The Best of Coral Gables 2026
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It is time once again to celebrate the best of the Gables. Each year we ask our readers, and our staff, to name the finest our city has to offer in food, shopping, entertainment, and public spaces. With such an embarrassment of riches, it is no easy task to decide what makes the top grade. So we asked our readers (some 500 gave us 3,800 opinions) and then our staff (being students of the city we report on each month) to pick the best there is. Sometimes we were in agreement, sometimes not, and in some close-call cases we had to offer a second choice. Here are our choices for 2026. Let us know what we got right, what we got wrong, and what we left out. Send your thoughts to: editor@coralgablesmagazine.com.
BEST FOOD BY TYPE
BEST BAKERY

READER’S CHOICE: BACHOUR
Chef Antonio Bachour is considered one of the best makers of pastries in the world, and he and his crew of bakers continue to shine with creative breakfast croissants and rolls, and a stunning collection of sculpted pastries that are works of art – appropriately displayed in jewelry cases.

STAFF CHOICE: MADRUGA BAKERY
On any given day Madruga bakery is a beehive of activity, flooded with neighborhood regulars and visitors from afar, there to take advantage of a full-service bakery that offers everything from hearty loaves of artisanal bread and baguettes to lemon poppyseed, cheesecake and apple pie.
BEST SEAFOOD

READER’S CHOICE: MESA MAR
STAFF CHOICE: MESA MAR
What can you say about a seafood restaurant where the fresh catch is displayed on ice, and where you get to pick your fish before it is grilled or fried (it’s all about the sparkle in the eye). Besides traditional seafood dishes, Mesa Mar (Table of the Sea) also adds Asian and Latin spins, like their rock shrimp in ponzu sauce (addictive) or cazuela de mariscos.
BEST STEAK HOUSE

READER’S CHOICE: DANIEL’S
Daniel’s has stormed onto the steak house scene in the past year, winning national recognition and a local following overnight with their combination of top steaks and overthe- top service. It’s high-octane, high-energy, and high-priced, which patrons – including celebrities – don’t seem to mind.

STAFF CHOICE: CHRISTY’S STEAK HOUSE
If you want to know what an old-world, traditional steakhouse is all about, this is it: red walls, leather backed chairs, a Cole Porter sound track, superb Ceasar Salads, shrimp cocktails, oysters Rockefeller and impeccably prepared steaks. A trip to another time, when scotch and martinis ruled.
BEST RESTAURANT BAR

READER’S CHOICE: HILLSTONE
If noted for nothing else, Hillstone is the only restaurant in Coral Gables where patrons are willing to wait on line outside. If you can’t wait, you go to the bar, where the service is prompt, the drinks well mixed, and the company attractive. A good bar menu to boot.

STAFF CHOICE: THE GLOBE
With the modern remake of John Martin’s, the bar at the Globe may be the last solid
wooden bar from the old world left in the Gables. The whole bar feels old world, like sitting in a European pub, with underlit globes overhead. As expected, a great selection of scotch and bourbon.
BEST SANDWICH

READER’S CHOICE: SANGUICH
This is where traditional Cuban sandwiches have died and gone to heaven. All the classics
are here, from Pan Con Lechon to Media Noche, with their special Sanguich de Miami adding a turkey, smoked bacon, swiss cheese muenster to the mix.

STAFF CHOICE: FRANKIE AND WALLY’S
The new kid on the block, sandwich-wise, and an overnight success. Why? The quality and
enormity of each of the 11 “New York-style” sandwiches they offer (7 cold, 4 hot), from tuna salad (cold) to pastrami (hot), in a store that feels as much like a deli as an eatery.
BEST SALAD

READER’S CHOICE: SWEETGREEN
Sweetgreen is the rare chain that still feels useful rather than generic. The salads are crisp, customizable, and filling without requiring a nap afterward. On Giralda, it has become the dependable weekday answer when you want to behave, but still eat something that tastes like lunch.

