Traveling to South Florida? Here's where to stay in Miami

When the world hears the word Miami, they close their eyes and see South Beach. They see sloshing mojitos and miles of bright neon. They also see dollar signs— a lot of them. And they’re not entirely wrong. Miami’s biggest tourism hub still offers popped-collar nightlife and sandal-friendly sidewalk cafés. But the last decade has seen South Beach diversify in delightful ways. Locals no longer avoid it and tourists aren’t the only people wiggling toes in the sand. Nightlife options have grown plentiful and veered from the velvet rope elitism of the early 2000s. Now, each pocket of the neighborhood holds something new, and you’re as likely to find five-star dining, world-renowned cocktail dens and breathtaking art as you are a bartender wielding a water gun full of tequila. Welcome to the new South Beach.

Eat

The Drexel

You already know about Joe's Stone Crab. You're still on the waitlist for Carbone. If you're looking for a South Beach Restaurant that's as popular with locals as it is travelers, and is absolutely delicious without being over the top, weave through the crowds on Española Way and take an outdoor seat at The Drexel. Helmed by the same folks behind Mandolin Aegean Bistro, The Drexel offers clean and simple Mediterranean-leaning fare with a contemporary spin. Come here for wood-fired pizzas and meats, pastas, fresh seafood and delicious vegetable dishes.

Stubborn Seed

This South of Fifth restaurant (run by Top Chef winner Jeremy Ford) earned a Michelin star for its exquisite balance between relaxed comfort and culinary ambition. The menu changes with the seasons and ingredient availability, but expect regionally inspired dishes like crunchy truffle bravas and spring asparagus and blue crab noodles that are best experienced via Ford’s tasting menu. It’s, hands down, the best restaurant in South Beach.

Drink

Sweet Liberty Drinks & Supply Co.

Sweet Liberty is both a place to start and end your night—stop in early for $0.95 oysters and $10 drinks during happy hour or stumble in late for live music and plenty of dancing. Every cocktail on the menu is a home run, especially what’s usually an overpriced no-no around these parts, the piña colada. Sweet Liberty makes its own blend of spiced rums and coconut cream and finishes it with a special sherry floater. It's also a great place for thematic Sunday brunches: drag on the first, salsa on the second and smooth piano jams on the third of the month. 

Medium Cool

It’s funny – the best bars in Miami make you feel like you’re not in Miami. During Medium Cool’s consistent jazz nights (Wed – Sun at 7pm) it feels like you’re in a lower Manhattan basement. As the clock nears midnight, the venue turns into an intimate party with some of the best local DJs in town and a mixed bag of people and tunes – tourists dancing to 80s pop, young 20-somethings vibing to house music, classic cocktails splashing around. It’s fun and fancy at the same time. Then again, what would you expect from a bar that’s helmed by the people who bred Miami’s favorite bars: Sweet Liberty, Purdy Lounge, Blackbird Ordinary. But perhaps what’s so cool about Medium Cool is that it’s never trying too hard. In fact, it’s just cool enough.

Do

Wolfsonian-FIU

For a touch of culture, go to the Wolfsonian-FIU. Its myriad exhibits span multiple floors and highlight global art and artifacts from the Industrial Revolution through WWII. On weekends, the place is crawling with creative types stopping in for free programming like live music, art workshops and film screenings.

Lincoln Road Mall

Lincoln Mall is two things. First, it's a mall with your standard stores: Zara, H&M, JCrew, even a Macy's. But more importantly, it's an architectural treasure trove in the heart of South Beach with enough cafés and entertainment to keep you delighted from morning to night. A great job has been done to preserve the Morris Lapidus-designed thoroughfare and the art deco buildings that dot the street, however Lincoln Road is very much rooted in modernity and one look at the 1111 Garage proves that. Sundays are the best days to go, as the Lincoln Road Antiques and Collectibles Market pops up twice a month between October and May. 

The Betsy Hotel

You could go big with a hotel but with so many boutique properties to choose from, The Betsy is our pick in South Beach. Situated on the quieter north end of the oceanfront Lummus Park, The Betsy boasts live jazz in its stylish lobby bar, plus cool art installations and a rooftop pool. There’s something about the conviviality of a good boutique that blends so well with the Art Deco vibes of SoBe. No 20-story elevator rides or doormen—just a few quick steps and you’re out in the salty air where you belong.

