Unique Miami Wine Bars To Sip and Swirl At

El Carajo’s humble beginnings are rooted in a gas station that now doubles as a rustic wine and tapas bar. You know you’ve arrived when you see a board advertising ‘El Carajo’ next to a Mobil gas station sign. Visitors often swing by to purchase a bottle or prepare for a wine marathon by choosing from an extensive collection of bottles from around the globe. Uncorking a bottle of wine in El Carajo’s wine cellar is sort of a Miami milestone. It’s also a bakery and café, so a to-go colada and croqueta is another option.

Lagniappe is the gateway to the world of Miami wine bars. It’s cool and quaint, and reminiscent of drinking with extended family in a backyard tossed with string lights and vintage patio furniture. On any night of the week, you’ll find the large outdoor patio teeming with groups of friends ordering bottles of wine. These are sold at retail price and are easily accessible via large coolers carrying well-known labels and items from boutique wineries. The details are what make Lagniappe more welcoming than some of Miami’s flashier wine bars, and it’s no surprise that it was voted one of the top wine bars in America by Wine Enthusiast Magazine.

Bunbury, an Argentinian wine and tapas bar, recently upgraded to new digs featuring an indoor abundance of greenery, a mini-library and two outdoor cabanas. Sip on your glass of wine or a refreshing wine-based cocktail like a moscato mojito, and munch on shareable small plates such as the four cheese and smoked bacon empanadas. Drop in for their weeknight happy hour to get a $5 glass of wine from 5pm to 8pm.

Happy Wine’s two locations (Coconut Grove and West Miami) offer affordable wine, live music and buzzy chatter in a laid-back and festive environment. The wine bar stocks over 800 labels and offers a complete tapas menu including croquetas, bacon-wrapped dates and cheese-stuffed meatballs. Station yourself at one of the wine barrels that double as tables and pair a bottle of Californian cabernet sauvignon (for as little as $9) with a small plate of smoked shishito peppers.

With doors flung open (almost) all the time, this French-Mediterranean neighborhood joint invites guests to browse through the large wine coolers that line the walls or linger near the street for as long as they want. Though La Cave d’Azur is a restaurant, any place in Miami can get rowdy at any time of day. Sometimes all you need is people dancing to the DJ’s tunes while you sip on French wine and load up on risotto and macaroons. Swing by on Wednesdays from 6pm to 9pm for a $15 wine tasting session with three glasses included.