STAFF CHOICE: BULLA GASTROBAR
It all comes down to their signature salad of baby spinach, beets, walnuts, arugula, and goat cheese. For $13, it’s a meal in itself, terribly healthy, and addictively delicious. ‘Nuff said.
BEST COFFEE HOUSE

READER’S CHOICE: GROU COFFEE + COWORK
This cozy shop is one of the most welcome additions to the Merrick Park neighborhood abutting the Shops at Merrick Park, with specialty coffees and a cold brew that will perk you up on hot days – plus a co-working space so you can work while imbibing.

STAFF CHOICE: CAFÉ DEMETRIO
Set in a charming historic building (the 1920s home of the Miami News) on Alhambra Circle, Demetrio has ancient Italian coffee machines, a sweet courtyard, and some of the most delicious brews (cinnamon, mocha, caramel, etc.) you’ll ever taste, plus extensive breakfast and lunch menus.
BEST HAMBURGERS

READER’S CHOICE: SKINNY LOUIE
STAFF CHOICE: SKINNY LOUIE
No towering burger theatrics, no truffle nonsense – just a smashed patty, melty cheese,
pickles, onions, Louie sauce, and fries that know their role. It’s fast, salty, messy, and deeply satisfying.
BEST ICE CREAM

READER’S CHOICE: SAN LORENZO GELATO
Master gelataio Brenno Floriano actually attended Carpigiani Gelato University in Bologna,
Italy, and returned with the knowledge needed to open Coral Gables’ top gelateria. So they do it the proper Italian way, which means molto delizioso.

STAFF CHOICE: WHIP N DIP
A real throw back, this family-run ice cream shop has been a neighborhood hangout for 41 years, with benches outside for your immediate enjoyment. Whip N Dip also has what Ben and Jerry’s and Häagen-Dazs don’t: soft-serve ice cream, chocolate or vanilla, with dips galore.
BEST PIZZA

READER’S CHOICE: MIAMI’S BEST PIZZA
The assumption here is that you must make good pizza if you’re a block from the Mark
Light stadium on the UM campus, practically adjacent to a Domino’s. And so far so good – after relocating to this location in 2018 (previously on U.S. 1 since 1970). Still a student, faculty and neighborhood fave.

STAFF CHOICE: BELLUZ PIZZA
They call it Roman-style pizza, and what that means for this tiny shop on Galiano just south of Miracle Mile is a thin, crisp crust, made using slow-fermented dough. No more sloppy ‘za. They also serve square shaped pizza scrocchiarella – and you can buy pizza by the slice!
BEST DESSERTS

READER’S CHOICE: BACHOUR
If you are voted one of the best French pastry shops in the country, if not the world, you’d
better have good desserts. Here they also have sweets with a Latin twist, like guava pancakes and dulce de leche croissants, but France rules with their “petite gateaux” and macarons.

STAFF CHOICE: TULLIO
The killer dessert here is the gelato, made fresh daily with the “Ferrari of gelato machines,” says proprietor Lucio Zanon. A bowl at $40 feeds the whole table, with flavors that change daily (pistachio, hazelnut, tiramisu, etc.) But their sugar-powdered, cool cream-filled bombolini alla crema aside are also awesome.
BEST RESTAURANT BY EXPERIENCE
BEST BREAKFAST

READER’S CHOICE: BAGEL EMPORIUM
There is something about a Jewish deli for breakfast that can’t be beat. Here the space is
cavernous, with high ceilings and plenty of light – along with corned beef hash, cheese omelets, blintzes, nova or lox eggs and onion – and best bagels in the Gables.

STAFF CHOICE: BISTRO CAFÉ
Over-the-top breakfasts of great and delicious proportions, where you can sit outside under umbrellas in the Merrick Park neighborhood. Specialties include blueberry pancakes, avocado toast, skirt steak omelets, and the Romeo and Juliette – French toast stuffed with bacon and cream cheese.
BEST OUTDOOR DINING

READER’S CHOICE: LA TABERNA GIRALDA
The courtyard behind this Spanish tapas restaurant is one of the hidden pockets of the Gables, a sweet and quiet alcove where you can enjoy a menu of small plates from northwest Spain or order from a gourmet prix fixe menu, which changes daily.

