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.