Esmé Miami Beach

Split over several Mediterranean Revival-style buildings on Española Way, Esmé Miami Beach will have you questioning: am I in Miami Beach or in Seville? Meander through the hotel's breezy paseos to find surprises at every corner, like El Salon, a sultry rosewood-hued bar, or Sushi Bar, one of the city's top omakase spots. There are also plenty of nooks in which to kick back, catch up on some work or read a book. Make your way up to the hotel's rooftop for a dip in the pool, breakfast or lunch al fresco, or to catch DJs and other fun programming all year round.

If you do just one thing…

Stay out until 5am. Nightlife is what made South Beach what it is today, so it’s only right that you go see it for yourself. You might as well go to a club if you’re planning on pulling an all-nighter since most don’t get going until 3am anyway. Try Story for a packed roster of famous DJs year-round or, for a truly interesting evening, Mac’s Club Deuce, the neighborhood’s oldest dive bar.

You can thank the party animals for Downtown Miami. Before they moved into the neighborhood, Club Space being the first to do so in 2000, the area was really quite depleted—a bunch of empty warehouses and not much else. But the momentum built on the backs of Downtown’s nightlife has snowballed into so much more.

These days, Downtown is experiencing a boom marked by a number of coming condos, restaurants and more. An arena, outdoor amphitheater and two giant museums also make it the home of many of Miami’s hottest events, concerts and music festivals. An added bonus: the Metromover and trolley system (both free) make the area perhaps the easiest to get around in the whole city. Downtown Miami is still on its way up, sure, but each month is bringing something new and exciting for you to taste, watch and experience.

Eat

Julia & Henry's

Named for Julia Tuttle and Henry Flagler, two City of Miami pioneers, this multi-story food hall resides in a large and historic building that once housed a department store. There's the usual food hall staples (pizza and burgers come to mind), but Julia & Henry’s covers a far wider spectrum, from Venetian tapas to Japanese hand rolls, a Jewish deli and Peruvian eats. The basement houses Jolene Sound Room, one of Miami's best places to hear electronic music. 

NIU Wine

Tiny, dark and entirely without frills, NIU Wine is the charming sister spot to Downtown’s longtime foodie destination, NIU Kitchen. Whether you’re stopping in while you wait for your table next door or noshing before a night out, sipping natural and biodynamic wines over excellent small plates like shrimp aguachile or braised pork cheek will send you off feeling perfectly content and casually European.

Drink

The Corner

Downtown Miami’s drinking culture runs deep, whether it’s the 5pm post-work crowd or the 5am post-club crowd. You’ll find both at the Corner, a dim cocktail bar right on the edge of all the nightlife action. Though the space is small, sidewalk seating helps ease the crowding and you can order drinks from a little cafecito window outside. The beer is good, the happy hour snacks are on point and the cocktails are much better than one might assume when taking in the bar from across the street.

Jaguar Sun

A basically perfect bar that also stands on its own as a fantastic restaurant, Jaguar Sun is a small but lively offering curtained off on the ground floor of the X Miami. Expect serious, well-balanced cocktails served up in fun tiki vessels and vintage glassware, along with always friendly service and a reliably non-cheesy playlist. Even if you’re not particularly hungry, an order of the Parker House Rolls or spicy rigatoni is never a bad idea, especially after two or three Green Ghoul cocktails.

Do

Pérez Art Museum Miami

Two of Downtown’s newest and most popular attractions are right next to each other: the Pérez Art Museum Miami (better known as PAMM) and the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science (better known as Frost Science). Over at PAMM, you can stroll through a stunning collection of modern and contemporary art, then chill out on the steps outback—which provides one of Miami’s best Biscayne Bay views.

Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science

Next door to PAMM is Frost Science, a family-friendly museum with enough to keep adults entertained as well. Pet a stingray, learn about space or catch a laser light show in the planetarium.

Stay

Eurostars Langford

Back in 1925, it was the Miami National Bank Building. Today, it’s the 126-room Langford. And though the front desk is still designed to look like a bank teller window, everything else in the hotel is new—down to the gold bathroom fixtures, mid-century-style furniture and converted trunks—but certainly designed with nostalgia in mind.

CitizenM Downtown

Looking to stay closer to the arena, Port of Miami and aforementioned museums? CitizenM Downtown recently opened, offering an ecclectically modern stay with both a sundeck and rooftop bar that tout stunning views of Biscayne Bay. 