STAFF CHOICE: BOUCHON
This pantheon to classic French bistro dishes solved one its biggest problems – a noisy inside – by offering seating in the lovely courtyard of the restored La Palma Hotel just outside. Now you can sit outside and enjoy the same Thomas Keller inspired haute cuisine.
BEST ROMANTIC RESTAURANT

READER’S CHOICE: ZUCCA
White tablecloths, flattering light, polished service, and Italian food that arrives with just enough ceremony. It is elegant but not stiff,making it ideal for anniversaries, proposals, or simply pretending Wednesday night is special.

STAFF CHOICE: NOMA BEACH
Hard to beat a sunset over the lagoon in Matheson Hammock, with most of the seating outside. Add to this the superb seafood dishes created by Chef Donatella (along with the world’s best meatballs) and you have an unbeatable date place.
BEST HAPPY HOUR

READER’S CHOICE: BULLA
Maybe it’s the sangria, or the jovial atmosphere around the 360 degree bar, but few places can match the exuberance here. Plus, in addition to drink discounts from 5 pm to 7 pm daily, they have an amazing happy hour tapas menu.

STAFF CHOICE: CEBADA ROOFTOP
Just the names of the cocktails are enough to entice the reluctant drinker (“Bro, why are your pants so tight?” and “Relax, it only tingles a little”), but when you cut drink prices in half and add a $10 bites menu that includes six oysters and smoked chicken empanadas, the rooftop setting only makes it better.
BEST FINE DINING

READER’S CHOICE: DANIEL’S
There is a high-energy, big city vibe here that says this is your big night on the town. Yes, it’squite pricey, but that is part of the sense that you’re in the stratosphere of fine dining, with not only great steaks but a truly vast selection of wines.

STAFF CHOICE: TULLIO
You feel pampered here, with solicitous, welcoming service. Many of the ingredients are flown in daily from Italy and there is a lot of table-side preparation for dishes that are driven by the seafood recipes of the owner’s Venetian family. Excellent pasta.
BEST LOCAL HANGOUT

READER’S CHOICE: HILLSTONE
Not sure why this was chosen as a hangout by our readers, except that it’s the Gables equivalent of comfort food. It’s perfectly designed, family friendly yet upscale, with low lighting, booths, efficient friendly service and a reliable, interesting American menu.

STAFF CHOICE: BOOKS & BOOKS
We love that this ultimate neighborhood hangout is so embellished with literary drippings. Great dog-friendly courtyard with open bar and newsstand outside, cool café inside, and everything in the warm embrace of thousands of good books. A perfect hang for a well educated city.
BEST LATE NIGHT DINING

READER’S CHOICE: GRAZIANO’S MARKET PLACE
Inside it’s got a gourmet deli feel, surrounded by shelves of food, so we’ll opt for the high top tables in the loggia outside, where the last revelers of the night are strolling by.

STAFF CHOICE: SKINNY LOUIE
When much of the Gables has gone dark, Skinny Louie is still smashing burgers on Giralda. The menu is short, the fries are crisp, the shakes are indulgent, and the whole thing feels just right after a night that went longer than planned.
BEST NEW RESTAURANT

READER’S CHOICE: MIKA
Amazing interior and a refreshingly new menu with inventive flavors from the Italian Riviera. A bit on the pricey side ($96 for Veal Parmigiana) but if you can spare the coin, the food is deftly executed and the setting magical.

STAFF CHOICE: MOTTAI
The over-the-top interior alone is worth the visit, with a bas-relief crane soaring across one wall, tucked away corner dining enclaves, hanging drapery, and a central sushi station under tent, where the master carves. Extensive menu, well beyond raw fish.
BEST BRUNCH

READER’S CHOICE: BILTMORE
STAFF CHOICE: BILTMORE
The brunch at the Biltmore is the mother of all brunches. A price tag of $150 (with tax & tip) settles you into a Bacchanalian feast around the lovely Fontana court yard, with lobster and crab on ice, a caviar station, roast meat carving tables, two paellas, Greek food, Italian food, Asian food, smoked seafood, three dozen desserts, omelets – it simply goes on and on, with unlimited libations and live classical guitar.
BEST PLACE FOR FIRST DATE

READER’S CHOICE: ZUCCA
Want to show your date that you are a sophisticated partner with elegant taste? Zucca is the place, with attentive but demure service, quiet lighting, and an ambience that says smart European elegance. The food is not bad, either.

