24 Best Cocktail Bars near Lauderdale By The Sea

“One of my fav places for Taco Tuesday. The food, margs & service is always on point! ✨ Everything that we’ve tried on the menu is delish & Jose, our fav bartender, makes the best spicy margaritas in town.😊 Highly recommend to check out this place & a shout out to Tyler as well for his great hospitality. ✨“

“I recently had the pleasure of dining at Pier 14, and I can confidently say that it exceeded all my expectations! From the moment I arrived, the management staff made me feel right at home. Their attention to detail and commitment to guest satisfaction were evident throughout my visit. They genuinely care about creating a memorable experience, and it shows! The barge ders are an absolute delight. Their friendly demeanor and expert knowledge of the menu made our time there even more enjoyable. They were quick to recommend some of the best dishes, and I was blown away by their recommendations! Speaking of food, it was nothing short of incredible. Each dish was crafted with care, bursting with flavor, and beautifully presented. Whether you’re a fan of seafood, steak, or vegetarian options, there’s something for everyone. I highly recommend trying their signature dishes—you won’t be disappointed! The atmosphere at Pier 14 is simply magical. With stunning views and a lively yet relaxed vibe, it’s the perfect spot for a night out with friends or a romantic dinner. The ambiance is enhanced by the talented DJ, who spun an eclectic mix of tracks that kept the energy high without overpowering conversation. The combination of great music and a vibrant crowd made for an unforgettable evening. Overall, Pier 14 is a must-visit destination. The exceptional management, outstanding barge ders, mouthwatering food, and fantastic atmosphere all come together to create a truly remarkable dining experience. I can’t wait to return!“

“Great location! The food is authentic Italian! The best thin crust pizza with fresh mozzarella made in house and amazing meatballs with fresh “gravy” and ricotta! The staff is great, the service is fast and friendly. Highly recommend!“

“For the Standard Crowd
Stop ordering Tito’s Sodas and Espresso Martinis. These are not Fort Lauderdale Airport bartenders. They are on another level. Explore new drinks and discover a world previously unbeknownst to you.

For the Cocktail-Savvy Crowd
Expect well-executed classics and a menu full of smash hits and acquired tastes — crafted by a legend and brought to life by up-and-coming cocktail superstars. Their Bounty Daiquiri and Probitas Daiquiri are both delicious. While the fast-paced environment does limit the level of detail and technique I personally enjoy, it’s understandable — they’ve got quotas to hit. It’s the standard big-city bar rhythm: efficient, energetic, and volume-driven.

For the Cocktail-Autistic (Like Me)
Their classics are phenomenal.
If I had feedback, it would be temperature control. Some drinks felt slightly too warm, likely due to missed chilling steps. I recommend chilling everything before building: spirits, mixers, glassware — even carbonated ingredients. There might be some technique improvements that could be made.

Also, consider investing in spear ice. Yes, it’s pricey, but it meaningfully improves the experience by reducing surface area and slowing dilution.

Another detail: avoid garnishing sour drinks with lime wheels directly on the surface of the cocktail. As they sit, they leach bitterness into the drink. Skip the lime wheel and save a bit on your happy hour daiquiris — lime prices are only going up. You’re welcome; I just improved your margins.

Lastly (and this may sound counterintuitive): your drink volumes might be too high. Many feel like they’re built with 3 oz of base spirit. The Negroni in particular feels like 5 oz total. I’d suggest slightly lowering the overall volume. It would:
-Allow guests to enjoy more drinks in one sitting
-Improve guest pacing and per-head spend
-Make pricing more approachable (e.g. from $17–20 to $15–18)

I know this means changing every glass and possibly reworking your build strategy, but the long-term payoff in margins and guest experience could be well worth it.

Train your staff (especially on slow days) on unreasonable hospitality.“

“Best steak salad EVER. Went back two days in a row. Not pretentious. Not over the top anything. Just a VERY comfortable place. Everyone is “Honey” and it’s a good thing. Almost as I imagine visiting your nurturing older sister’s house while in her town. Allie and Mark (I could have this wrong-drinks were good) were amazing. My wife and I sat at the bar and people-watched. Raspberry
Spritzer and a Toasted Almond were served and the show began. Allie and Mark-I really think those are their names- were conductors in an orchestra of orders and customers. Thursday night rush or a popular place anytime….. but they were constantly and deliberately moving. Freddie was working to run food and bus tables and make sure EVERYONE had a great experience. Our steak salad and Bbq flatbread were plated beautifully. I had the steak salad and it has a champagne vignagrette over candied pecans, sliced pear, and other goodness. We also had the goat cheese skillet…. The bread it was served with was VERY GOOD. The goat cheese was too spicy for me…. But my wife liked it.

