Hey babes! I can’t believe it’s already been a full week since we were in Miami for the first time! It was a quick short two night stay in South Beach but it was an absolute blast and I can not wait to plan another trip back! I wanted to do a quick recap of all of our favorite spots while we were there! First and foremost you have to stay at the Cardozo Hotel in South Beach! The Cardozo Hotel originally opened in 1939 and was once a housing facility for the U.S. army during WWII. It was recently purchased by Emilio & Gloria Estefan and has been under a complete renovation down to the studs for the past 3 and a half years. The hotel is considered a historic Art Deco building and is protected by the Miami Beach Historic Preservation Broad and has been included in major Hollywood films such as “There’s Something About Mary” & “Marley & Me.” We were lucky enough to stay in a corner suite with a massive King bed and bath. I am so excited because The Cardozo Hotel has granted me a discount code for you all to book your very own stay! Use code: BEARY – THIS OFFER INCLUDES 25% OFF BEST AVAILABLE RATES – ALSO INCLUDED WITH YOUR STAY: WIFI, TWO BEACH CHAIRS, MORNING COFFEE IN THE HOTEL LOBBY, TWO DRINK VOUCHERS PER ROOM, DAILY NEWSPAPER.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK!
Up next we have to talk about FOOD – duhh! Probably my favorite topic of every vacation and Miami definitely did not disappoint! For our first night in Miami Robert & I were able to meet up with one of my blogger friends, Kristin Coffey, and we had dinner at Larios On The Beach. Larios is a delicious cuban restaurant located on Ocean Drive just a few blocks away from the Cardozo Hotel. I had the fresh catch which was Mahi Mahi and a coconut margarita and it was delicious!
The second day we had lunch at Bice Cucina, an Italian restaurant located inside the Cardozo Hotel on Ocean Drive. They were hosting the ribbon cutting ceremony for the relaunch of the hotel after it had been fully renovated and boy did they have a spread! They had caesar and greek salads, fresh mozzarella, cheese trays, pasta, salmon and so much more. The mini tiramisu deserts were probably my favorite.
I have to say I think my favorite meal in Miami was our dinner at Ember on the second night. Located inside Paradise Plaza, Ember is a wood-fired American bistro by highly acclaimed Chef Brad Kilgore, focusing on classic and modern fare, wood-fired dishes, smoke laden meats, pastas and shareable sides. Robert and I enjoyed a long overdue date night here and we were blessed with an amazing server named Olivia. We went with all of her recommendations and I can not express how amazing the food was! I have to say the appetizer was problem my absolute favorite! If you like cornbread you have to try the roasted cornbread custard (AHHMAZING). We also split the smoked fried chicken, the 12 oz. ribeye and the yukon mash (potatoes) as a side. After all of that yummy food we were so full but we had to try the creme brulee that is brought out by the chef and caramelized on top right in front of you. It was the perfect temperature and so delicious!
The next day before we left Miami we grabbed breakfast donuts and coffee at The Salty Donut and it made me a VERY happy girl. The Salty is a family-owned, artisan donut shop that focuses on chef-made, small-batch, craft donuts that rotate based on seasonality located in Wynwood. They are a 100% scratch bakery, so they use nothing but the highest quality ingredients and making everything in house! They also don’t use any artificial ingredients in anything they make. We wanted to try an assortment so we grabbed half a dozen different donuts and they were all so delicious.
Lastly, let’s discuss some fun things to do while staying in South Beach, Miami!
First and foremost you are in the sunshine state so you have to checkout the beach and relax in the sun for a bit! They have super cute insta worthy lifeguard stands posted at each street mark on the beach so you can easily pinpoint where you’re at.
When it gets too hot on the beach and you’ve had enough sun you can walk off of the beach right back on the strip. The first row (Ocean Drive is mostly all restaurants and hotels with some souvenir shops. The next block down (Collins Ave. & 8th St.) had some really good stores that we walked down and went shopping at such as H&M, Victoria Secret, Beach Bunny, Ugg and many more.
Another really fun area in South Beach that we unfortunately didn’t have time to visit is Lincoln Road. Lincoln Road is the perfect venue for a fun day or night out in South Beach! Whether it’s a date night or doing the city with friends, everyone will enjoy South Florida’s most popular shopping and dining promenade. No matter where you’re staying in South Beach, you are never more than a few minutes away from the bars, restaurants, and action of Lincoln Road. We’ve put together a short list of tips to get you started.
Before leaving Miami we had to go check out the Wynwood Art Walls. We planned to grab donuts and coffee at The Salty Donut in Wynwood and then walk and drive around to check out the art walls and it was the best ending to an amazing little two day vacation! There were blocks and blocks of art on every corner and wall in Wynwood and they were so colorful and mesmerizing. We could see some of them off of the interstate on the way into Miami and we knew we had to check them out before leaving!
I hope you all enjoyed this quick recap of our two day Miami getaway and it helps you plan your trip there to get some sun and fun!
XOXO
-Ashley
