Location

Seaside Miami may have a reputation as a party place; however, its eclectic and evolving mix of neighbourhoods is transforming this sunny destination into a global hot spot for cuisine, design and the arts.  If the avant-garde leanings of Wynwood or the subdued sophistication of Coral Gables have you longing for the area’s fiesta side, don’t worry. A visit to South Beach will reassure anyone that though Miami has matured, it hasn’t forgotten its roots as a tropical wild child.

While two of the eight areas (Coral Gables and North Miami) that we’ve featured here are distinct municipalities, the others are part of the city of Miami proper, and all help make up Miami-Dade County’s diverse sprawl.

DESIGN DISTRICT, WYNWOOD & LITTLE HAITI

Exuding the gritty appeal of Manhattan’s SoHo circa the early 1980s, the Wynwood Art District consists of a maze of art galleries and artists’ studios folded into former factories, two-story apartment blocks and a collage of “for sale” and “for rent” signs. The Margulies Collection at the Warehouse and the Rubell Family Collection are two of the most renowned contemporary personal art collections in the U.S. Both museums possess more than 3,700 sq m (40,000 sq ft) of space in which to enjoy the carefully curated works on display. Every second Saturday of the month, Wynwood sponsors a gallery walk from 7 pm to 10 pm, and the nearly 70 art venues located in the 60-block area open their doors to visitors for complimentary wine, hors d’oeuvres and a chance to explore the art. Despite the area’s gentrification, the cuisine is far from upscale here, but ethnic eateries such as Tikal, which serves delicious latin batidos and churrasco (smoothies and steak), offers a taste of authentic local flavours for the price of a single drink on South Beach.

Just north of Wynwood is the Miami Design District, long known as the place to visit when in the market for a £4,000 couch

Just north of Wynwood is the Miami Design District, long known as the place to visit when in the market for a £4,000 couch. Eventually, art galleries, boutiques and performance spaces followed the high-end interior design and furniture showrooms to the neighbourhood, which has turned into a mecca for all things stylish and creative. Last year marked the Design District’s expansion into the fields of fashion and cuisine. Bohemian Turchin Love and Light Jewelry joined vintage boutique, Rag Trade Happy Clothing Company, among the fashion outposts. And while there is still never an empty seat at the popular dining site, Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink — which opened in 2007 — the recent additions of Mediterranean restaurant Brosia and sushi spot Domo Japones have helped fill the 18 blocks with even more fanciful fare. 

At the northern edge of the Design District rests a thriving cultural crux known as Little Haiti. More than 30,000 Haitians reside between 38th and 42nd streets along Northeast Second Avenue, and traditional arts and crafts, African sculptures and fruit and flower markets dot the landscape with Caribbean flavour. One of the best places to sample Creole fare is farther north at 54th Street, where the popular take-away restaurant, Chef Creole, serves a blend of Bahamian-Haitian cuisine.

MIAMI BEACH & NORTH MIAMI

Locals love the beaches that run north, such as North Shore Open Space Park in Miami Beach, which are quieter than the often-crowded South Beach. These shores are easily accessible — travel north from South Beach on Collins Avenue to 79th and 86th streets — with plentiful parking and casual restaurants that are along the coastline.

Farther inland, the area known as the Biscayne Corridor offers one-of-a-kind shopping, with boutiques such as Rebel, Fold and local designer Julian Chang’s namesake boutique. For entertainment, head to Upper East Side Garden — an actual nursery where art films are screened every Thursday night — and its adjacent mini-golf course, Back 9 at Upper East Side Garden, for a mix of fun and art — each hole on the course was designed by a Miami artist. For a deeper exploration of the visual arts, visit Miami’s acclaimed Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), which also has another collection in Wynwood at the Goldman Warehouse. This additional space is a forum for emerging contemporary artists and the museum’s internationally recognized avant-garde programming.

Dining in North Miami is no less inventive. At Dogma Grill you can pick from 22 varieties of hot dogs for the chicest roadside meal you’ve ever had.
If you’re up for a truly out-of-the-ordinary dining experience, try Karma Car Wash, where you can enjoy Zagat-rated wine and tapas within its transparent, crystalline cafe. Should your mood call for a more formal setting, acclaimed Miami Chef Michelle Bernstein’s latest venture, Michy’s, is also in the area. After one visit and a sample of her luscious bread pudding, it will be clear why Bernstein was nominated for a James Beard Award for her culinary excellence.

LITTLE HAVANA

Nowhere is Miami’s Cuban soul better experienced than in Little Havana, a neighbourhood just west of downtown, where apartment windows are dressed in Cuban flags and the smell of cafecito (espresso) fills the air.

On the last Friday of the month, the famous intersection of Southwest 8th Street and 15th Avenue turns into a Latin art-themed block party. This is an excellent night to visit El Rey de las Fritas because you’re sure to encounter a crowd and truly experience the ambiance that makes this little diner legendary. For the quintessential Little Havana meal, try the spicy, thin-cut Cuban hamburgers, or fritas, which are served beneath a pile of shoestring fries. A note to the health-conscious: You’re  better off resisting the urge to ask for a translation of the menu items.

If El Rey de las Fritas sounds like more than your stomach can handle, venture west to Versailles — the iconic Miami meeting spot frequented by former heads of state and Hollywood luminaries. Chandeliers and mirrors evoke the eponymous French palace with which it shares its name, but the menu consists of classic Cuban food. Savour a media noche sandwich at midnight — the restaurant is often open into the small hours of the night, and sometimes 24 hours a day.