Miami
1. Champagne Bar
Surfside
$$$$

Sometimes you want a drink in a dingy dive bar, but other times you need a drink surrounded by frescos and fine linens like you’re in the middle of a sub-tropical episode of Bridgerton. For the latter, head inside to Four Seasons Surf Club to Champagne Bar, where exquisite sparkling wine and cocktails reign supreme. Aside from housing the largest selection of champagne in the city, the bar’s cocktail menu doubles as an education in Miami history, where drinks with names like Barefoot Mailman, Buena Vista, and Wynwood Walls each come with an explanation of the era they represent.

2. Jolene Sound Room
Downtown
$$$$

Generally, if someone tells you about a “basement bar” anywhere in South Florida, they’re about as believable as a guy who swears who knows the doorman at LIV. But in the case of this downtown hi-fi listening lounge, it’s actually the truth. This super sound room sits in an unassuming locale beneath a Walgreens in downtown Miami, and the drinks come courtesy of the BarLab team, which would be reason enough to venture underground. Add on the fact that this is the first hi-fi bar in Miami with a legitimate dancing space, and you’ve got what promises to be summer’s hottest new nightspot.

4. El Vecino
Downtown
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Miami cigar lounges have long been relegated to smoky Little Havana storefronts, offering a great experience if you’re a cigar guy, but a definite no-go if you’re smoke-averse. Ariete’s Michael Beltran is changing all that with this spot next to Brasserie Laurel, where 1,600 square feet of dark woods and fine wines also comes with a mind-blowing air filtration system. That means if you want to enjoy an after dinner cigar you can wander over to the bar, order one of Beltran’s specialty cocktails, and invite whomever you like along. Even after an hour inside you won’t leave smelling like smoke, but you may leave with a new appreciation for tightly rolled tobacco.

6. Cafe La Trova
Little Havana
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In the 1950s-era Cuba-themed front room, you’ll find master bartender and founder Julio Cabrera and the team clad in vests and bow ties, shaking up creations like the El Guayabero, spiked with tequila, guava marmalade, cayenne-agave syrup, and lime juice. On the weekend, head to the back and snag a seat at the ‘80s-style 305 Bar, a late-night tribute to Miami’s Golden Girls-era glory days, open from midnight to 2 am.

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