If you do just one thing…

If there’s a play, musician or comedian in town performing at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, grab a ticket. The performing arts center, home to the Florida Grand Opera and Miami City Ballet, is one of Miami’s grandest architectural landmarks and proves to be just as beautiful inside as it is on the outside.

For quite some time, folks didn’t see much reason for going north of Lincoln Road on Miami Beach. There was South Beach and then that was it, right? Today, not so much. Miami Beach, and Mid-Beach specifically, holds some of Miami’s most celebrated hotels and boasts a growing roster of killer restaurants. Locals love it too, and they know that during some of Miami’s biggest events (like the glitzy Art Basel), it’s Mid-Beach—not South Beach—where you’ll find the city’s hottest parties. With the development of the new Faena District, that’s sure to be true for years to come.

Eat

27 Restaurant and Bar

Located on the same property as the Freehand Hotel and Broken Shaker bar, 27 has the dining room of your dreams, a cozy space that truly feels more like a house than a restaurant. Its menu uses local flavors and shifts accordingly based on what’s fresh and available. Expect straightforward simplicity, like the variety of baked and roasted vegetables on the menu (the oyster mushrooms arre a must) and novel surprises, like the kimchi fried rice and make-your-own arepas.

Matador Room

Chef Jean-George Vongerichten's Matador Room looks like the kind of place where you may have spotted Sinatra or Marilyn Monroe circa 1960, but the Art Deco decor and oversized supper-club-style booths is about where the retro influences end. The menu is a modern take on Caribbean, Spanish, Latin and South American cuisines, fusing them all to create something that is uniquely Miami. 

Drink

Broken Shaker

Part of the Freehand trinity, the Shaker is behind the city’s full embrace of craft cocktails. The bartenders put themselves on the map with creative concoctions and shareable punch bowls (which change seasonally) that taste even better when enjoyed in the bar’s lush backyard on a bright Miami afternoon—perhaps poolside, if you’re lucky enough to snag a seat. These days, there are many imitators, but to get a taste of authentic Miami cocktail culture, the Broken Shaker remains your best bet. 

The Living Room at Faena

If Zsa Zsa Gabor were drinking anywhere in South Beach, it would probably be here. The Living Room is no place to sit and chill; It's a place to see and be seen, where live music fills the room every night of the week and caviar bumps can be had alongside pricey cocktails. Come here as a preamble to dinner or for a sumptuously sexy nightcap to the evening. 

Do

LIV

The Miami Beach nightclub is an experience everyone should undergo at least once in their life. LIV is for the velvet rope stargazer. On any given night, celebs pack the recently renovated club and dance under the hundreds of moving LED panels that line the ceiling. Each night brings something different at LIV, though its most popular evening remains Sunday’s popping hip-hop party during which anything is possible.

Stay

Fontainebleau Miami Beach

Two worlds collide at the Fontainebleau. Of course, you have the hotel’s old Miami charm and wonderful history. It’s where Frank Sinatra and his crew used to hang while in town. But it’s also on the cutting edge, home to Miami’s most powerful nightclub, LIV, and some truly stunning restaurants: the Chinese powerhouse Hakkasan and modern chophouse Prime 54. And don’t even get us started on the spa or the pools – all  11 of them.

Faena Hotel Miami Beach

The Faena Hotel Miami Beach is the new kid on the block and the centerpiece of Alan Faena’s new Faena District, a three-block strip of hotels, restaurants and performance venues. The gilded woolly-mammoth housed in the Faena’s courtyard should tell you everything you need to know about the hotel’s unapologetic elegance—crimson, velvet and animal prints are everywhere.

If you do just one thing…

Go to the beach. Really—did you think we were going to forget about the one thing that has been driving people across Biscayne Bay for decades? The sands of Miami Beach—and Mid-Beach specifically—are wide, gorgeous and open for business 365 days a year (for free, of course). The pedestrian boardwalk runs from 23rd Street to 46th Street, so walk until you find a patch of sand that looks perfect and chill the eff out.

We'd be doing a poor job indeed if we failed to mention Miami's Cuban connections. Little Havana is probably the best-known Cuban-American neighborhood in the country, boasting all that is vibrant and wonderful (and tasty) about the culture. This Latin area formed in the 1960s with the arrival of Cuban refugees escaping Castro's regime, some of whom set up businesses that are still there today. Plus, thanks to campaigning by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, much of Little Havana's original architecture – historic bungalows, Mission Revival blocks and oolitic limestone facades—is being preserved. Marvel at the colourful buildings while you're there and look out for street parties, sweet cafecitos and crispy tostones.

