I’ve been absent from Eating Covent Garden for way too long. Sorry, readers! But I’m back and I’ve got so much to tell you after whirlwind months of travel and excitement.
So I’ve just got back from a trip of a lifetime. We started in LA, jumped on a cruise ship that took us down the coast of Mexico, through Central America, the Panama Canal, and the Caribbean, and finished up in Miami. More of this odyssey later. I’m going to share with you slightly backwards and start with Miami Beach.
Take Me to Miami Beach
Miami Beach is one of the few man-made islands in the US located east of the main city area between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. At nine miles long and a mile wide, it’s connected by bridges to the mainland. It’s quite a spectacle driving across these magnificent bridges lined with palm trees. This is a fascinating and diverse part of America where over 70% of the population is Hispanic (reflected in the restaurant scene). Over 60 languages are spoken, with the dominant one being Spanish, naturally.
The area, also known as the American Riviera is home to the biggest collection of Art Deco buildings in the world, there are over 800 of them. Which makes for endless photo opportunities. The seaside boardwalk is a scenic pathway that stretches 40 blocks where you’ll see people walking, running, skating and cycling as well as many walking their dogs in different shapes and sizes. And then there’s South Beach (known as SoBe by locals) – the stunning 2.2 mile stretch of white sand peppered with colourful beach huts, sun loungers and cabanas.
And then there’s the weather. South Florida proudly boasts over 240 days of sunshine a year and is the warmest part of the entire United States. When we were there (in November) there was great excitement as the minimum temperature dipped below 70F (21C) for a couple of days. It was even made the headlines on the local tv news. Apparently Floridians love a cool spell! Kind of the opposite to England, With all this sunshine it’s no surprise to discover that the inventor of suntan lotion, pharmacist Benjamin Green, came from Miami Beach. All the way back in 1944. Good work there, making it possible for us to all enjoy those sunshiney Florida days.
As well as the warmth of the climate, Miami Beach is possibly the coolest place I have ever been with its Art Deco style, stunning beaches and unique energy. It’s also one of the most expensive. On our first day we spent around $500 (not including hotel) and, believe me, that wasn’t doing anything extravagant. Time to get into a Miami state of mind and work the system!
Here are my top tips to ensure you have the best possible time in fabulous Miami Beach. And here’s a view for inspiration – the full moon rising on our first night.
Walk from One End of Ocean Drive to the Other
This is undoubtedly the coolest, liveliest, most colourful, intriguing street I’ve ever walked down. As our hotel was pretty much at one end of it, all we had to do was wander up and down and take in the views. There’s an abundance of Mexican, Cuban and Italian restaurants though not much other choice. There’s also music, dancing, shows and all sorts of shenanigans to keep you amused.
Shop for Souvenirs in Collins Avenue
Miami Beach is easy to find your way around as it’s designed on the grid system like most American cities. A real blessing for someone who spends a lot of her time getting lost in Europe. Collins runs parallel to Ocean Drive and is home to many souvenir shops and some bars and restaurants that are a little bit different from the ones on Ocean Drive. We had a lovely dinner (including a bottle of Serbian wine) at the bright and sparkly Rakija Lounge, which specialises in Balkan cuisine.
Work Out the True Cost
This is true of America generally, although taxes vary by state. The price you see on the menu is only about two-thirds of what you will be paying. State tax and then service (a minimum of 18% up to 22%) will be added to the cost of your food and drink. And service is calculated after the tax is added. To be safe, we added around a third to the cost in our heads (to make it easy) before deciding whether we wanted to visit a particular bar or restaurant. So if your glass of wine is on the menu at $12, add another $4 – it will in fact cost you close to $16. Note this service charge is expected everywhere including Starbucks and shops.
Look Out for Miami Beach Happy Hour
One of the best ways to avoid paying over the odds for drinks (I mean $28 for a margarita plus tax and service, so around $36 in reality) is to search out Happy Hours. Luckily this is easily done with different establishments having different times and some even having Happy Hour all day (Happy Day?). It normally finishes at 7pm at the latest.
