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    The Lifeguard by Edwar Simal

    4.6 (30 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 3:00 pm

    The Lifeguard by Edwar Simal Photos

    THE LIFEGUARD BY EDWAR SIMAL ATMOSPHERE

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    Reviews With Photos - The Lifeguard by Edwar Simal

    Mirian G.

    We stumbled upon the lifeguard walking to get breakfast and the original spot we wanted had a line so we decided to try its menu had plenty of choices for us to try. We loved the seating options from couch to regular tables. Loved the concept of art gallery and cafe. Very south beach. I got a caramel iced coffee latte and capprese avocado toast and both were delicious. My sister and mother got an empanada, cortadito and smoothie. I wished they tried more of the kitchen items so I could try it lol but they weren't as hungry as I was I guess. Overall a very cute and cozy atmosphere.

    Code con lech y bonbom
    Jacqueline S.

    The cafe is top notch! Please make sure to visit Judy and the whole lifeguard family for delicious food and beverages. This place is also an art gallery in case you need to walk off the food! Thank you, Lifeguard USA!

    Cuban sandwich
    Ettore M.

    The food is outstanding and service is excellent everything on the menu is cooked to order and delicious.

    Inside
    Elena Y.

    Really enjoyed the space and my meal. Looks like u can self service your order at the counter or sit and have full service. Waitress was very helpful in explaining all the Cuban coffee options. I didn't want a full fruit salad and she offered a cheaper 1/2 sized portion off the menu. The coffee was sweet and strong. Sandwich had nice crunchy baguette and a sweetness to the stewed pork. Nice pickles, kinda "fresh" because it wasn't overly sour and briney. Love the mixed root chips. I would've given 4 stars if not for the 12% dine in fee. No problem on the fee if it goes to the waitress. But I confirmed with her that the restaurant keeps the 12% fee so to be fair to her I tipped her separately an additional 18% gratuity. The dine in fee + tip + taxes totaled almost 38% additional to the bill. Maybe take out only next time...if there is a next time.

    Pork Carnita Sweet Plantain Oven-Baked (half eaten)

    The Lifeguard is an outstanding locally owned cafe right in the heart of south beach. The menu is extensive, with everything from breakfast/bakery items to lunch sandwiches to pasta & pizza - and at FAIR prices... which are obviously pretty difficult to find in south beach. My favorites are the Bombon coffee and any of the platanos Al horno. Take it from a local, don't get suckered into the spots on Ocean drive. The Lifeguard is where it's at.

    Platano with ropa vieja. Delicious!!!
    Sue H.

    Great food, a truly "South Beach" vibe and excellent service! Check out the food (try the platano with ropa vieja! Yum!) and check out the beautiful photos as well. Extremely helpful and friendly staff!

    Burrata & Prosciutto Toast

    Cute little local family owned restaurant. Service was excellent. The food was unique and very flavorful, with a very good price point. I chose the Cahapa con Queso de Man from Venezuela (I added seasoned shredded pork)and my wife had the Burrata & Prosciutto. My dish was easily one of the best meals I've had in South Beach Miami. A savory dish just popping with flavor.

    The Mediterranean
    Debbi C.

    We walked by The lifeguard going to breakfast and the man told us they had the best breakfast and best coffee in Miami so we went back the next day to check. I'm not sure I agree with the best, but it was good. We chose to eat our food at the restaurant because it was cooler inside and we wanted to see the artwork. The story is the place is owned by 2 brothers with one being an artist and the other being a chef. The food was good. I had a caprese baguette that was fresh and yummy. The pesto tasted very fresh and the balsamic glaze.... Mmmmm! My girlfriend had the Mediterranean and really enjoyed the mixture of olives, tomatoes and feta. Hubby had the breakfast sandwich and it was good. Liked the chips from mine better than the salad with his so we traded. Our friend had a cubano and said the pork was quite tasty and he really enjoyed it. He loved the mixed chips. The prices were average with most other breakfast places on Washington. Our only surprise was seeing we had a charge to eat inside the restaurant. We paid $8 to eat sitting inside the restaurant but weren't told in advance we would be charged. That didn't include the tip. It was a charge we didn't see anywhere else. I'd eat there again but might choose to take my food with me.

    Americano with almond milk
    Abigail P.

    We are here one morning for breakfast this place was pretty tasty. We got the chicken empanada, guava danish, blueberry bagel with cream cheese with a small Spanish salad. To drink we got a Americano with almond milk and a caramel latte with almond milk. The place was clean and quiet with some cool art work. The workers were nice! The price were average but the dine in tax was 10% so I was slightly upset about that.

