris”—snack-sized daiquiris—make it easy to try more than one. And of course, there are deep cuts, like the Spaniard martini, which comes with an amuse-bouche of marcona olives. On the food side, Michelle Bernstein oversees the menu, and her take on meatless cauliflower nachos, topped with jalapeños and pomegranates, has become a staple. The merch—hats, T-shirts and satin bombers stamped with “Miami Is the Shit, Bro”—tells you the place has a serious sense of humor. 

Time Out tip: Happy hour runs daily from 4 to 8pm and is the move if you’re coming for oysters. East Coast is often listed at around $0.95 to $1.25. each. The best seat in the house is behind the schtick; call ahead to reserve the booth behind the bar for the perfect bird’s eye view as Sweet Liberty starts to fill in. 

Address: 237 20th St, Miami Beach, FL 33139

Opening hours: Mon–Fri 4pm–5am; Sat–Sun 3pm–5am

What is it? A rum-focused cocktail bar tucked inside the Stiles Hotel on Collins Avenue. Swizzle Rum Bar & Drinkery is small, dim and built around a serious rum collection that spans the Caribbean and beyond.

Why we love it: Rum actually gets respect here. The back bar carries more than 150 bottles, and the menu leans into both classic tiki structures and sharper, spirit-forward builds. It’s the kind of place where you can order a proper daiquiri and taste the difference between islands. The room stays intimate, making it ideal for a late-night drink without shouting over a DJ.

Time Out tip: Sit at the bar and ask what rum they’re excited about right now. The staff knows the inventory and will steer you toward something you wouldn’t normally pick, whether that’s a funky Jamaican or an aged agricole.

Address: 1120 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139

Opening hours: Daily 6pm–1am

What is it? A dim, low-slung cocktail lounge inside The Standard Spa, Miami Beach, that feels removed from the world and the 21st century. Monterrey Bar is intimate and inward-facing, built around a polished U-shaped bar that anchors the room of rust-colored velvet seating and boudoir-like amber lighting.

Why we love it: This is not a vodka-soda room. People sit. They linger. They ordered something stirred. If there’s a seasonal Manhattan variation on the menu, that’s a solid bet. Some drinks arrive with a brief tableside finish—a final expression of citrus, a measured pour—subtle, not showy. The crowd is a mix of Standard hotel guests in post-spa linen, neighborhood regulars who live on the Venetian islands, and the occasional hospitality industry duo decompressing. No one is filming themselves. No one is standing on banquettes. The venue maintains a conversation volume.

Time Out tip: The U-bar is where you want to sit. That’s where the rhythm of the room lives—and where you’ll get the full effect of the cocktail program.

Address: 40 Island Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139

Opening hours: Daily 5pm–midnight

What is it? One of Miami Beach’s oldest bars, operating since 1926 and still defiantly divey. Mac's Club Deuce sits on a busy stretch of 14th Street, though inside it feels suspended in another era, with neon signage, pool tables, a W-shaped bar, and a cash-only mandate.

Why we love it: I once walked in at 8am on a Tuesday expecting to find night-shift stragglers and instead found a full bar of people who had very clearly woken up for this. That’s the Deuce. The late Mac Klein ran the place until his death in 2016 at 101, and little has changed since. The pours are stiff, the lighting is flattering in the way only red neon can be, and the room operates without pretension. The neon accents were installed during the filming of an episode of Miami Vice, which feels right, and the eternal decision was made to never take them down. 

Time Out tip: Don’t overcomplicate it. This is a beer-and-a-shot bar. If you order a negroni they’ll free-pour it and call you out for being a New Yorker. 

Address: 222 14th St, Miami Beach, FL 33139

Opening hours: Daily 8am–5am

What is it? A basement bar inside Gale South Beach that feels removed from the neon churn outside. Medium Cool is compact and low-lit, built for people who like to temper their disco fever in a cozy, velvet-lined lounge setting.

Why we love it: It occupies a narrow lane between a cocktail lounge and a dance spot and rarely tips too far in either direction. In the early evening, you’ll find small groups actually finishing their dirty martinis and talking. Later, DJs take over and the room tightens. Like, really tightens. The cocktail program—developed by Naren Young—is classic with precise experimentation. To alleviate the bar backup—because there’s always bar backup—they offer large-format pornstar martinis, punch bowls, and cosmopolitans for four to eight people, though if you’re coming in a group, table reservations are definitely recommended.  

Time Out tip: Show up early for live jazz, which runs nightly. For an hour or two, the basement stops feeling like South Beach and starts reading like a proper listening lounge somewhere far from Collins Avenue. 

Address: 1690 Collins Ave #2, Miami Beach, FL 33139

Opening hours: Sun, Wed, Thu 6pm–3am; Fri–Sat 6pm–4am

What is it? The rooftop bar atop 1 Hotel South Beach, 18 floors up and facing the Atlantic. Watr at the 1 Rooftop is technically a restaurant, but most people are there for drinks and the vantage point.

