Bygone Wynwood Bars and Restaurants We Miss the Most

Wynwood used to feel like Miami’s best-kept secret — an electric pocket of the city where creativity pulsed through every block, restaurants bloomed on every corner, and the second-Saturday Art Walk, which thrived from 2009 to 2013, was practically a religion. Back then, the neighborhood was still rough around the edges, but it was alive. Vendors lined the sidewalks, artists painted in real time, and you could wander the streets at night feeling both safe and exhilarated in that “this place is about to become something huge” kind of way. Before the luxury towers, before the traffic snarls, and before the $25 cocktails, Wynwood felt like ours.

But the Wynwood we once knew, the Wynwood that raised an entire generation of Miami, has changed beyond recognition. Yes, progress was inevitable, but the past few years have hit hard. The gentrification, the price surge, and the crowds of tourists who don’t actually live here have all pushed out the bars and restaurants that made Wynwood a culinary destination in the first place. The closures haven’t been gradual; they’ve been a tidal wave. It sometimes feels like every time you blink, another place with history, character, and soul has quietly disappeared.

And the losses hurt. Joey’s, the first restaurant many Miami kids of the 2000s ever visited in Wynwood, suddenly closed this year without most of us even realizing it. Wynwood Kitchen & Bar, the pioneer that helped define Wynwood’s identity long before its art world glow-up, shuttered. Beaker & Gray closed after nearly a decade this year. Wood Tavern tried its best to hang on post-COVID, but tragically couldn’t make it. And Gigi…especially Gigi. If you know, you know: those fluffly and savory buns saved countless Miamians at 2 a.m. after a fun night out at Bardot next door.

Today, Wynwood is a completely different place. It’s pricier, more chaotic, and increasingly unsustainable for the very restaurants that built it. Locals have migrated to Little River, North Miami, Miami Shores, downtown, and down south to Coconut Grove in search of the energy Wynwood once had. The neighborhood isn’t dead, but it’s in a rut, especially for anyone trying to be something other than a taco joint. And so, this story is for the bygone Wynwood bars and restaurants we miss the most, the places that shaped our nights, our palates, and our city. Before Wynwood became a global destination, it was a community — one we were lucky enough to grow up in.

Alter (2015 – 2020)

Alter may be gone thanks to the COVID pandemic, but Brad Kilgore’s Wynwood masterpiece still lives rent-free in every Miami foodie’s brain. This was the spot where industrial warehouse vibes, reggae playlists, and mind-melting dishes, such as the soft egg with scallop espuma, somehow came together to create one of the city’s most unforgettable dining experiences. It closed far too soon, but for a restaurant that once won New Times’ Best Restaurant in Wynwood in 2018, Alter will forever remain the cool, creative, slightly chaotic culinary fever dream we all bragged about discovering first.

Bardot (2009 – 2017)

Bardot may have technically been located on the border of Midtown, but real ones know back in the day, it was the Wynwood spot that defined an era. Winner of New Times‘ Best Neighborhood Bar 2010, it was the dim, velvet-lined lounge where Miami’s creative kids went to feel cool before Wynwood got glossy. It was intimate, smoky, and gloriously unpretentious, the kind of place where you could flirt over a half-played game of pool and catch James Blake, Questlove, or even the Yeah Yeah Yeahs performing inches from your face with no stage and no signage. It felt like every millennial in Miami’s secret, and if you didn’t walk out smelling like pure smoke and questionable decisions, you definitely weren’t there long enough. Bardot wasn’t perfect, but it was the gritty, beloved heartbeat of old Wynwood that Miami still misses. In July 2017, Bardot announced on Instagram that it would be closing for renovations and reopen before III Points that year, but it never did.

Beaker & Gray (2015 – 2025)

Beaker & Gray, one of Wynwood’s OG restaurants and a driving force in the neighborhood’s rise, announced it would close on June 30, 2025, after nearly a decade of serving globally inspired dishes and standout cocktails. Co-owners Brian Nasajon and Ben Potts said the decision came as they planned to move on to new projects, but emphasized their pride in the restaurant’s role in shaping Wynwood from an indie arts district into an international destination. Known for its globally inspired fare and innovative cocktail program in a dimly lit and always cool setting, it opened in December 2015 at the beginning of Wynwood (right before the town became the cultural attraction it is today). Even as the neighborhood evolved into a tourist attraction, the restaurant retained its sense of identity.

Butcher Shop Beer Garden & Grill (2013 – 2022)

When the Butcher Shop first opened in Wynwood, it instantly became the place to see and be seen — the kind of spot where everyone you knew was either grabbing a beer, taking photos by the graffiti walls, or pretending they understood craft IPAs. For a minute there, it felt like the entire neighborhood revolved around that square outdoor bar and the massive meat case inside. Even with its quirks (plenty of people resented the spot), the Butcher Shop had that early-Wynwood energy that made it impossible to resist.

Electric Pickle (Wynwood, 2009–2019)

Electric Pickle was Wynwood’s longest-running nightlife institution, a sweat-soaked, strobe-lit warehouse that helped cement the neighborhood as Miami’s home base for house and techno. Affectionately known as “the Pickle,” it delivered intimate, thumping underground sets that drew real music heads, touring DJs, and anyone who preferred grit over glam. It was never fancy, never polished, and that was exactly why people loved it. For anyone bouncing between Grand Central, Bardot, and Wynwood’s best nights out in the 2010s, the Pickle was always the final, beloved stop. Miami still misses its chaotic, bass-heavy magic.

