By Kara Franker
Where to go out in Miami Beach
Miami Beach is home to a range of nightlife options, from top dance clubs to cocktail lounges and dive bars.
Popular Dance Clubs
LIV at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach in Mid Beach is a multi-level, 18,000-square-foot spot that’s a popular hangout for world-renowned DJs and every A-list celebrity under the sun. This is the spot to dance the night away.
The French-Mediterranean restaurant and lounge Bâoli in South Beach has chic, indoor-outdoor tables on one side, a raised DJ booth and dance area on the other, and plenty of people-watching in between. Its vanishing glass wall, grand crystal chandeliers, plush banquet tables, strung lights, hot dancers and sparkler-lit champagne bottles set the stage for a fabulous night out.
Bowl, dance and skate at Basement
Looking for something a little different from your everyday nightclub? BASEMENT at the Miami Beach EDITION in Mid Beach is a disco in disguise. This hotspot is a modern-day Studio 54, complete with a glowing bar, bowling alley, ice skating rink and, of course, dancing.
Try out your salsa moves at Mango's Tropical Cafe
Nightlife is supposed to be, well, at night, but at Mango’s Tropical Cafe in South Beach you can party from lunch through dinner and stay all night. At this colorful bar, restaurant and venue, you can order up a typical Latin American dish and have a side of Latin music and dance. Mango’s is an over-the-top version of the 1920s Tropicana Club in Havana. It’s perfect for someone looking to have a great time with a mojito in hand.
Don't miss celebrity favorite Bleau Bar
Hot Hotel Bars
With so many luxurious hotels taking over the Miami Beach skyline, you better believe that many of them double as haute nighttime hangouts. Set in the lobby of the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, Bleau Bar was a popular place for celebrities like Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack friends to see-and-be-seen in the 1950s and 60s. Today, this vibrant bar is just as star-studded.
Check out the unique cocktails at Katsuya
The ultra-chic SLS South Beach is a South Beach boutique hotel where you can indulge in specialty cocktails at The Bazaar by José Andrés or at Katsuya. Cocktails here go the distance to be unique, including the caipirinhas with sugar frozen by liquid nitrogen and margaritas with a "salt air" infusion.
Hang out with the locals during happy hour
Local Dive Bars
Sometimes, there’s nothing better than a good dive bar – and South Beach has a few iconic ones to choose from. Lost Weekend, on Española Way, pays homage to John Lennon’s “Lost Weekend” period in the 1970s, and keeps regulars coming with its 1980s video games and happy hour drinks. Ted’s Hideaway, in the South of Fifth area, is a low-key spot with an extended happy hour, zero pretension and no-fuss vibes. Around since 1926, Mac’s Club Deuce has loyal regulars. Known for its 1980s cameo in Miami Vice, it actually has a surprising handful of A-list fans.