STAFF CHOICE: GIRALDA PLAZA
The awkwardness that a first date engenders will be hardly noticeable in the people-watching corridor of the Gables. Here there are no cars, only a stream of citizens, now moving under the Cielo Tejido (Woven Sky) which glows overhead. Good conversation breakers.
BEST PLACE TO WATCH THE GAME

READER’S CHOICE: FRITZ & FRANZ BIERHAUS
The big screens outside were shut down by neighboring apartment dwellers, but the big
screens inside their cavernous interior make up for the loss. Add a huge selection of beer and you’ve got the best place to watch the Heat win and the Dolphins lose.

STAFF CHOICE: GRAZIANO’S RESTAURANT
Newly installed screens in the LifeTime Building locations, and screens inside their Market Place location, along with great food options, make Graziano’s that perfect neighborhood place to watch soccer or football.
SHOPPING & RETAIL
BEST WOMEN’S CLOTHING STORE

READER’S CHOICE: NORDSTROM
The vast selection is one of the reasons why this was a first pick by readers. And there is
something about a department store that is so wonderfully all-encompassing. Smells good, too!

STAFF CHOICE: ESSENCE BOUTIQUE
Essence Boutique is for the woman who says she just “threw something on” and somehow
looks completely pulled together. The clothes are polished but not stiff, feminine, and good
at making weekday errands feel slightly more glamorous.
BEST JEWELRY STORE

READER’S CHOICE: JAE’S FINE JEWELERS
STAFF CHOICE: JAE’S FINE JEWELERS
A family run shop that has been here since cars had fins, with a nice selection of vintage
jewelry – and the ability to customize anything you want. Run by the Hornik family, this is one of those shops that defines the Coral Gables community.
BEST MEN’S CLOTHING STORE

READER’S CHOICE: MY GROOMS ROOM/ SARTORI AMICI
It’s all about the energy – and good taste – of proprietor Sebastian Garcia, who can put you
into something off the rack or customize every square inch. His loyal customers have followed this whirling dervish of multitasking for years.

STAFF CHOICE: PEPI BERTINI
Pepi is the man when it comes to elegant, custom-tailored clothing for men. Never considered the least expensive shop in town, but for quality, what matters the price? At Bertini, clothes make the man.
BEST FURNITURE STORE

READER’S CHOICE: KETTAL FURNITURE
The airy, spacious showroom on Miracle Mile, with its floor-to-ceiling glass façade, is a
perfect place to display their international collection of luxury outdoor seating and lounging furniture, upscale showroom modular water-resistant sofas to re-interpreted wicker pieces.

STAFF CHOICE: VICTORIA’S ARMOIRE
Showrooms in two separate stores allows Victoria’s Armoire to display a wide selection
of rustic-chic furnishings and décor accessories. Proprietors Anna and Eddie Fuentes position their design sensibilities “At the Crossroad of Originality and Sophistication.”
BEST PLACE FOR MEN’S FORMAL WEAR

READER’S CHOICE: MY GROOMS ROOM/ SARTORI AMICI
STAFF CHOICE: MY GROOMS ROOM/SARTORI AMICI
The service here is extraordinary, as is the understanding of what works for a given client in a given situation. The pricing here is also a consideration, with less expensive options – including special lapels that can transform a serious suit into formal wear.
BEST PLACE FOR WOMAN’S FORMAL WEAR

READER’S CHOICE: NORDSTROM
Nordstrom’s strength is its breadth: cocktail dresses, gowns, shoes, bags, tailoring help, and enough designer options to solve a black-tie emergency in one trip. It is not a boutique, but it is reliable.

STAFF CHOICE: MAYDA CISNEROS COUTURE
When you want a one-of-a-kind dress that is tailored perfectly to make the most of your
physique, and from the finest cloth in the world, no one touches Mayda Cisneros, the goto dress designer for the Gables’ elite.
BEST PLACE TO BUY GIFTS

READER’S CHOICE: COCO BELLA GIFT & HOME
A great selection of gifts that are affordable and cater to a more bohemian taste than some other shops, self-described as “whimsical” featuring things like candles, stationery, and gourmet cookies – plus gift wrapping.