    Awesome & fresh food & smoothies! Really yummy & super nice staff!

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    2 years ago

    Great place with amazing food and drinks!! Highly recommend. We loved it so much we went consecutive days.

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    Immediately made room for our party of 8. Great Lattes, food and atmosphere!! Very unique and tasty.

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    Review Highlights - The Lifeguard by Edwar Simal

    The Lifeguard is an outstanding locally owned cafe right in the heart of south beach.

    Mentioned in 4 reviews

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    Las Olas Cafe

    Las Olas Cafe

    4.3
    (1.3k reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$

    I was visiting Miami for less than 24 hours, and I made it my mission to try a Cubano sandwich on…read moremy trip. I did some research, and Las Olas Cafe came up in multiple recommendations. Located a couple of blocks off a major road (Washington Ave.), Las Olas Cafe felt like a hole-in-the wall neighborhood joint - a team of off-duty police officers were enjoying their dinner inside the restaurant, and families were eagerly lined up at the to-go window outside the restaurant. As I waited in line to order, I perused the menu, which included breakfast items, coffee, and a variety of sandwiches. Even though there were only a couple of customers ahead of me in line, each meal was made-to-order before the next order was taken. This meant that the staff prepared about half a dozen coffees, a couple of smoothies, and several meals before it was my turn to order. When I finally placed my order for a Cubano sandwich, I waited about 20 minutes for my food to be prepared. My sandwich was served piping hot, and I eagerly took my food to go so I could enjoy it at the beach nearby. Despite the wait (about an hour from the time I arrived at the cafe despite the short line), my food was delicious. The sandwich was stuffed with crispy shredded pork and ham, and a generous amount of mustard, melted cheese, and pickles pulled it all together.

    Oh my oh my....these folks make an excellent Cubano, cordita strong Cuban coffee and a pork and…read moreplantain empanada. I was in the neighborhood to get a badly needed haircut while visiting from the Bay Area for work and next door on the corner on an otherwise unassuming street is this solid legit Cuban sammie and coffee place. Locals galore sitting outside sipping strong Cuban coffee and eating Sammie's and empanadas. Who am I to argue with the locals. They definitely steered me right on this one. The Cubano was stuffed with moist roasted pork and ham with pickles and melted cheese. The spicy garlicky green sauce that comes with it could make an old shoe delicious ! The coffee was spot on and that roasted pork and plantain empanada also hit the proverbial spot. All in with tax and tip for $25 I was stuffed full and now remarkably fluent in Spanish ! Esta bien Las Olas Cafe ! Muy muy deliciosa !

    Photos
    Cafe con Leche 12oz (left). Guarapo (right).
    Cafe con Leche 12oz (left). Guarapo (right).
    The patio, food, coffee and juice are incredible. Could people watch all day and try every dish in this tiny shop. 10/10 recommend!
    The patio, food, coffee and juice are incredible. Could people watch all day and try every dish in this tiny shop. 10/10 recommend!
    Guava and cheese Pastry, orange juice (fresh squeezed), and a Cortadito

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    Guava and cheese Pastry, orange juice (fresh squeezed), and a Cortadito
    Cortadito Coffee House

    Cortadito Coffee House

    4.3
    (215 reviews)
    0.0 mi
    $$
    Grab-and-go
    Healthy dining

    I went to Cortadito Coffee House's Washington location when I was in South Beach for a few hours on…read morea weekday and needed a little afternoon caffeine so I downloaded the Cortadito app in advance and when doing so you get a free Cortadito on your first order, the coupon applies as checkout. I ordered when I was in the store and the app defaulted to the Meridian location and there was no way to change it. The staff saw what happened and jumped to action and called the Meridian store and said they would let everyone know and started making the coffee in their store. A few minutes later I had my coffee and I was on my way. The staff were all so nice and helpful and the coffee was absolutely amazing! Definitely stop in if you are in the area!

    A local chain that does Cuban sandwiches and pastries quite well. The menu includes some…read morequestionable non-Cuban dishes (e.g. pancakes), but I avoided them. Was quite pleased with what I ordered. Ham Croqueta: Crispy outside breading and very gooey inside. There were nice ham chunks inside. Chicken Croqueta: Same format as the ham croqueta. Though this one was kinda bland. The chicken strands just kinda blended in with the gooey mush center whereas the ham chunks were nice and smoky. Tequeño: Nicely executed with a cheesy center and crispy outside. Cuban Sandwich: I like how they really pay attention an evenly distributed and nicely crisped press on both sides. Many places are only partially crispy. The ratio of ham, pork, cheese, pickles and mustard was just right. The flavors worked in harmony and there wasn't one ingredient that dominated the rest.

