Bachour Bakery + Bistro, on Brickell Avenue, is on every local’s lips. Go for breakfast, when you can get guava and cheese croissants and gussied-up Cuban sandwiches. (You’ll recognize all the ingredients, but they’re artisanal, chef-approved versions of what you’d find in Little Havana.) Guava and cheese is a popular combination in Cuban-dense Miami, and you’ll also find it on the menu at the Salty Donut pop-up at the Confidante Hotel, alongside maple bacon and liquor-infused confections.
As much as steak and sweets are trending in Miami, the city will always be characterized by its undying love for sushi. For that, head straight to the 100-seat Sushi Garage, the follow-up to Lincoln Road favorite Juvia.
Where to Get Pampered
Sitting out on the beach has a therapeutic quality, but you can accomplish the same zen feeling with a trip to the spa.
The most indulgent option in this capital of wellness, perhaps, is the Tierra Santa Healing House at the Faena Hotel. In the reception area is an enormous, colorful chandelier that’s made entirely of fish hooks; it’s an indication of how the institution thinks out of the box. Get the Sacred Warrior, a massage that melts away tension with the help of Chilean lapis lazuli, herbal poultices, and South American mud. You’ll wind up in a soaking tub with a view of the Atlantic—which might be better than a towel on the sand, anyway.
Vibration healing is the wellness trend of the moment in South Florida, and you can try it at Tierra Santa. It’s also the focus of 1111 Vibe, a so-called “vibration healing studio” in one of Lincoln Road’s most iconic architectural landmarks. The basic premise: Healers produce harmonic sounds from singing bowls that surround you on an elevated wooden table. If that’s not sufficiently out in left field for you, try the Lucia No. 03 treatment, in which you sit in a leather chair, eyes closed, with a bright light pointed at your face. The light is meant to relax your deep nervous system and naturally produce a reaction that’s akin to a hallucinogenic experience, no chemicals needed.
Where to Get Your Culture Fix
When the Herzog & de Meuron-designed Perez Art Museum opened in 2013, it signified a cultural reawakening for Miami. Its waterfront location near the port was earmarked as the cornerstone of a new Museum Park that’s still awaiting its next addition, a state-of-the-art science museum and planetarium. (Building completion is slated for the end of the year.) For now, the Perez, or PAMM, more than holds its own. On display is a curious collection of Basquiat sketches and poems that was curated with help from the Brooklyn Museum; it is accompanied by Vodou-inspired DJ and dance performances. More joyful is a colorful sculpture collection by modern artist Matthew Ronay, on display now through Jan. 15.
Just as Art Basel has grown its presence each year in Miami Beach, so have the city’s smaller art museums. Formerly a tucked-away gem, the Bass Museum of Art will reopen this winter after a $12-million overhaul. In its inaugural collection: mixed media installations by Ugo Rondinone, Mika Rottenberg, and Pascale Marthine-Tayou.
Until then, head to the Betsy, a beautiful little hotel with a long-standing commitment to the local arts scene. The property has a live jazz festival taking place throughout the month of August, with performances in its palm-tree-filled lobby. It’s the perfect place for both cocktails and culture.
Where to Go Out (Inside)
The nightclub scene is plentiful, consistent, and well-documented in Miami, but new cocktail bars—some with space for a little salsa—are popping up left and right. One of the best newcomers is El Patio, in the Zika zone of Wynwood. Instead, you might opt for its even newer little sister, Punch, which goes for a straight-out-of-Cuba vibe. (The drink to order, no surprise, is a mojito.) Throughout the space are nods to Cuban culture, from the domino tiling around the bar to the punch bowls created in homage of a famous Cuban boxer nicknamed Kid Chocolate. It’s fun central.
NaiYaRa opened in December to much fanfare—it was instantly frequented by local athletes and became better known for its drinks and crowd than its Thai street food-inspired menu. Get the Killer Bee, a frozen lemongrass-and-gin drink that has a slight hint of heat from Thai chilis.