Gigi (2010 – 2017)

Founded in September 2010, the beloved modern Asian fusion diner and late-night spot Gigi closed its doors in 2017. Along with restaurants like Sugarcane, Sustain, and Sakaya Kitchen, the spot helped usher in a food renaissance in Midtown Miami, thanks in part to its former executive chef, Jeff McInnis, who created its original menu. The restaurant was particularly known for its delicious bao buns and thick-cut noodles. Plus, Gigi was the late-night hang, the place everyone drifted into after a night at Bardot, when the energy was still high, and the cravings hit hard. It even snagged New Times’ Best Late Night Dining in 2011, cementing its status as the post-party institution of its era. With dishes like “Southern Boy BBQ Ribs,” the iconic Gigi buns stuffed with everything from brisket to tandoor chicken, and a killer pork belly BLT, Gigi delivered the affordable, Asian-inspired comfort food everyone needed at 2 a.m.

Joey’s (2008 – 2025)

Joey’s is the legendary Wynwood staple that truly started it all — the calm, stylish Italian café that opened in 2008 when there was nothing else on the block but Wynwood Kitchen & Bar. Long before Wynwood became the global arts district it is today, Joey’s set the tone with chef Ivo Mazzon’s Northern Italian cooking and a terrace that made the neighborhood feel like a world of its own. If you’ve lived in Miami, you’ve either eaten here, walked by here, or heard about the spot that helped shape Wynwood into what we know today.

J. Wakefield Brewing (2015 – 2024)

J. Wakefield wasn’t just a brewery; it was a pioneer that helped ignite Miami’s craft beer scene, earning New Times’ Best Brewery honors in both 2015 and 2020. Its annual WakeFest became a full-blown cultural movement, drawing hundreds of beer lovers for a weekend of hoppy, sweaty, Star Wars–themed glory. Inside, the taproom was a joyful mashup of delicious beer, friendly regulars, and walls covered in galaxies far, far away. When Ted’s Burgers started to park outside in 2021, it was the pairing that genuinely helped many of us survive the pandemic with our sanity intact. After nearly a decade in Wynwood, the brewery announced its closure on October 28, citing the neighborhood’s rising rents and shifting skyline. It plans to reopen elsewhere, but its Wynwood chapter will always be one of the most beloved in Miami’s craft beer history.

Wood Tavern (Wynwood, 2011–2024)

Wood Tavern was the beating heart of old Wynwood, the place where tacos, cheap beer, and a come-as-you-are backyard pulled together locals, artists, and tourists without ever trying too hard. Its bleachers were the unofficial front row for some of the best people-watching in Miami, and the whole space radiated that effortless, creative chaos the neighborhood was built on. When it first closed in 2022, it felt like Wynwood lost a piece of its soul. The 2024 comeback was hopeful, but brief, and its final closure only cemented Wood Tavern as one of the most missed spots from Wynwood’s good old days.

Wynwood Kitchen & Bar (2010 – 2020)

Wynwood Kitchen & Bar is a true Wynwood legend; one of the neighborhood’s earliest anchors and the restaurant that helped define the district’s fusion of food and art. Opening on November 26, 2010, during Art Basel, it arrived at the exact moment the neighborhood was transforming, becoming an essential stop with its Shepard Fairey murals, towering Christian Awe paintings, and an outdoor patio wrapped by the Wynwood Walls. Though it closed in 2020 during the pandemic, its influence helped shape Wynwood into the cultural powerhouse it is today.

Proof Pizza & Pasta (2014 – 2018)

Proof Pizza & Pasta was one of those rare Wynwood-adjacent gems that perfectly balanced cool-kid energy with serious culinary chops. Chef Justin Flit’s wood-fired pies, from the charred margherita with Calabrian peppers to the beloved sausage-and-broccoli-rabe white pie, made it a must-stop until its closure on March 28, 2018. Though it’s gone, Proof remains one of the neighborhood’s most-missed spots, the kind of place that proved simple, seasonal cooking could still feel exciting.

Three (2017 – 2022)

Three by Norman Van Aken was one of Wynwood’s most ambitious culinary ventures, a true showcase of New World cuisine from one of Miami’s most celebrated chefs. Tucked inside the Wynwood Arcade with its sister rooftop bar No. 3 Social above it, the restaurant delivered inventive brunches, lush plates, and a level of refinement rarely seen in the neighborhood. Though it has since closed, Three remains a fondly remembered chapter in Wynwood’s dining evolution — a reminder of the neighborhood’s brief but brilliant fine-dining era.

Wynwood Diner (2015 – 2020)

Wynwood Diner opened on August 14, 2015, in the Wynwood Block development, instantly becoming a stylish haven for comfort food in the heart of the neighborhood. With its nostalgic-meets-artsy vibe and a menu that elevated diner classics, it quickly became one of those spots everyone in Miami tried at least once — and then kept coming back to. But despite its popularity, the diner ultimately closed in 2020, marking the end of a short yet memorable chapter in Wynwood’s dining scene.

The Wynwood Yard (2015–2019)

When the Wynwood Yard closed in May 2019, it felt like the neighborhood lost a piece of its soul. What began as an empty lot became a vibrant community hub, filled with food trucks, live music, children’s garden classes, and cocktails made with herbs grown just a few feet away. It was one of those rare places where Miami’s creative energy, families, and nightlife all collided in the best way. Its closure, along with O Cinema, to make room for yet another pricey apartment complex, remains one of Wynwood’s biggest heartbreaks.