Morning: Rise and shine and make your way to Miami’s Little Havana neighbourhood, where Cuban breakfast is the order of the day. Just what’s in a traditional Cuban breakfast, you might ask? At Versailles – a landmark restaurant on Calle Ocho that’s been serving locals and tourists since 1971 – breakfast includes cafe con leche and tostada, plus guava pastries, empanadas, or croquetas, depending on what you’re craving. Or, for the more adventurous: a Cuban sandwich.
Afternoon: What’s the best way to walk off that breakfast of champions? A visit to the stylish Wynwood District, which is famous for its al fresco murals…and its thriving craft beer scene. Swing by Wynwood Brewing Company’s HQ; on weekends, you can hop on a 2pm brewery tour. Next, venture to J. Wakefield Brewing, another star of the local brewing scene. If you start to feel peckish after a few servings of suds, then wind down the crawl at Thank You Miami Cocina and Beerhouse where monster burgers and sandwiches are served with 40 kinds of craft beer.
Evening: Craft beer isn’t the only libation that Miami handles with aplomb – this city is also ground zero for cocktail lovers (and we don’t mean flaming shooters or fruit juice-filled novelty drinks). Venture to the stylish, James Beard Award-nominated Broken Shaker, located in the Freehand Miami. Its palm-fringed terrace is the perfect place for a well-crafted aperitif, like the Sake Spritzer: a heat-beating mix of sake, honeydew, and pineapple liqueur.
After your pre-prandial tipple, it’s on to Watr, which combines the see-and-be-seen South Beach scene – it’s located on the roof of the stylish 1 Hotel – with killer eats. Sushi and poke are Watr’s specialty, and you can bet, given the Atlantic proximity, that your hamachi will be as fresh as it gets.
Image credit: Food Taste brews at Concrete Beach © Julia Rose Photography