Bars in Miami Beach

Gusto Bistro's owners and pastry chef hail from Paris, and they incorporate regional French influences from Provence and Brittany into their Mediterranean-inspired cuisine. Dishes are served "in a setting that's less about 'dinner' and more about sitting around shooting the breeze with your mouth really full" according to Thrillist. To jumpstart conversations, the bartenders pour glasses of wine from a list that emphasizes Italian regions and varietals and includes a collection of French and New World bottles. In the kitchen, chefs artfully decorate small plates with arrangements of seasonal fruits and vegetables, French cheeses, or beef carpaccio. Pastry chef Manuel Bengochea brings meals to a sweet finish with a wide variety of homemade French desserts.

Around the dining room, brushed-nickel lamps and black-and-white-tiled floors create a sleek, modern look, while lime-green drapes and a kaleidoscopic assortment of cushions add splashes of color. Large, decorative wine labels hang above the bottle-lined shelves, warning diners about the walls' sulfite content.

The bar looks like a beer-lover's rainbow, a row of draft handles representing more than 30 brews. While bartenders fill pints and 7-ounce flight glasses, flat-screen televisions air major-league sports from around the world, from football to international soccer to pay-per-view UFC bouts. These surroundings make the bar and grill the kind of place where fans can spend an entire day catching games while enjoying drinks and a menu of pub fare. Valet parking lends the sports-focused eatery a luxurious aspect only seen in the sports world when the Marlins wear tuxedos instead of their baseball uniforms. In addition to sports, Hoops attracts guests with special events such as Singles Mingles and karaoke.

The saloons of yesteryear didn't usually stretch across12,000 square feet. But at Cowboys Saloon, a modern take on the watering holes of the Old West, visitors have plenty of space to dig into a hearty meal, grab drinks from one of three full liquor bars, or kick up their spurred heels on the 2,000-square-foot dance floor. Live concerts, weekly events, three pool tables, and a mechanical bull help the saloon attract passersby and extroverted tumbleweeds to its tables.