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Think outside the concession stand
While the rest of the country cools down, Downtown Miami heats up with a flurry of activity. From music performances to basketball games, the newly renamed FTX Arena (aka formerly known as the American Airlines Arena) is the place to be when it comes to nighttime happenings.
While the venue concessions are nothing to sneer at, for those wanting something a bit more substantial, here are a few restaurants and watering holes within a 20-minute walk of the arena.
Read MoreFor some of the freshest oysters in town, Mignonette is a local go-to. Oyster lovers can get their fix of raw, Rockefeller, or “Frank;” or try them all with a generous oyster flight. Other notable seafood items include a lobster roll (served warm or cold), seafood towers, and lobster deviled eggs.
This bright and colorful tiki bar creates an assortment of drinks influenced by tiki-cocktail history. To soak up all that booze, Esotico Miami serves a full dinner menu with various tiki-with-a-twist offerings, like black truffle dumplings, Hawaiian pineapple fried rice, and octopus hot dogs.
The Corner is the city’s essential postgame hangout, open until the early morning hours every day. The neighborhood pub features an impressive selection of domestic and imported beers, wines, spirits, and snacks.
Pizza and sporting events are a classic combo, which is why grabbing a slice or even a whole pie at Eleventh Street Pizza is the perfect beginning or ending to the evening at FTX Arena. The NY-style pizzeria, housed in the former Fooqs location, serves up classic and not-so-classic pies like the wild shroom topped with maitake mushrooms, thyme, garlic, shallot, mozzarella, garlic confit, caramelized onions, parsley, and sourdough breadcrumbs.
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This popular Downtown Miami sports bar has now opened a location closer to the FTX Arena. To drink? Fans order beer in bulk by the bottle. To eat? Bar food is what’s for dinner, with burgers on burgers, tacos, and beer-battered onion rings.
A favorite for pre- or post-game drinks and bites, this bar, run by Will Thompson, features cocktails made with small-batch brands ranging from classic aperitifs to tropical tiki. To soak all those cocktails up, dine on shareable plates of pasta, including cacio e pepe and rigatoni, oysters, salads, and more.
If ceviche is what is being craved, Cvi.Che 105 has loads of it. Marinated with lime juice and accented with onions, cilantro, corn, and sweet potatoes, this Peruvian plate is ideal for sharing or taking down solo.
Low-key turn-up is Mama Tried’s style, pumping out diverse beats every night of the week. The cocktail menu features creative libations, while the retro bar games pay homage to a different time in nightlife’s past.
This Florida-inspired eclectic watering hole slash restaurant offers well-crafted cocktails, booze-filled slushies, and a menu filled with items like a much-buzzed-about burger that is akin to a high-end Big Mac, cirspy alligator bites, and sour orange pie.
While Lost Boy might best be known for its clever cocktails and popular happy hour, its food menu is also more expansive than most with a variety of charcuterie boards, sandwiches, hot dogs, and heartier items like mac ‘n cheese and pot pie.
A quaint Italian restaurant tucked away in the quiet comfort of “The Village,” Vero Italian Restaurant nails that trattoria lifestyle. Specializing in pizzas and pasta, the friendly cafe offers multiple options for all dietary needs.
A hidden gem with a flair for French cuisine, Cafe Bastille is a refreshing alternative to typical Miami flavors. From foie gras to pate, delicacies are aplenty at this charming brasserie.
For simple Greek food in a laid-back setting, Meraki Greek Bistro serves up both with a smile. Guests enjoy traditional dishes like kebabs, gyros, spanakopita, and roasted lemon potatoes that will make anyone question their low-carb diet.
The proper place to flaunt that after-game getup, Novikov Miami is the cool kid in town when it comes to high-end Asian dining. With sushi, dim sum, and a mean Peking duck, the dishes are as “Instagramable” as the Biscayne Bay views.
This modern Japanese mainstay in Downtown Miami, inspired by traditional izakaya-style dining, boasts a non-stop crowd of sleek, chic, celebrities, scene-chasers, and food lovers before and after every Miami Heat game.
For some of the freshest oysters in town, Mignonette is a local go-to. Oyster lovers can get their fix of raw, Rockefeller, or “Frank;” or try them all with a generous oyster flight. Other notable seafood items include a lobster roll (served warm or cold), seafood towers, and lobster deviled eggs.
This bright and colorful tiki bar creates an assortment of drinks influenced by tiki-cocktail history. To soak up all that booze, Esotico Miami serves a full dinner menu with various tiki-with-a-twist offerings, like black truffle dumplings, Hawaiian pineapple fried rice, and octopus hot dogs.
The Corner is the city’s essential postgame hangout, open until the early morning hours every day. The neighborhood pub features an impressive selection of domestic and imported beers, wines, spirits, and snacks.
Pizza and sporting events are a classic combo, which is why grabbing a slice or even a whole pie at Eleventh Street Pizza is the perfect beginning or ending to the evening at FTX Arena. The NY-style pizzeria, housed in the former Fooqs location, serves up classic and not-so-classic pies like the wild shroom topped with maitake mushrooms, thyme, garlic, shallot, mozzarella, garlic confit, caramelized onions, parsley, and sourdough breadcrumbs.
This popular Downtown Miami sports bar has now opened a location closer to the FTX Arena. To drink? Fans order beer in bulk by the bottle. To eat? Bar food is what’s for dinner, with burgers on burgers, tacos, and beer-battered onion rings.
A favorite for pre- or post-game drinks and bites, this bar, run by Will Thompson, features cocktails made with small-batch brands ranging from classic aperitifs to tropical tiki. To soak all those cocktails up, dine on shareable plates of pasta, including cacio e pepe and rigatoni, oysters, salads, and more.
If ceviche is what is being craved, Cvi.Che 105 has loads of it. Marinated with lime juice and accented with onions, cilantro, corn, and sweet potatoes, this Peruvian plate is ideal for sharing or taking down solo.
Low-key turn-up is Mama Tried’s style, pumping out diverse beats every night of the week. The cocktail menu features creative libations, while the retro bar games pay homage to a different time in nightlife’s past.
This Florida-inspired eclectic watering hole slash restaurant offers well-crafted cocktails, booze-filled slushies, and a menu filled with items like a much-buzzed-about burger that is akin to a high-end Big Mac, cirspy alligator bites, and sour orange pie.
While Lost Boy might best be known for its clever cocktails and popular happy hour, its food menu is also more expansive than most with a variety of charcuterie boards, sandwiches, hot dogs, and heartier items like mac ‘n cheese and pot pie.
A quaint Italian restaurant tucked away in the quiet comfort of “The Village,” Vero Italian Restaurant nails that trattoria lifestyle. Specializing in pizzas and pasta, the friendly cafe offers multiple options for all dietary needs.
A hidden gem with a flair for French cuisine, Cafe Bastille is a refreshing alternative to typical Miami flavors. From foie gras to pate, delicacies are aplenty at this charming brasserie.
For simple Greek food in a laid-back setting, Meraki Greek Bistro serves up both with a smile. Guests enjoy traditional dishes like kebabs, gyros, spanakopita, and roasted lemon potatoes that will make anyone question their low-carb diet.
The proper place to flaunt that after-game getup, Novikov Miami is the cool kid in town when it comes to high-end Asian dining. With sushi, dim sum, and a mean Peking duck, the dishes are as “Instagramable” as the Biscayne Bay views.
This modern Japanese mainstay in Downtown Miami, inspired by traditional izakaya-style dining, boasts a non-stop crowd of sleek, chic, celebrities, scene-chasers, and food lovers before and after every Miami Heat game.
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