Miami is known to be a melting pot of culture, celebrating its diversity through food, art, entertainment and a booming tech scene, being the home of several immersive digital art installations with a mission to inspire, educate and empower the creation of new, experiential and exploratory art forms. Alongside its geographic location and all-year round summer weather, it has become a leading destination for tourism. 

I spent a weekend there fully immersing myself in everything the city has to offer. Here’s a little summary of my trip:

Day 1: Wynwood & Design District

I stayed in the Wynwood area for the weekend, and since it was Saturday, I decided to start my Miami experience by visiting the newly opened Smorgasburg market to have brunch (it’s only open on Saturdays). The open-air market is one of the coolest food markets at the moment, with locations in New York and Vegas. I had some fresh lemonade, a breakfast taco and some delish pastries. It’s located right next to Wynwood Walls, an area full of the best graffiti you’ve ever seen. This is real art right here! Prepare to be taking a lot of wall pics! 

After my graffiti wall exploration, I headed to Superblue, an immersive technology-driven museum, showcasing light-based displays, digital installations and immersive art. The rooms are designed by different artists and some of them are seasonal. The expos are amazing and the art is made to be interacted with. 

A short walk later, I arrived at Design District, a supercool area with modern architecture, luxury boutiques and upscale restaurants and cafes. If these streets don’t inspire you I don’t know what will! I ended my day by having dinner at Cote, a sleek Korean steakhouse offering premium beef cuts that are grilled at your table. The experience was amazing and I’d definitely recommend the Wagyu cut as a standout dish!

Day 2: Miami Beach

I wanted to explore the Miami most people recognize, so today I was spending my day in the Miami Beach area. To begin, I headed over to Soho House and had an exquisite brunch in Cecconi’s. For a fixed price, you have the most complete brunch-buffet extravaganza you could ever wish for. They have live music inside but I’d recommend sitting in the outdoor patio area which is beautiful. 

A while later, I took a walk around South Beach appreciating the classic art-deco architecture Miami’s so known for. I headed to my next immersive-art experience: Artechouse. The current expo is Renewal 2121, which transports us into an imagined future 100 years from now where nature’s resilience takes center stage amongst an overdeveloped metropolis. A great experience intertwining science, art and technology.

For dinner, I had heard rave reviews about Los Fuegos by Francis Mallman, within the Faena Hotel, very fashionable and worth the visit. The restaurant offers Argentinian cuisine and though it was pricey, it was divine with top-notch service. Definitely go for the seasonal off-the-menu dishes!

Day 3: Coconut Grove

For my final day, I had breakfast at Zak the Baker. I was really looking forward to this place. This bakery is one of Miami’s best and I was not disappointed. They make everything freshly baked in-house and literally right in front of you, with an open-plan kitchen and bagels straight out of the oven. 

I headed over to Coconut Grove, a lush and tropical neighborhood full of cool cafes, shops and waterfront parks. I took a stroll and visited Peacock Park, which had a lovely pier heading out to the dock offering beautiful sea views. For lunch, I stopped by Atchana‘s Homegrown Thai, a Thai restaurant serving locally-sourced dishes for great quality-price ratio. Do not miss the Khao Soi Gai, one of the best curry-noodle dishes I’ve ever had!

I was positively surprised to find that the art-deco Miami shown in the movies was just a glimpse of the actual Miami, with so much to see and so many different areas to explore. Can’t wait to be back! Find my Miami Guide on the Andiago app and follow on Instagram to stay updated about my future trips!