Ah, the swanky dive bar.
...
Don't look at us like that. It's a thing, promise.
A thing that you can just refer to as Mama Tried from here on out. It's currently open in downtown Miami from the people behind Blackbird Ordinary and Purdy Lounge. Here's the slideshow.
You'll pop into this neighborhood bar with a date before the night takes you wherever else it's going to take you. Or you'll end up in it at the end of the night instead. Basically, it's good with beginnings and endings.
Partly because of the drinks, partly because of the vibe. Walking in, you'll feel the '50s Vegas dive influence. The gold disco lamps. The bright red carpet. The black, gold, dark green and burgundy colors. The "no regrets" mural. All this, you'll think, embodies a swanky dive bar.
And that thing just ahead, beneath the sky-painted ceiling with twinkling fiber-optic star lights, is the bar, where concoctions like the Raspberry Beret—with your choice of spirit, fresh lemon, raspberries and pink peppercorn—are born.
Hit the Pac-Man arcade game, then the pool table, then check out the handpicked Bookleggers Library. And depending on which night you're there, you'll hear anything from disco to country to R&B.
So... choose wisely.