Cigar World's Must See Neighborhoods- Part Two: Brickell

Brickell feels like the ultra-modern part of Miami with its glittering skyscrapers, art galleries and luxury condos that overlook the Biscayne Bay. This concrete jungle has luxury clothing stores, Michelin star restaurants (we ate at Kaori and it was fabulous,) and some of the best of the best in the Miami area when it comes to entertainment. Don’t let the reputation of Brickell fool you because you can find places to eat that are amazing and won’t break your budget. It’s great to stay in Brickell because you can walk to a multitude of restaurants and bars, so there’s no need to grab a rideshare if you stay here.

You never know what you are going to see when walking around in Brickell. It is a hotspot for new inventions and test projects, and during our most recent stay, we saw a robot, with digital hearts for eyes, roaming around and discovered that this is a new project being tested out that people can rent to deliver items to their friends.

 You might also see a man on the corner with VR glasses on blasting a boombox having a dance party by himself. Everybody walked by him as though this was a totally normal day. See video below!

We were surprised by the amount of people wandering around in athletic gear and workout clothes. With the number of apartments and condos in the area, it does make sense though. I felt the need to head into a Lululemon immediately. Everyone is out walking their dogs, and foot traffic is busy after six or 7 o’clock at night no matter what day of the week. There’s always a hustle and bustle going on in Brickell, and the energy is contagious. 

Some spots that we recommend you check out are Brickell City Centre, a huge outdoor retail complex where you can shop and dine for a variety of luxury items. The restaurants in this “mall” are far from your typical food court, so no need to find a different place to dine during your shopping spree. Speaking of food courts, Okeydokey is another recommendation that we have for you. This is an entertainment venue with restaurants, bars, and nightlife. Calling it a food hall or food court is almost an insult due to the caliber of vendors, but it is a food hall that you don’t want to miss out on! Finally, speaking of nightlife, the rooftop bar scene is epic in Brickell. There are huge rooftop venues where you can spend the night away, and rooftop means outdoors, which means smoker-friendly!

We visited 3 cigar lounges when we were in Brickell:

• The Red Phone Booth, which is a chain and a speakeasy type establishment that you need a code to get into. You can find these lounges in Atlanta, Buckhead, The Colony in TX, Nashville, and of course Miami. 

• The Empire Social Club, which is nestled in the heart of Brickell and has all the amenities of your typical cigar lounge from lockers to lounge chairs with a menu for snacks and a multitude of different kinds of cocktails. 

• City Cigar Lounge was a little bit more on the outskirts of Brickell, but on Wednesdays they have two for ones on whiskey so if you’re around Brickell on a Wednesday, you need to stop by this shop and grab yourself a couple of whiskeys and smoke your cigar. They also have an area to smoke outside if you want to enjoy a cooler evening.

We had a great time at all spots, and there are a couple other lounges that we just didn’t get to, but overall Brickell was a great spot to spend time in, especially for the nightlife!