Miami

BY AMANDA McCOY

ROOFTOP IN THE RIVIERA
If Saint-Tropez was transplanted onto a South Beach rooftop, it would be Vilebrequin La Plage. Opened this year atop Unframed hotel in Miami Beach, it is the first U.S. outpost of the hospitality concept by French luxury swimwear label Vilebrequin. Expect a full French Riviera lifestyle experience: upscale dining, tropic-forward cocktails, poolside lounging, and even a boutique selling its swimsuits and resortwear. The restaurant occupies the eighth-floor rooftop, spanning roughly 18,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space with panoramic Miami Beach views. Maximalist Parisian designer Vincent Darré splashed the interiors with a whimsical, deliberately glamorous Riviera sensibility, while French executive chef Gregory Gourreau whips up a Mediterranean spread with Miami accents. 1685 Washington Avenue, vilebrequin.com/us/en/page/miami

BRING ON THE HEAT
The Miami Heat’s new 1988 Club is shaping up to be one of the most extravagant premium experiences in professional basketball, essentially combining courtside NBA access with the atmosphere and food of a high-end Miami private club. Debuting for the 2026–27 season at Kaseya Center, the completely reimagined former Courtside Club takes its name from the Heat’s 1988 inaugural season and sits only steps from Pat Riley Court. It is the centerpiece of a broader $40 million overhaul at the arena. Michelin-starred Miami chef Jeremy Ford is overseeing the club’s culinary program through the season, with a farm-to-table menu and spectacular wine and cocktail program. The club is about as exclusive as it gets, reserved for Heat Elite Reserve members – essentially the team’s floor-seat clientele – with only about 140 members, but once you’re in, expect red-hot hospitality in classic Miami-chic digs. nba.com/heat/premium/the-1988-club

PICTURE PASTEL
Alaïa made its Miami debut earlier this year with the opening of its first boutique in the city’s Design District, giving the Parisian maison a permanent presence in one of the country’s most influential luxury-fashion destinations. The swanky boutique was conceived with Swedish architecture studio Halleroed as an immersive expression of Alaïa’s sculptural design language, drawing on Miami’s Art Deco heritage through soft curves, precise geometric forms, and an unmistakable wash of pale pink mosaic tile that stretches across the façade, floors, and interior surfaces. The gallery-like store features dedicated spaces for footwear, accessories, and ready-to-wear separates, with mirrored screens that lend lightness and intimacy, while black leather, metal, and glass sharpen the otherwise pastel palette. 171 NE 39th Street, miamidesigndistrict.com/listing/alaia

ZEN DEN
Tucked into just 800 square feet, this freshly debuted omakase restaurant proves wow factor isn’t contingent on size. Takay offers only ten seats, allowing co-founders Glen Kotlyarski and Yoni Matz to build the experience around direct interaction between chef and diner. Guests enter through a small Japanese Zen garden before reaching the hinoki-wood chef’s counter, while above it sweeps the room’s defining feature: a dramatic, layered “Wooden Wave” installation inspired by Hokusai’s famous The Great Wave off Kanagawa. The menu follows Edomae-style sushi traditions, using seafood and specialty ingredients flown in from Japan alongside seasonal produce from local farms to build out its 17-course tasting extravaganza. There are two nightly seatings, and reservations are a must. 2296 Coral Way, takaymiami.com

PERFECT STORM
Miami bar veteran James MacInnes originally opened Stormy Monday cocktail bar in Miami Beach in March as a five-month pop-up experiment in the former Macchialina space. The intimate, music-forward haunt quickly developed a cult following among locals and cocktail obsessives, prompting the team to scrap the planned expiration date. After a brief summer closure to add new furnishings, refreshed interiors, and a standing bar counter, Stormy Monday reopened in August as a permanent fixture, slinging smoky mezcal sippers and sparkling spritzes alongside caviar croquetas and coconut shrimp cocktail. 820 Alton Road, @stormymondaymia