Heading to South Beach for a bachlorette party soon. Can anyone recommend a restaurant or bar/lounge that would be very upbeat and fun (we're all in our late 20s). Drag welcome.

BED
Tumi
Skybar
Nikki Beach
Wish
Delano lobby and pool bar
Crobar
Level
Prive

South Beach nightlife varies tremendously. What type of atmosphere are you looking for? Mega-clubs with thumping dance music? Sounds like Crobar. Cool loungey vibe? Many of the hotel bars. You might want to check out Citysearch (or something similar).

One other suggestion -- I recently came across a HILARIOUS new party game that would be perfect for a bachelorette party weekend. It's called PERVARTISTRY and it's for sale here in New York or online at www.pervartistry.com.

For dinner we are looking for something lively and fun and not outrageously overpriced. Have heard Sushi Rock is fun. Also Sushi Samba but that is very expensive. For bars/lounges, would like some options that are "see and be seen places" and maybe some options that are so cheesy, you would only go there for a bachlorette party (Mango?). Also would enjoy a Drag Show a la Bird Cage (does something like that really exist??). Anyway, we are NY and Chicago women so we're used to the big city but would like to enjoy something special in South Beach.

The see and be seen places can change from week to week. Skybar, the Delano's bars, Nikki Beach and Opium Garden come up a lot in the gossip pages. Crobar, a bit less, but it's still hopping. I'd check a nightlife-oriented website like southbeach-usa.com for more up-to-date info (or even cooljunkie.com).

Drag shows? Nothing like in "The Birdcage" (which was a fantasy anyway). There used to be an outpost of Lucky Cheng's in South Beach, but it closed a long time ago. You MIGHT find a drag show in one of the gay bars in the area, but other than that....

Thanks for the info on bars. What about restaurants? Is Sushi Rock any good? How bad is Mango?

I'm not a sushi person-- but if you're going to try to hit Scene spots, how about Nobu, at the Shore Club? You can't get much trendier than that-- Robert DeNiro's one of the owners, it's a hip eatery in a hip hotel, plenty of money being thrown around, etc. And SkyBar is right there as well.

Mango's is a little grimy, a lot raucous, a rube's vision of spicy South Beach. But it is hokey fun. Live music, dancers, all that. If you're looking for male strippers or something, I don't think it's your place. But you'd probably have a good time there.