Shopping & Services

With crystal chandeliers, wood-paneled floors, and various pet portraits hanging on its hot-pink walls, Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming feels more like a posh salon than a pet-supply shop. The store, which has locations in Bal Harbour, Midtown, Doral, and Kendall — boasts an array of all-natural homemade treats, plush toys, and premium foods in a candy-store like display and also offers grooming and self-service grooming at certain locations. Buy your pup a birthday cake ($29.99) and matching party hat ($5.99), or treat your kitty to knit barnyard animal toys filled with catnip ($1.99).

It’s your real-life Central Perk but with fewer sweaters and a more environmentally conscious attitude. SpecialTEA Lounge and Café, Tamiami’s very own specialty coffee, beer, and, well, TEA shop, is conveniently located in the Columbia Shopping Plaza within walking distance of Florida International University’s main campus, the better for students in need of a cozy study sesh. You can count on the fast, reliable internet, and there are outlets to plug into arrayed across every wall. Whether you’ve procrastinated on a school or work assignment or just have a hankering for caffeine and organic munchies, SpecialTEA outlasts most café around town, staying open from 11 a.m. till 11 p.m. Make yourself comfortable on a couch, in a booth, or in a cushioned chair while you jack the Wi-Fi to your heart’s content. Having a rough day? The expert baristas can sling any customized drink you request, with aplomb. Bring a jacket or hoodie, though — the air conditioning’s topnotch too.

Listen, spas are a dime a dozen in Miami. But there’s a reason locals continue to flock to Belle Isle on the Venetian Causeway and make their way to the Standard Spa. Sure, it’s a hotel — and a great one at that — but you don’t need to spend the night here to avail yourself of the spa amenities. Anyone who spends $125 on services Monday through Thursday (there’s a $225 minimum Friday through Sunday) can enjoy everything the hotel offers without booking a room. The “Standard Massage” (get it?) starts at $216 for 60 minutes and ascends from there as your tensions melt away proportionally. There are sound-healing and Thai massages ($300 for 90 minutes), a “Hurts So Good” ($228 for 60 minutes), and more. And there are body treatments, facials, and nail services. Afterward, you can enjoy the Turkish-style hammam, take an Arctic plunge in 50-degree water, or chill out by the infinity pool overlooking Biscayne Bay. Seriously, what’s not to love about the Standard?

Sana prides itself on its “goal-driven” facials, but the experience is refreshingly meditative in a society that too often prioritizes productivity above all else. Sure, you could drop in during your lunch break for a quick refresh, but even a 50-minute facial feels restorative, not rushed. Before commencing, your facialist will have you take a few deep breaths and give you the opportunity to recenter your thoughts. Then you can choose between a guided facial experience, wherein you’ll be walked through each step of the process, or a silent session to reclaim a moment of peace. Rates start at $65 for the express 30-minute option and step up to $105 for the 50-minute signature facial and to $175 for the 70-minute SuperGlow or SuperDetox. Add-ons include extra time for extractions, LED light therapy, or a gua sha lymphatic massage. It’s a self-care session that will remind you, as Sana’s famous selfie mirror avers, “you are blooming.”

If you’re on the hunt for some much-needed self-care, head to Habits Skin Lab, where pampering your hands and feet is their passion. Set against a soothing pastel backdrop, Habits exudes tranquility in every way — from the complimentary matcha lattes to the melodious playlist, which eases you into their velvet (velvet!) pedicure chairs. Habits carries all of your favorite O.P.I and Essie shades, as well as brands like Ella + Mia for those who prefer clean beauty options. And if you’re looking to re-create the latest nail trend, the skilled nail technicians here are up to the task, with offerings like Aprés Gel-X extensions, traditional acrylics, and killer nail art worthy of the ‘Gram. Pro tip: While they do take walk-ins, it’s best to schedule an appointment for a seamless experience.

If any beverage is widely considered sacred, it’s coffee. That’s what sets apart Coffee & Hair Co. as one of the most special blow-dry bars for all of your styling needs. You can choose from a variety of packages with additional treatments and services — including the coffee scrub, which provides a deep cleanse paired with a lovely scalp massage during your wash. Appointments can be made online or over the phone, and if they’re booked up on the day you need them, they’ll offer to put you on the waitlist. The best part? The coffee is fantastic.

