To say we enjoyed our time in Miami would be an understatement. It was quite possibly the best weekend of the year, and we’ve had A LOT of good weekends in 2017. It’s kind of magic when you travel as a couple and find a place that makes each person as happy as the other. We both adored everything we did all weekend, but Ollie especially loved the sporting events while I loved the art, cultural vibes, and beach. It was my first visit to Miami and Ollie’s second. I highly recommend the following for anyone visiting Miami as a couple for the first time!
Where to stay in Miami:
We checked into the Kimpton Epic Hotel in downtown Miami. Our room was super nice, especially the bathroom. Sadly the hotel pool was under renovation which was kind of the main reason I booked this hotel, but we liked our stay regardless. The location was decent. We were a quick Uber from Wynwood, Little Havana, and SoBe. We probably spent more time in South Beach than anywhere else, so booking a place in SoBe would have been smart but probably a lot more expensive.
What to eat in Miami:
If you are a fan of bottomless brunches, you HAVE to go to Prime Fish in South Beach. For $55 you get unlimited mimosas (other bottomless options available) and 4 and a half hours to devour a really upmarket buffet. They do the brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Apparently Sunday gets really crazy, so we went on Saturday to enjoy chiller vibes.
The other amazing meal we had was at Doce Provisions in Little Havana. I would describe it as hipster Cuban. We were both blown away by our meals and the atmosphere.
Where to drink alcohol in Miami:
In South Beach, we killed some time at the Clevelander. Ollie loved that bar, but I thought it was just ok. He was in a party mood and I was in a beach mood, though, ha!
In Little Havana we really enjoyed our time at Ball and Chain drinking happy hour cocktails and listening to live music. Nothing beats live music, especially when it’s Cuban or jazz.
We also ended up going on a sort of brewery hop in Wynwood, stopping at Wynwood Brewing Co., Concrete Beach, and J Wakefield Brewing. I highly recommend each of these spots–the craft beer was fantastic and the interiors unique.
What to do in Miami:
Besides sleeping, eating, and drinking there is so much to do in Miami.
Attend a professional sporting event: Miami is home to the Dolphins, an NFL team. Going to the recently renovated Hard Rock Stadium for the game was our main reason for this visit. It was so much fun and the tailgate was even better! I wrote all about that here. Miami also has an NBA team, the Miami Heat. Ollie was bummed they weren’t playing while we were there, especially because our hotel was so close to the arena. Next time! If you’re a baseball fan, head to a Miami Marlins game. All of those stadiums looked so nice.
Chill on the beach: One of my favorite parts of our visit was relaxing on South Beach. It was definitely busy, but that made people watching the international crowd that much better. The water was mesmerizing as well–I couldn’t stop staring at the bright blues. Living in San Diego, I’ve gotten used to the Pacific Ocean, which is definitely beautiful but usually too cold for me to enjoy. Being able to go in for a swim was the best! I also loved all the colorful lifeguard stations and being able to look back towards the mainland and see all the art deco buildings.
Explore Wynwood: Wynwood is so cool and was the highlight of the trip for me. There is street art EVERYWHERE, hip coffee spots, incredible breweries, funky shops, and tons of art galleries. We ordered room service at 2 a.m. the night before coming to Wynwood, so I unfortunately don’t have any food recommendations haha. We started our afternoon in Wynwood at Panther Coffee, admired the Wynwood Walls, strolled around some shops while taking in all the street art, and went to the three breweries I mentioned above. Highly highly recommend carving out a few hours to wander around Wynwood.
Experience Cuba in Little Havana: After an afternoon in Wynwood, catch a quick Uber to Little Havana to experience the evening festivities. We went on a Monday, so apparently it was dead compared to the weekends, but we still found it very lively and fun. First we checked out a couple of the Cuban shops (aka cigars for days), then settled in at Ball and Chain (mentioned above) for drinks and music. We weren’t quite ready for dinner so we walked to the bar across the street and repeated our steps at Ball and Chain haha–more drinks and live music. The atmosphere of Little Havana was incredible. We finished a perfect day with a perfect meal at Doce Provisions (also mentioned above).
What to do with a few random free hours in Miami:
Check out an art museum: We had a couple awkwardly placed hours to spare before our flight home, and I wanted to get in another dose of art after being so inspired by Wynwood the day before. I headed to The Perez Art Museum. It was the perfect way to spend an hour or so. Ollie didn’t feel like coming in, so he grabbed a beer and sat on the beautiful patio that looks over Biscayne Bay while waiting for me. I loved this museum. It was small enough to wander through it all, but interesting enough to hold my attention the whole time. I loved reading the blurbs about each piece and seeing so much work by Cuban artists.
What we could have done outside Miami with more time:
A CRUISE! I would love to come back and do a 4-5 day caribbean cruise.
Rent a convertible and road trip to Key West. All the people we met highly recommended spending a day or night in Key West–it’s gotta be beautiful!
Miami, you are such a hottie!
I have a feeling we won’t be able to stay away from you 😉 Have you ever been to Miami? Did you like it as much as we did?
2 thoughts on “Miami for Couples: First Timers’ Guide to a Hot Weekend”