    Photos
    Sitting area
    Sitting area
    Cortadito Coffee House
    Indoor seating

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    Indoor seating
    Rosetta Bakery

    Rosetta Bakery

    4.0
    (269 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $

    No vabbè, qua ti senti in Italia ma col bel caldo tropicale di Miami!…read more We came to Rosetta bakery for un caffettino ma then we decided we needed to order everything we saw. JK but our eyes really wanted to, especially when I laid eyes on the Nutella croissant section. From delicious paninozzo bello ripieno perfect to take to go and eat at the beach, to delicious pizzette e focaccia, Rosetta Bakery has everything you need for that sweet or savory tooth. We had the best breakfast, tipico Italiano, with nutella croissants, caffè macchiato e caffè, come in Italia. Everything is baked fresh, at the spot and you can see all the hard work through the little glass window. This place makes you feel good and it's food dopamine for your nose and eyes. Can't wait to come here again next time I'm in the area.

    I've been to a few of these around town, but not to this location. Much more spacious with a lot…read moreof seating downstairs and upstairs. I especially like all the freshly baked smells coming from the active bakery onsite. Chocolate Cake: What can make chocolate cake even better? A nutella-like frosting! It really took this to a whole new indulgent level. Apricot Croissant: Why spread jam on your croissant when it comes pre-jammed? A nice amount of tangy apricot jam inside the flaky pastry. A great way to start the day. Pistachio Eclair: Normally I'm a chocolate frosting and vanilla custard guy, but they didn't have that combination. Was pleasantly surprised by the sweet pistachio cream, made it feel very European. Cannoli: A tiny little indulgence of dense sweet cheese inside a not-that-crispy-anymore shell. Potentially made awhile ago; wonder if a fresher one would have had a better crunch. I did like the candied orange peel at one of the ends. Mortadella Sandwich: A simple way to live up the olive roll. A few slices of mortadella to make it meaty and feel kinda fancy European. Ham & Sweet Baguette: Simple and easily transportable to the beach. The baguette tastes fresh, likely made onsite not that long before. It had a good chew. The ham and cheese are just enough protein to make it into a meal. Might have been even better with a little mustard. Mortadella, Cheese, Sun Dried Tomato Sandwich: A nice soft roll with lots of mortadella, some fresh mozzarella and heavy umami sundried (or slow baked?) tomatoes. The addition of those tomatoes really ratcheted up the flavor of the bread, meat, cheese.

    Photos
    Beautiful interior
    Beautiful interior
    Sandwiches
    Sandwiches
    Nutella croissant

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    Nutella croissant
    Café Bastille Miami Beach

    Café Bastille Miami Beach

    4.3
    (101 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Family-owned & operated

    This place is definitely a cute little place inside. Our server was great and everyone was inviting…read moreand nice. The food was also good. I definitely get your money's worth. I couldn't finish any of the food. My husband enjoyed his meal too. Update: Back at it again! We visited the downtown location previously and loved it so much that we had to make our way to this location too--and it did not disappoint. I ordered the Pistachio Pancakes again, and they were just as amazing as I remembered. My husband went with the Famous Scramble, which was equally delicious. Our server, Celeste, was friendly, attentive, and helped make our experience even better. The food, service, and overall atmosphere were excellent. The only downside? We don't have a location in Phoenix! We'd be regulars if we did.

    After a long flight and being hungry for hours, this was the very first place we came to right…read moreafter checking into our hotel. Our server Daniela was incredibly attentive and caring because my blood sugar had dropped when I arrived and I honestly wasn't feeling well. She immediately helped me, took my order quickly, and brought me water right away. I'm truly very grateful to her for that. She was so warm and kind, and the service was wonderful. It made us so happy that our very first meal in Miami turned into such a lovely experience. I especially want to thank Daniela again here. My breakfast was absolutely delicious. It included bread, halloumi cheese, eggs, tomatoes, and an amazing yogurt sauce. The yogurt sauce was especially outstanding. Every single ingredient tasted incredibly fresh and flavorful -- even the tomatoes were delicious. I think it makes a huge difference when even simple ingredients are carefully selected with quality in mind. My husband had the avocado sandwich and loved it as well. Afterwards, we also tried a crème brûlée croissant dessert. I personally only took one bite and it wasn't really my favorite, but aside from that, everything else was excellent. Thank you again for such a beautiful first dining experience in Miami.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Garden seating area
    Garden seating area
    NEW! Tiramisu French Toast

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    NEW! Tiramisu French Toast

    The Lifeguard by Edwar Simal - galleries - Updated July 2026

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