Discover Miami with Mr & Mrs Smith and Porter

Together, we’ll show you around a familiar Miami: the itty-bitty bikinis, bronzed bodies and Pepto Bismol-pink pastel architecture decorating SoBe (South Beach, sweetie); the Latin American and Caribbean swagger of Little Havana, Coconut Grove and Coral Gables; the megabucks malls; the glitzy bars and that seaside sex appeal that has seen the city immortalised on the big screen, with help from Tony Montana (chainsaws: optional), plus Detectives Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs (white blazers: essential).

But there’s more to Miami than that. The city that hosts Art Basel – and 260-plus leading international artists – every December (2–4 Dec, this year) has a cultured, creative streak all year round. We’re talking world-class galleries, theatres and museums, exciting design and art districts, trendsetting boutiques, a stellar food and drink scene and – naturally – some magnetic hotels.

To ensure you look the part, create your own Miami-vice wardrobe straight from Porter’s pages by downloading the nifty app on IOS or Android. The app offers a state-of-the-art shopping experience, enabling you to shop thousands of items straight from the page; get a sneak peek of how it works here, or buy the latest issue. Less Miami vice; more Miami nice.

Smith tips Start with the obvious: SoBe’s candy-coloured Art Deco architecture (there are more than 800 Art Deco structures to admire), which blossomed here after the hurricane of 1926. In the Eighties, Ocean Drive’s buildings were pepped up again with licks of paint in a kaleidoscope of bright colours, adding extra sparkle to Miami’s already-effervescent party district. While you’re in the area, perfect your tan on its famous sweep of milk-white sand, or visit the Bass Art Museum on Park Avenue, part of the emerging Design District. Founded by art luminaries Samuel Borkson and Arturo Sandoval III, FriendsWithYou’s Studio & Boutique on NE Second Ave is an art trifecta: it’s an agency, exhibition space and shop. For Latin American adventures, head to Little Havana: the centre of the city’s Cuban exile community, particularly around Calle Ocho (Southwest 8th Street) between 11th and 17th Avenues. Catch exhibitions and performances celebrating Afro-Caribbean heritage at the Little Haiti Cultural Center on NE 59th Street.

Porter picks Miami has more art museums than you can waggle a paintbrush at; the Art Center South Florida, Bass Museum of Art and the Pérez Art Museum Miami paint the town all manner of hues. A provocative, educational art space, the Rubell Family Collection on NW 29th Street hosts a revolving collection of contemporary art, artist lectures and community events (www.rfc.museum). If you prefer your art emblazoned on walls and shopfronts, spend some time in the graffiti-graced Wynwood Arts District, one of the world’s largest and most eye-popping street-art installations. The District also boasts an eclectic array of museums, galleries, shops and cafés; look out for the 12 murals created by the likes of Shepard Fairey, Aiko and Jim Drain at Wynwood Walls.

Smith tips Rummage for retro treasure at C.Madeleine’s, on Biscayne Boulevard in North Miami Beach. This Aladdin’s Cave of vintage haute couture and designer pieces is essential viewing for Mrs Smiths who know their Halston from their Hermès. The shop’s bounty is ever-changing, but you can expect top-notch fur pieces, lace dresses, costume jewellery and kitschy bric-à-brac. Pick up pieces by Philippe Starck – his gnome tables, perhaps – and other luminaries at Kartell, a swish furniture and homewares emporium in the Design District. Stay in the area – and pick out a teeny bikini – from designer Tomas Maier’s namesake boutique. Follow the ladies with big hair, tiny handbags and even tinier pooches to Bal Harbour Shops at the north end of Collins Avenue, whose bank-balance-unbalancing armament includes Chanel, Versace, Bulgari, Chloé, Prada, Gucci and Tiffany & Co. Add some sauce to your underwear drawers by paying a trip to Le Beauty Room, a candy-pink boutique with a ravishing array of flimsy, lacy smalls. Stock up on warming massage oils, glow-in-the-dark bubbles or edible body paint; you can even have a pole-dancing or belly-dancing lesson. After something more wholesome? Pick up fresh fruit and veg from SoBe’s Fresh Market.

