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Miami

Entertainment in Miami

  1. A

    Mynt

    Join the partying stars – Justin Timberlake, Vin Diesel, Britney Spears etc – by bottle servicing yourself into the VIP section. Otherwise, make friends with the red rope until you can order a drink and then try not to spill it, which is tough in the sweaty scrum of models, Moët and mojitos.

    reviewed

  2. B

    Tower Theater

    In a gem of a deco building, managed by Miami Dade College.

    reviewed

  3. C

    New World Symphony

    The deservedly heralded NWS serves as a three- to four-year preparatory program for very talented musicians who’ve already graduated from prestigious music schools. There are an astonishing number of inspiring and original performances (many of which are free), held at the Lincoln Theatre.

    reviewed

  4. D

    PS 14

    In a city with justice, PS 14 would be packed every night of the week. Live gigs burn up the cute red-lit front room, while the back opens into a lush garden (you could almost forget you’re on the edge of Overtown…) where DJs spin and folks chill if they ain’t dancing, which you should be.

    reviewed

  5. E

    Sylvano South

    This popular Italian eatery converts into a lounge that pulls in models and their hangers-on as the evening sets in. It’s a great spot to sit under the humid Miami night and think sultry thoughts about all the gorgeous types smoking (in every sense of the word) on the sidewalk.

    reviewed

  6. F

    Boteco

    If you're missing São Paolo, come to Boteco on Friday evening to see the biggest Brazilian expat reunion in Miami. Cariocas (Rio natives) and their countrymen flock here to listen to samba and bossa nova, and chat each other up over the best caipirinhas in town.

    reviewed

  7. G

    Casino Princesa

    Docked adjacent to the Hard Rock Café in the Bayside Marketplace, the Casino Princesa is a large, upscale yacht that departs on 4½-hour voyages that head 3 miles offshore. The boat has two decks of gaming tables (blackjack and craps are big), slot machines and bars.

    reviewed

  8. H

    Automatic Slims

    Slim’s sells itself as a seedy rock bar, but it’s really a marketing consultant’s idea of what a dive should be. The Harley outside, Coyote Ugly ambience and manufactured ‘edge’ make it the Blink 182 of Miami’s nightlife universe: watered-down punk and pretty nonthreatening.

    reviewed

  9. I

    Boy Bar

    The North Beach boys (and just about everyone else) flock to this neighborhood cruise bar, where everyone plays pool, chills on the back porch and basically avoids indulging in too much South Beach–style madness. Which isn’t to say they don’t engage in a little bad behavior…

    reviewed

  10. J

    Raleigh Hotel Bar

    You’d best be orderin’ a Manhattan if you’re gonna sidle up to this cologne-and-leather bar. Like everything else in the Raleigh, this lounge evokes South Beach’s good old days, when guys like Al Capone and Meyer Lanksy cut deals in the corner and jazz set the soundtrack.

    reviewed

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  12. K

    Books & Books

    The Coral Gables branch of the well-stocked and popular bookseller features frequent solo readings from famous (and not so famous) local authors, as well as group readings on a particular theme (science fiction, Tibetan culture, Brazil) and various book-discussion groups.

    reviewed

  13. L

    Bill Cosford Cinema

    On the University of Miami campus, this renovated art house was launched in memory of the Miami Herald film critic.

    reviewed

  14. M

    New Theatre

    This strong Coral Gables company performs an eclectic mix of contemporary pieces and modern classics that fall squarely between the conventional and alternative. You’ll be up close and personal with the actors since there are only 70 seats in the house.

    reviewed

  15. N

    Touch

    Touch’s owners turned Elizabeth Taylor’s jewelry box into a lounge: a vintage-y, opulent mess of sensory glitter, gaudy overkill and refined elegance. Drink alongside a slew of Miami’s hiperati at this new Lincoln Rd resto-lounge and try not to be overwhelmed.

    reviewed

  16. O

    Abbey Brewery

    The only brew-pub in South Beach is on the untouristed end of South Beach (near Alton Rd). It's friendly and packed with folks listening to the Grateful Dead and slinging back some excellent homebrew: give Father Theo's stout or the Immaculate IPA a shot.

    reviewed

  17. P

    Dewey's Tavern

    Dewey's is an art-deco dive (really; the exterior is a little gem of the genre) and it's as unpretentious as the best sordid watering holes get. Come here to get wasted and menace the crowds seeking serenity on quiet Alton Rd (just kidding – behave yourself!).

    reviewed

  18. Q

    Chopin Foundation of the United States

    This national organization hosts a treasure trove of performances for Chopin fans – the Chopin Festival, a series of free monthly concerts and the less frequent National Chopin Piano Competition, an international contest held in Miami every five years.

    reviewed

  19. R

    Transit Lounge

    Transit exists in some perfect-bar conceptual space, possessing the everyone-knows-your-name camaraderie of a dive, cool-daddio ambience of a good jazz club, the street cred of some of Miami’s hottest live acts and a welcoming but ruggedly sexy venue.

    reviewed

  20. S

    Regal South Beach Cinema

    This mod, state-of-the-art, 21-screen theater anchors the western end of Lincoln Rd by being both an architectural delight and a filmgoers’ paradise. It shows a good blend of foreign, independent, and critically acclaimed Hollywood stuff.

    reviewed

  21. T

    Light Box Theatre/Miami Light Project

    The Miami Light Project is a nonprofit cultural foundation that represents innovative shows from theater troupes and performance artists from around the world. Shows are performed across the city, but the project is housed at Light Box Theatre.

    reviewed

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  23. U

    Miami Improv

    Part of a national chain, this 3rd-floor club has the usual club-circuit suspects plus monthly Miami Comics, open-mic shows and Urban Nights, which feature stars from Comedy Central's Showtime, HBO's Def Comedy Jam and BET's Comic View.

    reviewed

  24. V

    Colony Theatre

    A stunning deco showpiece, this small 1934 performing-arts center has 465-seats and great acoustics. It’s a treasure that hosts everything from movies and an occasional musical to theatrical dramas, ballet and off-Broadway productions.

    reviewed

  25. W

    Lost Weekend

    The Weekend is a grimy, sweaty, slovenly dive, filled with pool tables, cheap domestics and – hell yeah – Golden Tee arcade games and Big Buck Hunter. God bless it. Popular with local waiters, kitchen staff and bartenders.

    reviewed

  26. X

    Jerry Herman Ring Theatre

    This University of Miami troupe stages musicals, dramas and comedies, with recent productions including Falsettos and Baby. Alumni actors include Sylvester Stallone, Steven Bauer, Saundra Santiago and Ray Liotta.

    reviewed

  27. Y

    IMAX

    This virtual-reality screen, which is way larger than real life, comes with surround sound shows and dramatic, sometimes educational footage that takes advantage of its size; also catch fun stuff best viewed through 3-D glasses.

    reviewed