It’s Valentine’s Day, and despite your best efforts to avoid wallowing in tears couch-side as you shovel Be Mine candies into your mouth—somehow that’s exactly what you’re doing. After destroying several wads of tissues and debating whether to watch that Julia Roberts rom-com for the gazillionth time, the sudden realization dawns on you that singlehood doesn’t have to be a death sentence, but a welcome excuse to have fun meeting new people in the city of magic. Love is in the air, after all, and it’s yours for the taking at these Miami drinking institutions that attract eager singles in droves. Be prepared to be writing your number on a napkin at some point past two a.m. when your phone dies, fake digits or not.
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You won’t be trying too hard at Mama Tried because the mob of singles crowding the bar and pool table are all already fighting to make eye contact with you. Whether you want to dance, chill on one of the leather sofas or sip on your cocktail in peace as you search for your next conversation, you can have it all at this low-key Downtown haunt.
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Better Days is like a high-end frat party if such a thing exists, and you’d best believe there are countless singles waiting around just for you to make their day better. With a central pool table surrounded by 70’s thrift shop décor in what feels like a basement, this Brickell dive feels cozy and seductive all at once. You’re bound to down one too many shots with Chad and Brad to slightly cheesy tunes, but you don’t see us complaining.
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What do you get when you pair an iconic pizza restaurant with a sister cocktail bar? Dom’s. Connected to Lucali spin-off D.C. Pie, Dom’s is the back bar that spills into the Brickell sidewalk with buzzy working professionals chugging beers on tap or toasting with espresso martinis. Dom’s Thursday night karaoke sessions are not to be missed, a local favorite no matter where you fall on the karaoke-loving spectrum.
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Miami’s first cocktail bar is a machination for unexpected meetups with strangers, with bohemian-style lounge chairs and chaises scattered about the romantically lit pool deck of the Freehand Hotel. In addition to the world-class cocktail program presented by Bar Lab, the crowds that schmooze here are on the prowl for new drinking buddies and you might just be one of them.
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The wine-and-cheese garden known for its nightly live music is guaranteed to be packed whether it’s a Wednesday or Saturday, which inevitably means that your pick of singles is bound to be plentiful. Lagniappe feels like you’re kicking back with a glass of wine in your backyard patio, surrounded by string lights and hundreds of your closest friends. And who knows? Maybe one of them sitting at the table nearby will become more than a friend.
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Minibar is small, but mighty, located in The Meridian Hotel in South of Fifth. It’s a great spot for a casual happy hour when you’re fighting the urge to let off steam and vent to the bar-goer on your left just how badly you needed this drink. The tropical vibes extend to the outside patio where additional seating awaits on a balmy Miami night.
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Let all your inhibitions run wild at Sweet Caroline, where the rest of Brickell’s young professionals are doing just the same—to the beat of a catchy singalong. It’s rowdy and loud, but you’ll take it if that means the guy you’ve been flirting with can’t hear you slurring your words four drinks in.
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On the 40th floor of EAST Miami lies a rooftop oasis that beckons all the fashionable ladies and gents in search of city skyline views and eye candy in the shape of you. If a bougie night out on the town is what your heart desires, Sugar will surely deliver. For a glimpse of the in-the-know crowd, unlock the “dungeon” door behind the host stand (if you can) and party with all the elite Brickell babes and bros.
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Two words is all you need to know: The Bar. It’s where the locals congregate in Coral Gables and is one heck of a good time. A cultural staple that’s been around for decades, The Bar draws young worshipers of love and happy hour, with live music and mouthwatering bar food to pair with the two-for-one drink specials you’ll be all over.
Photography by: mariiaplo/Getty Images
