Last week, DiningOut attended a very exclusive media event at Downtown Miami’s newest watering hole. This speakeasy bar and lounge has only been open for a week, but locals are already abuzz talking about it.
Located just steps away from popular 24/7 nightclubs Space and E11even, Libertine {40 Northeast 11th Street, Downtown; 305.363.2120} is perhaps the coolest space to make its way to the downtown area—ever.
A long, dark hallway with shiny red floors lined with chicken wire and walls with quippy sayings like: “Better Never Than Early.”
When you get to the actual bar area, you’ll feel as if you’ve entered some sort of time and space vortex. Akin to modern-day speakeasies found in urban cities like New York and San Francisco, the entire place feels more like a library or parlor in an old mansion, with its low lighting, leather couches, and coffee tables. On the back wall is a fireplace with a glowing faux log backed by towering bookshelves. The ladder that stands against the wall is real, but the books are painted on (though from afar, we did think they were real!).
On the opposite wall is a small stage with a baby grand piano, which we were told will serve as a DJ booth and a platform for live musical performances. And to top it all off, the floor is covered in thousands of real pennies, sorted by finish to create a shimmering trompe l’oeil effect.
As if the space itself wasn’t enough to wow, Libertine’s specialty cocktails take mixology to the next level. We had the opportunity to taste four of the Prohibition-style cocktails that will be offered:
- The Libertine (Bols Genever, absinthe, and angostura and Peychaud’s bitters)
- The Firewater (Bacardi, Zacapa, fresh orange and lime juices, Cherry Heering, angostura bitters, and a float of Peychaud’s and Bacardi 151, served with flame intact)
- The Grog (bourbon, egg whites, muddled cherries, and fresh lime juice)
- And our fave: The Moonshine (with moonshine, fresh peach purée, citrus, and sparkling soda served with a delicious peach garnish)
Libertine is now open on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10pm to “whenever.” Hope to see you there!
By Sherri Balefsky | Online Editor; Photos by Gianfranco Bianchi