SobeUK

this will be me and my friends first time in SoBe, we are looking for a good old fashioned girls holiday. we are arriving 1st July until 8th July, any ideas on places to go, to eat, drink, lounge and party? we are late 20's so no places full of frat boys please

rjw_lgb_ca

There are lots and lots of threads on this topic in this Forum, so you could search on "South Beach" and/or SoBe and get lots of ideas. Also try this:

www.southbeach-usa.com

Note that the better clubs have hefty cover charges, so bring lots of cash or get the concierge at your hotel to get you on guest lists (or VIP passes). By the way, where are you staying?

ms_riz

What a wonderful place for a girls (7) night out!

Cuban food:
LARIOS on Ocean between 7th and 9th, they have the best food, atmosphere and chocolate martinis! You may want to "be nice" to the hostess to avoid a long wait.

Stone Crabs:
Lots of people L O V E Joes for stone crabs, but I havent been there.

Dancing:
MANGOS is a two story club that is very close to Larios - I think the cover was less than $10.

Strip Club:
A unique club up on 183rd and Biscane Boulevard has two sides - one for men and one for ladies. I think half of the club is called Solid Gold.

Shopping:
The shops on Lincoln Drive are worth checking out.

Be sure to have a Mojito - A cocktail made with rum, lime and sugar cane.
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Have a great time!

PS - All the great looking guys, seem to travel in pairs.

rjw_lgb_ca

A few notes on ms_riz's post:

-- Joe's Stone Crab is closed during the summer, as stone crabs are not back in season till mid-October (the place re-opens October 15).

-- Lario's is good and reasonably priced, IF you know what to order. Their food is unfussy Cuban like your abuelita made back in Havana, but some entrées are better than others ("sí" on the ropa vieja, "no" on the chicharrones de pollo). Good mojitos there as well.

-- I respectfully disagree on Mango's. That place is a tourist-trap dump. There are much better clubs, like Opium Garden or Nikki's Beach Club, to dance the night away. Another source for the "hot" clubs is cooljunkie.com (follow the Miami link).

If you want a unique dining experience, I'd head to either Tantra or B.E.D. (you can look on the southbeach-usa.com for info). My South Beach faves would be:

-- Wish. Just awesome.
-- Puerto Sagua. Great Cuban food, dumpy diner atmosphere. Best if you're a Spanish speaker.
-- Front Porch Café. Best breakfasts in South Beach IMHO.
-- La Sandwichérie. Gourmet sandwiches served in an alley behind a gas station. It's much better than it sounds. Ignore the patrons from the tattoo parlor next door.
-- A Fish Called Avalon. Best seafood for your money in South Beach.

Other people on this board recommend David's Café for Cuban food (two locations in South Beach-- one at Collins between 10th and 11th). I haven't been yet, but since so many people like it, I'd say it's a safe bet. It's a 24-hour joint.

SobeUK

thanks muchly for the advice! We are staying at South Seas Hotel. I read alot of reviews of places, but you know what thats like, sometimes you need to speak to people who give you the real info. thanks for all the tips

LilMsFoodie

Joes Stone Crab is open this summer with summer hours (no lunch) until August 1. dinner from 6 p.m. and no stone crab. Not missing much in my opinion. They do a reasonable job with other items but there are so many places to go.

The last time I was there Nikki Beach was full of men and women your age. There is also a champagne bar in this huge venue which is right on the beach.

http://www.penrods.com/

You can always head over to Big Pink after for very late dinner or very early breakfast. These places are on the very south end of South Beach (they were trying to call it the SO FI area but I don't know if that term caught on)

http://www.bigpinkrestaurant.com/about.html

rjw_lgb_ca

LilMsFoodie, thanks for the correction on Joe's. I'm not a stone crab lover, so it's never been high on my list to go there. Still....

And you know, I've only ever seen the term "SoFi" used in magazines. I still can't get used to "SoBe" either. Oh well....

SobeUK, you should have little problem getting into the hot clubs and eateries, especially if you take advantage of the concierge services at the hotel. Have fun!

GoTravel

You will love the South Seas. It is oceanfront next door to the Delano and Ritz-Carlton. You will be within 30 seconds of Lincoln Road Mall. Good shopping and Brown's Apothocary is a must.

Collins and Washington have your run of the mill mall shops (Banana Republic, Nine West, Sunglass Hut, ect.). If you've got the money, the really, really good shopping is at the Shops of Bal Harbour. Gucci, Prada, Versace, Saks, Fendi, ect.

Clubs: Nikki Beach (a must), Clevelander Hotel for happy hour is a must which has a very busy outdoor bar, Sky Bar at Shore Club, Mynt, and the old standbys of Crobar and level.

Don't even think about going out clubbing until well after midnight. Most of the nightclubs don't open until 11PM. Nothing funnier than watching a bunch of tourists heading out clubbing at 9PM.

Sky Bar and Clevelander are the exception.

Mojitos one afternoon at The Delano. It is a must to walk through the lobby and outside to the infinity pool. You must sit at the table in the pool and drink your mojito.

I like News Cafe and rjw likes Larios for people watching. Either is great.

Ditto Davids and Davids II for Cuban.

I had bad experiences at Tantra (rude, rude, rude) and Blue Door (grossly overpriced mediocre food).

In defense of both Tantra and Blue Door, I haven't eaten at either since 2001 and both have changed chefs.

In Mid Beach, I eat at The Forge every single time I'm in Miami. Largest wine cellar in the southeast. Next door, the club JimmyZ is THE place to be on Wednesday nights.

SobeUK

Thanks for all your assistance, appriciate all the posts! I will try the suggested places next week!
Nikki