Best Bars in Miami (2025)

Julio Cabrera’s temple to Cuban cantinero craft pairs live Son Cubano with flawless daiquiris and mojitos. Featured on North America’s 50 Best Bars 2025 and praised by national critics, it’s Little Havana hospitality at its most joyful.

A Miami Beach staple founded by the late John Lermayer, still mixing inventive, high-volume cocktails and serving serious late-night bar food. Celebrated by Eater and the Financial Times, and beloved by locals for its raucous happy hour.

ViceVersa Bar and Restaurant Opens in Downtown Miami, Florida | Eater Miami

Debuting tonight from bartender Valentino Longo, ViceVersa is an Italian aperitivo bar offering modern takes on classic Italian cocktails paired with small plates and neo‑Neapolitan pizzas. The 14‑drink cocktail menu — developed with help from the founders of nearby Jaguar Sun — is organized into The Negroni Family, Martinis, and Signature Cocktails, and highlights the MI‑TO blend, a Dolce amaro base used in drinks like a carbonated Americano, a Negroni Punch, martini variations such as the Avanguardia and the Affogato Martini, and creative signatures like the Italian‑VICE and Brucio in Bocca. Jaguar Sun chefs Carey Hynes and Justin Flit created the food program, which includes a raw bar (Treasure Coast oysters with citrus mignonette, Royal Red Shrimp with cherry bomb relish, and tuna tartare with pistachio and green olive), appetizers (wood‑fired flatbread with chicken fat, chives, and cultured butter; house‑made culatello and coppa; Caesar with Cantabrian anchovy and aged parmesan), and standout neo‑Neapolitan pizzas (clam pizza with white sauce, middleneck clams, lemon and scallion; the “Bad First Date” with tomato sauce, taleggio and pepperoncini; and sopressata with tomato sauce, Thai chili and hot honey), finished with housemade gelato and sorbet. Longo brings over 20 years of hospitality experience — from Hotel de Russie’s Stravinskij Bar in Rome to London hotels including the Corinthia and the Ritz, back to Rome to develop La Moderna, then to Miami as opening head bartender of the Champagne Bar at the Four Seasons at The Surf Club — and was named Bombay Sapphire’s Most Imaginative Bartender in 2020; he says the bar honors his Italian upbringing, his life in Miami, and his love for aperitivi. Designed with nods to Italian futurist artists, the 60‑seat space features an emerald green tiled bar, slate green walls, marble tables, bronze palm frond sconces and modern art by Jean Vaquier (aka Folzer); ViceVersa is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to midnight at 398 NE 5th St, Miami, FL 33132 (adjoining the Elser Hotel), with most seating first‑come, first‑served and limited reservations via Resy. - Olee Fowler

A Little River original inside The Citadel where every cocktail riffs on folklore monsters. Lauded by the Financial Times and Miami New Times, and listed in the 51–100 of North America’s 50 Best Bars 2025, it’s playful, precise, and very Miami.

A rum lover’s sanctuary with more than 150 bottles and late hours. Cited by North America’s 50 Best Bars 2025 (51–100) and Time Out, the team dives deep into Caribbean classics and modern tropical builds without the gimmicks.

Since 1926, this neon-lit dive has anchored Miami Beach with a famous two‑for‑one happy hour. Celebrated by Condé Nast Traveler and immortalized by Anthony Bourdain, it remains a locals’ refuge from the velvet-rope scene.

A Spanish‑style gin and tapas saloon from the Lost Boy crew, tucked on Española Way. Time Out and local critics praise its infused gins, vermouth, and late‑night energy that draws a genuine South Beach crowd.

A Park West standby pouring classic cocktails until the sun comes up. Frequently cited by local editors for its late‑night hours and live‑jazz Tuesdays, it’s where industry folks and night owls land after downtown shows.

Lost Boy is Miami’s Most Eclectic New Bar | Eater Miami

At 157 E Flagler Street I found Lost Boy, a two-story, 2,700-foot space that opened earlier this summer after founder Randy Alonso — who converted his former jean shop — teamed with bar veteran Chris Hudnall. The interior has a noticeably eclectic, vintage vibe inspired by the American Southwest, traditional English pubs and “drunken sailor bars” (the owners insist there “isn’t a theme”) and is filled with Alonso’s collected pieces: his grandfather’s old desk and hat rack from Cuba, trunks from his siblings, paintings from old Miami motels, portraits of former U.S. presidents, vintage bookcases, an old piano, mermaid handrails and a massive American flag; entertainment includes darts, board games and billiards. Hudnall’s cocktail menu is purposely straightforward — classics like the gin and tonic, Old Fashioned, negroni and Penicillin — plus well drinks, wines, coffee and tap-only beers served in English imperial pint glasses, and a full food menu offers soups, salads, sandwiches, dips and charcuterie platters. Lost Boy is open Monday–Saturday noon–2 a.m. and Sunday until 10 p.m., with happy hour Monday–Friday 4–8 p.m. when drinks are half-priced; for more information call 305-372-7303. - Olee Fowler

Retro lounge meets spirited downtown party bar, with strong drinks and approachable prices. Time Out and local writers note nightly crowds, good DJs, and hours that run deep into the morning.

A Coral Way nightspot from Ariete Hospitality where live music, a grand piano, and serious cocktails meet a chef‑driven menu. Recognized by the Michelin Guide and Miami critics, it channels old‑Florida swagger with modern polish.

Miami’s first Japanese‑style vinyl listening bar, curated by noted DJs and loved by music heads. Covered by Time Out and national media, this intimate Wynwood room pairs excellent cocktails with audiophile sound and reserved seating.