Andaz Miami Beach photo
Audio By Carbonatix
We have always felt there is something cinematic about a great hotel bar in Miami. They’re the kind of rooms where the lighting makes everyone look a little better, the ice clinks louder than usual, and people seem to be either celebrating or hiding from a mistake. In this city, a hotel bar isn’t just a convenient place to wait for a room key; it’s the main event.
Before we jump into the list, we are leaving out a few of the obvious heavy hitters because they appear in our Top 50 Best Bars Right Now roundup. This means you won’t see the The Champagne Bar, Swizzle, ViceVersa, Medium Cool, Sugar, or Rosa Sky here. Each of these beloved bars have already had their moment (rightfully so). Instead, here are our fresh picks for the ten best hotel bars in Miami for 2026. Cheers!
Biltmore Hotel photo
AZ.85 – Biltmore Hotel
One of the best-kept secrets in Miami is hidden behind red steel doors at the Biltmore Hotel. At Bar AZ.85, you need a poker chip to get into this moody hideaway. It is full of checkered floors, big velvet chairs, and old photos that make it feel like 1926. The place leans into the Biltmore’s history of gambling and mobsters, including the stories about the “Al Capone Suite” on the 13th floor. I don’t really care if the stories are true or not; after two drinks, they start to sound believable. 1200 Anastasia Ave., Coral Gables, at the Biltmore Hotel; biltmorehotel.com/coral-gables-dining/biltmore-bar.
Andaz Miami Beach photo
Bar Centro – Andaz Miami Beach
Bar Centro just opened at the Andaz Miami Beach, bringing the kind of drama that Miami loves. José Andrés is in charge here, so there is a lot of liquid nitrogen, smoke, and foam. People usually go for the salt air margarita, which has a savory foam on top instead of a salt rim. But the drink I’m obsessed with is the “Reverse Carajillo.” The bar takes Spanish brandy, Licor 43, rum, and cold brew, then freezes them right there with liquid nitrogen. Then they top it with warm tres leches foam. It is cold, creamy, and totally over the top in the best way possible. Round two, please. 4041 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, at the Andaz Miami Beach; 305-424-1234; thebazaar.com/location/bar-centro.
Photo by The Louis Collection
The Commodore – The Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove
Inside The Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, The Commodore leans fully into old-school lounge energy with leather seating, a fireplace, dark wood details, and a library-inspired interior that feels made for slow cocktails and long conversations. Named after Coconut Grove pioneer Ralph Middleton Munroe, the bar spills onto an outdoor terrace that practically begs for a cigar sesh. The cocktails are reason enough to visit, especially during happy hour Monday through Friday from 5 to 7 p.m., but it’s the year-round programming that gives The Commodore real personality, and I’ve even had the chance to partner on a few myself. From the recent Cocktails & Chocolates collaborations with Exquisito to the upcoming Summer Reading for Adults with Books & Books and the holiday Coquito & Cookies series, the bar somehow manages to feel both neighborhood favorite and hotel hideaway at the same time. 3300 SW 27th Ave., Miami, at the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove; 3300 SW 27th Ave., Miami; ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/miarz-the-ritz-carlton-coconut-grove-miami/dining.
Photo by Giovanny Gutierrez
Little Torch – The Shelborne by Proper
You will find Little Torch tucked away inside The Shelborne by Proper. It is a small lounge, just 971 square feet, with pink terrazzo floors and low lights. There is usually vinyl playing in the background. It has a quiet, minimal glamour that is hard to find now. Kenny Alexander runs the beverage program, and his drinks are inspired by the Florida Keys. I like the “Spicy Guava Cooler” with mezcal and grapefruit, and the “Coconut Manhattan,” which uses Santa Teresa 1796 rum and bourbon. They also have a signature “Shelborne Martini,” a Vesper variation made with avocado-oil-washed Grey Goose, Condesa gin, and fennel, served with garnishes you can add yourself. By the time the cocktail cart moves on and someone flips the record, Little Torch makes the outside world feel a lot less important. 1801 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; 305-341-1400; shelborne.com/restaurants-bars/little-torch.
Faena Miami Beach photo
The Living Room – Faena Miami Beach
The Living Room at Faena is basically a tribute to 1950s Miami Beach glitz. It feels like walking into a stage play where everyone is suddenly wearing better clothes and drinking smoked cocktails. There’s live music or DJs every night, and the room is full of velvet and gold lighting. It’s probably one of the best places in the city for people watching. The drinks balance the timeless elegance of old school with a mix of new ideas. Some include “Queen of Collins,” the “French Luxe,” and the “Cathedral.” Each one has its own sense of history. By midnight, the line between hotel bar, performance space, and the glamorous social life gets wonderfully blurry. 3201 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, at the Faena Miami Beach; 305-534-8800; faena.com/miami-beach/gather/venues/the-living-room.