STAFF CHOICE: THE ROSE TREE COTTAGE
Rose Cottage varies their gift selection for each season, with an almost overwhelming
selection that occupies every square inch of the shop. Everything from carvings, cups, and statuettes to dinner trays, emblazoned pillow cases, and etchings.
BEST FLORIST

READER’S CHOICE: TRIAS FLOWERS & GIFTS
Trias is the floral equivalent of a safe bet. The arrangements are polished, the delivery network is broad, and the shop has been trusted for everything from birthdays to boardrooms to “I am very sorry” bouquets.

STAFF CHOICE: BELLE FLEUR
Creative, over-the-top arrangements are the rule here, put together by proprietor and
internationally renowned floral designer Mario Fernandez for a loyal clientele that includes local celebrities. If you want to wow your date, come here.
BEST ART GALLERY

READER’S CHOICE: CERNUDA ARTE
Ramon Cernuda now has three gallery showrooms on Ponce just south of the Plaza Coral Gables. Two of them are two-story buildings, and between the three offer rotating displays
of the best in Cuban art, both contemporary and from the 20th century. A museum quality experience.

STAFF CHOICE: THE AMERICAS COLLECTION
The family of proprietor Silvia Ortiz comes from Central America, and that was their first
focus when the gallery opened on Ponce where the Cheesecake Factory now sits. Today it’s on lower Ponce with a radically expanded collection of artists from across the Americas.
PERSONAL SERVICES
BEST DOG WALKER

READER’S CHOICE: MIAMI PET CONCIERGE
Since 2007, this service has made its name on dependable in-home pet care, matching walks to a dog’s age, breed, and health. For busy Gables pet parents, that peace of mind is the product.

STAFF CHOICE: EQUIPAWS PET SERVICES
This is the team of dog lovers who will come to your home to take your best friend for a
stroll. Always friendly, always reliable, and always ready.
BEST DOG GROOMER

READER’S CHOICE: DOG FROM IPANEMA
Okay, so it’s located across the street from the Gables. But this locale for taking your beloved – and soon to be pampered – pooch for a trim, a bath, and nail clipping has been the go-to place for discerning Gabelite dog owners for years.

STAFF CHOICE: SCENTHOUND
Scenthound is grooming stripped down to what dogs actually need: bath, ears, nails, teeth, and coat care, with haircuts and blowouts added as needed. It is practical, quick, and oddly reassuring – more wellness routine than beauty pageant for your pup.
BEST MASSAGE

READER’S CHOICE: THE BILTMORE SPA
Is it the serene old-world setting of the Biltmore, far from the madding crowd? Or is it the staff that is trained to satisfy the most demanding of standards of the international clientele who stay at the Biltmore? The spa experience here takes you somewhere far away.

STAFF CHOICE: HEAVENLY DAY SPA
Heavenly Day Spa is the kind of new neighborhood spot that already feels passed along by word of mouth. It’s small, calm, and refreshingly unfussy, with massages that leave you looser, quieter, and slightly annoyed you waited this long to book.
BEST FACIAL

READER’S CHOICE: BILTMORE
If a facial is partly about glowing skin and partly about disappearing from your inbox, the Biltmore wins: old-world calm, hushed halls, and treatments that leave you polished and restored.

STAFF CHOICE: SILVER MIRROR FACIAL BAR
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the prettiest girl of all? That would be someone who just came out of Silver Mirror Facial Bar, where the service is superb and the treatments personalized.
BEST MANI/PEDI

READER’S CHOICE: MY TIME NAIL BAR
A great array of services and affordable prices, including a $15 manicure for little girls (under 10) and an Any Time regular manicure for $20. Of course, you can go more luxurious
with hot towels, long lasting gel manicures, and much more.

STAFF CHOICE: FOREVER YOUNG SKIN & HAIR SPA
Forever Young wins on value and sheer practicality. It is not trying to be a temple of
nail art; it is the place you go when you want a clean mani-pedi, reasonable prices, and a quick beauty reset. Gel manicures with a pedicure start at $35.
BEST HAIR SALON

READER’S CHOICE: AVANT-GARDE SALON & SPA
If clothes make the man, then hair makes the woman. Here they take special care to create
the look that will win the hearts of paramours, the envy of friends – or the respect of clients, if you want a more professional looking style.

