MIAGuide
The Best Miami Art Week Fairs & Where To Eat Around Them
These are the fairs to prioritize during Miami Art Week—plus some places to eat within walking distance.
This may come as a shock to some, but one of the best things about Art Basel is still, in fact, the art. It’s a very cool thing to have our city flooded with some of the world’s best artists, and you’d be wise to take advantage of it. But, we’ll admit, there are a truly overwhelming amount of options.
So we made this guide to some of our favorite art fairs happening during Miami Art Week. We’ve been to them all in previous years, and really do feel they’re worth the traffic. And because we are The Infatuation, we’ve also thrown in some restaurant suggestions within walking distance to the fairs—both some quick and casual spots as well as some fancier restaurants. Now go eat something great and nod thoughtfully at a painting you can’t afford.
THE SOUTH BEACH FAIRS
Art Basel Miami Beach
Art Basel. Ever heard of it? The quintessential fair and headliner of the week, which takes place at the Miami Beach Convention Center, is indeed worth seeing. You could spend hours here, get lost several times, and still not see every single artwork. Another reason to come check it out: a lot of the art here will be bought by private collectors and not seen on the public market again for years. Also, you don’t want to be the person who misses out on seeing a banana taped to a wall that sold for $120,000.
Design Miami
Right across the street from Art Basel is Design Miami, a contemporary design-focused fair featuring the best of furniture, lighting, books, and more. We know “furniture” may not be what comes to mind when you think of exciting Miami Art Week fairs, but this is seriously our favorite fair of the week, and you are guaranteed to see a couch or chair you’ll briefly consider spending your entire life savings to purchase. This year, keep an eye out for the famed Moss People installation at the fair. It’s also a good place to take a seat in a slightly more relaxed space than the bustle of the Convention Center.
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INK Art Fair
Presented by the International Print Dealers Association, the INK Art Fair takes over different rooms in the Suites of Dorchester, a hotel right next door to the Convention Center. There are mainly works on paper sold in limited editions here, which creates a slightly more approachable opportunity to acquire a piece of work from one of your favorite 20th century or contemporary artists. Or, you know, you can just have a glass of wine and look at them. That’s fun too.
Scope is a fair hosted in a tent on the beach at 8th St. and Ocean Drive. This is a fun fair with a more casual environment than most. It’s easy to meet some of the art dealers here and ask them questions about their booths, too. Sometimes, the artists are hanging around as well.
Untitled also takes place in a tent on the beach a few blocks north of Scope (at Ocean Drive and 12th St.). This fair features a mix of established galleries focused on showcasing international contemporary art. So expect lots of cool modern pieces that will both confuse and intrigue the 47 people who still watch your Instagram stories. They also host some interesting events, performances, and talks throughout the week, which will likely be announced on their website or Instagram.
Aqua Art Miami
Aqua is always a blast—and we’re thrilled it’s back this year. This fair takes place in a small hotel on South Beach, where different galleries take over each room. It’s a good place to find works by young, emerging, and mid-career artists. If you just want a taste of Art Week without feeling lost in the convention center or inside a massive tent, then this is the fair you should visit. You can also see everything in less than an hour.
FOR SOMETHING QUICK & CASUAL NEARBY:
There aren’t a ton of places in South Beach where you can 1) walk in without a reservation, and 2) expect to have an amazing meal every single time. This is why you should always keep Taquiza in mind. The casual restaurant always delivers, and is usually a low-stress affair—even when it’s crowded. Feel free to get some tacos on the table, but the best things to eat here are the totopos and squash blossom quesadilla.
Sweet Liberty, which opens at 4pm, is only about a block away from the Convention Center and should be your go-to spot for Happy Hour drinks and food. This place is more of a bar (the cocktails are fantastic) than a restaurant, but the food is good, and we really like their fried chicken sandwich and caviar onion dip and chips.
Las Olas Cafe is always a quick, filling, and reliably good hangover meal in South Beach. The Cuban spot serves juice, coffee, platters, and lots of sandwiches, including one of our favorite Cuban sandwiches in town. There are a few tables inside the cafeteria, but we usually just order from the ventanita and eat while people-watching on the sidewalk.
This small bakery has great pastries, including one of the best almond croissants in town. They also sell sandwiches that are easy to eat on the go. But this is a spot to prioritize if you have a sweet tooth. There’s that massive and delicious almond croissant, but also some great fruit tarts as well as a dulce de leche monkey bread. True Loaf can get crowded on the weekends, and there’s not much seating, but there’s also a lovely little waterfront park (Maurice Gibb Memorial Park) just a block away.
