destinations:city guides: miami

Miami lives up to its reputation as a grownup playground, especially in winter, when much of the rest of the world shivers. The golf courses and beaches are open year-round.

Some of the best courses, including Doral’s famed Blue Monster (305-592-2030) and Crandon Park Golf Course (305-361-9129) on Key Biscayne, usually require booking in advance. The Biltmore’s historic course, built on a rock quarry in 1925, has lots of doglegs and remains a challenge (305-460-5364). All three courses are open to the public.

Miami’s melting-pot culture lends itself to an equally diverse assortment of restaurants. Many are geared to on-vacation tourists seeking umbrella-dotted frozen cocktails, but plenty are mindful of the multinational business clientele who make their way to Miami year-round. Many of the top luxury hotels have exceptionally good restaurants, including Azul at the Mandarin, where Clay Conley, a veteran of Todd English’s kitchens, turns out bold flavors in Florida-inspired fare. Waterfront fish houses on the southern tip of this peninsula are, surprisingly, in short supply—perhaps a result of the outrageous real-estate prices. However, one standout for lunch or dinner is the gritty Garcia’s, a Cuban American family-owned seafood wonder. Kids in cut-offs sit next to attorneys in Armani for some of the area’s freshest local catches.

For a more upscale only-in-Miami option, try Mosaico, in the heart of the downtown Brickell area. The gazpacho with cucumber jelly or braised lamb shoulder with plum anise marmalade and other Nuevo Latino specialties are divine, especially while overlooking the Miami skyline from a seat on the rooftop patio.

The top steakhouse in town for sealing the deal is Capital Grille, a D.C.-based chain that gets service right. For an Argentine steak cooked on the open spit, the new Graziano’s in Coral Gables, an offshoot of the original in Westchester, is incomparable—and you’ll enjoy discovering its outrageous South American wine list. Though on a busy Saturday night, you won’t be able to hear yourselves talk there, Ortanique on the Mile is a unique option in Coral Gables for upscale Caribbean fare in a festive setting. It’s a great lunch option or place to unwind with a drink at the bar.

For a taste of South Beach—crazy prices and all—the smoldering hot Restaurant at the Setai is the current rage. The Asian-themed serene dining room, with some 15,000 square feet of dining and drinking space, wows the international set with global cuisine from Wagyu beef and Indian thalis to pizzas and curries. The 450-label wine list of unusual bottles from estates, auctions and family-owned wineries is unparalleled.

Though sports franchises are a relatively recent phenomenon in this young city, The Miami Heat has once again fallen into favor, with legendary center Shaquille O’Neal on the court as the very visible center. Games are played in the downtown bayside American Airlines Arena. About 15 miles north of downtown in North Miami Beach, you’ll find Dolphins Stadium, the home field of football’s Miami Dolphins and baseball’s Marlins.