The MVP of the night might have been the chef’s assistant… or the cook’s right hand. Sitting at the bar we had a full view into the open kitchen. Picture a two foot square area surrounded by tools and appliances and filled with TALENT. The chef is good…. But she was having a come-a-part and it showed to us as spectators. As diners…. The food didn’t show it. The assistant… talented, female, tan, brown hair …. Never heard her name….. but she put out fire after fire in the fire in the mind of the chef……. Talked her off the ledge multiple times……

Like I said the food was great…. The assistant was an MVP and Mark and Ellie? Allie? Hallie? Tattood right arm…. Shakes a mean martini….. ellie I think…. She and mark were great!!!!

Might have one more salad tomorrow!“

“Wonderful food and such excellent service! Definitely will be back! Loved the fritters and the poutine, sooo yummy!“

“I always go to Rocco's but this time their service was not that good. They brought my main courses before my appetizers , I cancelled one of the appetizers as it didn't make any sense anymore , drinks were late. Food is always good though“

“So I've never been here till today but the people are great and the food is fantastic. The chef brings you your food, and of course ask how it was. Which in most places you don't get. If you have any left that you want to take home he even boxes it up for you. Honestly if you want a good lunch that's done right, here's the bed spot. A must try“

“one of my favorite places in Miami😍 Davie“

“Wasn’t expecting to need a reservation on a rainy Sunday evening, but alas, even with multiple empty tables, we had to sit at the bar. The food was just OK honestly for the amount we spent it could’ve been a lot better. A bottle of champagne is three times a normal price. The oysters smelled fishy, but thankfully, they let me send them back and the other items that we tried were tasty.. our bartender Julia was fabulous. The presentation was a lot of fun. The atmosphere is hip and trendy, and the view is spectacular. Make a reservation. It requires a credit card, which is a bit much, it reminds me of a fine dining establishment in the middle of New York City but I guess they want people to show for their reservations and that’s one way to do it. I lost my credit card there…“

“I ride over 60 miles from Miami just to drink here 🤘“

“Absolute Gem, AMAZING SERVICE, food was Outstanding. Great Entertainment Shawn the staff, well done!! We will definitely be back.“

“Great spot for events and live music! The staff is awesome and the vibe is always right. They also host some great stand up comedy nights.“

“Great people... good prices. Fun place.“

“Great food, friendly service, and a beautiful atmosphere.“

“An awesome place where everybody knows your name. The prices are very affordable and the Drinks are ice cold. Not to forget some good old-school Bartenders like AM Dave on the weekends at 7am. Sherbear and Kelly in the afternoon. Trace and Tim at night will ensure your favorite sports are on one of the 8 TV's.“

“Great experience here on a Saturday night. Came with my dog and was sat immediately. The servers were all incredibly friendly. We especially liked the strawberries and cream croffle. Huge shout-out to the musician creating some great ambiance, Daniel.“

“wonderful cocktails and tapas!“

“great food and great place to watch Panthers Hockey“

“We started coming here recently and now we visit a few times a week. The Burata pie is my favorite followed by their pear pasta appetizer.“

“Adorable bartender worth going to to see him.“

“Came here for dinner with a large group for a very late dinner. They were about to close the kitchen and still accommodated us. It was very nice of them to allow us to dine and enjoy our time together after a long day of activities. There was a mix up with splitting the bill, but Muhammad, the manager, did an outstanding job of making everything right.

There was a few times I ordered to go from the bar, and Barbara, the bartender, was very genuine and kind. She was alone and was so good at multitasking, from taking phone orders to making conversation with me, to handling other patrons. She's such a hard worker.

During breakfast dine ins, the staff is attentive and kind. Pray, the manager, also did a wonderful job of checking in and asking how my dining experience was going. Overall, a good place to eat. Food is actually good for hotel food! I was pleasantly surprised.“

“Brenda is the best great service and place is always clean great clientele“

“The waitstaff were excellent and the views were very nice. I had the shrimp tacos that were actually quite good. I had a little difficult time finding the restaurant. It is on the 6th floor of the hotel requiring a room key that is easily obtained by the front desk staff. Overall I was very happy with my experience.“