Porter picks The Webster’s Art Deco flagship in Miami Beach remains the go-to boutique for the style set. Browse three floors of designs from labels including the Row and Alaïa, plus capsule collections from the likes of Calvin Klein and Proenza Schouler. 

Smith tips For some all-American sporting thrills, cheer on the Miami Dolphins American football team or join the basketball crew at a Miami Heat game. Barring the odd hurricane, Miami is the perfect place for watersports; charter a yacht or learn to sail with Florida Yacht, or go scuba diving with Tarpoon Diving Center. There’s also deep-sea sport fishing if you want to satisfy your inner Hemingway; try Blue Waters at Bayside Marketplace. Rent a Harley from Peterson’s, from $70 a day, and cruise the 50 miles down to the Florida Keys, a beautiful, 130-mile-long chain of coral islands connected by the Overseas Highway; check out Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville in Key West, a truly American institution. Less than one hour west of Miami is the Everglades, a vast area of swamps; go on an alligator safari by air boat, swamp buggy or helicopter, with Air Boat USA.

Porter picks Budding mermaids and mermen will be delighted by Miami’s seaside lures: start by splashing around SoBe; the Lummus Park Beach section between Sixth and 14th Street is one of the best spots to pose and/or people-watch. Guests at newcomer 1 Hotel South Beach are spoiled for choice when it comes to cooling off. This beachfront hotel has four swimming pools: the two on the main deck feel like they’re flowing into the sea; the adults-only rooftop deck offers some of the most stunning views of Miami Beach. There’s also an exclusive third-floor pool lined with 12 cabanas. Continue the liquid adventures at the Raleigh hotel’s scallop-edge pool, which Life magazine deemed to be America’s most beautiful pool in 1947. If only we could all age this gracefully…

Smith tips Take note, burger fans – Miami's frita traditional puts a Cuban spin on America’s hamburger: the patty comes with a generous scattering of papitas (matchstick-thin, crispy fried potatoes), plus a dollop of top-secret sauce, sandwiched between Cuban bread. (El Mago de las Fritas is a good place to go for an introduction.) If you’re here between October and May, don a bib, wield a mallet and lord it over a cracking board in order to conquer stone crab claws, a local specialty. Order yours, served chilled with mustard, at Joe’s Stone Crab, which started life as a humble fish shack in 1913, but has since wowed Bill Clinton, Frank Sinatra, Muhammad Ali and more. Three words: chicken, watermelon, waffles. This holy trinity is another Miami classic; try it with honey hot sauce, Bourbon maple syrup (yes, really) and Vermont sharp cheddar at Yardbird Southern Table & Bar. Think you know ice-cream? Think again. Azucar in Little Havana honours the owner’s abuela (grandma), who was a wizard at making tropical ice creams from local fruit: sunset-orange mamey, avocado with condensed milk, sweet pink guava and sorbets made from juicy mangos. The flavour list is as long as our arm-span, with treats including guarapiña (sugarcane and pineapple), sweet cream corn, zapaticos de rosa (rose petal) and the signature Abuela Maria: vanilla ice-cream with chewy guava cubes, cream cheese and cookies, plus lashings of guava syrup. It’s so good, it’s trademarked.

Porter picks Alter is a classic example of why Wynwood is generating such a buzz as a district to watch out for: its award-winning seasonal offerings are an edible love-letter to Florida’s tropical bounty. There’s a five-course tasting menu, whose previous treats have included dishes such as soft egg with scallop espuma and chive-and-truffle pearls, and a dessert of chocolate and mint, with cacao mousse, black-mint ice cream, hibiscus and chartreuse. Sample Uruguayan flavours at Quinto La Huella, whose not-so-secret weapons include a wood parilla and wood oven. An eclectic mix makes it onto the grill: robalo (black bass), galleto de campo (game hen), mollejas (sweetbreads) and more. Sushi-addicts should hit up Sushi Garage, where succulent sashimi and co. – plus nigiri and potent cocktails – are served in a former garage on West Avenue. For a meal with plenty of old-school Italian va-va-voom, dine at Casa Tua, set in a 1920s villa decorated with Hollywood portraits by Terry O Neil and Horst, plus a candlelit garden. Thought unicorns don’t exist? They do at Pao, the hot new eatery at Faena Hotel Miami Beach, where you have two to choose from: chef Paul Qui’s cleverly named dish of sea urchin and grilled corn pudding served in a spiky sea urchin shell over a bed of dried spices, or the golden unicorn sculpture by Damien Hirst in the centre of the dining room. Too full to move? The hotel has 169 rooms and suites, whose cherry-red and seafoam-green Deco decor comes courtesy of film directors Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin. 

