Miami's cocktail scene matured fast in the 2010s. Broken Shaker won James Beard for Outstanding Bar Program. Sweet Liberty turned the daiquiri into a craft pursuit. The 10 below are the rooms where serious cocktailing happens, beyond the South Beach hotel pools. Most are in South Beach, Wynwood or Brickell.
Part of our 50 Best Cocktail Bars in the World listThis article is one chapter in our larger global guide. See the full pillar with every featured city.
Read the world list
The 10 best cocktail bars in Miami
01 · Miami
South Beach
$$
All-day · Casual
John Lermayer's enduring Miami room. Daiquiris are the calling card; the cheeseburger is the sleeper.
Order: Daiquiri No. 3
02 · Miami
Mid-Beach
$$
Hotel garden · Tropical
At Freehand Hotel. Garden-pool cocktail bar that won James Beard. Tropical-leaning, hyper-fresh ingredients.
Order: A garden-herb-led tropical
03 · Miami
South Beach
$$$
Hotel bar · Cocktails
Bar Lab's South Beach cocktail program inside the Goodtime Hotel. The drinks rival the hotel's pool scene.
Order: A signature cocktail at the long bar
04 · Miami
Upper East Side
$$
All-day · Tiki garden
Indoor-outdoor tiki garden in a quiet stretch of Upper East Side. The most relaxed Miami drinking room.
Order: A frozen tiki spec in the garden
05 · Miami
Wynwood
$
Dive + cocktails · Yard
Wynwood institution — looks like a dive, drinks like a cocktail bar.
Order: A Miami Mule
Weekly editorial
The bars worth going to, weekly.
One email per week. The bars our editors are recommending right now, across 60 cities worldwide.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime.
06 · Miami
Downtown
$
Late-night dive · Hot dogs
24-hour Downtown Miami bar. Hot dogs, late-night DJs, cocktails that punch above the late-night format.
Order: An old fashioned at 4 AM
07 · Miami
Wynwood
$$
Garden · Brunch + drinks
Indoor-outdoor Wynwood space. All-day — coffee in the morning, cocktails by night.
Order: A serious evening signature
08 · Miami
Mid-Beach
$$$
Bowling + cocktails · Hotel
At the Miami Beach EDITION. Bowling + ice rink + cocktail bar in one. Cocktails are taken seriously despite the format.
Order: A boilermaker between frames
09 · Miami
Wynwood
$$
Speakeasy · Hidden
Hidden Wynwood speakeasy. Reservations only. Modern Miami cocktail technique with classical leans.
Order: A drink built around tropical fruits
10 · Miami
Brickell
$$
Asian-influenced · Cocktails
Asian-influenced Brickell cocktail bar. Sake-led drinks, Asian-fusion small plates. Atmospheric, modern.
Order: A drink built around shochu
More Miami cocktail barsThe full Miami cocktail-bar index by neighbourhood.
See the full list
How Miami cocktailing escapes the pool circuit
Most Miami cocktail bars worth visiting are not the rooftop pools — those are for tourists. The 10 above are where local bartenders drink. Broken Shaker and Sweet Liberty are essential; Bar Lab's program at Goodtime Hotel represents the polished side. Most peak between 9 PM and midnight.
