Miami is known for its vibrant, sunny, and trendy vibes and disposition. How lucky are we to live in a hotspot of great restaurants, drinks, outdoor spaces, and strong community!? Here are my tips and tricks to hosting OneTable Shabbat dinners that are uniquely Miami. Use my “Best of Miami” guide to create your own best Miami Shabbat vibe! Can’t wait to see how you Shabbat in Miami.

Best Challah

Zak the Baker (one of our awesome Nourishment partners!). Hot tip: get the honey challah so you can make challah french toast the next morning with the leftovers.

Best Wine Shop

Wine Warehouse (one of our amazing Nourishment partners), in Hallandale Beach, has a huge selection of any type of wine you can imagine. I prefer Cabernet Sauvignon so I head straight to that aisle. Plus, it has the most Kosher wines of any store in all of South Florida!

Best Park to Host

Margaret Pace Park, a gorgeous park in Edgewater where you can dine while you get to wave at tons of cute dogs passing by!

Best Beach Spot to Host

Anywhere in Mid-Miami Beach, specifically between 42nd — 52nd Street. Bring a blanket, battery-powered twinkle lights, and your friends for a beautiful Shabbat evening under the stars. While we do have some awesome Shabbat playlists on our website, nothing beats a soundtrack of ocean waves breaking as they reach the shore.

Best Cocktail

Miami Arak. Israeli liquor reimagined as hard seltzers? Yes please! You can find this at Sarah’s Tent in Aventura, or order online.

Best Kosher Grocery Store

Kosher Kingdom in Aventura. It’s a huge store with all of the glatt goodies you can imagine. They’re also one of our Nourishment partners, so you can use your Nourishment credit to do your Shabbat shopping!

Sarah’s Tent is an expansive kosher grocery store in Aventura that has a delicious selection of homemade Shabbat takeout, sushi, fresh pizza, plus all of your grocery needs — meat, snacks, drinks, and more! The quality and variety is amazing.

Best Vegan Food

Love Life Cafe in Wynwood. Their lentil soup is a must have! As a huge fan of their food, Naomi (Miami Field Manager) and I hosted a rooftop party and ordered plant-based pizzas for  our rooftop Shabbat. It was a hit!

Best Cuban Food

Old’s Havana Cafe in the heart of Calle Ocho. (They’re on UberEats which you can find in the OneTable Catalog as a Nourishment option!)

Best Dessert

Dasher and Crank (another one of our fab  Nourishment partners) in Wynwood. My go-to flavor is the Ube.

sMiles Gourmet Pudding, owned by one of our wonderful Miami OneTable community members. The pecan pie and cookie butter flavors are delicious. 

I love dessert and couldn’t pick just one!

Best Ice Breaker

Because meaningful conversation is one of my favorite parts about Shabbat, I couldn’t pick just one option!

The Chosen One (the creator is one of our Miami community members). This game was written by a team of Jewish writers and comedians. You match Jewish-themed question and answer cards to find the best pairings. Get ready for lots of laughs at your Shabbat table! You can even use your OneTable Nourishment to get this entertaining game.

OneTable Conversation Cards pose questions for you to ask at your table to look internally and frame deep, intentional conversations about connection, ritual, gratitude, and more. Get your deck here! 

Best Hummus

Abbale Telavivian Kitchen in Miami Beach, but really any of their dips are the best. They even have a yummy Shabbat dinner special every Friday from 6–8pm where you and your friends can enjoy a family-style meal under the stars.

Best Judaica

Shabbat Candle Club, an online store that delivers unique and beautiful Shabbat candles to you to help set the stage for your practice. I have handmade blue and pink candles I love to use on Shabbat. This is one of our Nourishment partners!

Best Walking Tour

Jewish Museum of Florida has a two hour walking tour — it’s so cool to see the history of the Jewish people in Miami right in our backyard. Visit this site for more info on scheduling.

Create your own Best of Miami dinner!

Post a Friday night dinner in the month of April with your description highlighting how you’re going to incorporate your “Best of Miami” into your Shabbat dinner experience! Use the hashtag #bestofmiami in your dinner description and we’ll send you a 10% off code to Wine Warehouse on top of Nourishment for that evening! 

Follow @winewarehousestore for more deals + discounts.

About the Author:

Anya Gips (she/her) is the Miami Community Ambassador and has been with OneTable since October 2021. Anya loves biking on the boardwalk, searching for the best bagels, and walking her dog, Matzah, in the park.