Things To Do In North Beach: Insider's Guide

With chilled out beaches, historic Art Deco architecture and inviting green spaces, North Beach makes for a mellow, family-friendly destination in Miami. You’ll find an upscale wellness resort alongside a historic open-air bandshell with plenty of bars, restaurants and parks in between. If you’re looking for the best of what to do on your next visit to North Beach, we’ve got you covered with our insider’s guide.

At 70,000 square feet, The Spa at the Carillon Miami Wellness Resort is the largest in Miami Beach. With a full thermal experience that includes a crystal steam room, experiential rain showers, Finnish sauna, herbal laconium, igloo, Jacuzzi and thermal loungers, as well as a rooftop swimming pool, you can easily plan your entire day around the spa. Opt for a massage, facials or body treatments, or take advantage of their specialized Eastern medicine practices, like acupuncture and energy healing. You can also take advantage of their onsite nutritionist, wellness lectures, fitness classes and a state-of-the-art gym with a rock-climbing wall.

With a chic mid-century-inspired dining room that opens up to an expansive elevated patio deck overlooking the water, The Strand Bar & Grill at Carillon is one of the prettiest oceanfront restaurants in Miami. Listen to the gentle roll of the aquamarine sea while you delight in a fresh menu by executive chef Simon Apollonio. Swing by at lunchtime when you’ll enjoy everything from salmon poke bowl to a lamb shawarma sandwich made with hummus, tomato, feta and tzatziki. They also make an excellent orecchiette pasta with arugula pesto, whipped ricotta and toasted walnuts. All of this pairs perfectly with the Wellness Leaf cocktail made with St. Germain elderflower liqueur, gin, lemon juice, muddled cucumbers, basil and simple syrup made in-house.

The Argentinian Cea family opened Café Prima Pasta with just 28 seats in 1993. In the decades since, it’s grown into a locally renowned restaurant with four bustling dining rooms serving delicious Italian food with warm hospitality. It feels like a New York City trattoria on the shores of North Beach with red accent lighting, plush booths and framed photos of celebrities and scenes from the Old World. Enjoy fresh appetizers like the classic Carpaccio di Manzo made with filet mignon, olive oil, lemon and parmesan. Then, take your pick from one of their many homemade pastas, like the squid ink linguini seafood in creamy lobster sauce or the fettucine ossobucco with veal ragu, mozzarella and spinach. And, of course, there’s a fine selection of Italian wines to round out your meal.

The North Beach Bandshell is one of Miami’s most unique and enchanting performance venues. Originally built in 1961, the charming amphitheater is on the National Register of Historic Places as a prime example of Miami Modern architecture. With string lighting extending from the bandshell and twinkling above the theater’s aluminum bench seats, it’s an incredible venue for al fresco concerts made all the more enjoyable by the ocean breeze.

A beautiful oceanfront park with ample shade trees, North Shore Open Space Park is an ideal spot to access the beach for a relaxing afternoon. You’ll find shaded walking trails, a bike path, dog park and a playground for the little ones. There are also picnic pavilions with barbecue grills if you feel like packing a feast to share with friends and family. Best of all, the white sands and aquamarine waters of the Atlantic Ocean are right there for your enjoyment.

Norman’s is the epitome of the American sports bar and locals’ hangout. With a menu of classic bar food like burgers, wings, salads and fries, plus rows of big screen TVs, billiard tables and a full bar open until 5 a.m., it’s the perfect place to watch a game, play pool or gather for a celebration. The surprise: there’s also a 28-room boutique hotel above the bar.

Situated on the 79th Street Causeway in North Bay Village, Shuckers Waterfront Bar & Grill is a classic Miami Beach tiki bar. The dockside setting gives it some serious tropical vibes and the crowd is always lively. Whether it’s a pitcher of beer or a full meal with fried fish sandwiches and key lime pie, this is one of the top hidden gems of North Beach.

North Beach is home to a large community of Argentineans, and the food has followed. Locals universally recognize Buenos Aires Bakery as having some of the best empanadas and pastelitos in Miami—and that’s a hard contest to win. Stop by any morning to find it bustling with neighborhood residents and visitors in line to get a box of their favorite pastries. They also serve lunch, coffee and other goodies. It never takes long to make your way to the counter, and it’s always worth the trip.