Oh, how easy it would be for the Fontainebleau to rest on its laurels. But in 2022, the Miami Beach icon and designated U.S. National Historic Landmark continues to keep it fresh; in fact, it’s the most dynamic hotel in town. You’ll never be bored at the Fontainebleau, starting with the oceanfront rooms and suites, with amenities like plush cotton robes, contemporary décor, and 20-inch iMacs in every room. Some of the 305’s hottest happenings are always an elevator ride away, with the LIV club and music series BleauLive regularly attracting the hottest artists. And, of course, there are the 11 pools and an all-star restaurant lineup featuring the likes of Hakkasan, Scarpetta by Scott Conant, and StripSteak by Michael Mina. All the elements are there for a good time. If you somehow manage to leave the Fontainebleau having not achieved peak relaxation or euphoria, well, that’s on you.

Let the Four Seasons of kennels pamper your pooch. Situated off North Miami Avenue near Fireman Derek’s Bake Shop, the Wynwood location of South Florida mini-chain D.O.G. Hotels offers first-class daycare, overnight boarding, and grooming in a posh, modern setting. The spacious facility houses climate-controlled indoor parks to protect Rover from the sweltering Miami heat and a cage-free environment of small, numbered rooms decorated with wood panels to help your furry friend feel more at home. Along with boarding, D.O.G. offers daycare and grooming services. Hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.

Until someone invents a time machine, taking a trip to the mall is the next best thing to rewinding the VHS of your imagination. Stepping into Dadeland Mall is a bit of a throwback: All your teenage favorites are there, from the Auntie Anne’s pretzel kiosk and Mandarin Express in the food court to a two-story Urban Outfitters stocked with thrift-store styles at unaffordable prices. This isn’t to say there aren’t newer additions, including a Sephora, an Apple store, and a Shake Shack. There are plenty of seating areas and phone-charging stations throughout the mall, plus a play area for restless kiddos. Make a day of it or, if you’re so inclined, a night — last fall, an AC Hotel opened up next to Macy’s, offering you the opportunity to extend your retroactive respite for as long as you care to.

If you’re going to spend mucho dinero on self-care, why wouldn’t you pamper your pooch, too? When you make an appointment with Cosmo!Paw!Litan Pet Grooming, you don’t even have to schlep Schnookums to the salon — they’ll come to you. The staff of the one-stop mobile grooming service is friendly, patient, and fully equipped to make your best friend look fabulous. Fresh cuts, bathing, nail trimming, ear cleaning, teeth brushing, gland squeezing — they do it all, and more. Treat Fido to the spa day they deserve. After all, they put up with your crap 24/7.

Wynwood Dog Food Co. doesn’t look like a store for dogs. So much so that there’s a sign erected front and center inside reminding customers: “We Make Dog Food.” Offering customized meals that are cooked fresh on a daily basis, using 100 percent human-grade ingredients inside its contemporary “Canine Kitchen” on N. Miami Avenue, the store — blends like beef and potato, chicken and rice, and venison and squash — along with a handful of “condition specific” recipes formulated for skin, cardiac, and renal support. Although the company offers pickup and delivery, pups and their owners are welcome to visit to see where the culinary canine magic happens.

As the only family-owned medical marijuana dispensary in Florida, the Flowery is set to bloom in the state’s booming, multibillion-dollar cannabis industry. Based in Miami, the budding company hand-delivers products like marijuana flower and kief through its online storefront to patients’ homes across the state. In contrast to cannabis giants like Trulieve and Surterra, the Flowery prides itself on producing high-quality goods locally, without the influence of corporate backing. The company is slated to open its first brick-and-mortar dispensary in June on Biscayne Boulevard, but for now, you can place your order online for delivery.

A small, unpretentious store with barred windows and neon signs advertising “Delta 8” and “CBD,” Herbin Living Smoke Shop appears, at first glance, to be your average Miami head shop — but it’s much more once you step inside. The shelves are filled with the familiar array of grinders, glass pipes, and rolling papers, of course, but the shop also sells its own line of high-quality CBD and CBD-infused goods and boasts a private, outdoor lounge area. Choose from a wide selection of CBD products including wellness gummies from Martha Stewart’s collection, pain creams, and skin patches — all with the guidance of the store’s friendly and CBD-knowledgeable employees.

You could visit one of the new, bourgeois cigar lounges that are popping up all over Miami’s shmanciest neighborhoods, but why mess with a proven formula? Set in the heart of Little Havana, Cuba Tobacco Cigar Co. rose to prominence during the U.S. cigar boom of the ’90s when the shop, owned by the Bello family, launched its Havana Sunrise brand, whose popularity made CTCC the largest producer of cigars in the U.S. But the family has been rolling cigars for far longer — ever since founder Don Bello opened a factory in Las Villas, Cuba, in 1896. With roots firmly planted in el exilio Miami, the family-owned shop is still going strong — and so are the cigars.