Smith tips From dive bar to vertiginous ritzy rooftop, Miami has a drinking den for every taste. Spire Bar is more of the latter – champagne mojitos come with illuminated ice cubes. A good spot for a serious cocktail, the Broken Shaker on Indian Creek Drive muddles fresh garden herbs and Florida’s famed juices in heady unions. We love the tropical outdoor areas at the Shore Club’s Skybar, festooned with oversized plant pots, Moroccan-inspired day-beds and hammocks just begging for louche behaviour. Towards the southern tip of Miami Beach, at 1 Ocean Drive, Nikki Beach has torchlit tiki bars and white lounge chairs – it’s filled with potential cover stars for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue or Men’s Health, so bring your swimwear A-game. Every up-and-coming area has its own craft beer brewery, and graffiti-bedecked Wynwood is no exception: Wynwood Brewing is a family-run, 15-barrel brewhouse, whose liquid lures include a blonde ale, an India pale ale, an award-winning robust porter and seasonal brews.

Porter picks Soon Sweet Liberty Drinks & Supply Company’s awards cabinet will be as stuffed as its groaning drinks cabinet: The New York Times recently gave it ‘Best Bar South Beach’ and ‘Best Happy Hour’ gongs; Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards named it ‘Best New American Cocktail Bar’. The bar is run by award-winning bartender John Lermayer and Dan Binkiewicz, alongside restaurateur David Martinez; it’s set in a fashionably gritty urban space – all exposed brick and Donkey Kong pipes – in on-the-up Collins Park. The Basic Bitch is anything but: vodka, St Germain, strawberry, sage, lemon and prosecco; we’d also order second rounds of the Big Banana Julep, made with sous vide banana rum, bonded bourbon, mint and salted banana syrup. Later this year, NYC’s prohibition-inspired cocktail bar Employees Only will bring its signature Art Deco swag and bandbox-neat, white-jacketed bartenders to the swish Coral House at Washington Park Hotel.

Smith tips Miami nightlife is a flamboyant firestorm on the senses: expect bottle service and a bit of burlesque. Rap-lyric-immortalised Liv megaclub attracts big-spenders, Mango’s Tropical Café on South Beach has fab-u-lous floor shows and the Electric Pickle Company is spoken of reverently in DJ circles. The city’s deeply rooted LGBT scene ensures plenty of friendly – sometimes scandalous – venues; Score Nightclub on Washington Avenue has hosted Lady Gaga, muscle dancers and drag acts. The Smith-approved SLS South Beach knows how to party: run by a bevy of beautiful bar staff, its lavish Hyde Beach club draws a sun-kissed crowd for poolside partying, dancing on the sand, DJ sets and cool cocktails. If your wallet wants to go on a diet, opt for a champagne spray package (from $1,000 for four bottles) to kick off the debauchery in expensively explosive style.

Porter picks Soho Beach House’s private slice of beach is catnip for Miami’s glam squad, especially during Basel and the festive season, when queues snake around the block and the oceanfront sofas, tables and daybeds are near fought for. Visiting DJs and jazz bands up the ante; the party often spills over into the hotel’s taverna-style restaurant, Mandolin. For night fever, head to the Miami Beach Edition. Don’t be distracted by the marble lobby, punctuated by gold columns and giant palms; head straight downstairs for Basement, a fun-times homage to Schrager’s Studio 54, replete with sparkler-topped bottles of champagne, pulsing music, bowling alleys and a skating rink (well, naturally). Delano South Beach also has a DJ-luring subterranean nightspot, FDR at Delano, which will keep you from your bed until 5am. Don’t miss nitrogen caipirinhas (yes, really) at SLS South Beach’s Bazaar bar, whose candyfloss-pink accents were inspired by Starck’s daughter.

