How to Do Miami Like a Reggaeton Superstar
You might just see Nicky Jam hanging out at these spots in Miami.
By Kisai Ponce and Nicky Jam
Published on 7/2/2024 at 12:00 PM
Nicky Jam – award-winning singer, songwriter, TV producer, and entrepreneur | Photo by Alfonso Duran for Thrillist
A pioneer of reggaeton and Latin trap, Nick Rivera Caminero, better known as Nicky Jam, has been charting the sound waves since his hit album, Fénix, won a Latin Grammy Award in 2017. The Puerto Rican singer made his way to Miami, by way of Colombia, ten years ago and has since put down roots: owning a restaurant, riding motorcycles with his amigues, and finding a work-life balance that makes him a true 'Ganador.' Next up: a new album and a massive national tour. If you want to do Miami like a reggaeton superstar, here’s Nicky Jam’s favorite hangouts in the city.
I always wanted to live in Miami. Obviously, it wasn't affordable in the past for me, but my fame got so big, and I was living in Colombia, and it was getting really hard for me to move around. So one day, we got this small apartment here in Miami just to receive mail and packages and stuff like that. And I came here once and I stayed just one weekend in this apartment. And I said I ain't never going back. I'm staying in Miami.
I've been living in Miami for almost 10 years. I have my restaurants and hospitality businesses here. Everything that I'm doing is to inspire people. I was in jail. I was broke. I was doing drugs. I had a bad path. I'm proud of myself and I'm proud of Latinos because, you know, we're making it.
In Miami, you feel like you're on vacation every day. The music, watching Gloria and Emilio Estefan, the history, the culture, and my community of Latinos—people from Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba, Puerto Rico—made me fall in love with Miami. Se habla en Español.
“The Boricua burger is insane and the most popular item from La Industria. You would think it would be the pancake, but it's actually the burger. I mean, you can't go wrong with anything that tastes like Puerto Rico.”
Quality of life is everything, you know, and to feel secure, and I feel that here in Miami. You can walk around, drive your bike, and do whatever you want to do. I remember when Kobe Bryant used to walk around South Beach like nothing.
There are many places in Miami, but I'm going to tell you exactly the ones that I really, really like.
When it comes to sweets, I like the guava pancakes at [my restaurant] La Industria Bakery & Cafe. They come with a cup where you take the lid off, and all the cream falls, you know, and the guava is amazing. It tastes really good, and it's my favorite. If you go there, they'll tell you it's my favorite. If we're talking about salty food, I would have to go with the Boricua burger.
The Boricua burger is insane and the most popular item from La Industria. You would think it would be the pancake, but it's actually the burger. I mean, you can't go wrong with anything that tastes like Puerto Rico.
Nicky Jam riding his motorcycle with friends | Photo courtesy of Nicky Jam
Osaka is my favorite sushi place. It's not really the biggest place, but it's really nice. It's high-end sushi, and, I'm gonna tell you, I think everything they give you is amazing from the beginning to the end. You can't go wrong when you go to Osaka.
Novikov is my spot. The food is amazing. Every time I go there, they know what I want already. I like sitting in the corner, you know, watching people and watching the view. The chef knows me, and he knows what I like. There's nothing better than a place where they know what you like.
Oh, I like pasta. The pasta at Fiola is amazing, and the fish is amazing. When I want to get out of the city, I go to Coral Gables to eat at Fiola. I knew about this place because of my manager. He took me there. I didn't know it existed, but it's really good.
The Surf Club has one of the best chefs in Miami. The pasta is incredible.
“In Miami, you feel like you're on vacation every day. The music, watching Gloria and Emilio Estefan, the history, the culture, and my community of Latinos—people from Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba, Puerto Rico—made me fall in love with Miami.”
To be real with you, there are some spots here that are trying to be like those small spots in Puerto Rico that sell arroz con habichuelas (rice and beans). I don't go to restaurants here for that because nobody's going to do it like in Puerto Rico, you know what I'm saying? It's really hard. So I call my friends, and I'm like, yo, tell your mom to make me arroz con habichuelas. And they hook me up, and they give me the food.
I love going to the Kaseya Center and watching the Miami Heat team play. But apart from that, I play basketball every day. I go and support the Gibson Park Foundation. They let me play with eight or ten of my boys and we play there every single day at 12 o'clock at Gibson Park. Shout out to my people from Gibson. I pretty much play basketball anywhere I see people playing basketball. Sometimes we've already finished playing and then we see a court and we see some dudes there playing and we play with them. It's just, you know, ball is life.
Apart from that, I'm always on my boat. I love the sea. I like going around in my boat and just being in my own world.
My other hobby in Miami is riding motorcycles with my friends around Wynwood. I'm a motorcycle fanatic. I love the adrenaline. I bought more than 20 bikes for all my friends, and we all drive around in Miami as a group. It's like we're a big group of friends having fun on our bikes.
If I keep talking, I will never finish because I love going out to eat. I could cook, but I make a mess when I cook in my house. If I'm not watching TV, I'm on my boat. If I'm not on my boat, I'm on my motorcycle having fun, because when I'm not in Miami, I'm busting my ass touring.
