Where to Grab a Drink in Miami Right Now

Despite the best efforts of a certain odious city councilman, Ball & Chain is alive and well, stocked with a stellar lineup of tropical drinks and live music under the pineapple. Stop in during the day for a bright, breezy Mojito at the historic center bar, and gaze around at the vintage posters touting jazz greats who once performed in the space. At night, head out back for live bands and fine cigars, a little slice of the Cuban experience within spitting distance of downtown.
How to book: Reserve via SevenRooms.

The Citadel food hall has been a major hit, but until recently it struggled to add a destination bar to its lineup. That all changes with Kaiju, an upscale anime-themed cocktail bar with drinks named after famous monsters. The physical menu is almost as impressive as the drinks it lists, filled with intricate illustrations of the creatures for which the drinks are named. The King Kong rum and sherry cocktail is never a bad move, though the adventurous might want to try the Chinese Taotie made with Monkey Shoulder.

The folks who pioneered the bathroom door foot pedal were way ahead of the viral-precaution curve. But Batch is about more than cool (and clean!) bathrooms, and for years has been the gathering place for Brickellites to watch sports and/or meet other Brickellites at bad-decision hours. Batch owes much of its longevity to its best-in-Miami menu, spanning a prime brisket burger, brick oven pizza, and one of Miami’s top mac-and-cheeses, plus a pecan-infused whiskey that you can now buy by the bottle to take home.
 

In the 1950s-era Cuba-themed front room, you’ll find master bartender and founder Julio Cabrera and the team clad in vests and bow ties, shaking up creations like the El Guayabero, spiked with tequila, guava marmalade, cayenne-agave syrup, and lime juice. On the weekend, head to the back and snag a seat at the ‘80s-style 305 Bar, a late-night tribute to Miami’s Golden Girls-era glory days, open from midnight to 2 am.

Mac’s Club Deuce is the undisputed champion of Miami dive bars. No, there’s no outdoor seating. Yes, there’s smoking inside. But since when did anyone concerned with their health stop in for an 8 am happy hour at the Deuce? This South Beach landmark is easily the city’s most historic bar, home to the Miami Vice wrap party and a perpetual cloud of dimly lit smoke that leads to its legendary horseshoe bar. The Deuce is so iconic, you’ll regularly find bartenders at other bars wearing Deuce gear. But the fame hasn’t gotten to its head—drinks, even during non-happy hour times, are still among the cheapest in South Beach.
How to book: Stop by for first come, first served seating.

Dante’s dubs itself a “listening lounge,” which might, on its surface, sound painfully hipster-pretentious, but is actually quite the opposite. The Japanese-born concept involves probably the best bar sound system you’ll ever hear, upon which a DJ spins one of over 8,500 vinyl selections. The place has only 50 seats, and the cocktail menu is long on whiskey-based drinks and light-bodied spritzes. It’s more about enjoying the ambience rather than getting sloshed, but if music is your reason for leaving the house, this guy definitely deserves a spot on your list.
How to book: Reserve via Tock.

The bygone dive bar that was Fox’s Sherron Inn has been painstakingly restored by the people who brought us Lost Boy. Step inside the dim red lighting and you’ll enter a world where time doesn’t exist, but the full menu from the old Fox’s does. The new management got recipes from the former chef’s widow and have all the late-night grease bombs you remember from back in the day on the menu. The big bonus of the new spot: It doesn’t have decades of cigarette smoke baked into the walls.

No bar exemplifies artsy Wynwood better than Gramps, a golden concrete drinking den that promises nothing more than air conditioning, cold beer, and cocktails. But in a very un-Miami twist, it over delivers on that promise, whipping up craft tipples that can make the case for the city’s best, complemented by live concerts and some of the tastiest pizza in the town via Pizza Tropical’s walk-up window.
How to book: Stop by for first come, first served seating.

