Cafe La Trova
Restaurant · East Little Havana
971 SW 8th St, Miami, FL 33130, USA
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24341664/Social_Cuban_Daiquiri_Recipe_LaTrova_Miami.jpeg "Cafe La Trova by Anthony J. Rayburn")
Highlights
Vibrant Cuban spot with live music and award-winning cocktails
Vibrant Cuban spot with live music and award-winning cocktails
"Having fun at Cafe La Trova is as inevitable as having a panic attack while merging west on the Dolphin near that Allapattah exit (you know the one). This is Miami Cuban culture distilled into a dinner party. The whole dining room is constantly teetering on the edge of breaking out into song and dance. The live music (and the daiquiris) make you shimmy in your seat. And bartenders occasionally whip out instruments and start singing along with the band like Broadway understudies." - ryan pfeffer, virginia otazo, mariana trabanino
"Cafe La Trova is like a museum to Cuban cocktail culture. Except you can drink the exhibits, so it’s more fun. They’re deeply committed to the bit at this Calle Ocho spot, which can be a restaurant or a bar, depending on where you sit. The bartenders (they go by cantineros here) wear shiny black vests and occasionally whip out instruments to play along with the house band. The front bar is always a scene, but there’s a bit more personal space in the heavily mirrored back bar. The best thing here is the fairly straightforward daiquiri: white rum, fresh lime juice, and a couple of eyeballed spoonfuls of sugar, all shaken so hard there are little fragments of chipped ice floating at the surface." - ryan pfeffer, virginia otazo
"Classic Cuban comfort food with a slightly upscale spin is on the menu at Cafe La Trova, served alongside expertly crafted Cantinero-style cocktails (daiquiri, mojito, Hotel Nacional, and more) by Julio Cabrera and his team. James Beard award-winning chef Michelle Bernstein never fails to impress with bites like spinach empanadas, shrimp scampi croquetas, and a delicious arroz con pollo made with saffron and beer. Pop in for lunch, happy hour, or dinner, and don’t be surprised if the live music makes visits last longer than expected." - Allison Ramirez
"There are plenty of spots around Miami paying homage to classic Cuban dishes. But Cafe La Trova’s Cuban-adjacent food isn’t quite the point of this restaurant. Cafe La Trova honors the community Cubans have created in Miami the best way we know how: by throwing a giant party. And it does so in Little Havana, the neighborhood that started it all. So if you’re a tourist looking for a purely Cuban restaurant, this isn’t it. Shrimp scampi croquetas (delicious, by the way) never existed on Havana menus. Some things here—cocktails, empanadas, and masitas de puerco—are great. Others get the job done. None of it is life-changing. Instead, think of this restaurant as the diaspora’s celebration of its roots and its place in this city—complete with bands that play Celia Cruz and Tito Puente’s greatest hits on a nightly basis. video credit: Julia Malave photo credit: Emily Schindler photo credit: Emily Schindler Pause Unmute That’s why, even though it’s a must for tourists, locals respect La Trova. Despite our low tolerance for snowbirds, we’ll happily drink these daiquiris at the bar next to folks in Vikings jerseys. We love the way the bartenders periodically whip out trombones and claves. Cafe La Trova is incredibly fun and perfect for celebrating anything. Their long tables can fit Inter Miami’s entire roster, so it’s great for big groups. There’s a bar in the back of the space if you want to keep things going after you eat. Just know that the restaurant isn’t ideal for conversation. Even Tia Martica’s brassy voice can’t compete with the band’s blaring trumpets. Luckily, you’re not coming here for quiet conversations. Cafe La Trova is already a party, so it only makes sense to have one here. Food Rundown Croquetas Cafe La Trova cosplays as an Italian restaurant for a few glorious moments with their pizza and shrimp scampi croquetas. You’ll find the jamon variety on the menu too. But stick to the fun, curveball flavors. You won’t find those around Little Havana. photo credit: Emily Schindler Hand Cut Steak Empanadas The ridges on these crunchy empanadas are so crackly, you could use them like a guiro to accompany the the bongo player. But biting into the juicy steak filling is even more satisfying than joining a band. photo credit: Emily Schindler Arroz Con Pollo This has the necessary traits of a great arroz con pollo: saffron rice that’s fluffy and clings to chunks of juicy chicken and peas. We make sure at least one person at the table gets this every time we come. photo credit: Emily Schindler Skirt Steak Ropa Vieja This has to be the prettiest ropa vieja in all the land. It comes with so much meat, beans, and rice that you’ll want to step outside and stretch halfway through. But while the shredded beef is incredibly tender, the stew doesn’t have enough tomato. photo credit: Anthony Nader Flan De La Flaca This flan tastes like someone walked in on it while it was still getting ready. It feels half finished, and the exposed parts that aren’t drizzled with passion fruit sauce taste like eggy air. PlayMute video credit: Ryan Pfeffer" - Virginia Otazo
"Vest-clad bartenders hand-mix cantinero-style cocktails at Julio Cabrera and Michelle Bernstein’s Cafe La Trova on Calle Ocho. The Cuban cocktail spot, which landed on both World’s 50 Best Bars and North America’s 50 Best Bars lists (at #13), features two distinct spaces: a main bar for Cuban classics like the Hotel Nacional, house daiquiris and mojitos, plus a back room 305 Bar creating Miami Vice-era drinks. A live Cuban band plays nightly, where you’ll almost always find people on the dance floor between bites of Cuban fare." - Amber Love Bond