STAFF CHOICE: DANNY JELACA SALON
Danny Jelaca brings the South Beach celebrity- salon energy to Coral Gables, but in a quieter, more polished setting at Merrick Park. The cuts, color, and styling are precise, and the atmosphere is luxe.
RECREATION
BEST GYM

READER’S CHOICE: METHOD X FITNESS
Method X has the neighborhood-gym thing down: boxing fitness, bootcamp, Pilates,
personal training, and enough energy to make sweating feel social. It is boutique without being precious, intense without being scary, the sort of place where regulars start to know each other.

STAFF CHOICE: AIRLAB FITNESS
AIRLAB’s hook is altitude training, which makes a workout feel as if someone quietly
moved the gym to the mountains. The classes mix strength, HIIT, and conditioning in simulated elevation, giving fitness obsessives a new way to chase suffering with science.
BEST YOGA STUDIO

READER’S CHOICE: SUVA YOGA
Suva Yoga feels like yoga before yoga became a branding exercise. The studio is simple, warm, and quietly serious, with classes rooted in breath, alignment, and attention. It is less scene, more practice, and affordable for weekly classes.

STAFF CHOICE: YOGA JOINT
Yoga Joint is the glossy, high-heat counterpoint: infrared rooms, Hot Flow, FIIT classes, and a polished system that makes showing up a reward. It is yoga with a fitness-studio engine, ideal for those who want sweat, structure, and a little burn with their mindfulness.
BEST PICNIC SPOT

READER’S CHOICE: MATHESON HAMMOCK PARK & MARINA
STAFF CHOICE: MATHESON HAMMOCK PARK & MARINA
And you thought that the Gables had no waterfront parks? Matheson abuts the great
Biscayne Bay with its beachy lagoon and marina, where you can spread out with a blanket or find a picnic table with a nearby grill.
BEST TENNIS COURTS

READER’S CHOICE: BILTMORE TENNIS CENTER
STAFF CHOICE: BILTMORE TENNIS CENTER
Biltmore tennis courts are well maintained, with clay as well as hard court. Lots of easy
parking, verdant surroundings and pros on hand if you need instruction. The finest tennis experience in the Gables.
BEST PICKLEBALL

READER’S CHOICE: BILTMORE
Pickleball here is an extension of the Biltmore tennis court experience – or rather the shortening of it – with the same elegant country club vibe.

STAFF CHOICE: SALVATORE PARK
The pickleball craze has taken the Gables by storm, so Salvatore rose to the occasion,
converting several of their tennis courts for the practice. Just make sure to make reservations.
BEST LIVE MUSIC

READER’S CHOICE: ARMSTRONG JAZZ HOUSE
The owners here are devoted to the idea that Coral Gables should have a place where jazz
can always be heard, any night of the week, in a packed space that feels very West Village.

STAFF CHOICE: THE GLOBE
If it’s Saturday night, then you’ll find us at the Globe – listening to Afro-Cuban jazz in
a setting that feels like you are in a European cafe. Nothing else in the Gables compares to a sophisticated jazz experience, with a bar that revels in its extensive collection of scotches.
BEST PERFORMING ARTS VENUE

READER’S CHOICE: ACTORS PLAYHOUSE
Amazing productions of Broadway musicals on the main stage, and smaller most focused
dramas and comedies in their upstairs stage, Actors Playhouse is one of the cultural institutions that make it worth living here. Tremendous quality.

STAFF CHOICE: SANCTUARY OF THE ARTS
The most recent of the cultural venues to appear in the Gables, the Sanctuary filled the
need for a stage where dance could be performed, as well as classical and contemporary
music. No bad seats in this transformed church across from City Hall.
ARCHITECTURE & PUBLIC PLACES
BEST PLACE TO TAKE THE KIDS

READER’S CHOICE: FAIRCHILD TROPICAL BOTANIC GARDEN
Fairchild is always rolling out family-friendly events on weekends, from chocolate and
mango festivals to music concerts and picnics. They also offer classes for both kids and adults who want to learn how to paint, garden, knit, etc., as well as kid-friendly scavenger hunts for everything from fairies to dinosaurs.

