What about it?

With only a partial day in Miami, we needed to make the best of it. We chose to stay in Little Havana for its proximity to the airport. It’s a very easy commute, thanks to Uber.

Little Havana is essentially a neighborhood, or region, of Miami. This particular area has strong Cuban roots and its influence is apparent as you stroll down Calle Ocho (otherwise dubbed SW 8th St). Loaded with Latin American restaurants and shops, this colorful street is a fun way to spend an afternoon.

Calle Ocho

The main drag through Little Havana is Calle Ocho. Here you will find vibrant murals decorating buildings. One of my favorites was a parrot, though the portraits were spectacular as well. Wherever you look, a wide array of colors meets your gaze. Remarkably refreshing coming from a neighborhood that only allows about six muted, fairly drab colors for our homes. Which all look alike. And yes, I’ve driven past my own home before. Easy to do when they all appear virtually the same. BORING. Not so in Little Havana. Here shades in all hues tease the eye and provide one with visual delight. A blush pink cottage next to a sea foam green house blends seamlessly. I loved it!

A few “Holleywood-Esau” stars are placed in the sidewalk. There are old school theaters along the way.

Even the local soccer field, named the Pulisic Stomping Grounds after American soccer player Christian Pulisic, displayed murals on its outer walls. Granted, these were more soccer related than Cuban related, though they gave the field a fun flare.

Of note is Little Havana’s love for chickens. There are statues of chickens interspersed along Calle Ocho. All are unique and fun to spot. There are even frequent live chickens running around. Locals feed them like beloved pets.

Shops

Along the main drag are a plethora of shops. Quite a few cigar stores intermixed with nail salons and barbers. Included are the typical clothing, trinket and souvenir shops. Intermixed are a bunch of restaurants. Mainly Latin American. All smelled delicious. A few decorated the alleyways in between buildings, making charming environments to relax and have a bite in. One diner was even decorated in the most adorable retro fashion. If we didn’t already have plans for lunch I might have been tempted to pop in just because the place made me happy just looking at it!

My favorite store, which I nearly walked past and then did a double take on, was a chocolate facility, Exquisito Chocolates. Yum! Certainly deserved a visit, especially as it was still relatively early in the morning and not yet ridiculously hot. Inside you can see where the chocolates are made, huge vats of deliciousness behind a glass wall. That wall looks into a world of chocolatey magic.

On the gift shop/cafe side there are multiple offerings. Want ice cream? Check. Want a torte? Check? Want a giant snickers like concoction? Check. And, oh was that one yummy! Want a gorgeous truffle? They have those too, in a wide variety of flavors, from traditional blends to addition of tropical fruits. Chocolate bars are displayed along the walls, each one telling where the chocolate was sourced, percentage of chocolate and most offered a tiny sample as well. I prefer dark chocolate and they didn’t disappoint with many offerings in all types, dark, milk or white.

We selected two truffles, one tropical filled and the other a more traditional truffle. The tropical was startling at first but melted in the mouth most delightfully. Both were wonderful. I wanted to purchase a bar or two but alas, we were not headed back to the Airbnb anytime soon and it was way too warm to keep a bar from melting. So. I’ll just have to return some other time!

Parks

True to its name, Domino Park (technically named Maximo Gomez Park) has tables for playing both Dominoes or chess. Locals and tourists alike sit at the tables and play a round or two. There are plenty of spectators as this is a popular attraction. Complete with a few live chickens.

The Bay of Pigs Monument resides in a tiny, well kept park and honors the fallen (Cubans) in a failed attempt to invade Cuba. The invasion was aided by the CIA and mostly performed by exiled Cubans in an attempt to overthrow Castro. The park boasts a path around a few statues. The monument itself boasts an “eternal flame” and is nicely placed. Worth a visit if you’re in the area.

Restaurants

If you like Latin American food, Little Havana will please your tastebuds. The night we flew in we walked a block and had a delicious Guatemalan dinner. Depending on what style you prefer, I saw plenty of Cuban places, Salvadoran, Nicaraguan, Dominican and Mexican restaurants. And that’s just from wandering around a bit. Of course, if your taste buds prefer something else there’s the usual offerings as well.

For me, I was holding out. I wanted to visit perhaps the most famous restaurant in Little Havana. I’d actually wanted to visit last time we were in Miami but it didn’t work out. AKA we were no where near Little Havana and didn’t make it happen. But this time. Victory! Which brings us to…

Versailles Restaurant Cuban Cuisine

There are things to know about Versailles. One being they do not take reservations. You will wait. Second, it’s Miami. It’ll likely be hot while you wait. There are a few tables with umbrellas provided out front. Even early in the year, shady spots were nabbed lightning quick. If you’re prone to burning wear sunscreen.

Versailles Restaurant has been a local icon for five decades. Locals and tourists alike flock here. They boast frequent visits from celebrities and politicians. Though I didn’t see anyone, I was more concerned with eating something resplendent.

For those who arrive parched there’s an outdoor bar loaded with whatever your heart might desire. If you’re prone to can’t fathom waiting to be seated in the restaurant, there is a bakery. They offer savory and sweet options. You could walk over and grab a much quicker bite if you’re dying of hunger, impatient or short on time.

We arrived for a late lunch and had less than a half hour wait. Worked for me. We were seated right inside the door, next to a lively table of two ladies, one stated she was a regular. She was from the Philippines and her friend from Guatemala. We hit it off almost immediately with them and had a lively chat that encompassed travel, food, friends and just about everything in between. Lovely ladies. I love a good spitfire attitude and they didn’t disappoint.

As to our order, we couldn’t decide. Started with green plantain chips, which I always love. Felt we had to order the Cuban sandwich and then went with what every good indecisive person should do, one of the sampler platters. Fried pork (OMG, so good yet so bad for you) was hands down our favorite. Also on the plate, a Cuban shredded beef, sweet plantains, Cuban rice, beans, Yuca, a fish croquette and a tamale. I liked everything except the sweet plantains. And that’s only because I don’t like sweet plantains. Never had one I actually liked. Way too sweet. I prefer green plantains, way more starchy, much less sweet.

As we couldn’t fit dessert into our overly full tummies, we walked through the bakery and selected two pieces to take with us for later. It took forever to decide what to get. My fault there, Doug didn’t seem to care. I love dessert far more than he does. As the Guava and cheese tart came highly recommended by multiple people, we chose that, and a caramel alfajore. Neither disappointed. My only complaint is they shifted in the take away box, resulting in me scooping all that guava deliciousness back into the tart. So it was a little ugly, though entirely delectable. The alfajore was tasty, had a very light caramel, which is good or it’s overtake the subtle taste of the cookie.

If you’re in the area, Little Havana is a fun spot to be. I’d seriously recommend eating as much variety of Latin American food as you can. It’s unlikely you’ll be dissatisfied. Take in the local sights and enjoy the vibrancy of Cuban influence.

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