Get off the Duck Tour. Ditch that “I’m in Miami, Bitch” tee. And whatever you do, don’t dine on Ocean Drive. We love having you here — but it’s easy to miss the gems. You can’t go wrong with our picks.
South Florida’s largest collection of high-end designer boutiques is the place for upscale shopping and people watching. Spy the latest from Fendi and a plethora of petite pooches before stopping for sushi at Makoto.
Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Avenue, Bal Harbour (305-866-0311 or balharbourshops.com).
At Wynwood Walls, warehouses are transformed into canvases of protected and preserved graffiti. See commissioned work from spray-can heroes Aiko, Shepard Fairey, Friends with You, and more.
Wynwood Walls, Northwest 2nd Avenue, between 25th and 26th Streets (thewynwoodwalls.com).
Sand, surf, and sun by day; drinks, dinner, dancing, and other delights by night. Trade a towel in the sand for a posh daybed and a glass of rose at the open-to-the-public club.
Bella Beach at Trump Towers, 18001 Collins Avenue, Sunny Isles (305-692-5777 or bellabeachclub.com).
Past exhibitions by Erwin Wurm and current Google-inspired doodles by students make this a Miami Beach art scene staple. Bonuses include after-work parties, films, and art camps.
Bass Museum of Art, 2100 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach (305-673-7530 or bassmuseum.org).
This oasis in the middle of Miami Beach offers serene ponds and a Japanese garden, complete with a picturesque red bridge.
Miami Beach Botanical Garden, 2000 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach (305-673-7256 or mbgarden.org).
Show Mother Nature some love when you visit these acres of tropical life, butterfly gardens, and rain forests. Work from world-renowned artists mingles with the flora and fauna.
Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables (305-667-1651 or fairchildgarden.org).
A 1916 European-inspired mansion offers ten acres of gardens reflecting the French and Italian Renaissance. You’ll swear you’ve been transported to Europe.
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, 3251 South Miami Avenue (305-250-9133 or vizcayamuseum.org).
Michael Schwartz serves New American cuisine for lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch at this popular haunt with a killer patio.
Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink, 130 Northeast 40th Street (305-573-5550 or michaelsgenuine.com).
Befriend a member of this private club and hotel so you can check out the eighth-floor cantina, where margaritas flow and movies are projected onto the wall of a neighboring hotel. The burrata at the publicly accessible restaurant, Cecconi’s, is as good as the $35 Sunday brunch.
Soho Beach House, 4385 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach (786-507-7900 or sohobeachhouse.com).
SoFla factoid: Ponce de Leon named this area Cape of Florida when he landed here in 1513. The black and white lighthouse — the oldest building in South Florida — creates a picture-perfect picnic backdrop.
Cape Florida State Recreation, 1200 Crandon Boulevard, Key Biscayne (305-361-5811 or key-biscayne.com).
Rent a cruiser and meander down Ocean Drive to glimpse art deco hotels and Versace’s once-upon-a-time mansion. Hit Lincoln Road to spy Frank Gehry’s New World Symphony building.
Available at decobike.com.
Eat authentic Florida cuisine in the middle of the MiMo District (that’s Miami Modern, for the nonlocal set). Situated on Little River, the charming spot recalls the good old days with alligator, ribs, oyster pie, and foraged mulberry cobbler.
Red Light, 7700 Biscayne Boulevard (305-757-7116 or redlightmiami.com).
Live music is the name of the game at this hipster-packed Midtown bar. Hear college radio, indie acts (Gauntlet Hair, Zola Jesus, Neon Indian, Grimes), and local bands.
Bardot, 3456 North Miami Avenue (305-576-5570 or bardotmiami.com).
Equally accommodating the out-’til-5 a.m. and early-afternoon-brunch crowds, this communal comfort-food spot dishes late-night barbecue and Asian-inspired bites, with prices starting at $2.
Gigi, 3470 North Miami Avenue (305-573-1520 or giginow.com).
The famed Miami Beach gastropub is known for its meat: pork belly, short ribs, duck dumplings, and candied bacon. For dessert, don’t miss the homemade soft-serve.
Pubbelly, 1418 20th Street, Miami Beach (305-532-7555 or pubbelly.com).
Enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner by the deco-style pool, where Esther Williams famously dipped her toe in the ’40s, or survey the scene from a suite named after the swimmer-turned-movie star.
The Raleigh, 1775 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach (305-534-6300 or raleighhotel.com).
Comments