Eat

Versailles

Consult any travel guide, online list or hungry local about where to grab some Cuban food down in Little Havana and one name will always pop up: Versailles. It’s not hype. The food at Versailles is done with tradition in mind, and the result is classics such as croquetas, Cuban sandwiches and cafecito that have even the most hard-to-please viejos nodding in agreement.

Lung Yai Thai Tapas

Little Havana has some culinary surprises waiting, like this cozy Thai joint that serves small Thai bites, noodle and rice dishes until 1am on the weekends. Sign your name on a list by the door and prepare for an unconventional delicious dining experience.

Azucar Ice Cream Company

Little Havana’s famous ice cream shop is very worth the trip. With only-in-Miami flavors that are unique, creative and—above all else—delicious, this place does not disappoint. Don’t forget to pose with the huge ice cream cone sculpture outside.

Drink

Ball & Chain

Day, night, weekday or weekend—you’re going to Ball & Chain. Originally opened in 1935, the bar and music venue was renovated and restored in 2014 with its rich musical history in mind (Billie Holiday, Count Basie and Chet Baker have performed there). Equally as impressive is the drink menu, which features a pitch-perfect mojito and a Calle Ocho old-fashioned made with rum and garnished with a tobacco leaf.

Union Beer Store

If you’re a beer person, Union Beer Store provides a tasty dive into South Florida’s rich brewing culture. The small bar has world-class beer on tap and a couple of free arcade games to help pass the time. Depending on the day of the week, some of Miami’s best food pop-ups feature here too, including Haochi (dim sum), Panolo’s (Cuban with vegan options) and Peacock Ramen.

La Trova

Named one of the best bars in the world, La Trova is the hub of cantineros (Cuban bartenders) in America, thanks in no small part to Julio Cabrera's influence. Dining and drinking here is an expereince, as salsa bands take the stage every night and it's not unusual for bartenders and patrons alike to break into dance in between courses and rounds. But it's not all són and dance. Stay late and check out the 80s themed bar in the back.  

Do

CubaOcho Museum & Performing Arts Center

Don’t leave Little Havana without catching some live Cuban music. There’s no better place to do just that than at CubaOcho, a Cuban-owned art gallery, cafe, performing arts space and bar that showcases, among many other things, live salsa in an intimate setting. Dancing is encouraged. Rum is essential.

Stay

Life House, Little Havana

This new boutique hotel is a first of its kind in Little Havana, which has only recently become a massive tourist destination. Life House is perfect for those looking for something a little more hip and curated. There’s live music programming and a popular rooftop bar, Terras, that boasts some of the best skyline views of the city at sunset.

If you do just one thing…

Book your stay during Viernes Culturales, which takes place on the last Friday of the month. This monthly block party has grown in popularity along with the neighborhood. All night long, local vendors and live musicians fill the area while hundreds of people flow up and down Calle Ocho. There are food and dancing as far as the eye can see.

Turn around for five minutes and there’s another skyscraper standing tall in Brickell— construction cranes dot the skyline and there’s always a jackhammer echoing through the wind. On certain blocks, it feels more like Manhattan than Miami. Such is life in Brickell, the city’s financial district and one of Miami’s fastest-growing areas. Just about everything in the neighborhood is brand-spanking-new, which makes it a great place to take the pulse of Miami’s vibrant future. And it’s not just towering condos and office buildings going up either; restaurants, hotels, bars and retail meccas are all pouring into Brickell with remarkable speed, making it an essential destination for anyone visiting the city.

Eat

La Mar

It’s hard to decide what’s cooler about La Mar. Is it the view of Biscayne Bay and the Downtown skyline—which is just dazzling, by the way. Or is it the upscale Peruvian food from chef Gastón Acurio—which is equally as dazzling. Thankfully, you don’t have to choose and can enjoy both at one of Brickell’s best restaurants.

LPM

Chic is one way to describe LPM. Delicious is another. This French Bistro on Brickell Bay Drive is a breeze of fresh air in the neighborhood, a light-filled space of Parisian sensibilities where the food is just as great as the ambiance. Their tomatini cocktail is practically a neighborhood icon, and on offer is one of the juciest chickens in town. LPM just introduced a fabulous new Sunday pre-fixe brunch, with unlimited starters and cocktails (or mocktails) and delightful AM fare. 

