Editorial
The best bars in South Beach Miami are not on Ocean Drive. That is the first and most useful thing to understand about drinking well here. The best bars south beach miami are on Collins Avenue between 14th and 20th, on Washington Avenue, and inside the hotel lobbies that have become genuine drinking destinations rather than places to wait for dinner. We have logged enough hours here to know the difference.
South Beach's bar scene divides cleanly into spots that cater to visitors on a limited schedule and spots that locals have made into genuine institutions. The second category is smaller but consistently more interesting. These are the ones in both columns we consider worth your time.
South Beach has more rooftop bars than any other neighbourhood in Miami, and quality varies widely. These are the ones where the view is matched by a real bar programme rather than used as justification for one.
South Beach operates on a different schedule than the rest of Miami. Bars do not fill up until midnight. These are the spots that understand that schedule and are designed around it.
South Beach rewards the people who look past Ocean Drive and find the bars that exist for reasons beyond footfall. The Broken Shaker and Regent Cocktail Club represent the serious end of the spectrum. Ball and Chain is the historical anchor. Nikki Beach and Do Not Sit on the Furniture are experiences only South Beach can offer. If you are dividing time between neighbourhoods, our Miami cocktail bar guide covers the full city with the same level of detail we have applied here to South Beach.
Marcus covers the West Coast and Latin America for barsforKings. He has been drinking in Miami since 2012 and knows South Beach well enough to tell you which nights are worth the effort and which ones to avoid.