This classic sandwich shop is a lifesaver if you’re starving and don’t have time to wait 30 minutes for a table. Although the South Beach spot can be wild during late-night hours, it’s usually easy to place an order here during the day. If you want something huge and meaty, get the Napoli on a baguette, and then locate the squeeze bottle of vinaigrette and apply liberally.
La Leggenda is a pizzeria and even though it’s in a busy area and only a baseball toss away from some incredibly touristy spots, it still feels secluded and quiet enough to have a conversation. It’s also only about a half-mile from the Convention Center. It’s a good place to relax over a glass of wine and one of their great Neapolitan pies—which is some of the best pizza in Miami.
If you’re just looking for some quick takeout, Buon Pane is a great choice. The small, casual bakery in South Beach has a counter full of freshly baked Italian food. The pizza is fine, but try one of the calzones. Buon Pane’s versions fit in one hand and are easy to eat while sprinting to that event you’re so late for.
If you are looking for something a bit more healthy for breakfast or lunch in South Beach, go to Under The Mango Tree. The small cafe has a menu full of things that’ll help your body out if only slept for about 13 minutes last night. There are açaí and smoothie bowls, a spicy kale melt, juice, and enough caffeine options to get you motivated to do it all again tonight.
FOR SOMETHING FANCIER NEARBY:
Miami has its own Lucali, and—like the original in NYC—it makes very, very good pizza. Unlike the original in NYC, it's actually possible to get a table here without waiting 17 hours. There will probably still be a substantial wait during dinner. But you might have better luck during lunch (Friday-Sunday), especially with their expanded outdoor seating.
Macchialina is a South Beach classic and easily the best Italian restaurant in Miami Beach. Will you be able to get a table here without a reservation? That might be tough. However, they have outdoor seating now, and a lot of it. So it’s much easier to find a table here than it used to be, especially if you come right when they open. If you get a table, order any and all of the pasta, which is just incredible.
You’re probably not getting a table at 27 without a reservation. But, if you come very early or manage to snag a last-minute reservation, this is another great option about a mile north of the convention center. They’re only open for dinner, but it’s always a great dinner at 27, with a menu that’s an ode to some of Miami’s great cultural influences. Also, Broken Shaker, one of Miami Beach’s best cocktail bars, is right next door.
Tropezón is an an Andalusian gin and tapas bar on Española Way. And not only is it worth weaving through the street’s omnipresent crowd of tourists, but it’s one of our favorite spots in South Beach for a fun meal involving gin. The space—a 50/50 split between a bar and dining room—is exactly the kind of spot where you can spend a couple hours grazing on small plates and sipping cocktails. They also have a very cute little secluded courtyard that's a wonderful place to sit if it's nice out.
It’s worth stopping by Blue Ribbon to see if there’s any availability because it’s a very short walk from the Convention Center. Also, they make very good sushi and it’s an upscale restaurant good for dinner with clients or celebrating that piece of art you just bought. As long as that art wasn’t a banana duct-taped to a wall. If it's nice out, ask to sit outside by the pool.
Abbalé, a South of Fifth Israeli restaurant, has some lovely outdoor seating and is a relatively calm, relaxing restaurant where you can hang out, drink wine, and feel grateful that you’re not fighting for a table across the street at Joe’s. Order with confidence here—everything we’ve tried has been good, especially the Moroccan spiced fish and shawarma spiced wagyu.
Orilla is one of the more chill upscale options in South Beach. It still might be a tough table to get (especially during the weekend) but it’s worth trying your luck because it’s a great Argentinian restaurant. You can dress fancy here without feeling stupid, enjoy excellent steak and martinis, and not have to be harassed by party promoters on your way out.
THE DOWNTOWN FAIRS
NADA is a great place to discover your next favorite artist because there are always lots of exciting new installations featuring works you won’t see on repeat elsewhere. And in case you’re trying to buy something, there are also booths dedicated to NADA Projects, where you’ll find limited edition works from emerging and established artists, many of which support non-profit and charitable organizations. We’ve been really impressed with NADA’s programming every year. This one should be no different, and it’s the 20th anniversary edition of the New Art Dealers Alliance as well as the fair.
Art Miami & Context Art Miami
Be careful that your GPS isn’t accidentally taking you to Art Basel Miami Beach. Art Miami and Context—while also quite expansive—are located next to each other in a vacant lot Downtown, right next to Biscayne Bay. This makes it a bit easier to visit while avoiding some of the heavier Basel traffic. If you’re actually trying to collect some art, this is a good place to start since you’ll find so many of the same artists you’ll see at the biggest galleries (and maybe at a more approachable price point, if you’re really lucky). But we also always have fun here without ever taking our credit card out of our pocket. These fairs are also open through Sunday, whereas some of the other fairs close up on Saturday this year.
