April // 2014
Old favourite: IL GABBI A NO People assume there’s more scenic fine dining on Miami’s waterfront than there actually is. Il Gabbiano - owned by the brothers who founded new York’s famous Il Mulino in 1981 - offers the best views and the most delicious Italian food. Everyone from Jennifer Aniston to Sir Michael Caine agrees - they’ve dined here multiple times (no, not together). Try not to fill up on the fried zucchini and garlicky bruschetta that appears on the table as soon as you sit down, because dishes like the porcini mushroom ravioli in a Champagne and black truffle sauce are so good you’ll want to lick your plate clean. ilgabbianomia.com
New Kid on the block: THE JUICE SPOT It’s bathing-suit season here 365 days a year, which is perhaps why it’s a see-andbe-seen scene at the myriad juice bars in Miami. Gaggles of svelte Lululemon-clad ladies grab cold-pressed organic green juices together after their work-outs. The latest hotspot for juice junkies? The Juice Spot off Brickell Avenue in Downtown Miami. It was opened by Savannah James, wife of one of the city’s most famous residents, the Miami Heat basketball player LeBron James. Here you’ll find nutrientand enzyme-rich fresh liquid concoctions of apple, carrot and beetroot juices, as well as smoothies and healthy snacks like açaí and oatmeal bowls. Customers have access to iPads on the tables and strong Wi-Fi. Since day one, it’s been packed with James’s friends and supporters (hubby LeBron, Kim Kardashian’s chum Jonathan Cheban, Angela Simmons...). Besides the juice, they do gourmet espresso, so you’ll only have to make one morning stop. thejuicespotmiami.com
Old favourite: CALLE OCHO
42
When I have out-of-town guests, they’re always curious about the Cuban neighbourhood they’ve heard so much about from food and travel shows on television, namely Little Havana’s Calle Ocho (Southwest 8th St). There are several iconic destinations worth checking out here: Versailles restaurant for authentic Cuban coffee and pastelitos (pastries); Hoy Como Ayer for dancing; Cava Mia for flamenco shows; El Credito for cigars; Azucar for ice cream. But go on the last Friday night of any month at 7pm for the ultimate Cuban-American experience. Viernes Culturales, or ‘Cultural Fridays’ (on Southwest 8th St, between 13th and United States of America
17th Ave), are really just giant street parties with Latin flair, featuring live music, domino games, dancing, art shows and more. viernesculturales.org
New kid on the block: PÉREZ ART MUSEUM MI A MI Miami’s already renowned for hosting one of the world’s most glamorous art fairs, Art Basel Miami Beach, and the new PAMM will rack up the city’s creative kudos even further. Named after the billionaire real-estate developer Jorge Pérez, who donated some US$40 million in art and cash, the museum, which cost a cool US$223 million to create, opened with a spectacular exhibition of photography and sculpture by the renowned Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. Look out for the Imagined Landscapes exhibition by one of Miami’s best artists, Edouard Duval-Carrié. His large-scale paintings and sculptures executed in black and silver glitter will be shown till the end of August. When you’re done with the art, aim for the delicious on-site waterfront bistro, Verde - US magazine Bon Appetit’s ‘restaurateur of the year’, Stephen Starr, is behind it. pamm.org
Old favourite: THE BILTMORE HOTEL Miami’s hotel scene is far too good to leave to visitors. Plan to spend time at the 88-year-old Biltmore Hotel (over the years it’s played host to everyone from the Duke and Duchess of Windsor to Ginger Rogers) - there’s so much to do. Besides taking advantage of the fine dining by Michelin-starred chef Gregory Pugin at Palme d’Or, the fabulous spa and 2,136sqm pool (some say it’s the largest hotel pool in the US), you can have tango lessons there, play pétanque and indulge in one of its famous Sunday brunch buffets. biltmorehotel.com
New kid on the block: BARRY ’S BOOTCA MP In January, South Beach finally got its own Barry’s Bootcamp, the ‘1,000-calorie workout’ that’s already a hit in locations from LA to London. As at the UK branch - which has trained Lily Allen, Ellie Goulding and Princess Beatrice - the Miami classes are packed with a very sweaty who’s who of Miami. Barry’s chalks up its effectiveness to interval training: half the class consists of cardio