How to Enjoy Miami on a Budget - Day 1

Cuban, Italian, Markets and Happy Hours!

Aug 5, 2025

Day 1        
3 Nights/4 Days in August 2025


Hey, y’all! I’m just back from a second trip to Miami, almost a year apart. If you’re finding this article, I highly recommend you read the How to Enjoy Miami on a Budget - Overview blog first to get a solid overview.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I’m going to share the places we went, things we saw and ways we watched the purse. We arrived hangry (which is never a good thing). After putting up our bags in the room, we set out on foot for our first walk. 
Day 1 overview:

•  Budget friendly lunch at Blocks Pizza Deli

•  Splurge visit to blue lavender Café & Market

•  Happy Hour hosted by the conference

•  Dinner at Havana 1957 Cuban Cuisine

•  Long walk after dinner taking in the sights

OK, let’s dive in!

Blocks Pizza Deli

After the long ride down to Miami, we knew we wanted something quick to deal with the hangry. I’ll be honest, I did not do any pre-planning at all for this trip. I wanted to run with the feeling of just taking it as it flows this go around. In this case, I used a combo of Trip Advisor, Pinterest, Maps and Yelp to assist in decision making.

I landed on Blocks because it spoke to me and had good reviews. I was charmed to walk into this cozy deli. From the décor to the food, I was pleased with the choice. Bonus: the large pizza slices were served on wooden trays. That is a new one on me for presentation, but it was a total vibe, especially with the décor.

Space was at a premium, but we were lucky to get a table for 2 and catch our breath. Our slices were served in a timely manner, and it was delish! We wound up paying cash for this and I’m totally going off memory, but I believe it was $5.50 per slice.

Note: I’m finding some maps are showing this deli as being permanently closed. Unless it has closed within the past 4 days, it is very much open. It does look like the pics I took of the interior are different from others I saw online. It is located at 1447 Washington Street in Miami Beach, FL.



blue lavender Café & Market


I know I talked about being easy on the purse, but you must live a little, too! After pizza, I did some quick research to see if I could find a cute coffee café that serves chai latte. After striking out on the first few I looked at, I found this beautiful shop. 
In case you are wondering, I’m that girl who never learned to love coffee. I don’t like the smell or taste-hot or cold, strong or weak. Believe me, my brother-in-love gave it his best shot to convince me I was missing out on the whole world of coffee.

Fast forward a few years and Joy took pity on me. Of course, she loves her lattes. On a girl’s trip, she said, “I think you should try chai latte.” Of course, I was immediately suspicious until she assured me it was a TEA. OK, I can do that. The rest is literally, chai latte history. I love it and I even got hubby to love it. WIN!

OK, I digressed for a moment! This café is lovely inside and out. Bonus-it was healthy. Hubby and I grabbed two iced chai lattes (with caramel), a slice of carrot cake and a chocolate banana bread. We sat for a while and just chilled and chatted. Again, we paid cash for this one and it was $25 plus all of the taxes. It is located at 1414 Collins Avenue.




Happy Hour
Of course, I always recommend the deals when and where you can get them! The first night, the conference hosted a happy hour. We are not big drinkers, but we went down and enjoyed a few chocolate martinis and great times with friends. Outside of tipping our bartender, it was a great way to mind the budget! 

Havana 1957 Cuban Cuisine


We headed out (on foot) with a few friends to figure out dinner. We decided on this restaurant, located at 405 Espanola Way. We sat inside (there is lots of seating al fresco) and enjoyed great service and delicious food (they also have other locations). A few of us had the crispy chicken (not fried) with white rice and black beans. Others had the sampler, grilled chicken and flank steak; there were no complaints. The price tag was $62.26 for 2 meals and 1 ginger ale.


Walk After Dinner

Outside of just walking to a specific destination, like to dinner, we enjoyed walking a few miles with friends. We enjoyed great conversations, took in the many sights and got in some exercise. Y’all, it is HOT and HUMID in August down in Miami!

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