Written by RuinMyTrip Editorial from published research and official sources, not from a personal trip. It is not a traveler review and is never counted in the community rating. How we research.
What it is
A large Cuban restaurant and bakery on Calle Ocho in Little Havana, with a street side takeaway coffee window, open since 1971.
Why travelers eat here
For the ventanita and the ritual around it, and for a dining room that functions as the community's front room. Go for the place, not for a ranking.
What is genuinely good
The coffee window, the late hours, the group friendliness, the location in the middle of Little Havana, and the sheer civic weight of the room.
Downsides
Better Cuban food exists nearby. The middle of the day brings coaches. The interior is dated in a way that is charming on a good night and tired on a bad one.
Best for
First time visitors to Little Havana, groups, late eaters, and anybody who wants one authentic four minute experience rather than a two hour one.
Consider eating elsewhere if
You are chasing the best Cuban meal in Miami, in which case ask somebody local and go where they say.
Practical advice
Weekday mid morning for the window and the neighbourhood, late evening for the dining room. Order a cortadito at the ventanita even if you are not eating. Calle Ocho between 12th and 17th Avenue is the walk to pair it with.
Prices and reservations
Not applicable. Coffee at the window costs a couple of dollars.
Getting there
Calle Ocho, Little Havana, on the mainland west of downtown. Not walkable from Miami Beach. Rideshare or bus.
Where it sits
Little Havana's main commercial street, with Domino Park, cigar shops and galleries within walking distance. A working neighbourhood on a weekday, a street party on the last Friday of the month.
How long to allow
Four minutes at the window, ninety minutes in the dining room, half a day with the neighbourhood.
Accessibility
Step free from the pavement to both the window and the dining room.
The RuinMyTrip verdict
Go for the window, stay for the neighbourhood, and let somebody else argue about whether the ropa vieja is the city's best.
Sources
Every figure above was checked against these before publication. If one has since changed, tell us and we will correct it.
Versailles is on Calle Ocho in Little Havana, opened in 1971, and is widely described as the best known Cuban restaurant in the United States and a centre of Cuban American civic life in Miami. source
A ventanita is a street side takeaway window serving Cuban coffee, and the colada is a shared serving intended to be split between several small cups. source
From the RuinMyTrip team
Written by RuinMyTrip Editorial from published research and official sources, not from a personal trip. It is not a traveler review and is never counted in the community rating. How we research.
Versailles on Calle Ocho is the best known Cuban restaurant in the United States and the unofficial civic centre of Miami's Cuban community, which is a heavier sentence than a restaurant usually deserves and in this case is accurate. Elections get contested on the pavement outside. News crews set up here by reflex when something happens in Havana. The dining room is large, mirrored, busy and decent. Ropa vieja…
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