If you’re gonna be Wynwood’s first full-service hotel, you better bring your F&B game. The Arlo Hotel has most certainly stepped up to the expectations, adding this third-floor gem to its ground floor restaurant from Brad Kilgore. The Bar Lab team heads up the cocktail program, which is available across three rooms and a sprawling outdoor patio. It’s a nice place to tuck into on a crowded Friday night to escape the crowds. Or to hit up on a weeknight when you just want a nice cocktail with a view.

Typically, a bar set under public transportation tracks isn't known for destination dining, but Jaguar Sun is the odd spot that qualifies as both one of Miami’s best restaurants and one of its best bars. The drinks stand on their own, headlined by the Green Ghoul with tequila, mezcal, poblano, cucumber, and lime. The small space makes for an inviting place to spend a few hours under the Metromover, thanks in large part to a lively, friendly staff and crowd of devoted regulars who also make it one of Miami’s top spots to dine alone.

This massive two-story expanse near the Olympia Theater is not officially modeled after the Lone Star State, but anyone who’s been to an oversized Texas honkey tonk done up in American flags and cowboy boots can’t help but notice the resemblance. Another big similarity? The prices. In a very un-Miami turn, you can cop single-liquor drinks for under $10, with $5 options during happy hour. The walls are lined with books and the crowd is laid back and casual—a perfect downtown respite from the constant hustle and bustle below.
How to book: Stop by for first come, first served seating.

We were mildly disappointed to learn the Miami Sound Bar wasn’t themed after Gloria Estefan’s ‘80s pop group. That sadness subsided, though, when we learned it was the result of another international sensation: the Japanese-style listening lounge. Miami’s newest take on the Hi-Fi lounge is a good deal smaller than Dante’s HiFi, but that just makes the experience feel that much more intimate.

If there’s such a thing as a happy hour stalwart in Miami, it’s Monty’s, where you’ll find throngs of after-hours office workers, UM students, and happily fun-employed locals rubbing elbows over draft beers and oysters. It’s a lasting memory of a Coconut Grove gone by, where you can down affordable drinks on wooden benches by the water, basking in the breeze with your brick of curly fries. It might not be the trendiest bar in town, but when all you want is to gaze out over the bay with a cold beer in hand, there’s no better place.
How to book: Stop by for first come, first served seating.

NIU’s Karina Iglesias could go totally hipster, telling us she was pouring natural wines long before it was cool. But she’s telling the truth, as her downtown restaurant’s wine list was filled with natural vintages before the city was awash in natural wine bars. The space next to NIU is small, but rarely has an empty seat as service industry insiders and sommeliers cram in, eager to see what new stuff Iglesias is highlighting.

Once Sugar became so crowded nobody could see the view anymore, Brickellites were in desperate need of a new rooftop bar. Enter Rosa Sky atop the AC Marriott, where the skyline panorama is unparalleled, and the drinks are top-notch too. Try the Tulum Trip, a tequila concoction designed for two with Illegal Mezcal, Casa Noble Reposado, Grand Marnier, jalapeno, and citrus. Then cool the heat with an order of “Cuban Cigars,” Cuban sandwiches wrapped in wontons and deep fried, then served in a Cohiba ashtray.
How to book: Reserve via Tock.

The Mayfair Hotel rooftop, despite its storied history, is an oft overlooked spot for an outdoor drink with a view in the Magic City. This new Bahamian-themed cocktail counter, however, should bring it top of mind, as there’s nowhere off the beach where you’ll find the elevated tropical-drink-by-the-water vibe like you will here. Order a classic Goombay Smash and frame it against the backdrop of Biscayne Bay, then savor the sweet flavors during a balmy Miami sunset.

If you’ve seen someone walking around Miami in a back jacket emblazoned with “Miami is the shit, bro,” chances are they’ve spent some time at Sweet Liberty. But Miami Beach’s most awarded cocktail bar isn’t just a hub for flashy outerwear, it’s a unicorn of a spot so damn good it attracts locals and tourists alike. Inside, addictive bar bites (the tater tots might be Miami’s de facto soak-up-the-booze food) and a fantastically creative cocktail menu await beneath a pink neon sign reminding us all to pursue happiness. It’s the ideal destination for both beginning and ending a night out, meeting up with a Tinder date, or simply shooting the shit with the famously talented bartenders. Oh, and it’s also home to one of the best burgers in Miami (no big).
How to book: Stop by for first come, first served seating.