The Miami Beach Edition photo
Matador Bar – The Miami Beach Edition
Matador Bar at The Miami Beach Edition has a polished look that doesn’t really age. The room is built around a floating walnut bar with Lucien Clergue photos on the walls. I like that the bar organizes the cocktail menu by style (and one’s mood). “Refreshing,” “Up No Ice,” or “Stirred.” It makes it easy to switch from a cucumber martini to a “Smoking Sun,” a mezcal Negroni with Amaro Montenegro and Antica Formula. The food is from Jean-Georges, and the sweet pea guacamole with crunchy tortillas is a must. And if you want to move around, wander outside toward the pool deck or downstairs to Basement. Here you’ll find the hotel’s unexpected ice skating rink and bowling alley with a fully stocked bar and gourmet bites in case you worked up a second appetite. 2901 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, at The Miami Beach Edition; 786-257-4600; editionhotels.com/miami-beach/restaurants-and-bars/matador-bar.
The Standard Spa, Miami Beach photo
Monterrey Bar – The Standard Spa, Miami Beach
Monterrey Bar has that specific brand of class that The Standard Spa has maintained for a long time. It’s named after the property’s original 1953 name, the Monterrey Motel. It is a small spot—only about 25 seats—and everything revolves around a T-shaped Amazonite bar that glows under a Murano glass chandelier. They serve classic cocktails like “Sazeracs,” “Paper Planes,” and “Vespers,” but they also do these holistic drinks with names like “Chakra Kahn,” “Third Eye,” and “Lunar Tide.” The mood stays cool without trying too hard, especially on Friday and Saturday nights during their Vinyl Sound Sessions when local selectors play. The bar has an Aperitivo Hour from 5 to 8 p.m. on weekdays, and the food is actually worth staying for. Once you start ordering the bao buns, temakis, and crispy katsu sandwiches, what was supposed to be a quick drink usually turns into a whole night pretty fast. 40 Island Ave., Miami Beach, at The Standard Spa, Miami Beach; 305-673-1717; monterreybar.com.
Photo by Giovanny Gutierrez
The Piano Bar – The Betsy Hotel
The Piano Bar at The Betsy feels like a piece of old Miami that simply refuses to go away. It’s inside a Michelin Key hotel, and you can hear the jazz music floating through the lobby, which looks a bit like Old Havana. The giant windows look out at the palms on Ocean Drive, and it feels like a movie set. There is rotating art on the walls, comfortable chairs, and that constant, soft noise of martinis being stirred. It is home to the longest-running live music series on the Beach, with musicians playing every night from about 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. There is no cover charge and no minimum spend, which is honestly a rare thing to find in Miami these days. 1440 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach, at The Betsy Hotel; 305-531-6100; thebetsyhotel.com/dine/piano-bar.
Rum Bar – The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne
Rum Bar is in the lobby of the Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, which they just remodeled. It manages to be both casual and fancy at the same time. The menu has drinks like “Tamarind Highballs” and “Grenada Gimlets,” plus six other drinks inspired by islands such as Cuba and Jamaica. There’s also an extensive rum selection for sampling, which honestly makes lingering here dangerously easy for me. But the real reason people keep coming back can’t be listed on a menu. Anthony and Alex have spent more than a decade behind this bar making guests feel like regulars within minutes. In a city obsessed with what’s new, Rum Bar quietly reminds you how valuable familiarity can feel. 455 Grand Bay Dr., Key Biscayne, at The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne; 305-365-6704; rumbarkeybiscayne.com.
Photo by Giovanny Gutierrez
Séptimo – Four Seasons Hotel Miami
Séptimo is the newest bar on the block, and I already have a full-blown love affair. It brings old-world cocktail glamour to the seventh floor of the Four Seasons Hotel in Brickell. Led by beverage director Jacopo Rosito, who many still remember from Le Sirenuse at the Four Seasons Surf Club, the bar pulls inspiration from late 19th and early 20th-century cocktail culture with a level of precision that somehow still feels effortless and cool. The standout is the “Tomato & Vine,” a clarified mix of olive oil-infused Grey Goose vodka, tomato water, and basil syrup that drinks like a liquid caprese salad in the best possible way. Elsewhere, timeless classics get elegant remixes through drinks like the “Oyster Martini,” “Miel Old Fashioned,” and “Lavender Manhattan.” And honestly, the bites alone justify the elevator ride up: “5J Jamón Croquetas,” chicken nuggets topped with caviar and crème fraîche, and a house Cubano sandwich this boy wholeheartedly approves of. 1435 Brickell Ave., Miami, at Four Seasons Hotel Miami; 305-358-3535; fourseasons.com/miami/dining/lounges/septimo.