STAFF CHOICE: VENETIAN POOL
Created from the rock quarry from which much of the original coral stone was cut for the first homes in the Gables, the Venetian Pool was designed to look like an Italian canal, with gondola poles, water falls and its own grotto. The ice cold water is refilled nightly from the groundwater.
BEST PLACE TO WALK YOUR DOG

READER’S CHOICE: GRANADA GOLF COURSE
STAFF CHOICE: GRANADA GOLF COURSE
The nine-hole Granada Golf Course is the central park of the Gables, slicing right through its most historic section. Walking the perimeter with your dog is another way to experience this open space. Just remember to bring your pick-up bag.
BEST HISTORIC LANDMARK

READER’S CHOICE: BILTMORE HOTEL
STAFF CHOICE: BILTMORE HOTEL
The Biltmore is the icon of the city, the great hotel that founding father George Merrick
built in 1926, which was saved from destruction and immaculately restored as a working hotel. Extraordinary lobby with bird cages and vaulted ceilings, not to mention the huge pool where Tarzan once frolicked.
BEST PLACE TO TAKE OUT-OF-TOWNERS

READER’S CHOICE: BILTMORE HOTEL
Maybe other cities have older landmarks, but few can match the majesty of the Biltmore.
It also comes with three restaurants and a fascinating history, including the tower with
its magnificent presidential suite, and Florida’s largest swimming pool.

STAFF CHOICE: FAIRCHILD GARDENS
South Florida has a semi-tropical environment that is unique in the nation, and nowhere is this better displayed than in the 80 acres of tropical plants that Dr. Fairchild brought from around the world to display here.
BEST PUBLIC ART

READER’S CHOICE: THE PLAZA CORAL GABLES
No other development comes close to the amount of public art on display in the oneacre open space that creates the Plaza’s courtyard, from a golden sculpture taken from the streets of Chicago to the giant father-and-son mice in front of the Americana.

STAFF CHOICE: “MINNA” AT CORAL GABLES MUSEUM
The Minna sculpture by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa outside the Coral Gables Museum is a national caliber piece which provides a stunning visual illusion. Just 14 inches wide at its widest point, it looks like a 3-D sculpture of considerable depth.
BEST PARK

READER’S CHOICE: SALVADORE PARK
This is the park that has it all: tennis courts, pickle ball courts, playground gear for the
sensory challenged, a dog run for large canines and more. The most popular park in town.

STAFF CHOICE: MATHESON HAMMOCK PARK & MARINA
Deep native hammocks, with trails for bikes, joggers and walkers, Matheson is the Gables
park that lets you experience what this place was like before builders had their way.
BEST PARKING PLACE
READER’S CHOICE: MUSEUM GARAGE
Located in the heart of Coral Gables’ culture hub, the Museum Garage is surrounded by the Art Cinema, Books and Books, and, of course, the Coral Gables Museum. No better location.
STAFF CHOICE: ALHAMBRA CIRCLE
Those who are willing to walk a couple of blocks to the where the action is can always find a place to park on Alhambra between Le Jeune and Douglas Road. Yes, it’s getting a little harder with places like Bay 13, Ro Steakhouse and Bouchon soaking up spots, so search the northern side behind the Alhambra Tower. The spaces are there, just don’t tell anyone else.
BEST HIDDEN GEM

READER’S CHOICE: LOWE ART MUSEUM
With 19,000 objects of art, 36,000 square feet of galleries, and astute guidance by executive
director and chief curator Jill Duepi, the Lowe does an amazing job covering 5,000 years of
Greek, Roman, Renaissance, Baroque, African, Asian, and Indigenous American art, alongside modern works. Easy access on the UM campus.

STAFF CHOICE: FROST SYMPHONY
With veteran conductor Gerard Schwarz at the helm, and brilliant young musicians
filling the ranks, the Frost School of Music’s Symphony Orchestra is world class and one
of the great, hidden gems of the Gables. Tickets are remarkably inexpensive for their Gusman Hall performances of the world’s greatest classical music.

