108 June 22-28, 2023 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times b e s T o f m i a m i ® 2 0 2 3 another, now has a built-in taco shop. El Toro Tacos offers a range of tacos from mushroom to pork belly priced for a taco shop and not a schmancy cocktail lounge. There’s also fresh guac, chilaquiles, queso fundido, and a gringo menu with burgers, steak frites, and fish sandwiches. And, of course, the Anderson has an amazing cocktail program, so you can pair that juicy birria taco with its best friend, a freshly shaken margarita. B E S T H A P P Y H O U R Margot Natural Wine Bar 21 SE Second Avenue, #700 Miami, 33131 786-431-5355 margotnaturalwinebar.com Margot Natural Wine Bar is a sanctuary from the towering scaffolding and never-ending downtown construction. Inside the old In- graham building, this quaint little spot offers an “Aperitivo Hour” in lieu of a happy hour, featuring $8 wines and $5 beers from 5 to 7 p.m. every day. It’s the brainchild of the folks behind Bar Lab (The Broken Shaker, 27 Res- taurant) and the perfect place to pop in on a weekday evening for light bites, great cock- tails, and, of course, glasses of globally sourced, natural wine. B E S T CO C K TA I L S The Gibson Room 2224 SW 22nd Street Miami, 33145 305-570-4311 thegibsonroommiami.com At Gibson Room, chef and restaurateur Mi- chael Beltran ensures that the same level of care and intricacy that earned him a Michelin star is applied to every item on the food and cocktail menus. And, as at his restaurants, the Gibson Room’s cocktails take classic concepts and put a subtle and intriguing spin on them. Here, the banana daiquiri isn’t a silly frozen blender drink but a sultry, sippable tipple. The gin Rickey is brightened with a hint of mint, and a Gibson, typically made with gin and dry vermouth, is enhanced with a touch of sherry. Add live music and lit candles, and you’ve got the hottest little cocktail lounge in Miami. B E S T M A R T I N I The Martini Bar 1677 Collins Avenue (in the National Hotel) Miami Beach, 33139 305-532-2311 nationalhotel.com/martini-bar Inside Miami Beach’s National Hotel, the rei- magined Martini Bar serves some of the city’s most sophisticated tipples. Earlier this year, the Art Deco hotel relaunched its beloved bar, a nostalgic sanctuary tucked away from the lobby with views of the grownups-only prop- erty’s infinity pool, rumored to be the longest in South Florida. The new and improved boozeatorium still boasts the original marble floors paired with Gatsby-esque décor, pro- viding an intimate setting to gather and min- gle while indulging in the beloved signature cocktail. While the menu changes seasonally, martini staples include the famed “Pear With Me,” a well-shaken martini that combines pear vodka with amaretto, lemon, pear syrup, and foam bitters; and the “Hibiscus Beauty,” which blends infused hibiscus vodka with St. Germain, lemon, ginger syrup, and sage. Espresso martinis tend to present as unctu- ous, but the Martini Room’s hits perfectly, with a base of Caffè Borghetti liqueur and ni- tro cold brew. For an even more refined expe- Eat & Drink
