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City Guide - Miami - Nightlife | ||
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Nightlife Miami never sleeps. When the sun goes down, the stars come out. Celebrities from the entertainment world spend the balmy tropical evenings sipping martinis at hip open-air cafés before hitting the hot pulsating dance clubs, the cool jazz bars and the countless reggae, merengue and salsa venues. The main nightlife district is South Beach. In recent years, Prince and Simply Red's Mick Hucknall have opened nightclubs here, and local heroes Gloria Estefan and Ricky Martin both have restaurant-bars on Ocean Drive. South Beach's Art Deco buildings, neon-lit with vibrant yellows, blues, pinks and purples, provide a suitably light-hearted backdrop to the hedonistic, funky night scene. In the evenings, the bars are abuzz with a colourful, cosmopolitan crowd. After midnight, the whole of South Beach throbs to the international rhythms of its club scene, which offers some of the hottest nightlife in America. Bars close around 0100, night clubs around 0600. The minimum drinking age is 21 years and it is advisable to carry ID. Many clubs stage theme nights. Check out the New Times or the Friday section of the Miami Herald for further details. Bars: The local scene changes frequently, but the following South Beach bars are currently 'in': Joia, 150 Ocean Drive, where Madonna celebrated her last birthday; Larios on the Beach, 820 Ocean Drive, owned by Gloria Estefan, with lethal mohitos (rum punch) and funky Cuban music nightly; Astor Place, 956 Washington Avenue, renowned for its martinis; Wet Willie's, 760 Ocean Drive, with its outdoor deck, ocean view and irresistible frozen daiquiris; the Clevelander Hotel's legendary outdoor bar and dance club, 1020 Ocean Drive, with live nightly entertainment; and News Café, 800 Ocean Drive (open 24 hours), one of the Beach's coolest hangouts, where Gianni Versace enjoyed his last drink before being gunned down on the doorstep of his mansion just two blocks away. Casinos: The Casino Princessa offers 'gaming cruises' for up to 600 passengers with on-board blackjack, craps, roulette and slot machines. Four-and-a-half-hour trips leave Bayside Harbour (adjacent to the Hard Rock Café), 401 Biscayne Boulevard. Departure times are daily at 1230 and 1930, also Friday to Sunday at 0100; dress code is casual and minimum age is 21 years (ID required). Clubs: You haven't done the Miami club scene until you've been to Liquid, 1439 Washington Avenue, an impossibly exclusive club and favourite celebrity haunt, owned by Madonna's best friend, Ingrid Casares. Other hot South Beach nightspots include the Casa Salsa, 524 Ocean Drive, restaurant-cum-dance club, owned by Latin heart-throb Ricky Martin, which moves to the sounds of Puerto Rico; eccentric Crobar @ the Cameo, 1445 Washington Avenue, which has angels on bungee cords above the dance floor and is frequented by George Clooney; and the Warsaw Ballroom, 1450 Collins Avenue, the hottest gay club in town. In Coconut Grove, try Chili Pepper, Streets of Mayfair Mall, 2911 Grand Avenue, one of a handful of dance clubs in the area. Live music: For the latest Latin rhythms, try Café Nostalia, 2212 Southwest Eighth Street in Little Havana, which has a small dance floor and a house band playing authentic Cuban music; La Covacha, 10730 Northwest 25th Street, one of the hottest places in town for salsa, merengue and Latin hip hop; or the hugely popular Mango's Tropical Café, 900 Ocean Drive, for flamboyant South Beach salsa with dancing on the tables and in the street. At Miami Beach, the laid-back Van Dyke Café, 846 Lincoln Road, and the more upmarket jazz club, Jazid, 1342 Washington Avenue, both have nightly live jazz and blues. |