Smith tips at SLS South Beach, 17th-century French pomp meets modern-day Miami, with Philippe Starck on the throne of the hotel’s madcap styling. A silver ‘rubber duckie’ sits by a pool in lieu of mythological statuary, and rooms are fit for a royal mistress (Starck was inspired by Louis XV’s legendary side chick, Madame de Pompadour), with chaise-longues, pops of pink and even a – insert blush – mirrored ceiling. Hotel Victor South Beach is a very different proposition: more surf house than madhouse; more mellow than melodramatic. It’s low-key and relaxed, from its outdoor pool to its pancake-flipping Sugar Factory bistro, but it has a playful side: chocolatey marshmallow-tinged S'Mores martinis served at Sugar Factory, and the Sushi Couture’s creative sushi plates, for example. Bed down at The Betsy South Beach and you could be forgiven for asking yourself whether you’re in South Carolina or SoBe – the hotel has retro, chintzy charm by the bucket- (and spade-) load. Those ocean views are pure Miami; bag one of the high-ceilinged Grand Suites for the most eye-popping sea vistas. If the phrase ‘mid-century’ weakens your knees, take them to Nautilus, a jet-set beach house designed in the Fifties by idiosyncratic architect Morris Lapidus. The hotel’s palm-fringed heated saltwater pool has an underwater sound system; rooms at this Art Deco darling are kitted out with vintage trunks, studded headboards and glass-walled marble bathrooms. (There’s also a buzzy cocktail bar for the sunset-toasting crowd.)

Porter picks Mid-century thrills continue at the Ian Schrager-designed Miami Beach Edition, which puts the sea and sand centre stage, with help from oceanfront bungalows, shaded beach chairs, a hammock-strung beach lounge and a lobby lined with potted palm trees. No chance of boredom here: there are two pools, three restaurants and a trio of buzzy bars. Anything but standard, The Standard Spa, Miami Beach has been styled by André Balazs: there’s a Scandi-lously photogenic restaurant, rooms boasting terraces and roll top baths, and a spoiling spa. What could be more Miami than flamingo pool floats, private-beach access and Art Deco flair? You’ll find all of the above – and more – at Robert McKinley-designed The Hall South Beach, which also has a crowd-drawing beer garden and an all-day eatery. If you’ve been maximising Miami’s nocturnal scene, Como Metropolitan Miami Beach will revive you: it’s set in the quiet historic district, with a private patch of beach and a smoothie-serving juice bar. Mind you, there’s also a Gin Club with more than 30 artisanal gins…

Smith tips Let Smith’s hotels and their resident nimble-knuckled masseuses relax you. Miami Beach Edition’s spa offers a slew of relaxation-oriented massages and facials, including custom massages with mix-and-match styles, firmness and types of oil. Before heading in for treatments, lounge on daybeds in the relaxation area surrounded by vintage Moroccan rugs and drapery, with fortifying citrus water and tea. Beyond exceptional massages and facials, Como Metropolitan’s top-floor spa offers guided meditation, pranayama breathing and private yoga classes. Standards are high at Standard Spa, Miami Beach, especially when it comes to pampering – the outstanding spa includes a hammam, classic cedar sauna and steam room, and offers a range of treatments and therapies. (The hotel also has yoga lawns and a gym.)

Porter picks Miami’s fitness power couple, Christopher and Tracie Vaughn, will whip you into shape (not with actual whips, mind); their beach workouts combine yoga and high-intensity training. Boost your immune system and/or bust your hangover with a cold-pressed juice from Jugofresh; the Alkaline Gangster is a punchy blend of cucumber, celery, spinach, parsley, lemon and ginger. The juice bar’s plant-championing restaurant, Paradigm Kitchen, is set to open soon in the Sunset Harbour neighbourhood. Join the other raw food-addicts flocking to Plant Food + Wine in Edgewater for black pepper kelp noodles, kimchee dumplings and more. At the Standard Spa, try one of the classes or holistic therapies, which span the spectrum of New Age-y (chakra cleansing) to uber trendy (AcroYoga). After all that, you’ll be ready to party again...