Alongside Happy Vapor Shops’ shelves stacked neatly with various Delta-8 THC candies, single-use vape pens, and e-juices is the “Wall of Hope,” filled with old Marlboro and Newport cigarette packs. Since Marty Rodriguez opened the Doral vape store in 2013, she has striven not only to sell topnotch products with great service but to also support her customers’ transition from cigarettes to vaping devices. “Everybody that buys a kit to quit smoking, I will get their pack of cigarettes and put it up on the wall, because that was a commitment,” Rodriguez explains. The small shop, sandwiched between two restaurants (one Colombian, one Chinese) in a nondescript strip mall, feels like home for vape bros and ex-smokers alike. The store even maintains an educational blog that it regularly updates with information about its products, which include Delta-8 and nicotine salts.

Whether you’re looking for a few supplies for a romantic evening or aiming to spice things up in the boudoir, Caliente Adult Superstore is your one-stop erotic shop. As soon as you enter (through doors darkened to respect patrons’ privacy), the kind and attentive staff is ready to help you find products that suit your sensual desires. Lingerie and lube? They’ve got it. Plush handcuffs and edible underwear? You’ll find it here. For those in the market for solo-sexual accoutrements, Caliente stocks a wide array of dildos, Fleshlights, and DVDs, as well as a private viewing room. Whether you’re a veteran of kink or a newbie couple, you’re welcome at this pleasure emporium.

Every book lover understands the magic behind the aesthetic of a top-quality used bookstore. (Especially the singular smell!) If you’re seeking this experience in Miami, stop by Dunbar Old Books. (Why? It’s right there in the name, for heaven’s sake!) Quaint in style and stature, the store is packed with shelves that hold everything from 100-year-old math textbooks to the collected works of Charles Dickens. The store prides itself on carrying almost exclusively out-of-print books (about 80 percent of the stock). It’s tucked away between storage units in Glenvar Heights, so you’re unlikely to stumble across it by accident. But it has endured for a quarter-century because of its astounding selection — and its special place in the hearts of bibliophiles.

Juxtaposed against the bustling traffic of Biscayne Boulevard, you can find a lush oasis at Mimo Garden Center. Past the entrance marked by a large shipping container, you’ll eye row upon row of plants beckoning to you to take them home and make them yours. Take a relaxing stroll through the verdant space and stock up on all your favorite houseplants — like Swiss Cheese monsteras, snake plants, and plenty of low-maintenance cacti and succulents. Once you’ve selected your new plant-babies, the staff will supply care instructions to ensure your green friend flourishes. If your gardening skills need more than fertilizing, the center offers curated arrangements that make for unique gifts, as well as installation services to bring your dreams of a backyard jungle to life.

There’s nothing wrong with furnishing your house with pieces from Target’s Project 62 collection, but why not support a local business next time you need a refresh in décor? At One of a Kind, you get personalized service to help you decide what kind of style you’re aiming for. The showroom focuses on organic textures — think woods, natural fibers, and earth tones— that will have your abode feeling lived-in yet put-together. No, you aren’t going to find IKEA prices here. That’s because the economy of scale does not work in One of a Kind’s favor. After all, being one of a kind comes at a price. But the next time you have guests over, you can boast about your custom furniture by founder Roberta Schilling.

In a world awash with ABC Fine Wine & Spirits and Total Wine & Mores, Gulf Liquors feels like a trip back in time. The Miami institution, which announces its presence with a neon sign that spells out its name flanked by cartoon bottles, has been purveying booze at a fair price on Alton Road since 1950. Though it has played host to high-profile events and stocks an impressively broad selection of more than 1,600 wines, craft beers, and spirits, it remains at its core a neighborhood mom-and-pop shop with a staff that aims to do all it can to ensure you leave with what you came in for (at the very least). You can also browse and order your liquor of choice from the comfort of your couch via the store’s Nifty app.

When a beloved, family-owned neighborhood spot opens a new location, there’s always the risk that it will fail to clone the original magic, and the ersatz copy will live on as a painful reminder of what could have been. The original Vintage Liquor & Wine Bar in Pinecrest would’ve been hard to re-create: a temperature-controlled wine cellar houses roughly 1,500 wine labels and offers private wine lockers for rent. But re-create it did, opening a second outpost in Midtown, and then, as if to tempt fate, a third location in Brickell. Like its siblings, Vintage Liquor III regularly hosts affordable wine tastings and, over the years, its staff has developed inside jokes with regulars and are quick to spring from behind the register to help customers carry their clanking loot to the car, whether it’s a rare find from the top shelf or “something cheap that won’t get me hungover.”

