Celebrate Independence Day in true South Florida style with a Samba Juice salute from SushiSamba Dromo. Chock-full of tropical fruit juices and garnished with a star-fruit slice, it's the perfect way to say ¡Felíz cuatro de julio! (Happy Fourth of July!)
Classy relaxation is encouraged at The Delano's Plat Bleu. Pick a spot at one of the indoor-outdoor restaurant's mirrored lobby tables or sink into a plush white chair and order a Macallan Classic 10. The cocktail is as classy as the atmosphere, and makes a perfect aperitif.
With its speakeasy vibe and Latin jazz, Upstairs at Lincoln Road's Van Dyke Café is a magnet for locals and tourists alike. Come early on Friday or Saturday night to get a table, because once the music starts, the crowd grows.
Just in time to beat the summer heat, Skyy Vodka has introduced its pineapple infusion in Miami. You can cool off with a sweetly fruity Pineapple Sunrise at Michael's Genuine Food and Drink in the Design District.
New York transplant Philippe restaurant at the Gansevoort South is a prime see-and-be-seen spot. Its red, white and black bar area is a perfect place to hang with friends and sip signature cocktails like the fresh, sweet Philipptini.
Whether you're an intense Gemini, an enthusiastic Aries or any of the other 10 signs of the zodiac, the InterContinental Miami's Indigo Restaurant and Bar has cocktails to please each personality.
YOLO is an acronym for ''You only live once.'' The Fort Lauderdale restaurant-lounge by that name invites you to live it up with a flight of six tiny martinis (two of each flavor) served on a unique tiered rack. Or you can impress your friends with a tasting en casa.
The Capital Grille's dining room is meant for power lunches and meaningful second dates over steak or buttered lobster. The bar is meant for mingling after a long day of work on Brickell or shopping at Galleria Mall in Fort Lauderdale.
Located off Alton Road, 8 oz. Burger Bar is the kind of cozy and affordable restaurant foodies have been craving. With recipes by Govind Armstrong of Table 8 fame, the spot boasts an impressive menu of juicy burgers and exotic sides and a laid-back bar-lounge atmosphere. Toast this perfect combo with a gingery Perfect Storm.
Located around the corner from Purdy Avenue, the dimly lit resto-lounge Shiso offers limited seating and sake-packed drinks with a punch, including mixologist Christian Gonzalez's naughtily sweet Pearl Necklace.
With its new, more casual vibe, Chef Allen's is a welcoming place to unwind after work with a cocktail and a chat. Our choice: The martini that chef-owner Allen Susser created using his favorite Florida fruit.
Casa Tua makes you feel at home -- literally. Nestled inside a cozy Mediterranean-style house in the middle of bustling South Beach, the Italian restaurant with its airy open kitchen and roomy communal tables is the perfect getaway spot.
If you're lucky enough to get past the doorman at Hed Kandi gastro-lounge in Miami Beach, kick it up a notch with a strawberry-flavored Sexy Kandi before hitting the dance floor. Every party should start off this sweet.
The Fontainebleau's elegant center bar is jam-packed on any given night with socialites, cozy couples and curious neighborhood crawlers. Join them on one of the circular bar's high stools or plush couches and order a fruity-tart Bramble or another of mixologist Michael MacDonnell's handcrafted cocktails. Who needs loud music when the scene here is so lounge-chic?
High above downtown, Area 31 at the new Epic Hotel boasts lots of fresh seafood, great views and interesting cocktails. Here are two to try at home.
Bourbon Steak, chef Michael Mina's Aventura outpost, serves up classic cocktails with a modern twist, including a Florida-licious Key Lime Pie Martini and a salute to Mina's Bay Area home base, the Cable Car Martini.
Clink: Stirring up romance Forget flowers, candy and the token jewelry item this Valentine's Day. It's time you showed your sweetie that you can let go of the traditional wine-and-dine experience. Here are some cocktails sure to up the romance factor this Feb. 14 -- or any other day. After all, love and alcohol are two things that should always be flowing.
Shoppers at the Design District's trendy Driade home décor shop can apply their impeccable taste to the menu at the in-house restaurant, Fratelli Lyon. Nibble on a platter of cured ham and imported cheeses with a glass of Italian wine or, better yet, a Fregola -- a delicious and affordable raspberry and prosecco combination. Now that's design within reach!
Nestled on a busy corner of Mary Brickell Village, Oceanaire Seafood Room beckons passersby to leave their busy schedules behind for its plush booths, stocked-to-the-brim bar and the wafting scent of crab cakes.
The straight-from-Spain food at Coral Gables' Por Fin -- spicy patatas bravas, for example, and Madrid-worthy seafood paella -- is worth the wait. But you can make that wait go down even easier with a house cocktail such as the Añejo Peach Smash, a mix of rum, lime juice, peaches and brown sugar. Now that's what we call Spanish fly.
Going from store to store at Aventura Mall without tripping over a baby carriage or a gaggle of giggling teens is nearly impossible. Find respite from the masses at The Grill on the Alley, an import from equally shop-happy Los Angeles.
With its plush red booths, elegant atmosphere and romantic lighting, Christy's in Coral Gables has been a destination for first dates and anniversary celebrations for 30 years. A menu of elegant cocktails only adds to the allure.
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