Coconut Grove is the oldest neighbourhood in Miami and it still feels like somewhere separate from the rest of the city. Low buildings, heavy tree cover, the bay at the end of most streets. The music follows from that: more acoustic and jazz than electronic, a lot of it outdoors, and much of it in the afternoon rather than the small hours. Every venue below links to its profile in our venue directory, and the recurring nights are in the gig calendar.
Glass and Vine
Glass and Vine sits in the open under the oaks of Peacock Park and has the fullest music calendar in the Grove. Latin jazz with Nestor Del Prado on Fridays, Sam Velez on Saturdays, DJ Niche on Thursday evenings, and bossa nova jazz at Sunday brunch from 11am to 2pm with guitarist Russ Spiegel. The Sunday is the one locals book.
Monty’s Raw Bar
Monty’s Raw Bar is the open air tiki bar on the Coconut Grove marina and a Grove institution for stone crabs and music on the water. Live music every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, plus a DJ set on Thursdays, all 6pm to 9pm. Reggae, rock and acoustic. It is the most reliable early evening in the neighbourhood and the view does a lot of the work.
Bayshore Club
Bayshore Club is on Biscayne Bay next to Regatta Harbour, with an outdoor lounge running live bands and DJs Thursday through Saturday and again at Sunday brunch. The programming moves between jazz, Latin and dance sets, and happy hour runs Monday to Friday from 4pm to 6pm.
Sandbar Sports Grill
Sandbar on Grand Avenue is the Grove’s original live music bar and the least polished room on this list, which is the point. Live music most nights, cold drinks, an outdoor deck and decades of regulars. Rob the Rum Guy plays here regularly. Go when you want an easy night rather than an occasion.
The Taurus
The Taurus on Main Highway holds Miami’s oldest liquor licence. A beer and whiskey house that South Floridians keep voting their favourite neighbourhood bar, now run by Ariete Hospitality with smash burgers from the kitchen next door. Trivia on Tuesdays at 8:30pm, karaoke Wednesdays 9pm to midnight, comedy on Thursdays at 9pm, all 21 and up.
Planning a night in the Grove
The Grove is walkable in parts and not in others. Glass and Vine, Sandbar and The Taurus are all within a few minutes of each other around Main Highway and Grand Avenue, so those three make an easy evening on foot. Monty’s and Bayshore Club are both on the water and are a short drive or a long walk down Bayshore Drive.
The thing to understand about the Grove is that its best music is early. Monty’s finishes at nine, the Glass and Vine brunch is a Sunday lunchtime affair, and the neighbourhood generally does not do late. That makes it a good first stop before heading to Brickell or Downtown, and an excellent destination in its own right if you would rather be home at a reasonable hour. Parking is easier midweek; at weekends use the garages around Cocowalk rather than circling.
Sunday in the Grove
If you only come once, come on a Sunday. It is the day the neighbourhood is at its best and three of these rooms are running at the same time. Bossa nova jazz at Glass and Vine from 11am to 2pm under the oaks, Bayshore Club’s Sunday brunch with live music on the bay, and Monty’s on the marina from 6pm once the afternoon heat has gone out of it.
That makes a full day without moving more than a mile, and without any of it requiring a late night. It is also the version of Miami that most visitors never see, because they stay on the beach. The Grove on a Sunday afternoon is mostly locals, families and boat people, and the music is pitched at exactly that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is live music on the water in Coconut Grove?
Monty’s Raw Bar on the marina runs live music Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 6pm to 9pm, and Bayshore Club on Biscayne Bay has live bands and DJs Thursday through Saturday and at Sunday brunch.
Is there jazz in Coconut Grove?
Yes. Glass and Vine runs Latin jazz on Fridays with Nestor Del Prado and bossa nova jazz at Sunday brunch with guitarist Russ Spiegel.
Where is karaoke in Coconut Grove?
The Taurus on Main Highway runs karaoke on Wednesdays from 9pm to midnight, 21 and up.
Which is the oldest bar in the Grove?
The Taurus holds the oldest liquor licence in Miami and remains a working neighbourhood bar.
