best bars in miami

Miami's best wine bar and one of its best overall experiences. An outdoor space with live music, cheese boards, and a wine list that's deliberately approachable. No pretension, no show. Just good wine and a reason to stay for three hours.

must have: the cheese board, whatever's on the wine list

open daily from 5pm

From the team behind Lost Boy, a neighborhood bar on Alton Road that fills a gap Miami Beach has needed for a while. Named after the first Miami Vice episode, the vibe is retro-kitsch and the cocktails are actually good. One of the better recent openings in the city.

must have: ask the bartender

open daily from 5pm · open late

The craft cocktail bar that put downtown Miami's bar scene on the map. The spicy siesta is the signature and it delivers. Small, serious, and the kind of bar where the bartenders actually know what they're making.

must have: spicy siesta

dinner and late night tue through sat

One of the most talked-about bar openings in recent Miami memory. Retro-glamour room, inventive cocktails, and a crowd that comes for both. The el bebito is the first-order call. Go on the earlier side if you want a conversation.

must have: el bebito

dinner and late night tue through sun

James Beard Award-winning bar that somehow still feels like a neighborhood spot. The smoke and sand is the cocktail to order on your first visit. One of Miami's most reliable bar experiences, year after year.

must have: smoke and sand

open daily from 4pm · open late

A wine bar in Little River doing things quietly and well. Natural wine focus, small plates, and the kind of atmosphere that makes you want to come back on a Tuesday. The kind of bar a neighborhood builds around.

must have: whatever they're pouring by the glass

open wed through sun from 5pm