Drink

Sugar

This elegant (if a bit pricey) lounge 40 floors up on the scalp of East, Miami combines the neighborhood’s penchant for elaborate cocktails and seductive views. Lines form quickly on the weekend, so an early happy hour might be your best bet here. 

Kaori

Kaori is a two-story Asian and Mediterranean restaurant in the heart of Brickell with a sleek and sexy cocktail bar on the first floor and an elegantly warm Japandi-style dining room on the second. It’s known for its high quality craft cocktails, insanely delicious dishes and nightly sound sessions. 

Do

El Tucán

This gorgeous, jungle-themed Miami venue is now home to one of Miami’s most festive supper clubs. Asian-inspired plates are paired alongside acrobatics, cabaret and loud music that’ll have you wondering whether you’re in a restaurant or nightclub. The answer? A little of both.

Stay

EAST, Miami

The first Miami hotel from Hong Kong’s Swire Properties, East is a faithful reflection of the small urban neighborhood: state-of-the-art and shiny with breathtaking views at every bend, plus food and drink options aplenty.

If you do just one thing…

You must walk through the Brickell City Centre, even if only to window shop. The megamall/entertainment complex holds five million square feet of stores and a $30 million roof designed to manipulate Miami’s brutal heat. Simply put, the City Centre is really neat.

A verdant and upscale waterfront swath fighting to hang on to its bohemian roots, Miami’s historic Coconut Grove neighborhood has undergone a transformation over the last couple of decades, swapping out many of its colorful cottages and quaint bungalows for sleek highrise condos and boxy “sugar cube” houses. Still, increased development along the bay –  including a completely reimagined CocoWalk open-air mall and a couple of modern hotels – has invigorated this once-sleepy enclave for families and University of Miami students. Roam the east end of the neighborhood’s leafy, brick-paved sidewalks to find an eclectic mix of shopping, dining and green spaces, along with a few tried-and-true dives and a lively Saturday farmers’ market.

Eat

Krüs Kitchen

Located in the same narrow two-story space, Krüs Kitchen and Los Felix both earned nods from the Michelin Guide in 2022. Boasting a relaxed, minimalist design and vinyl DJs on the weekends, each concept is pretty swoonworthy, but Krüs offers a bit more bang for your buck. Stop by for elevated handhelds like a prosciutto sandwich made with truffle stracciatella and confit eggplant. Make it a picnic at nearby Peacock Park by pairing your meal with a bottle of natural wine to-go. Or dine-in to explore a variety of proper entrees and the funky artisanal market upstairs.

Ariete

Much fanfare has been made over the pressed duck at chef Michael Beltran’s Coconut Grove gem, Ariete. The tableside show that involves the churning and reducing of innards into a decadent sauce to accompany a series of otherworldly duck dishes isn’t just a novelty—it’s an art form. But there are more surprising dishes to explore at this daring New-American spot with classic cocktails, warm service and an understated ambiance.

Drink

Monty’s Raw Bar

Overlooking the marina, this popular Grove hangout is a sweet spot for cold beers, stiff drinks and casual seafood. On Friday afternoons find a rowdy happy hour crowd (heavy with thirsty UM kids) eagerly slurping up strong frozen drinks. For a more family-friendly vibe, come on the weekends, order a basket of fried seafood and a pitcher of beer for yourself and send the kids off to dance to the live music.

The Taurus

In a sea of college dives and upscale gastrobars, the Taurus stands out. This cool little whiskey joint serves an extensive selection of scotches, bourbons and all sorts of caramel-colored spirits—ranging in flavor from smooth to put-hair-on-your-chest strong. They also have a wide selection of beers on tap and bottled, plus a large outdoor patio and one of the best burgers in town.

Do

Coconut Grove Organic Market

This long-running open-air farmers’ market sets up shop every Saturday, bringing in tons of fresh produce from Homestead along with dozens of stands proferring everything from prepared foods and cold-pressed juices to locally harvested honey, homemade soaps, vegan treats and vintage wares. Plenty of shaded picnic tables offer a respite for enjoying your loot.

