Miami's Café La Trova named a best bar in the world for second year
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The bar was packed at 8pm on a Wednesday night. Photo: Emma Way/Axios
Little Havana's Café La Trova added another accolade to its collection this month with the recent release of The World's 50 Best Bars, an annual list celebrating the very best of the world's beverage industry.
Why it matters: Only eight bars in the U.S. made the cut this year, and just two of those are outside of New York City.
- This is the second year the Cuban restaurant and bar from legendary cantinero Julio Cabrera and James Beard Award-winning chef Michelle Bernstein has earned this distinction.
Background: Café La Trova opened in early 2019 with a party that drew local A-listers, and it's continued its streak as a Miami hot spot ever since.
- Primetime dinner reservations are booked out weeks in advance.
- Find a reservation (and even pick your exact table!) via Café La Trova's website.
Thought bubble: Café La Trova lives up to the hype. The Axios Miami team took me here while I was visiting from North Carolina, and the restaurant and bar gets everything right — from its rum-forward cocktails to addicting jamon serrano croquetas to its buzzing atmosphere with a live band.
What to expect: Tucked across the street from a Dollar General and Taco Bell, the restaurant is cozy yet lively.
- If you're waiting for a table, or you just enjoy sitting at the bar, this is the place to do it. I ordered the Periodista ($15) with rum, apricot liqueur, dry curacao, lime juice and pomegranate syrup.
- For dinner, order a bit of everything to share. Our favorites were the aforementioned croquetas ($10), the Cuban sandwich empanadas ($10), the lechon sliders on focaccia from Sullivan Street Bakery ($14), and the ropa vieja ($26).
- This isn't a good dinner spot for soft-spoken folks. You'll have to shout a little over the music and occasional cowbell celebrating birthdays, but we didn't mind one bit.
Details: Find Café La Trova at 971 SW 8th St. near East Little Havana.
- On weekdays, it's open 4pm-12am. On Fridays and Saturdays, it's open 4pm-2am.
- Valet parking is easy and costs $10.