Sarah and Bernhard

Coconut Grove

Le Bouchon du Grove - where Sarah practiced her French after high school days

Jaguar - Good Mexican food, started by a friend's uncle

Glass & Vine - Great outdoor seating

Green Street and Barracuda - Neighbourhood bars/late night food

AC's Icees - a Coconut Grove legend! Fresh iced lemonade perfect for after the beach. His food truck has been in the parking lot of Kennedy Park since 1978

Fresh Market - Great local grocery 

Coral Gables and Calle Ocho

Doggies - Venezualan Arepas

Versailles - a Cuban institution in Miami! In the heart of Calle Ocho

Hoy Como Ayer - if you feel like dancing to Cuban music

Wayside Fruit & Vegetable - Great local produce stand near Sarah's home. Try the strawberry milkshakes and cinnamon buns

Redfish - upscale restuarant with beautiful location in a state park. Go for happy hour if you want to eat and drink more economically!

Key Biscayne

El Gran Inka - Great Peruvian

Nahuen Gourmet Market - empenadas

The Wetlab - Bar of the University of Miami Marine Biology Department, Great view

The Boaters Grill - In the state park, get there before the park closes, and leave your car in the beach parking lot. It gets busy!

Wynwood and Downtown

Garcias - legendary Cuban fish restaurant on the Miami river

Panther Coffee - hipster coffee bar

Wynwood Brewing Company - first local brewing company in the area

Lagniappe - for live music

Miami Beach

Joe's Stone Crabs - most famous place in Miami for stone crabs

The Big Pink - 24 hour diner with fun atmosphere

Casa Tua - upscale Italian restaurant in a historic home

Coconut Grove

The oldest neighbourhood in Miami, there are plenty of historic homes to visit here.

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens - https://vizcaya.org/

The Barnacle - https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/barnacle-historic-state-park

The Kampong - The home of the founder of Fairchild Gardens, our wedding venue! https://ntbg.org/gardens/kampong/

Coral Gables 

Books and Books - legendary bookshop with great cafe in the courtyard. There is also one on Miami Beach

The Biltmore Hotel - one of the oldest hotels in Miami 

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens - where our wedding reception will be but certainly worth a longer visit!

Matheson Hammock park - nice for a walk and you can also go kayaking or kite surfing here

Deering Estate - historic home with grounds for walking

Key Biscayne

The closest beaches for anyone staying in Coconut Grove or Coral Gables (about a 10/15 minute drive). The public beaches all along the key are good, and you can go to the end to Bill Baggs Park for a paid beach.

Virginia Key Kayaking - www.vkoc.net/

Wynwood and Downtown

Perez Art Museum - main art museum in Miami, good temporary exhibitions

ICA - contemporary art space

Wynwood Walls - art space

Miami Beach

The Wolfsonian and Bass - two famous art collections

Art Deco district - South Beach iconic architecture

If you want a quieter less-touristy beach experience, I recommend going farther north to North Beach. Anywhere around the Bath Club.

Wondering where to go around Florida? Here are a few insider tips:

Florida Keys: great coral reefs for diving and snorkeling! We like Captain Slate's Scuba Adventures. Captain Slate's is an easy day trip from Miami. You can stop at Alabama Jacks on the way back for a great lunch. Also for snorkeling Sombrero Reef. The keys are also great for fishing. The keys are big. From Miami to Key West is a 4 hour drive so there is a lot to choose from.

The Everglades: Also an easy day trip from Miami, but if you want to camp there or stay longer, we recommend heading west either towards Flamingo, Everglades City, or Marco Island. From these spots you can start canoeing/kayak camping trips in the beautiful thousand islands. 

Sanibel Island: the west coast of Florida is known for big relaxed beaches. This is a good spot to go if you just want to relax.

Natural Springs: around the west coast and central Florida you have a lot of beautiful natural springs. Here is a list of the best of them: https://floridatrippers.com/best-springs-in-florida/

Cape Canaveral: For science enthusiasts, Florida has its own NASA space center: https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/

Bahamas: for those who want some more Caribbean, the Bahamas is only a 3 hour boat ride from Miami/Fort Lauderdale or a short flight.