Where to Eat, Drink and Celebrate Labor Day Weekend in South Florida
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Labor Day weekend may signal the unofficial end of summer, but in South Florida, there is still plenty of summer left to celebrate. From September 5 through 7, restaurants across Miami, Miami Beach, Wynwood, Coral Gables and Fort Lauderdale are giving locals plenty of reasons to make the most of the long weekend.
Whether the plan involves staying planted near the beach, meeting friends for brunch, stretching happy hour into dinner or finding something the whole family can enjoy, here are some of the best ways to eat and drink through Labor Day weekend.
Stay Beachside All Weekend
For anyone determined to spend the holiday within walking distance of the sand, Miami Beach offers enough options to fill the entire weekend.
Start with something sweet at La Ventanita, The Betsy South Beach’s tucked-away window café in the breezeway at 14th Place between Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue. Just steps from the beach, the café serves house-made vanilla and chocolate soft serve—or a swirl of both—in sugar and waffle cones.
When the beach day calls for a more leisurely meal, LT South Beach offers an elegant but approachable option without leaving the neighborhood. Led by award-winning chef Laurent Tourondel, the restaurant is known for globally inspired New American dishes that make an easy transition from afternoon on the sand to dinner.
For something more casual, head around the corner to The Alley, Tourondel’s trattoria-style pizzeria tucked into a discreet, bistro-lit alley off Ocean Drive. The centerpiece here is the restaurant’s 16-inch Roman-style pizzas, built for sharing after a long day at the beach.
A few blocks away, Lincoln Road makes it possible to turn dinner into an entire evening. The eight-block pedestrian promenade is home to more than 200 restaurants and shops, including dining destinations such as MILA, Andrés Carne de Res and Issabella’s.
Those looking for coastal Italian flavors can make their way to Donna Mare Italian Chophouse at Cadillac Hotel & Beach Club. The menu includes handcrafted pastas, salads, panini and wood-fired pizzas. Sunday brings Domenica della Lasagna, a reservations-only family-style experience for groups of four or more featuring house-made lasagna, Italian wine and accompaniments for $79++ per person. On Labor Day Monday, Lunedì della Pasta offers 30% off pasta dishes from the dinner menu.
For a more glamorous night out, Leonardo pairs Tuscan-inspired food and tableside theatrics with weekend brunch and a supper club that picks up after 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. On Labor Day Monday, the restaurant turns back the clock for Prohibition Mondays, complete with live saxophone, handcrafted cocktails, period-inspired décor and Gatsby-era attire.
North Beach newcomer Ezio’s brings together dry-aged steaks and Italian favorites, including Chicken Milanese and Spanish Branzino. Sunday is an especially good time for wine lovers, with 50% off wines normally available by the glass whether ordered by the glass or bottle.
And for rooftop drinks with an ocean view, Vilebrequin La Plage brings a little French Riviera energy to Miami Beach. L’Apéro Hour can easily turn into dinner, with Mediterranean-inspired dishes such as Steak Tartare and Fettuccine Burrata alongside cocktails and rosé.
Make Brunch the Main Event
Labor Day weekend is also an excellent excuse to make brunch last well into the afternoon.
In Coconut Grove, Grand Public Kitchen + Bar at CocoWalk keeps things lively with globally inspired American fare. Brunch favorites include Wild Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes and The Shak, alongside $25 bottomless mimosas in orange, pineapple, mango and passionfruit flavors.
For a rooftop version of brunch, Vista Rooftop Bar & Lounge at Novotel Miami Brickell serves weekend brunch Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. with skyline views and dishes such as Croque Madame with Truffle Béchamel, Short Rib Benedict and Tres Leches French Toast. Two-hour bottomless options include $25 mimosas or Bellinis, $25 bloody marys and $40 spritzes.
For a Labor Day Monday brunch with considerably more energy, R House Wynwood is hosting “Slay-bor Day,” a special edition of its signature Drag Brunch. Expect bottomless brunch, drag performances, audience competitions and a best-dressed contest for guests arriving in all white. Each brunch package comes with an “Out of Office” sparkling peach spritz, while the celebration continues after the performances with Clock-Out Happy Hour.
Drinks, Dinner and a Long Weekend with Friends
For groups whose plans inevitably revolve around cocktails, sushi and late-night dinner, Wynwood and Miami Beach have plenty to work with.
Uchi Miami is closed on Labor Day itself but open Saturday and Sunday. From 5 to 6:30 p.m., its Happy Hour Omakase offers a nine-course tasting for two for $120, easily paired with Japanese-inspired cocktails or sake.
Its sister restaurant, Uchiko Miami Beach, is also closed Monday but offers the same $120 Happy Hour Omakase for two during the weekend. Night owls can return—or simply stay—for its Late Night Happy Hour from 9 to 11 p.m.
At Delilah Miami, the long weekend can begin before the weekend itself. Golden Hour runs Tuesday through Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m., with half off signature cocktails and $14 bites such as Patatas Bravas and Tuna Tartare against the restaurant’s old-Hollywood-inspired waterfront backdrop.
And unlike some of the weekend-only options, dōma Wynwood keeps dinner going on Labor Day Monday. The contemporary Italian restaurant opens daily at 6 p.m., serving dishes such as Tagliolini al Tartufo Nero and Saffron Risotto with Braised Veal Ossobuco alongside an expansive, Italian-focused wine collection.
Make It a Family Affair
Not every Labor Day outing needs to revolve around brunch cocktails and late-night reservations. Several South Florida destinations are turning the holiday weekend into an experience the entire family can enjoy.
In Fort Lauderdale, Casa Sensei takes dinner onto the water with private Riverfront Gondola Tours. Families can enjoy the restaurant’s Pan-Asian Latin fusion cuisine—including sushi and Korean BBQ favorites—aboard a Venetian-style gondola cruising the Himmarshee Canal and Las Olas waterways.
Another waterfront option comes from Shooters Waterfront, which is teaming up with Water Taxi for a Friday Sunset Music Cruise. The evening begins with waterfront dining and live music at Shooters before guests board for a sunset trip along Fort Lauderdale’s waterways. Tickets include a champagne toast onboard and a $10 Shooters Waterfront credit for anyone who wants to keep the night going after returning to the dock.
In Coral Gables, Sunday lunch at Mottai offers a more relaxed family meal from noon to 3 p.m. Japanese-inspired dishes such as the Crab Roll, Rock Shrimp and Kinoko Hot Pot are built for a table willing to order a little bit of everything and pass it around.
Families who would rather stay in one place all day can head to Atlantic Village in Hallandale Beach. The open-air destination combines restaurants, entertainment and activities in one stop.
Start with breakfast or brunch at Pink Café or Mitch’s Downtown before moving on to golf practice at Tee Box or letting younger kids loose inside Flippo’s Indoor Playground and Café.
When everyone gets hungry again, the choices range from Venezuelan fare at Doggi’s Arepa Bar to Japanese-Peruvian flavors at Sokai Sushi Bar and Mexican street food at Uptown 66.
However the weekend comes together, South Florida is making it easy to give summer a proper send-off: one more beach day, one more brunch, one more round of cocktails—or maybe all three.
