4 minute read
Party Time
Miami nightlife will always have you coming back for more
By Gianna Nolte
The multisensory mega clubs will test your stamina. Luxe cocktail bars and romantic speakeasies will seduce your imagination, and funky dive bars — and their quirky patrons — will keep you guessing. Miami nightlife will always have you coming back for more.
If you’re lucky, the golden Miami Beach “Happy Hour” will find you under the steady glow of neon lights at Ocean Drive, where Art Deco hotels lure you into iconic clubs and historic venues that run the gamut from the intensely sophisticated to the downright eccentric.
Noel de Christian
That booming contagious music you hear? Follow it straight to world-famous Mango’s Tropical Cafe, a South Beach institution that offers sizzling salsa dancing and signature sips. Operating as a nightclub and restaurant, Mango’s showcases the very best of international culture, music, cuisine and Latin dancing with three unique VIP rooms for special events and private parties.
Hotel barhopping on Collins Avenue is its own undertaking, with poolside and beachfront venues that will have you sipping signature drinks and celebritygazing under the stars.
If your soul craves culture but your wallet craves “free,” the 2.5-acre SoundScape Park, adjacent to the New World Center, offers free WALLCAST® concerts during select nights from November through May. Grab a blanket or a beanbag and watch a live broadcast of New World Symphony concerts or free movie screenings on a 7,000-square-foot projection wall.
Drive North
Mid-Beach, the historic “heart of Miami Beach” between South and North Beach, is where you’ll find The Miami Beach EDITION hotel and its nightclub, Basement. This trendy space is found — you guessed it — at the hotel’s rock-bottom “basement” floor and features a dance floor, an impossibly colorful ice rink, a bowling alley and Insta-worthy neon signs throughout. Also in Mid-Beach, the Faena Hotel Miami Beach’s Living Room lounge, draped in theatrical crimson and gold, gives a glamorous peak at what awaits you inside Faena Theater. Inspired by European opulence, this artistic venue showcases seductive cabaret acts and interactive jazz series.
Stefan Amer/iStock by getty images
It’s now well past midnight. Time to hit LIV. Drive further north until you come face-to-face with the one and only Fontainebleau Miami Beach. LIV’s breathtaking $10-million renovation has raised the bar for high-energy mega clubs around the globe with its multisensory experience and unparalleled set lists that consistently lure celebrities, artists and DJs, including the Kardashians, Justin Bieber, Cardi B, Marshmello and Diplo, among others.
Take a “breather” by paying a visit to Mike’s Cigars in nearby Bal Harbour, where over 600 fine cigars are available for purchase or to enjoy.
Courtesy of Mango's Tropical Caf´
Branch Out
Back down south, Downtown Miami and Brickell hotel rooftop bars and sophisticated venues have transformed the financial district’s former “business as usual” vibe. To kick off your night out there, head to Blue Martini and order a specialty cocktail from a list of masterfully curated martinis, including its signature Blue Martini, served on the rocks and in an oversized snifter. The establishment also hosts live musical acts and weekly recurring events, such as Karaoke with the Band Tuesdays, Girls Night Out Wednesdays and City Saturdays, with 50 percent off food and drinks during Happy Hour. Blackbird Ordinary, El Tucan and Area 31 are other Happy Hour favorites among locals who are looking to play as hard as they work.
Known for its 24-hour-a-day ongoing party, E11EVEN Miami has quickly become a Miami favorite. Massive, artfully painted murals line the outside walls of the space, while the inside features entertainment from trapeze dancers, roller skaters and globally known DJs and performers. Upstairs and outside is the open-air Rooftop at E11EVEN, with its full-service bar, indoor and outdoor seating areas, and fire pit tables.
For a more chill night out, be sure to stop by Miami’s hottest weekend venue, The Wharf. Originally intended to be a temporary pop-up, this premier, open-air space offers curated events, Miami-based food concepts and a prime location along the Miami
River’s edge. Its sister venue Riverside is also causing a buzz just down the river with two lofty indoor areas, a jumbo projector broadcasting sports and other major events, and multiple bars serving up classic cocktails and craft beers.
If you’re feeling lucky, head to Magic City Casino. Open until 2 a.m. every day, you’ll find Las Vegas-style slot machines, poker tables, dog racing, world-class entertainment, delicious food, cocktail service and daily beer specials.
If you’re a fan of the speakeasies, Prohibition in Miami’s Midtown will be your go-to. For live indie rock bands and quirky musical acts, head to Churchill’s Pub in the Little Haiti neighborhood; and if you’re feeling that Latin beat, you can dance the night away in Little Havana’s Ball & Chain, which will be reopening soon.
End your night where hipsters and “artsy types” roam: mural-splashed Wynwood. Here, bar and gallery hopping happily collide. The best part? You don’t even have to stress about the club wear. Candy-colored hair, an old pair of comfy “Chucks” and funky fashion get the job done as you sip inventive cocktails or sample craft beer infused with mango or even a “Coqui-to Stout” while you discuss street art or dance with a street performer dressed as a Martian. No judgment.