The 54th Street Shell gas station is wedged like a cheesy slice on a triangular lot, a few doors down from Andiamo! Brick Oven Pizza, between Biscayne Boulevard and Federal Highway on NE 54th Street. From the street, the station looks every other Shell station. And if gas prices are what lure you to a specific pump, you can almost certainly do better a few blocks west in Little Haiti. But do you by any chance like beer and wine? This is the gas station for you. And we’re not talking quick-shop Natty Light. This place is packed to the gills with craft beers and organic wines. Not to be missed.

Celebrating its 75th year along with the Everglades National Park, the Tropical Audubon Society has been and remains one of the most important crusaders for the protection and restoration of South Florida’s ecosystems. Between native and migratory, we’ve got more than 350 bird species, and beyond their own magnificent language, they can’t advocate for themselves. Tropical Audubon Society acts as enforcers on the local environmental front when humans get carried away with development, waste, and industry. (What? Humans do that? Who knew?) The organization also hosts educational events, bird walks, outdoor concerts, movie nights, plant sales, and other activities that raise funds and awareness for the benefit of our winged friends — and that includes bees, butterflies, bats, beetles, and other vital members of the ecosystem.

What’s fun about sunscreen? Until Vacation came on the scene last year, the answer was “pretty much nothing.” The newly launched Miami-based cosmetics brand has managed to bottle up 1980s Vice City nostalgia with what it calls “the world’s best-smelling sunscreen.” Bottles of the Classic Lotion ($18) are printed with a cheery, royal blue serif font and a palm tree silhouette you might find tattooed on a lower back somewhere on Ocean Drive. The company’s Instagram feed (@vacationinc), filled with static photos of Baywatch-esque models with teased hair and slouch socks, feels equally retro and trendy as high-leg swimsuits and bike shorts enjoy a cultural resurgence. Ad copy is written in a corporate “royal we” style, channeling a memo sent via fax. (“We’re pleased to share with you an announcement” began one IG caption earlier this year about the company’s debut at Ulta.) Leave it to a brand called Vacation to give a joyless product like sunscreen a refreshing reboot.

Ask any local bibliophile where they sate their craving for dustjackets and enlightenment, and they’ll tell you straight up: Books & Books. Mitchell Kaplan’s iconic shop is inarguably one of the premier indie bookstores in the nation, with a handful of Miami-Dade locations (and one in Key West), but the Coral Gables flagship is the crème de la crème. Visitors are greeted by a charming outdoor café courtyard, perfect for a coffee and/or a bite while browsing through a periodical or two. The multiroomed store gives the impression of Borges’ Library of Babel, with shelves soaring high and wide, filled with books of every genre (and in multiple languages). The best part for discerning Miamians is the local section, where the works of South Florida authors are given prominent presentation, alongside a large selection of books on Miami’s history. Kaplan and his crew host readings and other events on the regular, which in turn serves to highlight the fact that the store stays open into the evening hours. Speaking of convenience, the store is located just across the street from of a municipal garage that offers some of the cheapest parking in the Gables, leaving you with no excuse not to drop a few bucks on that new book you’ve been dying to read.

Sykes Ace Hardware in Little River is located along an always-chaotic stretch of NE 79th Street — three lanes of traffic heading full-steam toward Biscayne Bay — but the cognoscenti don’t sweat the hassle. People get nostalgic for the smells of their childhood and it’s hard not to revel in the sensory delights of an old-timey hardware store. Step inside Sykes and you’re greeted with an aromatic mingle of ALL THE THINGS jammed inside this wondrous rabbit warren: lawn fertilizer, paint thinner, mothballs, urinal cakes, as well as hardware-store dust and the homey scent of Mrs. Meyer’s dryer sheets. Whether you need one tiny screw or a Big Green Egg, you’ll likely score it here. Sykes employees (yes, they are helpful!) serve a cross-section of customers that mirrors the diversity of Miami: day laborers, contractors, guys who just bought a boat. A grandma holding a circular-saw blade who takes her place at the end of the checkout line that snakes around the store. “It’s all good, I’m happy to wait,” she says. “I’ve been coming here for over 50 years, starting when I was a little girl with my mama. I could go to Home Depot, but why do that to save a dollar? This feels like home.”

