MIAGuide

The Best Bars In Wynwood

Wynwood can be a mess, but these bars are our safe haven.
undefined

photo credit: Courtesy Dante's

We have complicated feelings about Wynwood. Over the last decade, the (at one point in time) unique arts district has been almost comically over-developed. It has since morphed into less of a cultural epicenter, and more of the place where the most annoying people you know go to drink way too much. That said, there are still good things in Wynwood—like some of Miami's best restaurants and also these bars, which are the few remaining places we still actually like to drink in the neighborhood. And if you're looking for places to drink outside of Wynwood (understandable), check out our guide to Miami's best bars.


THE SPOTS

photo credit: Courtesy Higher Ground

Bar

Wynwood

$$$$Perfect For:Drinking Good CocktailsOutdoor/Patio SituationDate Night
Earn 3x points with your sapphire card

Higher Ground is a cocktail bar inside a hotel that, depending on which night you go, is either a great place to hide from the chaotic nightlife of Wynwood, or partake in a more sophisticated version of it. The cocktail bar is broken up into three different rooms (one of which has a pool table). And there’s also an outdoor deck that feels like a rooftop even though it’s not technically on the roof. The cocktails are very good, and—whether for a relaxed weekday drink or a crowded Saturday night party—Higher Ground should be in your Wynwood bar rotation. 

RESERVE A TABLE

POWERED BY

Tock logo

Dante’s HiFi is a Wynwood bar and “listening room.” This doesn’t mean that everyone is sitting in silence and listening to music (this is Miami after all, a city incapable of silence). But it does mean that this place has an absolutely spectacular sound system and an incredible record collection. DJs take turns spinning songs from that collection, occasionally hopping on the mic to give some context about what they’re playing. And while all this is going on, you can order good cocktails, snack on wasabi peas, and mentally calculate how much money you need to save in order to install these speakers in your own home. Reservations are kind of a necessity, and you can make one online.


Gramps is a time capsule full of everything that made Wynwood exciting before developers tore it to shreds: lots of color, culture, and booze. Inside you’ll find sneaky good cocktails, cold beer, and just the right amount of kitsch. And outside, there’s a tropical kaleidoscope of palm trees and paint, where fantastic DJs, drag (go Thursday night for that), and live music take turns sharing the stage. You can spend a lot of time at Gramps without getting bored, and when you get hungry, they also have the best slice of pizza in Wynwood.

This wine bar has a spacious outdoor patio that’s great for a breezy night. It’s also located on a backstreet east of North Miami Ave.—a.k.a. the side of Wynwood that isn’t always an anxiety-inducing mess. They sometimes have food pop-ups and DJs, but even if it’s a night where nothing in particular is going on, you can still hang out, drink reasonably priced wine, and snack on marinated olives or sliced meats. This is a pretty good first date spot, and also a good option if Lagniappe is too crowded.

Fans of beer, Star Wars, or reasonably chill bars free from house music will probably enjoy J Wakefield. And if you happen to like all three, you’re going to love it here. J Wakefield is a small brewery covered in murals of Star Wars characters (including a Baby Yoda dumpster in the front). It’s a simple space, but there's always a good selection of rotating beers, and also an incredible smashburger pop-up, Ted’s Burgers, that flips patties outside on Sunday. The inside is small but there are picnic tables out front where you can eat, drink, and stare at Dumpster Baby Yoda.

The Sylvester isn't technically in Wynwood—it's closer to the Midtown area. But it's not far and this is a great little cocktail bar you should know about anyway. It's got an interior that feels very South Florida thrift store. It can be a relatively chill spot during Happy Hour and on weekdays, but on the weekends they have a DJ spinning and things get more energetic. Dancing is encouraged, and when you need to rest your feet, there’s lots of comfortable seating available—as well as some of the best cocktails in the area.

Veza Sur is another brewery in Wynwood, which has more breweries per mile than any other neighborhood in Miami. Like a lot of the other brewery options, it’s a welcome antidote to some of the neighborhood’s rowdier spots. No one’s going to be dancing on the bar here, and it’s a good call if you just want to have a conversation, some crisp beers (which they also make into beer cocktails), and maybe a bite from one of the rotating food trucks out back. The outdoor patio is a good call if the weather is nice too.


RESERVE A TABLE

POWERED BY

OpenTable logo

Cerveceria is an indoor/outdoor brewery and restaurant big enough to have its own zip code. They have a Cuban and Caribbean menu with things like yucca fries, jerk chicken wings, ceviche, and shockingly good plantain chips. Most of the food (except those incredible plantain chips) is pretty good. But it’s more of a place to drink, snack, and watch live music—which they sometimes have outside during the weekend. Things also don’t get too wild here, so this is one Wynwood bar where you can confidently bring the family.


There aren’t many places left in Wynwood where you can have a good cocktail in a small room that doesn’t feel like Flo Rida is about to pop out and start singing at any moment. But Spanglish is that kind of bar, and it’s a fun enough spot to make us feel like we’re going out in Wynwood, but not annoying enough to make us regret going out in Wynwood. You can also sit down and eat here, but the drinks are the main attraction. The Cafetera Old Fashioned, which is poured out of a cafetera, is one of our favorite cocktails in Wynwood.

Chase Sapphire Card Ad

Suggested Reading

The Best Restaurants In Wynwood image

The Best Restaurants In Wynwood

These are our 20 favorite places to eat in Wynwood.

An outdoor table alongside Biscayne Bay.

The best bars in Miami, according to us.

undefined

These are our favorite places to eat in Downtown.

A plate of tuna crudo with peppers on top.

Meet our 25 highest-rated restaurants.

Infatuation Logo

Company

2024 © The Infatuation Inc. All Rights Reserved.

FIND PLACES ON OUR APP

Get it on Google PlayDownload on the App Store