In advance of the big reveal of the best of the best in Vancouver on April 22, 50 Best Bars has released its extended list of the Best Bars in North America, ranking additional exceptional bars from numbers 51 to 100. And Miami scored a slot.
Coming in at No. 70 is Bar Kaiju, which captures the city’s flair for theatrical, transportive nightlife.
Tucked above the Citadel food hall in Little River, Bar Kaiju feels like a secret clubhouse for cocktail aficionados and Japanese horror films alike. The industrial second-floor space glows in neon red, plastered with collages of kaiju (like Godzilla and Mothra), giving the night a cult-movie energy.
As Time Out wrote in its four-star review, “quirkiness sets the tone for Kaiju, a spot that feels as trendy as an East Village hipster, with nothing but red lights to illuminate the place. Come early to snag a barstool and watch some of the city’s best cocktail masters whip up creations.”
The concept leans all the way in. Every cocktail is inspired by a legendary creature, from Godzilla to the Chupacabra, often presented like collectible trading cards. Drinks are as playful as they are precise, blending technique with a sense of humor that’s increasingly rare in high-end cocktail bars.
That balance of expert-level mixology wrapped in pure escapism is exactly what’s earning Bar Kaiju international recognition. It’s also what makes it stand out in a city already crowded with polished hotel bars and tropical classics. As one of the more “off-the-beaten-path” entries on the list, it reinforces Miami’s reputation not just for luxury drinking, but for boundary-pushing creativity. And its reputation is growing; last year, Bar Kaiju ranked No. 77 on the list.
Elsewhere on the 51–100 list, New York City landed five slots, Chicago scored three and two Los Angeles bars made appearances.
If anything, Bar Kaiju’s placement suggests that Miami’s future as a cocktail capital may lie less in white-tablecloth refinement and more in immersive, personality-driven experiences. In other words: come for the drinks, stay for the monsters.