Comic-book nerds and geek-culture lovers in South Florida have a mecca. Tate’s Comics is located in Lauderhill, but any self-respecting collector will tell you it’s worth the drive for the sheer volume of comics, manga, toys, and collectibles in the shop’s massive indoor space. Multiple walls at the back of the store are lined with the week’s newest comics from a variety of publishers, including DC and Marvel, alongside an enormous archive of back issues for those looking to find a specific release they might have missed. Tate’s also stocks a sizable collection of graphic novels and trade paperbacks, but the crowning jewels are the collectibles: multiple well-illuminated cabinets spotlighting statues, busts, and figurines that run the gamut from superheroes to G.I. Joes to Alien vs. Predator memorabilia. If you have a niche interest the chances are good that Tate’s has you covered.

Enter a medieval wonderland, inspired by nature and mythological folklore. Great Oak Tattoo is a woman-owned company whose queer Hispanic artists prioritize all bodies while specializing in traditional and fine-line, and even eyebrow microblading or cosmetic tattooing. When your tattoo is done, linger to browse and sample the homemade herbal remedies and apothecary. The shop opened in 2021 and has already grown to six artists, abetted by frequent guest artists who bring their own years of experience. With styles for everyone from cartoon fanatics to psychedelic spiritualists, this is a must visit if you’re shopping for your next — or your first — encounter with ink.

Oddballs Nifty Thrift does more than live up to its name. As soon as you walk through the doors, you’re in the midst of a madcap collection of eclectic odds and ends that seems to go on forever. Multiple rooms filled with myriad relics provide hours of fun for the eagle-eyed collector and the breezy browser alike. Oddballs offers consignment services, and vendors can rent space throughout the Oakland Park storefront to show off their weird wares. For buyers, prices are negotiable and the staff will do its best to help you snag that vintage dress, hand-carved cane, or wacky wall art. The best part about shopping here? Oddballs is equipped with a beer fridge, so you can enjoy a cold one (or three) while you’re perusing the multitude of treasures that lie within.

Yes, Lower East Coast kind of falls into the “hypebeast” category, but you’ve got to hand it to partners Rees Escobar, Jonathan Rodriguez, and Steven Sanz: They’ve proven they’re more than capable of curating a shopping experience. Unlike most streetwear stores, LEC doesn’t seem particularly interested in stocking brands like Supreme and A Bathing Ape. Rather, this is a place where you can discover the next big thing. And that’s on purpose. The shop, which includes a bookstore, is about championing emerging brands. The quality is excellent, which means you’ll pay more than you would at a mall chain, but if you’re looking to break the addiction to fast fashion, LEC is your cure. Some of our favorite labels here include Stray Rats, Carhartt WIP, and Real Bad Man.

Streetwear brands like Supreme and Bathing Ape have long garnered all the hype, but can you buy Cap’n Crunch-flavored soft-serve at their stores? You can at Kith,the Manhattan-based luxury clothing brand whose flagship Miami Beach store fuses street fashion and food in a unique concept. Kith’s swanky Collins Avenue shop is filled with designer clothes and footwear from Nike, Balenciaga, Calvin Klein, and Saint Laurent and boasts arches throughout its modern space, constructed with hundreds of cast Air Jordan 5 sneakers. Along with the apparel, the store is known and loved for its signature Kith Treats, which include cereal-flavored milkshakes and soft-serve ice creams designed by the likes of the late Virgil Aloh and rapper Action Bronson.

Whether you’re looking to strut through the streets or in need of a period piece to finish off a costume, you’ll discover a world of posh fashion history inside the House of Findings. Owner Mayra Gonzalez has been in the vintage game since 1989, and her taste is finer than any designer sitting on South Beach. Clothing as far back as the ’30s, international garb, upcycled and handmade goods — she has it all. You can hit the mall and dress like everyone else, or you can visit the House of Findings and look iconic. Which do you prefer?

Over the past decade and a half, the mother-daughter duo of Nicole Valenzuela and Rosana Mattioli has mastered the art of elegant swimwear. Nikki’s Beachhouse Boutique’s collection of vibrant bathing suits, lingerie, and even bridal beachwear uses high-quality materials and fuses styles from Valenzuela’s native West Coast and our own backyard. Whether you’re shopping online or at the brick-and-mortar stores in Coconut Grove and South Miami, one thing is guaranteed: You won’t find anything basic. Splurge on a reversible bikini set and a white cotton coverup or a matching canvas tote and floppy hat set.