Stay

Mr. C Miami - Coconut Grove

A popular choice both for couples and families, Mr. C is a new boutique hotel with 100 guest rooms and suites boasting updated amenities and breezy outdoor terraces. Ultra-modern without lacking personality, the building was designed by famed Miami firm Arquitectonica and is ideally positioned for walkability to all the neighborhood’s best spots. On the rooftop, Bellini Restaurant and Bar is an incredible perch for enjoying classic Italian fare with sweeping bay and city views.

Mayfair House Hotel & Garden

Mayfair House recently underwent extensive renovations, and while many things have changed throughout the property – like the addition of Sip Sip, a tropical rooftop bar, and Mayfair Grill, a Mexican restaurant serving Sonoran cuisine – the lush atrium lobby with art nuveau trimmings remains, albeit with modern furnishings. Should you find yourself a repeat customer of the Mayfair House Hotel & Garden, no two rooms are the same, however each is designed to feel like mini private homes complete with a terrace and separate dining and living areas.

If you do just one thing…

Support local. As more and more chains move in, some of the neighborhood’s most iconic institutions are at risk of being pushed out. But it’s the Grove’s locally owned small businesses that continue to give the neighborhood its identity and appeal. Instead of Starbucks, grab a potent cold brew and almond croissant from Panther Coffee, then pop in next door to browse the offerings at homegrown literary hub Books & Books.

This funky neighborhood technically runs up Biscayne Boulevard starting from the Julia Tuttle Causeway and ending somewhere around 86th Street. Encompassing some of the city’s best examples of Miami Modern (MiMo) architecture, the Upper East Side is characterized by playful mid-century hotels and condos, along with a smattering of bars, restaurants, shops and plenty of beautiful historic homes. Upper East Side also touches several more of Miami’s up-and-coming neighborhoods, like the Design District, Little Haiti and Little River. All within a short drive or walk of each other, these pockets are increasingly becoming coveted destinations for visitors and locals alike.

Eat

Mandolin Aegean Bistro

Everyone’s go-to restaurant for a casually upscale al fresco lunch or dinner, Mandolin continues to charm with its simply prepared, fresh ingredients. Its atmosphere is incomparable, calling to mind summers on the windswept Aegean coast. Traditional mezzes, whole fried fish and freshly batched sangria invite guests to come in crisp linens and flowy caftans to sit, unwind and enjoy.

Boia De

This retro-designed Michelin-starred spot in a Little Haiti shopping plaza only has 24 seats, so reservations are a must. At the black-and-white terrazzo counter, you can spy chefs Luciana Giangrandi and Alex Meyer doing their thing as Neil Young and Paul McCartney songs play on the speakers. The seasonal, ingredient-driven menu is meant for sharing—among our favorites, the beef tartare topped with a crunchy garlic-shallot crumble and crispy capers.

Drink

ZeyZey

For a city that prides itself on being international, we’ve always lacked a place where we can discover international music. Thank God for ZeyZey. This outdoor venue in Little River feels like it’s been airdropped from the Caribbean and every night you’re guaranteed to hear genres and sounds that just open your world. There's Latin disco funk, pure salsa, afrobeats, electro Cumbia – plus plenty of community events like salsa classes, tasteful arts and crafts and more. ZeyZey is the come-as-you-are music venue Miami’s been missing. We’ll see you on the dance floor soon.

Casa Vigil

Alejandro Vigil, the “Messi of Wines” according to Michelin Guide, has opened his popular Argentine restaurant, Casa Vigil, in Upper Buena Vista, a Tulum-esque shopping plaza with micro boutiques touting vintage, new age goods, and more. Casa Vigil is poised to be the place to learn about wine, particularly when you run through the five-course Mediterranean-inspired tasting menu, which comes with three levels of wine pairings.

Do

Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami

A free contemporary art museum in the heart of one of the city’s most affluent shopping hubs? It doesn’t make a lot of sense, but it also doesn’t need to. Since its opening, the privately owned ICA museum has hosted countless heavy-hitters like Yayoi Kusama, Dan Flavin, Judy Chicago and Betye Saar. What it lacks in size, the petite museum more than makes up for in community-driven parties and programming throughout the year.

Sweat Records

This beloved local indie record shop and cafe is a longstanding hub where music fans come together to discover new sounds, exchange ideas and support the local arts community. Expect assorted indie, electronic, local gems, underground and undiscovered kitsch, available in cassette, CD or LP. Around the corner, stop in at Primaried Studio to browse a tightly curated selection of vintage furniture and homewares with a postmodern bent.

