Where to go on a first date in Miami if you're talking on an app
For those navigating the wild world of dating
Mar
08
2023
Keep this guide handy for when you’re looking for where to go on a first date in Miami if you’re talking on an app.
Navigating the wild world of Miami dating and talking to people on dating apps, might as well be a part-time job. You might be overwhelmed with a plethora of options or maybe you’re really focusing on gente de calidad versus cantidad. The strategy that you choose when entering the dating pool is really up to you.
We are here to help alleviate the part of where to go on a first date. You never know who will be sitting across from you so at least you can control where you’re going. The spots we have chosen are budget-friendly and have great bites. And what we aim to provide is a good starting point to kick off the first date. If there’s some awkward silence, at least we’re giving you good places to talk about. Here’s where you should go on a first date if you’re talking on an app.
PARADIS BOOKS & BREAD
Neighborhood: North Miami
Address: 12831 W Dixie Hwy
Cuisine: American, wine bar, pizza
Paradis is one of those places that is flexible enough, that it works for any occasion. For some, it’s a bookstore. For others, it’s a wine bar or a bakery. We especially love it for a first date night. It’s a safe and relaxed space where you’ll feel at ease, drink incredible wine, and have a quality bite usually served with their homemade sourdough. If the date is going well, you’ll want to stay here until they close.
Starting at 5 PM from Thursday – Sunday, you can order a slice of the vegan marinara+++ with tomato, marinated eggplant, confit garlic, garlic breadcrumb; and other seasonal slices of pizza that change often. All of their pizzas have original combinations, are full of flavor, and have a very unique sourdough texture. Not to mention the size is perfect so that you can have more than one.
BAY 13 BREWERY & KITCHEN
Neighborhood: Wynwood
Address: 545 NW 26th St
Cuisine: Australian, brewpub
We wouldn’t say Coral Gabbles is the trendiest of neighborhoods for a first date. However, Bay 13 is the only Coral Gables restaurant and brewery on this list for a reason. This Melbourne brewpub has a cute patio for when the weather is nice but also has a welcoming indoor area with a great view of their brewery.
The beer menu changes frequently and features a variety of brews from the Southern Hemisphere. Happy Hour might be the time to meet your date if you can slam shut your laptop between 4 PM – 6 PM for half-off beer, wine by the glass, and back bar drinks. They also have a $5 margarita and $2 off-house cocktails during happy hour, daily. And on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday they offer half off all wine bottles, all day! Their menu includes fish and chips, fried artichokes, and meatballs with a creamy dill and mustard sauce to snack on.
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THE BROKEN SHAKER
Neighborhood: Miami Beach
Address: 2727 Indian Creek Dr
Cuisine: Modern American, Latin, cocktail bar
Broken Shaker is Miami Beach’s breath of fresh air and a great spot for a first date. This backyard pool and patio has been a classic since it went from pop-up to a permanent location in 2012. It’s a cool, laid-back, and effortless outdoor bar. If you get hungry there’s a limited menu that includes Harissa buffalo wings, Labneh, and the Shaker burger with bacon, cheddar, and special sauce. The Broken Shaker is open from Monday – Thursday from 5 PM – 1 AM, Friday & Saturday from 4 PM – 2 AM, and Sunday from 4 PM – 1 AM.
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NIU WINE
Neighborhood: Downtown
Address: 134 NE 2nd Ave
Cuisine: Spanish, wine bar
If you want to get into deep and meaningful conversations on the first date, this is your spot. NIU Wine is a true wine bar that will make you feel like you’re in Europe, except you’re actually in Downtown. Here they will open up any bottle and serve you by the glass. The wine selections are beautiful, the food is yummy and the playlist is on point.
The small menu of dishes includes anchovies with smoked butter, patatas bravas, oysters, and deep-fried Brie. The average glass of wine is $12 which is nice to know if you’re going on lots of dates.
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TERRAS
Neighborhood: Little Havana
Address: 528 SW 9th Ave
Cuisine: Latin
If you’re looking for a lowkey spot to catch the sunset, bring a first date here. Terras is a tropical rooftop bar and restaurant overlooking the Miami skyline in Little Havana. This is probably the most chill rooftop bar you will find in Miami and we mean that in a good way. Even though it’s located in a Life House hotel, it’s somewhere locals love.
The menu features Latin American bites such as ropa vieja birria tacos and a fried chicken Cuban sandwich. The cocktails on the menu have been created using herbs, fruits, and spices that are grown on the property. We also love that we can add our favorite CBD Vital Tonics for an addition to any of the cocktails. Happy Hour is available on Wednesday & Thursday from 4 PM – 6:30 PM with $12 cocktails and $9 tacos.
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JAGUAR SUN
Neighborhood: Downtown
Address: 230 NE 4th St
Cuisine: Modern American, pasta
Jaguar Sun is probably our favorite place in Miami. Some may say it’s a cocktail bar, others, a restaurant with an awesome pasta selection.
If you’re looking to sit at the bar and keep it more casual on a first date, we recommend arriving before 6 PM. If you want to secure your spot you can always make a reservation in their dining room. Even if you’re date sucks, it won’t matter. You’ll be busy sipping on La Reforma, a mezcal cocktail with honeydew, falernum, cocchi americano, and bitters.
