Monty’s Sunset is on the opposite edge of the peninsula, next to the the Miami Beach Marina on Biscayne Bay. Most of the places on this list are on the Atlantic side of South Beach. The patio is large and sprawling but between the layout and the darkness it still feels private and secluded.
Even without the stereotypical tiki trappings, the Broken Shaker’s beautiful outdoor environs captures that sense of the exotic. It didn’t necessarily fit the tropical vibe but it was an unpredictable and largely enjoyable set of music.Ītmosphere: 10.0. It was an eclectic mix during my time there, with current hits alongside pop classics and ‘90s rock songs like “Lump” by the Presidents of the United States of America. I’d just walk to the bar for a refresh, where one of a steady handful of bartenders was always immediately able to take my order and engage in a little small talk. There was table service, but I didn’t require it where I was sitting. The cocktails and beers have fairly standard pricing-$12 to $16 for the former, $5 to $8 for the latter-but the daily punch is only $8 a glass, and there’s a daily cocktail special for $9. The old-fashioned had a unique taste with the hints of fruit and nut, and the punch of the day was a smooth but stiff twist on classic tiki drinks. And if you’re in New York or Los Angeles, you can find Broken Shaker locations at the Freehand hotels in those cities, too.ĭrinks: 9.0. Oh, it also has a short menu of snacks, small plates and sandwiches, if you’re feeling peckish. I had three of them after a fruit and nut old-fashioned while sitting beneath an open sky and palm trees and gazing at the tranquil pool. There’s also a daily punch that anybody can buy single glasses of at the bar the night I was there it was a lemon and rum concoction that went down very easily and had that dangerous tiki-style combo of being so sweet and delicious that it’s easy to overlook how strong it is. The main draw might be the punch bowls, though-these massive (and expensive-$250) combinations of fruit, liquor and botanicals serve up to 12. There’s a bar in a small nook by the entrance that serves all manner of classy cocktails on both a monthly and seasonal rotation, along with a variety of beer and wine. It accomplishes that by turning its entire outdoor patio, including the poolside area, into a lush garden lit by torches and tastefully arranged strings of lights. (Okay, I’m pretty much always a happy drunk.) The Broken Shaker, which can be found at the Freehand Hotel, nails the beautiful look and peaceful vibe of a tiki bar without the kitsch. Put me in a dark bar decorated with palm fronds and thatched roofs, throw some steel guitar and exotica on the soundtrack, and pour way too much rum and fruit juice into a culturally insensitive mug, and I’ll be a very happy drunk. And it all started with…Īs I’ve entered my middle-aged years I’ve developed a slightly embarrassing fondness for tiki nonsense. And no, I don’t rank ‘em by that score-I’ve written this as a sort of travelogue, in order of when I approached each bar. I recommend all these places, although as you’ll see a couple easily stood out above the rest. These scores are just a guideline, and just my opinion. And then I average it all out for an overall score.
I’m looking at the quality and variety of drinks, the cost, the responsiveness and affability of the bartenders, the type of music they play, and the overall atmosphere, which includes not just how the bar looks but what all of its different elements say about how the place wants itself to be seen. If you’re wondering, food is not one of those. I tried to focus on what I look for in a bar-the crucial factors that can make or break a place. I wouldn’t call it science, but I broke this down across five categories, with a ten-point scale for each. It was simply to experience these five different establishments and find out what they do best. The goal was not oblivion, although I wouldn’t necessarily say no to that.
As such I spent my recent weekend there hitting up a small cross-section of South Beach’s most acclaimed bars, from places known for their taste and decorum, to ancient dives with national acclaim. I wasn’t there for that kind of stuff, though. I’m sure Miami has parks and museums and zoos and aquariums.