Where To Find the Best Food in Little Havana, Miami

First in my Little Havana food guide, a quick intro. Did you know that 70% of Miami’s population is Hispanic?

This has a lot to do with Fidel Castro’s rule in Cuba. Locals wanting to escape the country fled to the States where the ‘wet foot, dry foot’ policy meant they could stay – if they could reach US soil. In the event they were caught at sea, they were sent back to Cuba and jailed as political prisoners.

Wondering where to eat in Little Havana, Miami? There are countless foodie spots from authentic Cuban bakeries with nada English spoken to lively jazz bars catering to tourists and locals.

One thing’s for sure: you’ll be overwhelmed with options. Gina explained that Miami Culinary Tours are independent from the restaurants in Little Havana which allows them to pick those serving the best food in Little Havana. If venues go downhill, they’ll adapt and choose new ones.

Our first stop was Le Pub, one of the most famous Cuban restaurants in Little Havana. While you can stop for a sit-down meal, Gina explained we’d be dining Cuban style. What did this mean?

We’d be eating standing and chatting, just like the locals do. We tucked into the following bites:

Empanadas filled with beef, onion and pepper. These were Cuban empanadas but Gina explained each Latin American country has its own version.

Cuban coffee – this sweet coffee is served in plastic thimbles each containing the same amount of caffeine as a regular coffee. If you drank from a normal-sized cup, you’d be consuming more than five Americanos’ worth of caffeine. Wow.

Where: El Pub Restaurant, 1548 SW 8th St.

Next, we stopped for the best Cuban sandwich Little Havana! Gina explained that food is often rationed in communist Cuba so ingredients aren’t always this plentiful. We ate an American version of the Cuban sandwich with pork, ham, mustard, pickles and Swiss cheese. Absolutely delicious!

Where: Old Havana Cuban Bar & Cocina, 1442 SW 8th St.

Wondering where to drink as well as where to eat in Little Havana?

Whether you drink alcohol or not, a trip to Ball & Chain is a must while in Little Havana. This iconic venue dates back to the 1920s and sees high-energy jazz performances all day and night. The stage in the garden is shaped like a giant pineapple; if that’s not a reason to visit, I don’t know what is.

Gina told us that the owner was once arrested for ‘rum running’, in other words smuggling alcohol into the States during prohibition. The venue was closed for several years and reopened just six years ago, bringing Cuban-style mojitos back to Miami. Bravo!

Where: Ball & Chain, 1513 SW 8th St.

After a busy and bustling visit to Ball & Chain, we visited an authentic Cuban bakery serving yet more delectable food in Little Havana. I was happy to be in a tour group because Gina ordered us tasty pastillitos that I wouldn’t have known to order myself. These sweet pastries were filled with cream cheese and guava, an unusual combination that went really well together.

Where: Yissel Bakery, 1356 SW 8th St.

I’ve had sugarcane juice many times during my travels but I was happy to have another refreshing serving during a hot day in Miami. This no-frills store serves fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as fruit juices. I browsed the biggest avocados I’d ever seen as well as mamey fruits which I’m yet to try.

Where: Los Pinarenos Fruteria, 1334 SW 8th St.

For our final stop, we headed for dessert. Gina told us that this colourful ice creamery had been opened by a Cuban woman sick of her office job. Her parents owned a building in Little Havana which she turned it into a gelato store now renowned as the best in the neighbourhood. What a great success story!

You can choose from ice creams in the counter or the seasonal specials. During my October visit, I tucked into pumpkin pie gelato which was delicious.

Where: Azucar Ice Cream, 1503 SW 8th Street.

Other things to do in Little Havana

Finding the best food in Little Havana was my numero uno priority while in Miami. But there are a few other cool things to do in Little Havana. These are:

Never before have I recommended you check out a tobacco store but never before have I been to Little Havana!

The sale of Cuban cigars is illegal in America but Cuba Tobacco Cigar Co on Little Havana main street have found a savvy way around this. The founder escaped Cuba several decades ago with a few tobacco seeds in his pocket.

He grew them in Honduras and later moved to Miami where his offspring help him to roll the tobacco into typical Cuban-style cigars. The government can’t stop them because they’re technically not Cuban-made. Genius!

At the store, you can meet the old owner and see his face printed on all the packets. The business is now in its 4th generation and will continue to be passed down.

Later in the day, I was visiting Wynwood Walls, the street art district of Miami, so this was the perfect warm-up. There’s not as much street art in Little Havana as Wynwood but there are still plenty of vibrant pieces. Take a wander to find the best bits.

Browse Cuban galleries

I learnt during my tour of Little Havana that during his rule, Fidel Castro ordered all Cuban art to be destroyed. Luckily, the Cuban population of Miami painted new pieces in classic Cuban style. A few originals smuggled out of Cuba are of enormous value now.

Check out Agustin Gainza Arts and Tavern where a Cuban owner and his 18-year-old daughter sell artwork, jewellery and trinkets.