Best of Miami® 2023: Six Winning Bars to Get Your Drink On

In Miami, imbibing has become our unofficial pastime. Whether it's five o'clock on a workday, 11 a.m. on Sunday, or last call in the random wee hours, Miamians feel comfortable bellying up to the bar.

Lucky for us, the Magic City is home to countless alcoholic-beverage options. We've taken ownership of tropical drinks. Our growing craft beer scene is considered one of the best in the nation. And whether you find yourself in Key Biscayne or Fort Lauderdale, you're sure to stumble into a bar (or a bartender) ready and willing to satisfy your thirst.

To whet your whistle, we offer a six-pack of our top picks for the best bars for sipping adult beverages.

Best Beer Selection

Dream State Brewing
115 NE Sixth St., Fort Lauderdale
305-444-0244

William Rivera and Paul Lombardozzi are friends with a craft beer habit that inspired them to add one more title to their résumés: entrepreneurs. The pair joined forces earlier this year to bring their hoppy aspirations to life with the 6,000-square-foot Dream State Brewery.

Best Cocktails

The Gibson Room
2224 SW 22nd St., Miami
305-570-4311

At the Gibson Room, chef and restaurateur Michael Beltran ensures that the same level of care and intricacy that earned him a Michelin star is applied to every item on the food and cocktail menus.

Best Dive Bar

Ted's Hideaway
124 Second St., Miami Beach
305-532-9869

There are enough $20 cocktails in Miami Beach. Ted's Hideaway is the refreshing foil to South of Fifth's glitz.

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Not your run-of-the-mill hotel bar: Freddy's at the InterContinental

Freddy's photo

Best Hotel Bar

Freddy's (in the InterContinental Miami)
100 Chopin Plaza, Miami
305-577-1000

Freddy's isn't your average hotel bar — it's a bona fide speakeasy nestled away in the InterContinental Miami. Accessible by reservation only, this secret hideaway offers guests the rare opportunity to step back in time to the Prohibition Era and immerse themselves in the intimate atmosphere of a hidden cocktail club.

Best Outdoor Bar

Sipsip Calypso Rum Bar (in the Mayfair House Hotel & Garden)
3000 Florida Ave., Coconut Grove
305-441-0000

Playing tourist in Miami is almost as fun as playing hooky. Sipsip, a rum bar on the rooftop of Coconut Grove's newly renovated Mayfair House Hotel & Garden, has created the kind of paradisiacal vibe that locals often remember to experience only when hosting out-of-town guests.

Best Wine Bar

Vinya Wine & Market
328 Crandon Blvd., Key Biscayne
305-361-7007

Some people think a good wine bar is one where there's a great selection of vino. That's Vinya. But we also appreciate wine bars encouraging their clientele to try new pours via tastings, workshops, seminars, food pairings, and festivals. That's Vinya, too.