Finding a great nail salon is often a series of trial and error visits to the salons you see driving down the road or the salon mentioned by the lady waiting with you in the Starbucks line. In my experience many people settle for an “OK” nail salon. Here on South Beach it can seem like an endless search but we are actually lucky enough to have a few good salons out there, and I would know because I’ve tried most of them. When I rate a salon I am judging it on 3 things: cleanliness, staff and how happy I am with the final product.
The best manicure on South Beach is at The Standard Spa. It doesn’t matter which technician you use (a strong testament to the quality of the salon) everything is very clean and I found the spa environment super relaxing. My manicures at the Standard seem to resist chipping longer than anywhere else on South Beach and they do a very good job. It is more expensive but if you really want to treat yourself to a superb mani then you will likely find the $30 worth it.
My second favorite manicure on South Beach is over at the Sean Donaldson salon. I considered my self lucky when I found this nail salon directly across from Macy’s. At first glance it would appear to be a hair only salon, but that is not the case! The salon has a very bright, clean, minimalist atmosphere (which I love) and their manicurists are really spot on. Reasonably priced at $17 for a manicure, Sean Donaldson is a great spot to book on a weekly basis.
Lace Nail Lab seems to be the most popular salon on the beach. It’s bright pink interior and very sociable staff make you feel like you are in a salon straight out of the Hairspray movie, it really is a lot of fun and a unique experience. They have a fabulous boutique in the front of the store that always has something (usually a candle) I will end up taking home with me. My only issue with Lace is that it is always busy and I feel rushed to leave with my nails wet, which means if I’m lucky I will make it 15 minutes before I smudge up the polish.
Canyon Ranch is a bit further up North Beach but they have a great manicure and hands down the best pedicure I have ever had in my life (and they are consistently that good)! Again it does not matter which technician you use, I have been blown away each time I go and I do go often. They also have a great environment and always use a new set of filing tools (bonus points on cleanliness) for each customer. At Canyon they offer to send you off with the filing kit and the bottle of polish you used during your service.
Danny Hertzberg 