While the northern states were fighting freezing temperatures and multiple feet of snow, we had to make an escape to South Florida in February. Visiting Miami in the winter is filled with sun and temperatures between 70-80 degrees. The city is very versatile with plenty to do anytime you visit. I have been to Miami several times, but each time brings a new adventure.
We landed Tuesday night at FLL airport and took a $70 uber to our hotel in South Beach. Our main agenda was to hang out on the beach, relax and enjoy delicious meals; that's why we chose South Beach, Miami. Upon booking were looking into 2-bedroom Air B&Bs and found this apartment/hotel that offered a pool, 2 sister properties that had pools and located a couple blocks from the beach. It was listed as a 4-star property, and this was by no means 4 star. The pool was under construction, and the showers were ice cold even after they fixed them. We tried so hard to like the place with 3 cups in the cupboard, warped fixtures, and 1ply toilet paper. After reaching out to management there was no communication. We did enjoy the front desk staff and the pool at the sister property was in a nice, secluded area. Overall, it was not the best place in the world but not the worst either for the price.
Tradewinds Apartment Hotel Miami Beach 2365 Pinetree Drive, Miami Beach
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After checking into the hotel, we were hungry, so we took a stroll down Collins Avenue for food. We were lucky to find Taco Taco in the Catalina Hotel, which is where the sister pool to the hotel is located. This spot was a vibrant, late-night Mexican restaurant and bar with indoor and outdoor dining, music and incredible guacamole and tacos! Our server Anthony navigated us through the menu, and shared his recommendations. My favorite was the Mahi Mahi Baja style taco (chefs kiss)
Taco Taco 1720 Collins Ave. Miami Beach
Our first full day we started with a nice breakfast at Orange Blossom. The space had a well decorated ambiance and we sat in the cute outdoor courtyard. Nymol provided great service and I ordered the salmon with lox. After we were off to the beach!
South Beach is great, but you have to be prepared with your own gear if you're not staying at a hotel. A chair alone could cost you $50-$100 a day. We brought our Varsity Cooler (linked above) as a carry on and to use at the beach because it is waterproof and repels the sand. We grabbed ice at the hotel, and beers on the way to the beach. We got a little hungry, so I ordered some amazing sandwiches from Sandwich Affair to be delivered by Uber Eats! Don't forget to pack your towels, sunscreen, speaker and football.
After a great day at the beach, we headed downtown to Wynwood district for dinner and a Miami Heat game. The tap room, outside terrace with a food truck by Baja Bao at Veza Sur Brewery in Wynwood was delightful. This Latin inspired brewery is located by the Wynwood art walls. We shared some amazing bites from the food truck: loaded fries and bang bang shrimp. Happy Hour was a perfect time to get in and try a perfect pint.
Took a quick Uber ride to the Miami Heat game:
The next morning, we took a beautiful 25-minute walk from our hotel to the restaurant. Lunch at Yardbird was amazing from start to finish. Andy, the manager, greeted us, checked us in and seated us. Alan, our amazing server, had some great food recommendations! We each stared off with a delicious cocktail. We shared some deviled eggs, and I ordered the delicious chicken and waffles. We all loved our meals and highly recommended!
A local recommended going to Monty’s Bar to see some beautiful yachts and watch the sunset. It was a nice area to walk around, however Montey's was not great. We ended up calling it hotdogs and sushi, as all things were on the menu from hotdogs to sushi. Monty's had no identity, the food was mediocre, and the service was subpar.
Club Elleven is my favorite nightclub in Miami. It is a very entertaining place for everyone. If you have not been, go!
Our last day we were very slow moving. We got moving and walked to a great coffee spot and the sister hotel that had a hidden pool. We then made a stop back at Taco Taco and the beach before we went home to get ready for the night.
Cocktails at the Versace Mansion was one of the highlights. This is because I have tried to go so many times and it had never transpired. The mansion was stunning, and the service was A+ in the bar area. Cocktails were delicious yet pricy as you could imagine. You can go into the bar area of the mansion without a reservation.
After drinks at Versace we took an Uber to RED Steakhouse, another recommendation. Joseph was our server and right away began forgetting things. It was a bit of an odd transaction, uncomfortable at that. One of the dishes and salads came out completely wrong. The food was good, however the overall experience was not the greatest to celebrate our last night. With such solid reviews we thought this steakhouse would have been better.
Check out a previous Miami Post with more recommendations in South Beach!
It is so nice to get some sun during a blistering winter. Miami is always a great choice with tons to do and constant sun. South Beach can get pricey so be aware of all the extras.
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