Your date wants to do all the talking? Let them. As you quietly stuff your face with some of our favorite dishes like the Hokkaido Scallop, the Wagyu Beef Tartare, Agnolotti with blue crab, and the Spicy Rigatoni. Leave room for a Wolf Whistle, their version of a tequila espresso martini paired with dessert. Oh and also, if you stop by on Tuesday, they have $1 oysters available all night.
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LOVE LIFE CAFE
Neighborhood: Wynwood
Address: 545 NW 26th St
Cuisine: Vegetarian, vegan
This probably isn’t the most obvious spot for a first-time date, but we recently went to Love Life Cafe’s new, sleek, and spacious location and loved it. Before you flip out on us for telling you to go to a vegan restaurant on a first date, hear us out.
We’re definitely not vegans however the food at Love Life Cafe is delicious regardless of your dietary restrictions. We loved the best veggie burger in America with guacamole, pickles, and a kale cilantro aioli; the LL tacos, and the pizza Margherita. This is a great spot for an afternoon or daytime date. You can choose to drink natural wines, beer, or one of their non-alcoholic beverages.
Love Life Cafe is giving, “it’s not going to work if yoga isn’t part of your weekly routine or if you don’t love long walks on the beach.” The sooner they know, the better off you both will be.
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NEXT DOOR BY FLOUR & WEIRDOUGHS
Neighborhood: Key Biscayne
Address: 19 Harbor Dr
Cuisine: Argentinian, wine bar, pizza
Flour and Weirdoughs, a rustic bakery in Key Biscayne now has a wine bar called Next Door, and luckily for you, it’s literally right next to the bakery. Currently, they’re only open on Thursday-Saturday from 5 PM – 10 PM.
It’s super informal, cozy, and great for a laid-back first date.
You’re going to want to stop by, and get a reasonably priced bottle of good natural wine. We’re talking $40 per bottle on the lower end. They also have Rummikub and Domino if you want to break the ice with a game. Looking for some food? The Argentinian-ish bites will warm your little souls. Some of our favorite dishes include the Eggplant Escabeche, Fried Milanesa with French fries, and the best Choripan you will have in Miami. Of course, there’s pizza and well you can imagine how good their sourdough crust is. We love the Prosciutto with arugula and lots of parm sprinkled on top and our favorite is the Mortadella, Burrata, and homemade Pesto.
UNDERSTORY
Neighborhood: Little River
Address: 7135 NW 1st Ct
Cuisine: cocktail bar, wine bar
Understory located in Little River is the newest outdoor bar & event space by the Jaguar Sun team. This community-driven space is like a jungle with hidden nooks, picnic tables, and live music on Thursday and Friday starting at 7 PM. There’s lots to do here on a first date. You can walk around, drink a little, eat, listen to live music and do a little more drinking.
Wines are poured by Bad Seed, a weekly pop-up bar led by natural wine legend Karina Iglesias. Iglesias has teamed up with some of South Florida’s best restaurants every Thursday before Jazz in the Jungle for wood-fired cuisine. Future and existing collaborators include Jaguar Sun, Flour & Weirdoughs, El Bagel, Tacotomia, Sidewalk Diner, Lazy Oyster, and Tigre. And of course, there are cocktails by the Jaguar Sun team. Our favorites so far are the gin & cucumber and the frozen espresso.
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HIGHER GROUND
Neighborhood: Wynwood
Address: 2217 NW Miami Ct
Cuisine: Modern American, cocktail bar
Higher Ground, located on the third floor of Arlo Wynwood is the newest bar by Bar Lab Hospitality (creators of the popular cocktail bar Broken Shaker). The indoor-and outdoor garden bar is a great spot for a first date that can start very chill and if it’s going well you’ll end up somewhere else.
The cocktails are inspired by ingredients from Colombia, Peru, and Mexico. They use herbal elixirs, exotic infusions, and fresh pressed juices in their signature drinks such as Sunset on La Playa with Mezcal, Strega, and Giffard Banane, swizzled with orange juice, lime, coriander turmeric elixir and a dash of aji Amarillo, garnished with a plantain chip.
If you’re looking for a light bite, Higher Ground offers a rotating selection of raw bar and small plates. Dishes included shrimp cocktails, beef tartare, crispy duck rolls (with fig jam and pickled mustard seed), and crudités with tahini, za’atar, and salsa macha; and oysters.
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TÂM TÂM AT LOW KEY
Neighborhood: Little River
Address: 7127 NW 2nd Ave
Cuisine: Vietnamese
It seems like you and your app dates will be spending some time in Little River. Stop by Tam Tam for an intimate, informal, and outdoor (yet covered) Vietnamese experience. You’re coming here if you’re brave enough to commit to dinner but honestly, the setting is chill, so don’t freak out. Some of our favorite dishes include the shimeji mushroom, Tam Tam wings, jungle steak tartare, and lemon grass coconut clams. As far as drinks go, sip on a mamey margarita or a spiked Vietnamese iced coffee. They also have well drinks, beer, and wine. If you order a nice chilled red or skin contact wine, it will be kept cool, tableside in a beach cooler instead of the traditional wine cooler.
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