Empire Social Lounge (Brickell Location)

A second-floor cigar and whiskey lounge on S Miami Ave with a walk-in humidor, 250-plus whiskeys and a smart-casual door.

Checked October 2026

For cigar people and whiskey drinkers who want a slow, late seat in Brickell. The trade-off: a dress code, member priority on seating, and tobacco in the air even with good ventilation.

The humidor

The walk-in humidor is the point here: cedar-lined, glass-fronted, with a tobacconist inside to steer you toward something that suits your taste. The lounge says it's where members, manufacturers and vendors end up talking shop. Unusually for a cigar bar, you can bring your own sticks without the cutting fee many lounges charge, though they'd rather you buy from their shelves. They credit a serious extraction system for keeping the room from smelling like an ashtray. Nonsmokers should still expect cigars everywhere. It's upstairs at 1106 S Miami Ave, steps from a lot of Brickell's dinner spots.

What to pour

Whiskey is the backbone, with more than 250 bottles and growing, plus tequila, rum and cognac sections behind it. Outside liquor is off the table under Florida law, but you can bring one bottle of wine per reservation and pay corkage. Prices sit at $$, fair for the neighborhood, though the site doesn't post a menu with numbers. It's open noon to 2 am Sunday through Thursday and until 3 am Friday and Saturday, so it works as a nightcap after dinner or a long afternoon. It holds 4.6 from about 340 Google reviews.

Dress code and the door

Smart casual is the minimum, and they spell it out. Shorts need a collared shirt or better; T-shirts need pants. Men need closed-toe shoes, and swim or gym wear won't get in. You don't need a membership to visit, but members have their own lounge spaces and priority on reservations, so walk-ins can get squeezed when it's full. Book lounge seating on Resy. The bar is first come, first served, which is your best bet if you're turning up without a plan.

Parking

Two private lots sit within a block, street meters are paid by app, or valet at a nearby restaurant and walk over.

Reservations

Book lounge seating on Resy; the bar is first come, first served and members get priority.

Dress code

Men need closed-toe shoes, and shorts only pass with a collared shirt.

Questions people ask