Step Aside, South Beach: Miami Is All About Mid-Beach Now
By David Kaufman
Set mid-way between South Beach and Bal Harbour, Mid-Beach is Miami’s ‘hood-of-the-moment. Roughly spanning Collins Avenue from 25th to 50th streets, Mid-Beach is a quiet escape from the Ocean Drive madness close to all of Miami’s main attractions.
The past 18 months have seen a clutch of new hotels, restaurants, and lounges come to Mid-Beach – and with the starchitect-filled Faena District opening next year, the best is still yet to come. For now, here’s what we can report.
Stay
A beach-front guest room at the Thompson Miami Beach Hotel, which opened in late November just before Art Basel. (Photo: Thompson Miami Beach)
The 380-room Thompson Miami Beach brings a dose of SoHo cool to South Florida with colorful interiors by designer Martin Brudnizki and a pair of swanky swimming pools.
Don’t miss celeb-chef Michelle Bernstein’s Sea Grape restaurant for its ultra-fresh brasserie-styled dishes and the 1930s House lounge – a speakeasy spot located in a traditional Floridian home from the 1930s. From $459.
Related: Sunshine State: Three New Miami Hotels Shaking up the Scene
Eat
The hearty Elad’s Shakshuka at restaurant 27 at the Freehand Hostel in Miami’s Mid-Beach district. (Photo: Justin Namon, Ra-Haus Fotografie)
Set in the hipster-favorite Freehand Hostel, the new 27 Restaurant and Bar arrived in time for Art Basel offering a casual, global menu made for sharing.
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Housed in a historic 1930s building given a swanky make-over by interiors aces Roman & Williams, 27 chef James Seyba delivers tasty must-tries such as a massive arepa platter, spicy shakshuka, and a perfect kale salad – with many ingredients sourced from the Freehand’s own veggie and herb gardens.
Snack
Casa Claridge is a boutique hotel with a funky Latin vibe just across from Mid-Beach’s rapidly rising Faena District. (Photo: Nikoas Koenig)
Casa Claridge is another Spanish-styled historic property given new life by the folks behind Faena District. With its modestly designed rooms, the hotel may not be for everyone. But no one can resist its funky-Latino vibe complete with perfect cafe con leche and hearty empanadas.
Play
he Miami Beach Edition is the latest hotel from Ian Schrager and Marriott and features louche leisure spaces such as a bowling alley, ice-skating rink and the lower-level Basement lounge.
Ian Schrager is back in his element at The Miami Beach Edition, the latest hotel he’s opened in partnership with Marriott Hotels. While the 294-room property may be scoring accolades for its Yabu Pushelberg-designed interiors, its main draw is its series of novel social spaces including a bowling alley, ice-skating rink, and the all-hours Basement nightclub, which insiders are likening to a beachfront Studio 54.
Related: Gentlemen: Get Thee to This Man’s Miami Tailor
Brunch
The SoHo Beach House may be members-only for most events, but its Sunday brunch at restaurant Cecconi’s is an open-for-everyone affair luring a crowd of international swells all afternoon long. Aptly dubbed “The Sunday Feast” brunch, the epicurean action sprawls across both Cecconi’s indoor dining room and louche outdoor terrace and includes everything from traditional roast meats to hearty quiches and empanadas to fluffy-as-air pancakes and omelettes. $35.
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