Wander Down Lincoln Road
Situated between 16th and 17th Avenue this was another of our favourite areas. It’s lined with designer shops and a wide selection of restaurants and bars. Also pedestrianised and with fountains, statues and other art to enjoy it’s a pleasure to meander down. We were lured into a delightful Spanish restaurant called Tapelia with the promise of Happy Hour Spanish beers. Boy did we enjoy those in the heat of the Miami day. And they even gave us a small free top up when we paid. We went back there again for lunch, why wouldn’t you?
Ride the Trolley Bus – it’s Free
We happened on this by mistake as we were walking back from Lincoln Road. It’s free to everyone and local residents all use it. We went on the South Beach Loop for a 45-minute journey which gave us the chance get a flavour of the wider area. You can find out more at https://www.miamibeachfl.gov/city-hall/transportation/trolley/.
Shop at Walgreens – Your One-stop Shop
I love a pharmacy, especially a pharmacy abroad. And Walgreens is no ordinary pharmacy, it also sells wine, beer and food! Happiness. There’s a reasonable selection of wine from around $9 upwards a bottle. We took full advantage of this and had wine in our fridge ready to drink on our hotel verandah while watching the world go by.
Get Ubers, Not Taxis
They are half the price, literally! They arrive quickly and are safe and reliable.
Take Me to the Beach – SoBe Rules!
There’s an amazing scenic boardwalk alongside the beach that stretches for 40 blocks – so lots of walking opportunities. Of course there’s the beach itself which is vast, clean and dotted with colourful life savers huts. And it’s all free. If you want to sit on a sun lounger on the beach it can cost you up to $100 for two loungers and an umbrella. Bringing your own (or a towel) is obviously free.
Shop at the Italian bakeries on Collins Avenue
Slightly bizarrely there are three Italian bakeries in a row on Collins. They are all stunning. We ended up choosing Rosetta, where we bought the most delicious paninis and drooled over the selection of Italian pastries.
Joe’s Stone Crab – not all it’s cracked up to be
Joe’s Stone Crab is a legendary Miami institution and everyone you speak to recommends you go there. It’s a fascinating, vast restaurant that’s over 100 years old and runs like a well-oiled machine. It specialises in Stone Crab, obviously. So we booked in advance and headed there in anticipation. Sadly it was not a great experience.
We kept it simple and ordered the crab with hash browns and spinach. We were told (somewhat forcefully) by the waiter we should have the large crab (which wasn’t particularly large) and not the medium because the medium wasn’t good (why have it on the menu). We also had a bottle of wine. Our waiter basically tried to hustle us off the table, we were in and out in just over an hour – and that was only because we insisted on taking the time to finish our wine. And our bill? $187 plus service which starts at 18%.
Over $200 for one course shared and very average vegetables. And I’ve had way better crab, too. We felt ripped off and so disappointed. I won’t be recommending Joe’s to anyone.
Where to Stay – We Found Great Value on Ocean Drive
We stayed in the three-star Penguin Hotel, right on Ocean Drive, just across the road from South Beach. The most perfect location in a row of the cutest Art Deco buildings. The road in front of the hotel is pedestrianised, making it peaceful and quiet as well as the perfect spot for instagrammers capturing the picturesque Art Deco beauty in all manner of poses. I swear we have ended up in many, many holiday pics as we sat on our Penguin veranda enjoying the warmth and the view.
The hotel is recently refurbished so was relatively shiny for a three-star with a clean, new bathroom with good shower, large comfortable bed and air conditioning. We were also given breakfast at the sister hotel next door (The President) and access to their rooftop pool (which was very nice). Accommodation can be exorbitant in Miami Beach and The Penguin was really great value.
Have you been to Miami Beach? What’s your opinion? I’d love to hear your impressions.
And watch this space…plenty more coming soon.
