Hoy Como Ayer
Bar · West Little Havana
2212 SW 8th St, Miami, FL 33135
Highlights
Latin music club with live bands, dancing, and Cuban-inspired bites
Latin music club with live bands, dancing, and Cuban-inspired bites
"The entrance you choose at Hoy Como Ayer determines how your night at this Little Havana bar will go. One door leads to a bar with living room furniture (fittingly called “la sala”) that’s good for lounging and small talk. The other entrance is where you’ll find an enormous DJ booth playing a broad mix of Latin music. This place used to be a classic Cuban music venue for decades. It’s been modernized under new ownership, but couples still twirl to Joe Arroyo. If you’re not a salsa expert, you can also just enjoy the cushy seating and watch the action." - mariana trabanino, ryan pfeffer
"A nostalgic, tropical club in the heart of Little Havana, Hoy Como Ayer is an intimate space with an energetic pulse that flows under low ceilings, dim lights, and photo portraits of Latin stars. Weeknight events are highlighted by what many locals consider to be the best night in Miami—dancing to the afro-cuban rhythms of The Spam Allstars. Recently, Hoy has experienced a slight reconfiguration where the dance floor scaled down, making way for a larger seating/performance section. Nevertheless, come midnight, it's guaranteed that people will be dancing on their chairs." - Colada Collective
"Open for two decades before shuttering in 2019, the famed Hoy Como Ayer made a comeback just last year, and the historic space has it all: a cocktail bar with live music, a wine bar, salsa on vinyl, and ample outdoor space. The new food menu, in collaboration with Pico e Gallo Barbecue, features standout Latin fusion dishes, including tostones con chicharrón, maduros (sweet plantains with cream and melted cheese), and sancocho (available on Sundays), a satisfying stew filled with meat and vegetables — it’s also great for hangovers." - Allison Ramirez
"If you’ve watched the 2014 movie Chef, you’ll probably remember a scene where Sofia Vergara and Jon Favreau’s characters visit this Latin music club in Little Havana for live music, drinks, and dancing. Well, after closing in 2019, Hoy Como Ayer (HCA) has recently made a triumphant return, and it’s bigger and better than ever. At 4,000 square feet, the renovated historic indoor/outdoor music venue now includes a 65-seat cocktail bar and salsa room with live bands and salsa music on vinyl, and a 140-seat wine bar among other fun spaces to explore. The drinks menu features classic cocktails like a Cuba Libre with 12-year-aged rum, a carajillo, and a spicy paloma. HCA is currently working on a new food menu, but for now, serves small bites like pizzettas, guacamole with plantain chips, tequeños, and meatballs." - Allison Ramirez
"What it was: A Calle Ocho icon for live Cuban music. People were always dancing, the lights were turned low, and you never knew when Willy Chirino would stop by to blow the roof off the place. Sadly, the music stopped after the pandemic, and the original ownership never got the venue back on its feet. What it is now: Still a place to dance salsa—only now the music usually comes from a DJ booth instead of a live band. You'll still get dipped and twirled to classics from Celia Cruz and Willy Chirino, but there might be an unexpected untz-untz added to the chorus. New ownership has kept it fun, but it's certainly more modern (and expensive)." - virginia otazo, ryan pfeffer
