Going to SoBe in two weeks for five days with four friends. Seeking to build a list of four or five "must-do" restaurant/club experiences that won't break the bank.

1) What are the best hotel bars for opposite sex-watching?

2) Besides Joe's Stone Crab and News Cafe, what are some good, prototypical SoBe restaurants?

3) Any there any nice clubs/lounges worth going to without a ridiculous (or Nazi) rope line?

4) What are some good SoBe places for an inexpensive (under $10) lunch?

ttt

All of your questions have been answered countless times in this forum...do a search

thanks

I don't know if it's still as good as it was 7 or 8 years ago, but the huge pool bar at the Clevelander Hotel on South Beach used to rawk in the late '90s...from afternoon into the wee hours. Lots of pretty people of both sexes.

Even though you were so ridiculously out of line as to start your own thread without first thoroughly researching the site ...I thought of another crumb to toss. If Joe's is crazy and you want a higher-end stone crab experience, try Monty's Stone Crab. I used to go there a lot when I lived in Ft. Lauderdale...nice crowd and good food.

boy are you guys cranky. If you thinkg she is so far out as to ask the questions, why would you take the time to answer?

Just a thought

One of us was joking.

I don't consider Joe's Stone Crab 'prototypical' South Beach restaurants. More old school Miami Beach.

Skip it. Overpriced.

Very South Beach-ish (PS No one uses the term SoBe unless they are tourists):

Blue Door (Delano)
Wish (The Hotel)
Vix (The Victor)
Nobu (The Shore Club)
Marks (Hotel Nash)
The Restaurant (The Setai)
BED
Tantra

Forgot to answer your other questions.

Bars:

1) The Rose Bar which is the lobby of The Delano is almost guaranteed celebrity sighting. It is a great place to people watch. Packed by 11PM.

2) The Pool Bar at The Delano is ground zero for South Beach cool. Lots of fun and great waiters.

3) The Sky Bar at The Shore Club is easy to get into before 10PM and there is always a good crowd there. It is almost all of the public spaces at The Shore Club and most beautiful outside with about 10,000 candles and votives.

4) The Clevelander is great for happy hour but leave after that.

A tip for the velvet rope: Four girls will not have any problems getting into clubs providing it isn't some big huge weekend like Superbowl or VMAs.

Four guys can forget it. However, guys can't get in anywhere after 5PM with shorts on. Jeans are fine providing you look hip enough.

Couples will stand in line and eventually be let in.

What is ridiculous are the charges. Covers are expensive and if you want table service they usually have a bottle minimum which start at around $300.

Lunch:

Plenty of reasonable places but you'll want to order poolside. Or depending upon where you are staying, get a cooler for some beer and snacks and save your money for later on. There is a CVS two blocks down Lincoln Road Mall from Collins Avenue and a Walgreens (no beer or wine) about two blocks down.

Also, instead of paying the $5-$10 per day fee for a chair and umbrella on the beach, you can buy a $15 beach chair at Wings on the corner of Collins Avenue and Lincoln Road Mall.

Anything else? I'll be there this weekend.