Where to Eat, Drink, and Sleep in Miami

Eat, Drink, Sleep is a series by @HungryEditor offering insider tips on where to enjoy a tasty meal, quench your thirst, and rest your head in chic destinations around the globe. This edition takes us to Miami.

Miami is a revelers dream. There are many comparisons to other resort destinations. I’ve always likened it to a “Vegas by the sea” in the best way possible. There’s top-notch dining, plenty of options to grab a solid drink, year-round warm weather, but with the added bonus of being right by the water. It’s perfect for a quick getaway. While many are already familiar with spots such as the iconic Cafe La Trova and Joe’s Stone Crab, there are a few other establishments you may want to add to the list. Here are some fun places to note and start making reservations.

Where to Eat in Miami

Mother Wolf

Pasta aficionados will be excited to enjoy Evan Funke’s latest outpost of Mother Wolf in the Design District. This marks Chef Funke’s first footprint along the East Coast, after opening restaurants in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Chicago. The original Mother Wolf in Hollywood is an Italian restaurant, specializing in Roman cuisine. Funke studied the art of pasta making under Alessandra Spisni at La Vecchia Scuola Bolognese in Italy. He has since received two James Beard nominations and has been the official chef for the Vanity Fair Oscar party since 2022. The Mother Wolf location in Miami uniquely features a pasta lab where you can observe artisans making fresh pasta through a large window.

Cartagena

Cartagena is a new concept from Chef Juan Manuel Barrientos, also known in the culinary world as Juanma. Barrientos earned a Michelin star in 2021 for ElCielo, his Colombian fine dining restaurant in Washington, D.C. which is the first Colombian restaurant to receive a coveted star. Cartagena focuses on the distinctly Caribbean coastal cuisine of the city, incorporating all of the diverse influences from its Indigenous, European, and African cultures. The dishes are a beautiful melange of time-honored flavors, tropical fruits, and global cuisine. You’ll find on the menu everything from small bites such as Caribbean crab arepas, smoked wagyu nigiri, scallop and passion fruit ceviche, to larger dishes like the seafood cazuela, monster prawns, and lamb chops with lavender jus.

Where to Drink in Miami

Casa Neos

Taking inspiration from Mediterranean and North African cultures, Casa Neos is a luxe oasis along the Miami River that boasts a hotel, restaurant, lounge, private members beach club, and dock. If you’re looking for a water front option that is not on the beach, this is a chic alternative. In the mood for something refreshing and citrus forward, try the Sunrising with Maestro Dobel Diamante, Mezcal, Bacanora, sage, mandarin, saffron, blood orange, and topped with Fever Tree club soda. Or if you’re craving something rich and herbaceous, go for the Callisto with Monkey Shoulder Scotch, Red Breast 12 year, barrel-aged malt Genever, toasted rice, banana, pineapple skins, hops, and Angostura Bitters.

Matador Room

Picture a mid-century supper club that meets the glamour heyday of Miami from the 50s and that is the vibe at Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Matador Room. It’s a spot where you would imagine member of the Rat Pack ordering a well made cocktail at the bar and then walking out on to the veranda to enjoy a hand-rolled cigar. The menus are infused with elements of Latin and South American cuisines mixed with Caribbean and Spanish flavors. If your preference is a spirit forward drink, check out the Corinthian Leather made with Jefferson’s Small Batch, Nux Alpina Walnut Liqueur, and Aperol.

Where to Sleep in Miami

SLS South Beach

If you want to go all out, why not stay in a space where Lenny Kravitz had a hand in the interior design. The newly renovated Tower Penthouse at the SLS South Beach was upgraded and remastered by rock legend Lenny Kravitz’s creative studio, Kravitz Design. Each window boasts stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean. When you need some vitamin D, you can walk out on to your private terrace and soak it all in.

The interior reflects the well traveled life of Kravitz. A global perspective is evident in everything from the eclectic art on the walls to the decadent choice of furniture and textures in the penthouse. Fans of organic modernism will love the living and dining spaces, which features hand-screened wallpaper, a green marble table with woven seagrass dining chairs, checkerboard marble floors, an expansive bar, carved wood coffee tables, and two oversized leather sectionals with an abundance of seating options for you and all of your guests. Even the glass wardrobes in the bedroom with backlighting is like having your clothes on display in a luxury boutique.

This can be your personal oasis of rest and relaxation in Miami, but the space would also be a great venue for a very chic party. Maybe after a serene bath in the literally elevated soaking tub, invite some friends over for a lavish dinner and sumptuous drinks overlooking South Beach. It’s the perfect place to “treat yo’self” and celebrate.

Find Benjamin Liong Setiawan on Instagram: @hungryeditor.