You like rum? And maps? Or perhaps rum, maps, AND sampling dozens of rare spirits in a space that straddles the line between an old-school captain’s quarters and plush English library? Then Swizzle is your jam. Helmed by a bunch of bartenders who cut their teeth at Employees Only and brought the leather-aproned show to the pseudo-basement of the Stiles Hotel, South Beach’s tastiest tropical cocktails can now be found inside this dark, cozy space. The lineup of specialty drinks is impressive, and if you prefer chilling on straight rum, ask the barkeeps about the unusual stuff they have on hand like a particularly luxe collection of hard-to-find Haitian originals.
How to book: Stop by for first come, first served seating.

Set atop Little Havana’s boutique gem at the Life House hotel, this sunny rooftop garden bar has some of the low-key best drinks in the city, crafted with herbs growing steps away. Sample the Sandia Fresca, made with Tito’s vodka, watermelon, and purple basil, then post up in one of the wicker chairs and watch the sunset reflect off the Brickell skyline. It’s all the rooftop relaxation of those bars further east, with a substantially more approachable vibe.

Broken Shaker is, without question, the single greatest youth hostel bar in history. Oversized chairs dot the massive, shady courtyard full of banyan trees and ferns and instead of pasty, creepy dudes with backpacks, you'll find an herb garden full of ingredients that fuel the boundary-pushing craft program inside. And by joining forces with neighboring 27 Restaurant & Bar, Broken Shaker also boasts the most head-turning bar menu in the city, with an oyster-mushroom pita, kimchi fried chicken sandwich, and shawarma fries leading the charge.

Heading to the Sylvester is kind of like a trip to your eccentric, gin-soaked aunt’s house, a venue for Beaker & Gray’s Ben Potts to showcase his crazy cocktail creations to a big room full of mismatched furniture. It’s as long on character as it is on drinks, with colorful walls and tropical plants accenting an eclectic collection of couches cradling a true cross section of modern Miami. The beverages evoke South Florida, like the Floradora with Ketel One Botanicals grapefruit-rose, rosa aperitivo, raspberry, and ginger beer.
How to book: Reserve via Tock.

When it comes to offering a true Miami experience, Tipsy Flamingo does it better than anyone downtown. No, that doesn’t mean the servers are all trying to hand you a mixtape. The team from RedBar and Sweet Caroline’s is slinging craft cocktails in a garden teeming with tropical foliage and bright neon flamingos. The menu’s full of drinks with Miami-centric monikers, like the River of Grass with mezcal, lime juice, celery bitters, mint, and coconut water. They also host weekly comedy shows on Sundays, if you’re looking for some laughs.

This shit, most certainly, ain’t the real Tobacco Road. And the people behind this tribute bar three doors down from TR’s original location make it abundantly clear with a giant neon sign that says as much. Still, the reborn Tobacco Road in the old River Oyster Bar space retains the laid-back feel that once permeated Miami’s lone historic watering hole. You’ll find photos and relics from the old spot throughout, and the menu is filled with old classics like the Death Burger with jalapenos, jack cheese, sriracha, and spicy mayo. Plus, you can still grab a shot-and-a beer special for around $12, like it’s 1985 and you’re a Herald staffer who just got done covering multiple homicides.
How to book: Stop by for first come, first served seating.

If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “Hmm… this Tuesday night is really calling for a citrusy lager and reruns of Summerslam 1995,” you’ve found your new home. This narrow Little Havana beer bar has old-school TVs blaring wrestling Pay-Per-Views from back when it was still WWF, alongside vintage action figures and “Estevie 3:16” signage, Miami’s homage to Stone Cold. Knowing nothing goes better with wrestling than beer, the owners have stocked the place with brews from all over South Florida—mostly on draft so there’s no danger of throwing bottles at the screen.
How to book: Stop by for first come, first served seating.