FOR SOMETHING QUICK & CASUAL NEARBY:
Over Under is a cocktail bar and restaurant in Downtown that makes an excellent cheeseburger, an oyster shell-infused martini, and more great Florida-focused bar food. It's always a fun time, and it's a good choice if you're in need of a drink—or if you just want to sit at the bar alone and inhale a fried chicken sandwich.
Bali Cafe is easy to miss from the street, but the little cash-only Indonesian spot is a great casual option for lunch. The big menu has everything from dumplings to sushi rolls—but you should focus on their signature Indonesian dishes, like the nasi goreng special. It comes on a little cafeteria-style tray with separated portions of fried rice, coconut chicken curry, and a tender pile of rendang.
All Day is where you want to be if you're in need of breakfast or lunch with a side of Miami's best coffee. Breakfast, served daily until 3pm, includes one of the best bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches in Miami: the Runny & Everything. Caffeine options are excellent too. You can go with a simple but perfect pour over or opt for more adventurous things like a rosemary cold brew with lime juice
Motek, a very good Israeli restaurant, isn’t visible from the street. It’s located inside an office building, and you really have to know where to look to find it. That means you (hopefully) will not have to compete for a table with the wandering Art Basel crowd. Once inside, order away, because everything—shakshuka, schnitzel, hummus—is really good.
Are you just looking for a great slice of pizza in a restaurant with no dress code? Then walk over to Eleventh Street Pizza. They make some of the best pizza in Miami—foldable slices with a delicious sourdough crust. Our favorite is the pepperoni and hot honey, which comes topped with Calabrian chili paste, caramelized onions, and little pepperoni cups. The huge Sicilian square slices are great too.
Downtown Miami has a few Filipino options, and our favorite is Manila Kantina. Here, you can sit down and eat some really great Filipino food buffet-style for about $12 per person. Your options include chicken adobo, dinuguan, chop suey, lechon kawali, fried lumpia, pinakbet, and more.
FOR SOMETHING FANCIER NEARBY:
You should really try to make dinner plans at Jaguar Sun. Everything (both in liquid and solid form) is delicious, and the staff is a small team of extroverts hell-bent on making sure your glass is never empty. You're coming here for outstanding pasta, oysters, a cold martini, and because you need a dinner that'll make you completely forget about all that awful traffic outside.
This Catalan spot is one of our favorite restaurants in the entire city. It’s also a great place to relax after a long day with a bottle of wine and some of the most interesting food in Miami. Order liberally, because everything here is very good. But definitely make sure the cold tomato soup with mustard ice cream and the ous—a bowl of poached eggs and truffled potato foam—are on the table too.
Mignonette is one of our favorite spots for all things seafood. They always have a great selection of oysters as well as seafood towers, popcorn conch, and one of the best lobster rolls in Miami. It’s a nice restaurant, but not so fancy that you’ll feel self-conscious when you sit down and realize you haven’t showered in 48 hours.
Verde is the restaurant in the back of the PAMM, a gorgeous museum with a spectacular waterfront view. That view is the main reason to come here, but the food (mostly salads, pizza, and sandwiches) is solid too. Just know that Verde is mostly only open for lunch (dinner is Thursdays only). You also might want to try to get a reservation too, because the PAMM will be pretty crowded all week.
Soya E Pomodoro is an Italian restaurant that looks like it was carved into the side of a Downtown office building. There’s no restaurant in the area with as much personality as Soya: a dim, cavernous space stuffed with books, mismatched furniture, and antiques. There’s also no restaurant in the area serving classic Italian food this good, and their fazzoletti di formaggio e pera is one of our favorite plates of pasta in town.
Bunbury is an Argentinian restaurant on the Northern edge of Downtown, and it has all the stuff you’d expect at a good Argentinian restaurant. There’s lots of wine (including some really good wine cocktails), solid empanadas, and a variety of tasty red meat—like a perfectly grilled vacio. But the space also has a fun secret lair vibe—the dining room is located behind a sliding bookshelf—and there’s occasional live music, too.
OTHER FAIRS TO KNOW ABOUT
Prizm Art Fair
Prizm, a fair that celebrates and showcases global African contemporary art, went virtual last year, but it’s back for 2022. Prizm has a few different aspects, including panels, film screenings, and more. But the main art fair takes place at the Design District (4220 N Miami Ave) from November 29 through December 11. For more details about the fair and how to get tickets, head to Prizm's website.
