University of Miami
- Nightlife

Nikki Beach

This outdoor beach club is a refreshing alternative to the crowded, sweaty dark rooms featured in other clubs. Nikki Beach is a cross between club and resort. The partying literally never stops, as you can always find people out in the mornings and afternoons enjoying cocktails and the sights of the beautiful people around them. This spot is considered one of the most exclusive clubs in Miami, so entry will probably be denied to most college students; those who get in never want to leave. This club has more of a tourist and visitor crowd, because anyone who lived this 24-hour hedonistic lifestyle for more than a couple days would probably get burnt out pretty quickly. Sample features include: Sushi hour, Retro ‘80s, “Winter in Miami,” Indio Loco, New-Style Brunch, “Tangerine Dreams”

Opium

Yet another South Beach hotspot, Opium competes mainly with clubs like Crobar, Space, Level, and the tons of other popular places. Opium advertises a lot with fliers around campus, and so it appears to be more popular at first glance. Opium is one of the big-name clubs, like Crobar, that everyone has to try once, but most people end up going to a smaller spot.

B.E.D.

B.E.D. is a rare example of when a theme-reliant club succeeds. This club has grown to be one of the top spots in South Beach, due largely to the innovative idea of serving patrons dinner not at tables or chairs, but in bed. If you don’t come with enough people, you might have to share your bed with another party, which isn’t always a bad thing. Ordering from the fancy menu is mandatory upon entry, and food alone can cost you $50, not including the drink minimums. Sunday: Closed. Sample theme nights include: Secret Society R&B and Hip Hop, Disco Jazz Night, Abstrakt Fridays—Vintage Funk & Soul, SKIN—Rock-Dance Mix

Crobar

Crobar is one of the more popular clubs in South Beach, but it’s not really considered one of the best. Its location on a crowded corner in the heart of SoBe certainly adds to its popularity, but the majority of students seem to try Crobar once and settle into some lesser-known, yet nicer, South Beach nightspot. Hours: 10 p.m-5 a.m. Capactity: 1200. Ages: 21+

The Tavern

This favorite of UM students is known for its cheap drinks, generous specials, and fairly lenient ID checking. There’s a happy hour every weeknight before 8 p.m., but the best special is all-you-can-drink on Monday nights for $10. Other nights basically feature various beers at cheap prices, except for Sunday night, when the combination of $5 pitchers and beer pong ensures an interesting evening.

Titanic

Titanic is rare for a Miami bar in that it’s not in the Grove or South Beach. But this spot became popular because of its location right next to campus, and because it’s the only bar within reasonable walking distance of UM. It has become popular with the UM crowd because of its great live music, relaxed atmosphere, and lack of a cover charge. Titanic brews its own beer, some of which it names after UM traditions, and there are plenty of specials and happy hour drinks. With no cover charge, and no minimum age for entry, it won’t hurt to walk down the street and give Titanic a try.

Sandbar

Sandbar, is a top destination for UM students looking to drink and have a good time without the hectic pace of a club in South Beach. For the most part a bar is a bar, but Sandbar stays popular because of its specials and theme nights. The White Trash Bash every Tuesday is a fun theme for students with hokey trailer park attire on hand, and $1.50 cans. The biggest weeknight for a college bar is Thursday, so Sandbar offers $3 bottles and a special late-night happy hour from 2 a.m.-5 a.m. with $2 bottles. Other specials include Monday night football and Karaoke Wednesdays.

Monty’s

Monty’s is a tough sell for those who’ve never been there. The location, although in the Grove, is pretty far removed from the heart of the bar scene. The most popular area is out on the deck by the water, which clashes with the dark, smoky atmosphere of most of the local drinking spots. But Monty’s is one of the hottest locales for early evening drinking, especially with mixed drinks like the Painkiller. This isn’t really a late-night hangout, so there aren’t many specials or theme nights, but few weekends go by without gathering on the deck at Monty’s for “pre-gaming.”

Mr. Moe’s

Mr. Moe’s has a pretty cool log cabin décor and the attitude to match. Wednesday nights are especially interesting with a bull riding theme, and Karaoke night on Tuesdays is always fun. Like a lot of other bars, Mr. Moe’s has happy hour every night from 11 a.m.-8 p.m., and features a ton of TVs for sporting events. The food is actually pretty good, and fairly cheap for the Grove, and so the place stays open as a restaurant during the day before turning into the typical bar at night, with a mid-western slant.

Café Demetrio

Although you won’t find wild dancing and barely-dressed hotties at this coffeehouse, Café Demetrio provides a quiet but cool atmosphere for students who prefer coffee and a good book to blaring techno tunes and fake IDs. This quaint coffee bar in downtown Coral Gables is popular among the artsy crowd and brings in live bands to spice things up on Friday and Saturday nights. There’s even a chess tournament night on the first Monday of every month. Make sure to check out the gourmet coffee and snacks at this local landmark.

Books and Books

Okay, so hanging out at a bookstore probably doesn’t appeal to the bar and club crowd, but if you’re into art or writing or poetry, then you’ll want to make Books and Books a priority. This 20-year-old independent bookstore was a hit with locals long before Barnes and Noble became a nationally-recognized name. The location in beautiful downtown Coral Gables has hosted an incredible list of celebrity authors and poets like Martin Ames, Allen Ginsburg, Jamaica Kincaid, Salman Rushdie, Kurt Vonnegut, Judy Blume, Walter Cronkite, Dave Barry, Carl Hiaasen, Jimmy Carter, Al Gore, Rudy Giuliani, Rosie O’Donnell, Cindy Crawford, and Mariel Hemingway. The store keeps a pretty up-to-date listing of upcoming readings and events on its Web site, so be sure to check and see if anyone cool is coming soon. Books and Books also looks to entertain its loyal patrons with live music and a nice café.