Stay

The Vagabond Hotel

A pioneer in the revitalization of the Upper East Side’s previously neglected MiMo motels, Vagabond nails the irreverent 1950s tropical aesthetic without going over the top, or skipping out on the modern amenities. At the center of the bi-level property is a pristine mosaic pool, whose iconic tile mermaid was restored from the original. Most of the rooms are small, fitting only an armoire rather than a full closet, but comfortable and contemporary. On property, enjoy laidback Mediterranean fare from Mr. Mandolin, a more fast casual sibling restaurant to the coveted Mandolin Aegean Bistro.

If you do just one thing…

Browse the impressive public art and high-end shops around the Design District. The pristine, tree-shaded sidewalks are activated year-round with cool interactive installations, including pieces by Studio Proba, Buckminster Fuller and the late Virgil Abloh. Enjoy an iced matcha from Pura Vida as you window shop, or stop in for liquid courage in the form of a Michael’s Genuine dirty martini before pulling the trigger on some designer splurges.

Known for blocks upon blocks of incredible, world-renowned murals, Wynwood is a neighborhood dedicated to the pursuit of fun, creativity and pleasure. Around every corner, you’ll find interesting shops, great restaurants (and the scene's getting even better), vibey bars fit for every mood and a number of Miami’s top breweries. Plus, it’s filled with tons of activities for everyone in the family, making it a great destination to explore from morning all the way into the wee hours of... the next morning.

Eat

Marygolds by Brad Kilgore

While some restaurants are all about views or ambiance, MaryGold's exists largely as a home for Brad Kilgore, one of Miami's most try-anything chefs. That's not to say the vibe here isn't memorable, because it's a beautiful space full of barstools and banquettes and tufted armchairs so comfy you'll want to make them your permanent address. But mostly, you come here for Kilgore's dishes, which mix new-to-us ingredients with tweezered plating that's simply stunning.

Hiden

Drink

Dante's Hi-Fi

Miami’s first vinyl listening bar is a cozy 50-seat venue where the soundtrack is just as important as what you’ll be sipping. Dante’s HiFi draws inspiration from Japan’s listening bars, which came to prominence in the 1950s, where people would come together to listen to and discover new music. It’s a simple pleasure the hidden Wynwood bar endeavors to reprise for Miami’s music-curious, thanks to a state-of-the-art sound system and a growing collection of nearly 8,500 vinyl records curated by DJ and Dante’s musical director, Rich Medina.

The Sylvester

This cozy, unassuming hodgepodge of vintage couches and retro Florida accents could’ve been a Golden Girls set. It's no surprise then that drinking at the Sylvester feels like you’re hanging at the house of a buddy with excellent mixology skills and a penchant for tropical wallpaper. Pass the time playing pool, poking around the pinball machine. At night, this place gets packed with locals sipping cocktails and bumping up against each other as they dance into the morning. 

Do

Bakehouse Art Complex

Set in an old industrial bakery, the Bakehouse Art Complex has been fostering emerging artists for over 30 years. With around 100 resident and associate artists and 60 studios to explore, you’ll be inspired (and even perplexed) by all the different themes, mediums and practices to explore—whether on canvas or a hypothetical stage. Bakehouse is open daily from noon to 5pm and admission is free.

Wynwood Walls

Launched during Art Basel, what began as a few commissioned murals to beautify the area has morphed into the city’s only outdoor street art park, featuring more than 40 murals from a roster of world-renowned artists, including Shepard Fairey, Ryan McGuinness, Kenny Scharf, How and Nosm, Faile, Retna, the Date Farmers and Liqen.

Stay

Arlo Wynwod

Wynwood's first and only hotel, Arlo Wynwood offers an experience-driven stay with tons to do on property. Take a break from urban life and lounge in your own cabana by the pool, enjoy cocktails at Higher Ground, jump in on a class at the yoga deck or zip around the neighborhood on a complimentary bike.

If you only do one thing...

Walk around! We know, we know: that’s a copout answer. But we can’t name a better neighborhood for endless exploration and discovery, especially with so many world-class murals just footsteps away from each other. Pop in and out of the amazing boutiques, refuel at one of the neighborhood’s best restaurants, then spend the day or night drinking and dancing with friends at Wynwood’s best bars. And if it’s your first time visiting—or even your first time in a while—be sure to pop by Wynwood Walls, the outdoor museum that started it all.