Why we love it: Because it’s one of the few rooftops in Miami where the view actually justifies the price of cocktails. You’re above Collins Avenue noise, looking straight out at the water with nothing blocking it. The layout gives you options: bar stools for people-watching and perimeter lounge sets for the inevitable photo moment. The crowd is mostly made up of out-of-towners, along with a few locals who don’t mind paying for altitude. 

Time Out tip: Make a reservation if you’re coming on a weekend night—even for drinks. Walk-ins can get stuck downstairs. If you’re bar-only, go earlier in the evening before table reservations dominate the floor.

Address: 2341 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139

Opening hours: Daily 5pm–late

What is it? A no-frills brewpub a block off Lincoln Road that has quietly outlasted most of the neighborhood’s reinventions. The Abbey Brewing Company is compact, wood-heavy and refreshingly indifferent to trends.

Why we love it: The beer is the point. The Abbey brews in-house, and regulars come specifically for its IPAs—bitter, citrusy and poured without ceremony. Depending on what’s on tap, you’ll find Belgian-style ales, stouts and rotating small-batch experiments that feel more old-school craft than hype-driven release. Yes, there’s liquor if you need it, but ordering a pint is the smartest move in the room. Add pool, darts and a classic jukebox, and it becomes the antidote to the Lincoln Road gloss just around the corner.

Time Out tip: Ask what’s brewed in-house that week and start there. The bartenders are quick to steer you toward what’s freshest rather than what’s most familiar.

Address: 1115 16th St, Miami Beach, FL 33139

Opening hours: Mon–Sat 1pm–5am; Sun 3pm–5am

What is it? A stalwart sports dive in South of Fifth where neon lights glow, the pool table leans a little crooked and the drinks are about as cheap as you’ll find this close to the ocean. Ted's Hideaway has long served as the unvarnished counterpoint to its manicured surroundings.

Why we love it: The Deuce may get the mythology, but Ted’s holds its own. It’s dark, dog-friendly and unapologetically unstyled, with a rotating cast of regulars who treat it less like a hotspot and more like a living room to tell good stories. In a neighborhood that can feel overly maintained, Ted’s stays exactly as it is.

Time Out tip: Dress codes don’t exist here—and that’s part of the appeal. Come as you are, sandy toes and all, to grab a beer and claim the pool table before someone else does.

Address: 124 2nd St, Miami Beach, FL 33139

Opening hours: Daily 8am–5am

What is it? A compact cocktail bar in South of Fifth from the team behind Ariete and Chug's Diner. The ScapeGoat is cozy, feeling dim but still a bit polished.

Why we love it: It threads a tricky needle. The cocktails are thoughtful—a basil gimlet that actually tastes like basil, a rum punch that avoids being saccharine—but the room never veers into hushed mixology-lab territory. It just feels like a good old-fashioned bar. As the night deepens, the tone loosens, and the crowd tilts toward industry folks, SoFi regulars, and conversational tourists who are piling on nightcap after nightcap. 

Time Out tip: Happy hour runs Sunday through Thursday from 5–8pm and again from 1–3am, with $10 cocktails including staples like the basil gimlet and rum punch. The late-night window is the sleeper move — fewer tourists, more locals.

Address: 100 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139

Opening hours: Daily 5pm–3am

What is it? A multi-venue nightlife ecosystem anchored by the rooftop restaurant above Lincoln Road—with adjacent concepts that keep the night going without requiring a change of address (or a change of energy): the rooftop restaurant, a separate Lounge concept (late-night + bottle service), the members-only MM space, and MILA Omakase as its own enclosed, reservation-only experience.

Why we love it: Because when people say they want “a Miami night,” they usually mean this mix: sexy crowd, sexy music, sexy drinks, sexy attitude. The crowd is mixed but intentional: birthdays, date nights, visiting Europeans, Miami regulars who know someone who’s a member. Early in the evening, it’s all sunset cocktails and tables of sushi and robata. By 9:30pm, the volume inches up and people migrate into the lounge, where DJs take over with a blend of deep and ambient house with an enticing dose of African rhythms. Fire dancers are always part of the package.

Time Out tip: Book dinner around 9pm if you want the full arc. You’ll eat, linger over a second drink and then watch the room pivot around you without having to change venues.

Address: 1636 Meridian Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139

Opening hours: Daily 6pm–late

What is it? A scrappy live-music bar on Española Way that has managed to survive in a stretch otherwise overrun with souvenir shops and frozen daiquiri machines. Kill Your Idol is loud, dark and anchored by a life-size Bruce Lee suspended above the bar.

Why we love it: It’s as punk as South Beach is going to get. The crowd is a mix of industry folks, neighborhood regulars, musicians, and people who wandered in accidentally and stayed. It’s not slick and it’s not trying to be. The drinks are simple, the dance floor is tight and the energy skews sweaty rather than staged.

Time Out tip: Go on a live-band night and get there before the first set starts if you want space near the stage. Doors open at 8pm and it runs until 4am, which makes it one of the few places in the area that still keeps true late-night hours.

Address: 222 Española Way, Miami Beach, FL 33139

Opening hours: Daily 8pm–4am