South Florida has no shortage of glamorous places to raise a glass, but true luxury at the bar is rarely about spectacle alone. It is found in provenance, rarity, service and the sense that a drink has been considered as carefully as the room in which it is served.
From rare spirits poured by the ounce in Hollywood to tequila flights overlooking Fort Lauderdale Beach and a modern steakhouse experience at Fontainebleau Miami Beach, these three destinations continue to offer distinctive ways to drink well in South Florida.
Council Oak’s One Ounce Club – Hollywood, Florida
Inside Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Council Oak Steaks & Seafood remains one of the region’s strongest destinations for serious spirits. Its One Ounce Club is still part of the restaurant’s current bar program, offering access to an exclusive selection of high-end bottles served in one-ounce pours.
That format is what gives the experience its appeal. Rather than committing to an entire bottle, guests can explore rare and premium spirits individually, making the bar feel as much like a tasting room as a traditional steakhouse lounge.
The setting has evolved considerably since the restaurant’s earlier years. Council Oak now occupies a polished space at the base of The Guitar Hotel, with an open kitchen, in-house butcher shop, dry-aging room and a glass-enclosed wine room showcasing more than 400 labels. The wine program has also continued to earn recognition, including a 2025 Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence.
For anyone drawn to exceptional whiskey, cognac or other prestige spirits, the One Ounce Club remains the most distinctive part of the experience: an opportunity to taste beyond the familiar without turning the evening into a formal tasting seminar.
Lona Cocina & Tequileria – Fort Lauderdale, Florida
At The Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort, Lona Cocina & Tequileria brings a completely different energy to the idea of an elevated drink. The restaurant remains led by chef Pablo Salas and continues to center its beverage program on agave, with tequila flights and craft cocktails forming an important part of the experience.
The oceanfront setting gives Lona much of its character. This is not a hushed spirits room; it is bright, social and unmistakably South Florida, with Mexican flavors, beach views and a bar program designed to encourage exploration.
Rather than focusing on outdated bottle counts or past cocktail names, the better reason to visit today is the breadth of the agave experience itself. Tequila flights allow guests to compare different styles and expressions, while the cocktail program brings those spirits into a more relaxed, contemporary setting.
For diners who enjoy understanding what is in the glass rather than simply ordering another margarita, Lona offers a more interesting route into tequila and agave spirits, with the added pleasure of Fort Lauderdale Beach just beyond the dining room.
Prime 54 – Fontainebleau Miami Beach
Prime 54 remains one of Fontainebleau Miami Beach’s signature dining rooms, known primarily for premium aged steaks, fresh seafood and the glamorous energy associated with the resort itself. The restaurant is still very much active, but its current identity is more accurately described through its broader dining and wine experience than through the old Japanese Whisky Experience referenced in the original article.
The current menu places significant emphasis on wine, including curated wine flights, while the restaurant’s contemporary steakhouse setting provides the kind of polished backdrop that makes a well-chosen bottle or after-dinner pour feel appropriately indulgent.
Prime 54 works best as the most classically luxurious stop of the three: less about a single theatrical cocktail ritual and more about the combination of setting, service, wine and a substantial dinner. For those who prefer their drinks alongside wood-fired beef, seafood and the unmistakable atmosphere of Fontainebleau, the experience remains compelling.
South Florida’s drinking culture has changed since these venues were first profiled, but the larger appeal has not. Council Oak offers access to rare spirits through its One Ounce Club, Lona makes agave exploration feel relaxed and coastal, and Prime 54 pairs a sophisticated wine program with one of Miami Beach’s most recognizable luxury settings.
The most memorable pour, after all, is rarely just about what is in the glass. It is about where you are, who is pouring it and the sense that the experience could not have unfolded quite the same way anywhere else.
